by Seb Taylor
It seemed like a fantasy, but then just over a week ago the very idea of being together romantically had seemed impossible. That filled me with just a little hope, that if something so amazing could emerge when I thought it never could, then maybe something else would happen.
As the evening began to set in I started to get ready for bed. It wasn’t healthy to sit up going over everything over and over, so the best thing I could think to do was get some sleep and get ready to face the day in the morning.
Just before I turned the living room lights off I heard a knock at my door, the sound jolting me from my thoughts.
Slowly, I went to answer, my heart pounding in my chest when I saw Liam standing there.
He looked as good as he always did, a faint smile on his lips, his eyes burning with an intensity that made my knees go weak. His huge arms folded across his chest as he looked back at me, the tension between us like nothing I’d ever experienced before.
“Hey,” I said, not sure what to say.
“Can I come in?” He asked.
“Of course,” I said, taking a step back to let him in. “Everything OK?”
It was a stupid question but it was out before I could stop myself. Of course everything wasn’t OK, he was still annoyed with me, I could tell that much just by looking at him, but at least he was there in front of me.
“We need to talk,” he began, making my heart sink.
Those words said it all, the warning phrase that something terrible was about to happen. Maybe he felt too hurt because I hadn’t told him about moving, or maybe he was being sensible and ending things before it got too hard.
Either way, I braced myself for what was to follow.
“Yeah, we do,” I replied, leading the way over to the couch. “I’m really sorry that I didn’t tell you sooner, it’s just, well, I don’t have an excuse.”
He nodded once, taking a seat beside me.
“I know you were just trying not to hurt me,” he said. “But you can trust me to handle things like this, you know that right?”
“Yeah I do,” I said. “It just all happened so fast. I found out about the promotion, and then this was happening between us and I didn’t want anything to ruin it, but I guess that ships sailed.”
“Maybe not,” he said, getting my hopes as soon as the words left his lips.
“Maybe not?”
He nodded, smiling warmly at me as he shuffled just a little closer. I could feel the warmth of his body against mine, the smell of him filling my nostrils. I wanted to reach out and take him in my arms, to hold him close and tell him that everything was going to be OK.
“Look, what we have is so new, but I know we can make this work,” he said. “I’ve wanted to be with you for as long as I can remember, and I don’t want to walk away from this, not without at least trying to make it work. If that’s what you want of course?”
He looked doubtful as he asked me the question, the uncertainty in his expression almost making me laugh.
“Of course that’s what I want!” I answered. “I can’t tell you how happy I am to hear you say that. Why would you think I didn’t want this to work?”
He shrugged and chuckled, looking a little embarrassed.
“I just thought maybe you were running off to start a fresh new life, to get away from everything.”
“At first I was,” I admitted. “Being around you was so hard and when the opportunity came up it seemed to solve a lot of different problems, but now I know that was just me being an idiot. Now that we’ve been honest with each other and admitted how we are both feeling there’s nothing to escape from.”
His smile widened as he shuffled closer again, his face just inches from mine.
“You’re sure?” He asked.
“I love you Liam,” I said. “More than I ever thought possible. I want this to work and no matter what I’m going to find a way to make that happen.”
Without another word he closed the gap between us, pressing his lips firmly against mine. The kiss we shared was so full of energy and passion, his arms wrapping tight as I hugged him close.
We fell down agains the couch, laughing together as we embraced, the pair of us lost in our excitement.
Any doubt in my mind vanished in that moment, leaving me sure that we would find a way to make this work. What we had was stronger than anything I had ever known, anything I had ever expected to know, and together we would find a way forward.
We loved each other, and that was all that really mattered. Everything else paled in comparison.
Chapter 15
Liam
There was so much I wanted to talk about, to ask him, but as soon as his lips touched mine I knew there was no way I could hold back. His fingers tangled in my hair, holding my face to his as our tongues whirled together, a soft moan escaping his mouth.
The warmth of his body beneath mine made me ache for more, the friction between us growing as his legs closed around my waist. His strong arms held me tight, his chest bulging against mine as we moved together against the couch.
Fingers clawed at clothing, tearing it free until we’d been stripped down to just our shorts, but that didn’t last long. A few minutes after we lay naked in each others arms, Mikes lips working their way all over my body.
We stayed in the living room at first, exploring each others bodies, tongues trailing and lips working until we finally retreated to his bedroom.
As he walked in I stared at his gorgeous form, lost in his hard muscles and gorgeous face. He turned slowly to face me, grinning back at me as I stood watching him in the doorway, my eyes glued to him.
There was no way I could look away, captivated by how good he looked without his clothes on. Every inch of him was pure perfection, his strong arms bulging as he strode over to where I stood.
His fingers slid against my own, his hand holding me hard as he pulled me in.
Seconds later his arms snaked around me, holding me tight against his naked body. The warmth of him pressed against me, his hard excitement pressing against my own as his lips found mine again.
As we embraced I felt his hand between us, holding our pleasure and pumping slowly. The feeling of his fingers holding us both tight drove me wild, the warmth of the rubbing sensations teasing a loud moan of ecstasy from my lips.
Shuddering against him I felt my head spinning and gave in to my every desire, letting him lead me over to his bed. We fell down against the cool sheets, locked together in an embrace that threatened to last an eternity.
The feeling of him was addictive, the taste of him filling my mouth as we continued to kiss.
Before long his lips worked my pleasure, making my entire body ache with the intensity of the feeling. His tongue stroked along my length, driving me wild as I gasped loudly, my fingers clawing at the sheets.
When I came, I let out a loud cry of pleasure, my eyes rolling in my head as my toes curled. My breath caught in my throat as I rocked from side to side, and then seconds later he was climbing the length of my body.
His lips were against mine again, the taste of my own pleasure driving me wild with the need for him. It wasn’t long before he gave me what I wanted, the feeling of him entering me taking me to new heights.
The bed shook as we made love, my fingers digging into his back as he thrust forward. Our bodies worked together, the rhythm of our pleasure working together, the pair of us moaning as we struggled with the feeling.
Mike kissed me hard, his fingers tight in my hair as he let out a shuddering cry, his entire body shaking as the pleasure of our love erupted.
Together, we both came, a storm of heat and electricity that left us both crying out for more. I sucked in a deep breath, trying to contain the noises I was making, but it was no use.
The feeling bubbled up, every inch of my body tightening with the sensation. My body thrummed with the energy, the feeling of my lover deep inside me, his lips against mine, his body pressing me down driving me over the edge.
W
e lay panting together, kissing softly as I stroked his hair. There was nowhere else in the world I would have rather been, no one in the world I would have rather been with. The moment was pure perfection, the exertion of our love leaving us both weak and aching.
“Maybe I could come with you?” I said softly.
I wasn’t sure where the thought came from but the moment it formed in my mind it was tumbling from my lips. I didn’t want to lose Mike and it suddenly seemed like the best idea I could think of.
He turned to face me, looking deep into my eyes. His expression never changed, not giving in the slightest hint away about what he was thinking.
“Would you want that?” He asked slowly, clearly a little uncertain.
“I want to be with you,” I answered.
He chuckled softly, leaning in to kiss me again, far more lightly than before. When he pulled away he had the most gorgeous smile on his face, leaving me hungry for more.
“What?” I asked.
“That’s not an answer to the question. I want to be with you, and I know you want to be with me, but would you really want to move with me?”
I thought about it a little longer, not really sure what to say. I wasn’t even sure where he was actually moving to.
“Maybe,” I said. “Look, it could be a great chance for us both, to go somewhere new and start out as a couple, to really live our lives together. It wouldn’t be too hard for me to find a job. Can you imagine that?”
“I can,” he said. “I just don’t want you to rush into making any huge decisions without giving them some thought.”
“Yeah, because we’ve been so good at not jumping into things so far,” I laughed. “Just putting it out there. Something for us both to think about.”
He nodded once and then kissed me again before laying down. I watched him as he did, my heart racing as I thought about moving away with him.
It would be an adventure for us, one that we could both share together. It would be weird starting a new job, but so long as I had Liam by my side I knew that I’d be happy. He was right about thinking it over, but my mind was already set.
All I had to do now was figure out how to put our plan into motion.
Chapter 16
Mike
The next day started perfectly, Liam tucked up against me, the warmth of him reminding me just how much I loved what we had together. Even though we both had to get up and get ready for work, I knew I wouldn’t have changed anything.
Telling him about my move had been one of the most nerve wracking moments of my life, but in the end it had worked out just right. It taught me the value of just telling him the truth early on, not holding things back from him.
We’d both been guilty of that and now we knew better.
If we’d been honest with our feelings right from the start then this would have all started sooner. It amused me that we had both felt the same way for so long, but because we were scared how the other would react we had kept everything a secret.
I should have learnt from that, but I hadn’t, and once again I’d kept my secrets to myself.
Now Liam knew, and together we were beginning to put plans in place. This relationship wasn’t going to fall apart, far from it in fact. When Liam had suggested that he come with me my heart had leapt for joy, but I knew he needed to take some time to think about it.
His whole life was here, and asking him to move away with me was a big step. The last thing I wanted was for him to make a rash decision and regret it later in life. That would only put a strain on our relationship.
In time we would figure things out together, and we still had a little while before I had to leave.
After a short time holding him close beneath the sheets, we finally got up from the bed, getting ready to go to work. Everything flowed perfectly, a morning coffee and a quick shower together.
The shower threatened to get a little more heated than we’d expected, but we didn’t have time to get carried away. Chuckling beneath the jets of warm water, I’d kissed him, longing for so much more, but somehow I’d managed to tear myself away from his wet body.
When we finally arrived at work I got started on the mountain of admin tasks I had to complete, jumping onto different conference calls throughout the morning. It wasn’t what I liked doing, but the work needed to be completed.
I’d begun starting the transfer process, getting ready to hand over to whoever took over from me, and the list seemed never ending.
Once it got to the early afternoon I leaned back in my chair, letting out a long sigh as I looked at the pile of folders I needed to go through. There was still so much left to do, but I knew it was at least leading up to something new and exciting.
Soon enough I’d be exploring some place new, taking on a whole host of new responsibilities and I couldn’t wait. I was incredibly nervous about the transition, but it was what I’d worked so hard for.
Just as I was about to get started again there was a knock at my office door.
I glanced up, surprised that anyone would actually knock. Normally my team just walked straight in if they needed anything, the relationship I’d built with them all one of trust and understanding.
If I needed to be uninterrupted I’d tell them and they always knew when to keep away.
“Come in?” I called out, my voice a little uncertain as I did.
A few seconds later Liam opened up the office door and stepped inside. He looked amazing, pulling my attention away from the mountain of work. Suddenly nothing else in the world mattered anymore and it took all of my restraint not to go to him.
“Got a few minutes?” He asked.
“Of course,” I answered. “What’s up? Why did you knock?”
He chuckled lightly under his breath, looking a little mischievous as he pulled up a chair beside me.
“You’re my boss and I thought I best keep things formal,” he said, that glint in his eye making me ache for him.
There was nothing formal about our relationship, not anymore. We’d well and truly passed that boundary.
“OK, go for it,” I said, slightly amused by how he was being. “What can your boss do for you?”
“Well, there’s plenty I’d like you to do for me, but let’s save that for later,” he shot back, making us both laugh.
“Seriously, what’s up?” I asked, fighting to control my laughter.
He looked at me, still laughing, and then he managed to get himself under control. His expression became far more serious and a few seconds after he’d calmed down he pulled an envelope from his pocket and handed it to me.
I looked at him and took the envelope, opening it up immediately. As my eyes scanned the lines of text I felt my breath catch in my throat.
“You’re quitting?” I gasped.
He nodded, folding his arms across his chest.
“But why?” I asked.
Liam chuckled again, leaning forward in his chair. His eyes met mine and the smile that stole out across his lips melted my heart. He really was far too handsome for his own good.
“Isn’t it obvious?” He asked. “We can’t be together while we work together, and besides, I’m relocating soon. Got an offer I can’t refuse.”
Staring at him, I had to fight down the urge to throw my arms around him. It was such an incredible gesture, one that meant we would be able to be together without any consequences, one that meant we really would be able to embark on our new life together.
“You’re sure?” I asked. “Like I said, I don’t want you rushing into anything.”
His grin grew wider, his hands reaching out and taking mine.
“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life Mike,” he whispered. “I love you so much and there’s no way I’m letting you go without me. This way we can be together and do whatever we want.”
I felt my cheeks grow warm as my heart bean to race, every inch of me desperate for his touch. Leaning in a little closer I reached out and touched the tips of my finger
s against his cheeks, moving in to kiss him.
The warmth of his lips felt amazing as always, our embrace so soft and slow.
“That really is a resignation I can’t refuse,” I whispered.
Our noses were tip to tip, our eyes peering deep into the others. Everything was perfect right then, all falling into place. Soon we would be leaving together, to start our new lives and I couldn’t wait.
“I love you Liam,” I whispered, knowing that no words were ever more true than those.
Chapter 17
Liam
We closed the door behind us, exhausted from the long day. The removals had arrived bright and early and our journey down south had commenced. After a few hours of driving we’d arrived at our new place and the unpacking had begun.
We’d worked tirelessly throughout the day, getting everything set up and ready to go, and now we were finally done.
I was exhausted, but I was far too excited to sit down and relax. Looking at Mike as I closed the door, I couldn’t help but grin, my heart racing as I looked around our new place, the start of our new life together.
The past month had been hectic as we arranged everything for the move. I’d managed to find a new job and I couldn’t wait to start, and Mike had been crazy busy at work as he prepared to hand the store over to the next manager.
Everyone was sad to see us go, but they were happy to learn about our plans together. Everyone in our team loved Mike, and they were over the moon that he’d found something that made him so happy.
Gemma had been there to help us load up the removal van, hugging us both goodbye. Out of everyone left behind, I was going to miss her the most, although she’d already arranged to come down and see us in a few weeks after we’d gotten settled in.
She had been such a supportive person in my life, giving me the shove and advice I needed to make my dream of being with Mike a reality. Now that dream had come true and we were about to take the next step together.