Zayn wanted to nod and get in the car without saying a word. He couldn’t. “Thank you for setting this up. I’ve always wanted to try my hand at pottery-making. It was fun.”
A bright smile lit Spencer’s face. “Right? I half expected clay to go flying across the room, but it didn’t and—” Zayn kissed him, cutting Spencer off mid-speech. It was out of his control. He needed to taste the excitement flowing from Spencer.
Spencer’s hands flattened against Zayn’s chest and slid upward. Zayn shuffled closer as Spencer’s fingers found their way to Zayn’s hair. He tilted his chin higher, getting as close as he could to Spencer as Spencer deepened their kiss. He recognized this might be the last time they touched. Zayn was okay with that since they would part on a happier memory. Even when the kiss ended, neither of them moved away. With their foreheads pressed together, Spencer kept his eyes closed as if savoring the moment while Zayn couldn’t stop staring at him. He looked so normal tonight in his brown t-shirt, light-colored jeans, and work boots. It was like Spencer had attempted to fit in for Zayn. Zayn didn’t want that, but it was sweet.
Suddenly, Spencer backed away as if he forced himself to take a step back. “Would you like to have breakfast with me tomorrow?”
Zayn fought a smile. “I’d love to, but I have a business meeting in the morning.”
Spencer nodded, looking crestfallen. “Oh. Okay.”
A chuckle rose and stuck in Zayn’s throat. He couldn’t help it. Happiness had him in a chokehold. “There are other meals in the day. How do you feel about me cooking dinner for us tomorrow night instead?”
Spencer’s smile returned. “I’d like that.”
“Six?”
“Sounds good.” Spencer looked around as if he didn’t want to leave, but he knew they couldn’t stand in the parking lot all night. “I guess I should let you go home.”
“Yeah. I have that early morning thing. You probably have—” This time, it was Spencer cutting him off with a kiss. It was every bit as sweet as the last one. They were kisses with a promise behind them. Hope built in Zayn’s chest. Spencer didn’t kiss him like a man bent on fucking him until he got bored. He kissed Zayn like they had all the time in the world together. Zayn couldn’t wait to find out if that was true.
Five
Truth be told, Spencer hadn’t expected Zayn to show up for the pottery-making class. He had thought about Zayn looking to try something new, since the bodybuilder thing had gotten old. With that thought in mind, Spencer had taken a chance. Honestly, Spencer wasn’t good at making amends. Since becoming an adult, he had chosen to live his life unapologetically. This time, though, he had been completely at fault. He needed to make things right.
Zayn had shown, and now he was making Spencer dinner. He hadn’t expected to be under Zayn’s roof again. Not only was he there, but he also had a club soda in hand and Zayn didn’t seem to mind Spencer being nosy as fuck.
Spencer hadn’t explored Zayn’s place the last time he had been here. They had gone straight to bed. Afterward, he had sneaked away as quickly as possible. Now he couldn’t stop inspecting everything. Zayn lived in the coolest house Spencer had ever seen. Everything was open and glass. Water gushed over the glass wall of the living room, fascinating Spencer. He tried tilting his head and leaning closer to the windows to see why.
“What’s above us?”
“The second-story pool.”
At Zayn’s response, Spencer’s curiosity tripled. “Do you have a leak?”
Zayn laughed as he moved to a nearby wall. “No. It’s a waterfall. The water from the second-floor pool pours into the pool down here and is pumped back to the top again. The two are connected. See.” He pushed a button, and the water stopped falling, clearing the view. They were literally standing in the pool. Spencer imagined it was only an illusion, but it was amazing. He wondered how the house looked from a distance with an endless pool of water flowing from one floor to the next. Zayn pushed the button again, and the waterfall resumed.
“Holy shit. That’s amazing. You would think a waterfall would be loud, but I barely hear a thing.”
“The glass is basically the same stuff they use in commercial aquariums. You know, the places where you can go see full grown sharks and whatnot.” Zayn motioned toward a small doorway at the opposite side of the room. “If you head through that door, you’ll find the indoor part of the pool. You can slide open the wall to swim through the waterfall. You can see how thick the glass is when you open it. It’s like ten inches. It’s soundproof and bulletproof.”
Bulletproof? Damn. Spencer couldn’t fathom Zayn’s life. It had to be wild being this rich. “You have the coolest things. I can’t imagine having even half of this.”
A line appeared between Zayn’s eyebrows. “It’s not like you’re poor.”
Spencer sipped his drink and shrugged. “Honestly, my place is paid for along with everything else I own. Otherwise, I have about a hundred grand in the bank.”
Spencer fought a smile at the way Zayn tried valiantly to hide his shock. “Are you not charging people for your work?”
A laugh burst from Spencer. “Of course I am. Money just isn’t that important to me. I like to have enough in case of an emergency or whatever. Otherwise, I try to improve the world around me. I have scholarships set up at two different music academies, and I keep the art program in several schools funded. Jinx’s mom is on dialysis and can’t afford it, so I pay for that. Plus, I keep up with her other bills, so she’s not stressed. There are tons of ways I can help and still not struggle, so I do.”
If Zayn felt one way or another about anything Spencer said, he didn’t show it. Instead, he kept asking questions. “What about your parents?”
Spencer’s muscles automatically tensed at only the mention of his parents. “What about them?”
Zayn shrugged. “You take care of Jinx’s mom. What about yours?”
He fought the urge to say what he wanted. That she could go fuck herself. “I’m sure she’s fine.” After all, she could find any man she wanted to keep a roof over her head. Just like she had done his whole life, especially at his expense.
For a moment, Zayn stared at him expressionlessly, but he didn’t push. Spencer wondered if there would ever come a day when he didn’t look like the worst person on the planet to Zayn.
Spencer looked around for a place to set his drink. “Maybe dinner wasn’t a good idea.” He should have been happy with Zayn’s goodbye kiss and left things at that. It wasn’t like he would be any good at a relationship.
“Why?” Zayn sounded damnably calm. His peaceful tone made Spencer feel irrational. Zayn’s reaction made him stop and think, which was something he didn’t take a lot of time to do usually. Still, he didn’t know how to answer that question.
Zayn crossed the room and took Spencer’s drink from him. He set it on the nearest flat surface before towing Spencer into his arms. Zayn was strong and peaceful. It was mesmerizing. “You don’t have to talk about anything you don’t want to with me. Just tell me you don’t like dredging up certain things. That’s fine. I’m just trying to get to know you. This isn’t an interrogation. I’d much rather you tell me to mind my business than to have you run away.” He kissed the corner of Spencer’s mouth. “Stay. Tell me happy stories.”
Spencer kissed Zayn, hoping to stay in his arms. Even though he was taller than Zayn, Zayn was huge. He made Spencer feel safe. Spencer didn’t feel quite so much like he was bumbling through life when Zayn wrapped his arms around him. He tried to think of a happy story for Zayn. Nothing came to mind. He didn’t think Zayn wanted to hear about the new set list he made, and that was all Spencer had going on. Spencer realized something. Just as Zayn claimed he was boring; Spencer was dull too. He wasn’t jet-setting or meeting new people every day. There weren’t any exciting moments to share. He woke up every day and worked on his art. No one wanted to hear about that. Spencer buried his face against Zayn’s neck and admitted as much.
“I don�
�t think I exist outside of music. You don’t want to hear about that nonstop.”
“Yes I do.”
With a laugh, Spencer took a step back. “You say that now, but you haven’t spent years listening to me drivel on and on about how I found a new mashup.”
Zayn didn’t crack a smile. He looked completely serious. “That’s exactly what I want. I should check our food.”
As Spencer watched Zayn walked away, a million thoughts and emotions washed over him at once. Zayn was literally a billionaire. He could afford a thousand chefs, yet he cooked for Spencer. Zayn claimed to be interested in Spencer’s work. Spencer had only been around people who told him he talked too much about himself—like talking about his music made him vain. He swung wildly between wondering if this was an act and hope. Spencer dangled in disbelief. With his mind raging with itself, Spencer wandered into the kitchen. One of four ovens stood open. There was a pan of food on the floor, and Zayn had his head on the counter with his hand under running water. Spencer dashed across the room, grabbed a potholder, and started picking up the mess.
“Holy shit. Are you okay?”
Zayn didn’t lift his head. “Yeah. I’m just dumb as hell.”
Spencer dumped the hot pan in the opposite sink. Zayn’s fingers were red, and the skin already bubbled in three places. Spencer didn’t try touching him. He pulled the phone from his back pocket and called a friend. Thankfully, Seth answered on the second ring.
“Dr. Black.”
“Hey, Seth. It’s Spencer. I need your help.”
Seth didn’t let him down. “You’ve got it. Are you home?”
Spencer shook his head, as if Seth could see him. “No. I’m at a friend’s house and he’s burned himself pretty badly. Can I text you the address?”
“Of course. I’m on my way.”
Spencer tried to stay calm as he disconnected the call and quickly texted Seth the address.
“Are we just friends?”
Zayn’s question might have felt heavier if Spencer hadn’t been in panic mode. “Yes, but I’m hoping you’ll forgive me for being stupid so we can be more. Who do I need to talk to so the doctor can get onto the property?”
Zayn still wasn’t moving from his spot on the counter, and that worried Spencer more than he wanted to admit. “There’s an intercom on the wall by the waterfall control panel. Press the button and ask for Rocky. He’s the head of security.”
Spencer quickly moved to follow Zayn’s instructions. He didn’t know how long it would take Seth to get here, but he didn’t imagine it would be long. He pushed the button Zayn described. “Hey, Rocky. We have an emergency.”
A dude who matched Spencer in height and Zayn in muscle appeared from nowhere like a goddamn ghost, sending Spencer’s heart racing into his throat. He was hard-looking and didn’t as much as blink as Spencer grabbed his chest.
“Goddamn. Where did you even come from?”
The dark-haired and green-eyed man didn’t waste time answering him. “You said there was an emergency.”
Spencer nodded. “Zayn burned himself pretty badly. I have a doctor on the way. Zayn says you’re the guy to make sure he can get onto the property.”
“What’s the guy’s name?”
“Seth Black.”
With a nod, Rocky headed for the door. “I’ll make sure he finds you.”
Spencer headed back to the kitchen, feeling confident Rocky would take care of things. Zayn wasn’t leaned over the counter any longer, but his hand was still under the running water. Spencer moved to stand at his side.
He stared at Zayn’s burns. “Damn. Burning yourself is the worst.” He rubbed Zayn’s back. “Seth will be here soon. He’s a house-call doctor for the rich and famous. I’ve never used his services, but I know he’s well-respected. We went to high school together.” At this point, Spencer was just rambling. He couldn’t stop. Being nervous always took hold of his tongue. “I know he’s passionate about helping people. In fact, I would trust him with my life. He was always the one who took care of me when my mom’s latest man would beat the shit out of me because they were bored. If he can deal with all that trauma with no medical training, he’ll have you patched up in no time. This one guy, Buddy, hit me across the back with a cast-iron skillet he had just pulled out of the oven. It was a mess, but Seth fixed me right up. He’ll have you out of pain in a hurry.”
“Spencer?”
Spencer kept rubbing Zayn’s back and playing with his hair, trying to soothe him. “Yeah?”
“Don’t tell me anything else. I’m in too much pain to kill anyone right now, and I really do have enough money to get away with murder.”
A smile exploded across Spencer’s face. It was ridiculous. He shouldn’t be smiling, but he couldn’t help it. “I’m a nervous talker. You scared me.”
Zayn’s sexy gaze moved Spencer’s way. He held Spencer’s stare. “I wasn’t thinking when I came in here. My mind was locked on you and how I can convince you I want all of you. I took the pan out of the oven without an oven mitt. It was a good thirty seconds before I realized I was holding a hot pan.”
Spencer winced.
Zayn wasn’t finished. “You’re all I think about. I want to be with you.”
“You are with me,” Spencer said—like a dumbass—in his confusion.
A smile exploded across Zayn’s face. “As a couple.”
“Oh.” Spencer would have thought he would need to think about it, if he had ever imagined this moment. That was not what happened. “I thought we were already a couple.”
“Show me what’s happened,” Seth said, appearing inside the kitchen with Rocky hot on his heels.
Spencer stepped out of the way and let the blond doc do his thing. His head was oddly empty, considering everything so far today. He chewed his bottom lip and tried to keep all the thoughts at bay. For once, he wouldn’t self-sabotage. Spencer was determined in that. He had met a good man. Zayn deserved to have a man who worked to be with him. Rocky openly stared at him, cutting through Spencer’s shock.
Spencer held his gaze.
One of Rocky’s dark eyebrows rose in challenge, and it hit Spencer. He was being silently threatened. Zayn had a staff that cared. If Spencer hurt him, Zayn had a staff that would hunt him down. Spencer smirked, because he was no one’s bitch. Plus, he had no plans to hurt Zayn. They were a couple now. Maybe Spencer hadn’t been expecting a relationship, nor had he wanted one, but Zayn was his now, nonetheless. No one would hurt him, especially Spencer. He would prove he wasn’t his mom. Once and for all.
To Zayn’s surprise, his hand didn’t hurt that much. That was mostly due to Dr. Black and his amazing medicine bag. He hadn’t made Zayn go to the hospital, but the pharmacy had delivered some cream and pain pills. Zayn felt like complete shit for ruining their dinner.
“I’m so sorry about our food. Grab my phone and order us something.”
Spencer stuffed another pillow beneath Zayn’s arm so it would be elevated. “I already ordered us something. Stop worrying over it. You have no idea how often I hurt myself because my head is always in the clouds. I’ve got this.”
Zayn couldn’t stop staring at Spencer. He had learned more about Spencer from this accident than he might have in ten years otherwise. He hated Spencer’s past but adored the man he saw now. Spencer had claimed he wanted Zayn’s forgiveness. He already had it. Every passing moment they spent together, Zayn saw a little deeper into Spencer. He wanted him even more for it.
“You’re amazing. Really. You should get told that every single day.”
A sexy smile stretched Spencer’s lips as he settled in next to Zayn on the couch. “I think you’re a little high.”
Zayn shrugged and leaned into Spencer’s side. “Maybe, but that doesn’t change the fact that I’m speaking the truth.”
Spencer touched Zayn’s chin and tilted his face up, bringing Zayn’s gaze to his. “You’re gorgeous.”
An insane desire to blush overwhelmed Zayn. “So are
you.”
Spencer leaned back a hair and inspected Zayn’s face. “Are you blushing? Adorable.”
Even more heat exploded through Zayn’s face at Spencer’s words.
A sexy, deep chuckle vibrated from Spencer. “I love that you’re obviously not used to being complimented. That means I get to be the one constantly telling you how hot you are.”
“I think you should kiss me.” Zayn needed Spencer’s kiss like he needed his next breath.
Spencer’s gaze dropped to Zayn’s mouth. “I think you’re right.” He dipped his head and touched his lips to Zayn’s. It was a sweet kiss, but there was nothing innocent about it. Zayn swore he could feel Spencer’s barely contained desire. He fought the urge to pounce and demand more. Instead, he let Spencer lead.
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