Of course I would. I’d go wherever he wanted me to. A stroll down the beach, despite the chill and the wind, was easy to agree to. I liked that he stayed close, that he kept that arm around my waist and snuggled in just a little more when I wrapped my own around his shoulders. We walked in amicable silence, and I waited patiently for him to figure out what he wanted to say.
“I’m too old to play games,” he began.
“You’re not old,” I interrupted.
He laughed and stretched to kiss the underside of my jaw. “Yeah, whatever. You know what I mean.” I squeezed him tightly and nodded my agreement. “You and me. It’s serious. You let me fuck you bare, and you let everyone here know you were sleeping in my bed.”
All this time I’d been worrying, not able to talk to him about my feelings because I couldn’t push, because I was scared of admitting the truth. Because I didn’t want him to run from me. And then, without preamble or provocation, the man had laid it all out. Just like that. It made my breath catch and my knees weak. He wanted me. He wanted it to be serious.
Vincent stopped and turned to face me, wrapping both arms around my waist and pushing his body against mine. He looked up at me, and I could just make out the warmth of his deep brown eyes in the scant light that reached us. He took a deep breath, then smiled.
“With you, things are different. You fill me with a sense of…I don’t know…peace, I guess. I’m always on the go. I’m always doing something or working. And I love it. But when it’s just you and me and Valentine? I feel like I can just be, can settle.” He took another breath and leaned even closer. “So I just need to know. Are you done hiding? Are you mine?”
For him to describe it like that, to feel something similar to what I did, I knew that what we were building was the real deal. We were on the same page. And even though he hadn’t said the words, I knew I could.
“I love you. So yes. Done hiding and I’m absolutely yours.”
Vincent froze. He didn’t even breathe. I found myself holding my breath, too, unsure of his reaction. But when he relaxed against me, his whoosh of breath sounding relieved, I gathered him up tight and squeezed. I’d just surprised him with the words, was all.
“I love you, too.” The words were whispered against the skin of my neck. I loved hearing them, but he didn’t need to say it. I already knew. The only thing that mattered was that he felt the same sense of peace I did.
THE END
ABOUT KRIS T. BETHKE
Kris T. Bethke has been a voracious reader for pretty much her entire life and has been writing stories for nearly as long. An avid and prolific daydreamer, she always has a story in her head.
She spends most of her free time reading, writing, or knitting/crocheting her latest project. Her biggest desire is to find a way to accomplish all three tasks at one time. A classic muscle car will always turn her head, and naps on the weekend are one of her greatest guilty pleasures. She lives in a converted attic with a way too fluffy cat and the voices in her head. She’ll tell you she thinks that’s a pretty good deal. Kris believes that love is love, no matter the gender of people involved, and that all love deserves to be celebrated.
For more information, visit kristbethke.com.
ABOUT JMS BOOKS LLC
JMS Books LLC is a small queer press with competitive royalty rates publishing LGBT romance, erotic romance, and young adult fiction. Visit jms-books.com for our latest releases and submission guidelines!
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