Page 58 of Bruised

“You’re right. Can you blame me, though?” I send him a wink and place a hand on his thigh. He parts his legs automatically, always ready for my touch. Fuck, I could just ravage him right here.

“Maybe I should,” Lane says. Then, in a lower, breathier voice, “I don’t regret it, though. It was worth it. Felt so good,” he whispers, and his cheeks turn red.

“Yeah?” I mumble, squeezing his thigh.

Lane leans in, and when our lips meet, it’s a soft peck that turns into more. It strikes me that this is the first time we’ve been together without the threat of Oliver breathing down our necks. We can’t let this opportunity pass us by, but we need to get the uncomfortable stuff out of the way first.

I pull back and open the car door. “Let’s go.”

Lane looks a little disappointed but nods and follows me.

The clinic is almost empty, and Lane and I sit down next to each other in the waiting room. Lane fidgets with his shirt while I stare straight ahead, trying not to let the guilt consume me.

I’m the reason he’s here. I did this. He doesn’t seem to acknowledge the severity of my actions. By rights, he should’ve yelled at me and made me feel even more horrible than I already do, but as usual, he’s a sweet angel, and I’m a horrible monster in comparison.

Soon enough, it’s my turn, and I go through the process of testing and all the bullshit forms to sign. I wait for Lane to finish, and when we’re back in the car, I hesitate to put the key back in the ignition.

“Sorry again,” I mumble.

“I told you, it’s okay,” Lane says. “It’s not so bad.”

I sigh, tapping the steering wheel. It’s pretty bad. Not the worst thing I’ve ever done, but it means more when it’s Lane I’ve put in danger and not some random asshole.

“Well,” I mutter, “let’s just hope they come back negative.”

Lane nods. “I think they will.”

We stay silent for a while, and I put my hand on his thigh, stroking it absentmindedly. Lane stays still, not parting his legs this time, and we enjoy this quiet moment together.

“Want to go somewhere?” I ask, not ready to let him out of my sight yet.

“Where?”

I drive us to an old ice cream parlor I used to frequent as a kid. It’s a miracle it’s still running, but the prices have gone up a lot. I’ve only got a spare fiver in my pocket, and they don’t take cards, so I order a single cone with two scoops for us to share.

Ice cream in hand, I sit on a park bench, motioning for Lane to sit next to me and scoot close.

“Want to share, puppy?” I hold up the cone and lick one side of the ice cream, lapping up the vanilla flavor and crushed chocolate flakes.

Lane looks around us. There are children and moms with strollers in the park behind us, and cars are driving by a few feet ahead.

“Don’t look at them.” I cup his cheek, turning his attention back to me. “Just enjoy your treat.”

His cheeks flush with color, but he leans in and licks at the melting ice cream, tongue catching on my finger. I stick my tongue out and mimic him. His eyes flutter closed, but I keep mine open, watching him eagerly while I devour the ice cream between us.

When his eyes open, he gets the same heavy-lidded, dazed sort of expression that he usually gets when he’s sucking my cock. He rests a hand on my thigh, leaning closer. The ice cream is running out, so at the next lick, our tongues meet over the cone, and Lane kisses me sloppily, giving an embarrassed giggle as he pulls away.

I stare at him, frozen in my desire. I don’t want ice cream anymore; I just want him.

Lane yelps as I throw the cone into the trash can beside us. “No!”

“Come.” I take his hand and lead him back to the car.

“But I love the cone,” Lane says sullenly. “Where are we going?”

Somewhere private. Somewhere we can do whatever we want without anyone watching. Not Oliver, not the moms eyeing us disapprovingly in the park, not the cars driving by. Somewhere we can just be with each other without the threat of discovery.

I would check us into a hotel, but I don’t have the money. Spent my last savings on renting the gym equipment. The car is all we have. Now we need to find somewhere secluded.