Tallus took the comment with grace, dipping his chin and peering seductively over his frames. “Guns? How do I really look?”
“Like you could set the world ablaze.”
“But the question is, can I set Aaron’s libido ablaze?”
I swallowed the excess saliva pooling in my mouth. “If that man doesn’t pop wood and trip over his tongue, he’s not gay.”
“He’s totally gay,” Darcy interjected, dodging out of my reach like I might smack him again. “I could tell.”
Tallus and I looked at him.
“What? He had a vibe. You can’t say that’s not a thing.”
Tallus rolled his eyes and sauntered toward me. He took my face between his palms and tugged me down for a bruising kiss. I meltedagainst him. If we didn’t have an agenda—and teenage company—I’d have hiked him into my arms and taken him to bed.
Darcy groaned.
I ignored him.
Tallus mumbled against my mouth, “Fuck off, Darcy.”
The kid laughed—possibly the first time I’d heard him do so—and sauntered to the bathroom. “I’m taking a piss. Be done when I get out. Where do you keep the bleach?”
“Brat,” I growled.
The door slammed, and Tallus broke from my mouth, speaking louder than necessary. “Kid’s all hot and bothered. Probably went to jerk off.”
“I am not!” Darcy yelled from the bathroom.
I chuckled and drew Tallus against my mouth again.
After Tallus left, Darcy flopped onto the couch. “I don’t get it. You just sent your boyfriend off to flirt with another guy. On purpose. Aren’t you jealous?”
“No. It’s for a case. It doesn’t mean anything.”
“Yeah, but… I don’t know. Isn’t it weird? He looked totally…”
“Hot?”
“No. I mean… yes, if you’re into that. I’m not. But…”
“Shut up, Darcy.”
“I’m just saying.”
Once upon a time, I would have been livid at the prospect of another man laying eyes on Tallus. I would have struggled to keep my temper in check. My insecurities ran deep, but those days were behind me. I wasn’t sure I could explain it in a way Darcy would understand, but I tried.
I dropped onto the couch beside him and kicked my feet up. “The thing you have to understand about Tallus is… he’s solid. Everyone notices him. Everyone, man or woman, is drawn to him. He has one of those personalities, and he’s ridiculously attractive.
“Tallus has always been ten steps ahead of me in this relationship, but one thing he’s never been is impatient or unfaithful, and I’ve given him every reason under the sun to walk away, but he doesn’t. He waits for me to catch up. When I act like an asshole, he calls me out but doesn’t take it personally. He knows I struggle with a hundred different things at once, and sometimes, I need time to pull my shit together.
“That man took a bullet for me, and when I told him I didn’t want to get married, he didn’t flinch or leave or get angry. He stayed. He always stays. So, no, I’m not jealous or worried or upset. For whatever reason, Tallus always chooses me. I choose him too.”
“Oh.” Darcy fidgeted with a hole in his jeans, then stopped and turned to face me. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure, kid. Knock yourself out.”
“How long have you been together?”
