Chapter Twenty-Five
Rip
Mars fixed my tie, tightening the knot and then smoothing it down while I ran a hand through my hair. “You remember when you got this tie?” he asked.
I chuckled. “When I had that job interview our first year in Detroit,” I said. “We picked it out at the Goodwill that afternoon.”
“And by the time you got back from the interview, you were already swearing up and down you’d never wear a tie again.”
“Not for some bullshit job at a call center, that’s for damn sure,” I said.
Mars finished fussing with the tie, then planted a quick kiss on my cheek, warming me all the way through. “Thank god they turned you down,” he joked. “I don’t think I could have handled it if my boyfriend was a nine-to-five type.”
Boyfriend.That word was still making us grin like fools every time we said it.
I flicked the tie and watched it fall against my only button-up shirt. “At least I have something to clean up in. You think Clark will recognize me, even with a collar on?”
Mars brushed his thumb over my lips. “You can’t hide that smile, Rip.”
We leaned into each other and fell into an easy kiss. My cock stiffened immediately, and I almost grabbed Mars by the shoulders and dragged him back into the bedroom for another round. Since admitting our true feelings for each other, we’d barely been able to do anything but fuck, eat, and sleep. Mars had managed to haul some of his stuff into the bedroom, making our new living arrangement official, but otherwise, the house was turned upside down, and our waking minutes were devoted to catching up on the sex we had missed by keeping it casual over the years.
Like newlyweds, as Aunt Grace said it.
And goddamn but it felt good. When I heard Mars stirring in the morning or came home to find him cooking dinner, I would realize all over again that he was my guy. You would think living together for years would make that stuff feel normal, but now that we admitted the truth of our feelings, there was a different kind of charge in the air and a new heat scorching our fingertips when we touched.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” I asked. “We’re supposed to be dating Clark together, after all.”
“I’ll meet up with you guys later,” Mars said, “after I get a chance to run by the thrift and buy myself a new look. Anyway, it’s weird if I have a bunch of solo dates with Clark, but you don’t. Show him that Cirillo charm and get him nice and warmed up for me.”
I checked myself out in the mirror one last time. “I just want to make sure we do this right,” I said. “I want to make sure Clark feels good when he’s with us, and not like some afterthought, now that we’re together.”
Mars snorted a laugh, then handed me the old bottle of cologne that was sitting on the bathroom shelf. “I’m pretty sure Clark can take care of himself, actually. The guy is full of surprises. Let’s just make sure we don’t hide our feelings. That’s how we got into this mess in the first place.”
“What do you mean?”
Mars’s eyes glinted, and he placed another quick kiss on my lips. “If Clark is the right guy for us,” he said, “I don’t want to waste another decade denying what’s true.”
* * *
“You’re wearing a tie!” Clark said, almost squealing in surprise on the front porch of his apartment building. “No one told me it was that kind of date!”
I laughed, then offered him the few small primroses I had picked up. He held them to his nose and took in a deep inhale, and then I pinned them on his shirt, right above his heart.
Satisfaction filled me. He just looked so damn sweet and innocent, even though I knew there was an animal clawing beneath the surface.
It was hot.
“You said we needed to treat you right,” I teased. “And trust me, I don’t put a tie on for just anyone.”
Clark took the elbow I offered him, and we walked to the car. I did all the things a gentleman would do, opening the door for him and adjusting the temperature and music to his liking. Clark was wearing that purple sweater that made the greens of his glasses and his eyes pop, and with every kind gesture, he giggled to himself and blushed.
He was perfect, actually, so much more delicate than I was used to, but also surprisingly strong. His pink cheeks and fluttering eyelashes brought filthy thoughts to mind, but instead of feeling guilty, his integrity and strength reminded me that was just as capable of taking it as any other man I had dated.
When we got to the Chinese restaurant I picked, I hurried around to open his door, then guided him inside with a hand on the small of his back. A few people in the restaurant turned to glance at us, and I became aware of how we looked together. Clark was slighter than I was, and I naturally pulled him closer, throwing my arm over his shoulder, as though to protect him from their glances.
For dinner, at least, he was mine.
“Why’d you pick this place?” Clark asked as we took our seats. His eyes darted across the menu, reading it quickly. “Don’t get me wrong, I love Chinese food…”
