‘Better not spill our wine,’ he whispers, breath brushing against my lip.
We put the wine aside, and all I want to do is rip his clothes off, and as he touches me I know he must be thinking the same. But my hand finds his strong, supple chest, and I sigh.
‘I don’t know exactly what I feel for you, Sam, but I know it is different from what I feel for Ollie.’
‘How different?’
His lips part, hard to resist. I lean in for another kiss, a slow kiss, before answering. ‘I don’t want to do this with Ollie. Not ever again. I came here for one guy, and met someone else who changed everything.’
Sam squeezes my hand. ‘You’ve given me the most excitement I’ve had in years.’
My heart pangs. ‘But it’s not real.’
Sam’s grip slackens. ‘What?’
‘I’m temporary, Sam. I have to go back. To Cardiff, to my life. To fucking Clive.’
‘Will…’
‘I have to be realistic.’
‘No.’ Sam closes his eyes, takes a deep breath. When he looks at me again, his eyes are wide, pleading. ‘We can make it work. There will be a way.’
‘Our lives are in two different places.’
‘That doesn’t matter.’
I want to laugh, but my heart is breaking.
Sam leans back in the chair, and taps his lap.
‘That is not appropriate,’ I say, jovial.
‘Get your mind out of the gutter. Come lay your head here.’
I adjust where I sit, resting my head on his thigh. His hand runs through my hair, slow, steady. My eyes flutter with every touch of him.
‘I want you, Will. Any way that I can. I don’t know what that will look like for us, but I’m prepared to make it work. Are you?’
I shift, looking up at him. My hands reach and he leans forwards, and I rise to meet his lips once more. ‘I want nothing more.’
A silence stretches between us, Athens holding still.
‘Stay the night?’
‘I think that’s okay with me.’
He gives me another kiss. We lie there, him stroking my hair, me admiring every sculpted part of him.
‘There’s something we need to talk about,’ I finally say.
‘Go on.’
‘What made you say you were a porn star?’
Sam laughs, a little snort following. ‘And stripper. Don’t forget stripper. I wanted to see the look on his face.’
‘I loved it,’ I say. ‘Let me know where I can find some of your work.’
