Page 65 of A Matter of Fact

“It’s plenty,” Rhys corrected, grabbing Beckett’s hand and kissing his knuckles. “It’s more than what I have.”

“How do you figure?”

“This is all very much you, Beckett,” he said. “My condo is all very much Sebastian, which is not much at all.”

“You can make it yours,” Beckett suggested.

“I’d rather make my own place mine. But until very recently, I wasn’t sure I was going to be staying.”

“And now?” Beckett turned toward him, just barely.

“I’m staying, now.”

Beckett smiled, raising onto his toes and dropping a kiss against the corner of Rhys’s mouth.

“Good.”

He smiled and playfully snapped his teeth, catching Beckett’s lower lip. Beckett moaned, his body going soft and pliant as Rhys worried the divot left by his teeth with the tip of his tongue.

“You’re mean,” Beckett pouted.

“I can be.”

“I don’t know if I believe that.”

“You should.” Rhys kissed Beckett and stepped back, smoothing down the front of his shirt. “I’m not a good person. Not overall, at least. I’ve done lots of things that have caused lots of people to resent me.”

“That’s on them, not you. You can’t control how other people feel.”

“Can’t I?” He arched a brow.

“Money can buy you lots of things, but not that.” Beckett laughed and turned back to face his living room, shoulders slumping with an exhale.

“I have to get home,” Rhys said, wishing he didn’t. “I need to make some phone calls before the work week starts.”

“If you must.”

“I…” Beckett turned back to him and Rhys snapped his mouth shut before the words escaped.

“Yes?”

“I’ll see you soon,” he said instead. “I get to plan the next date.”

“What?” Beckett scoffed. “You planned this one!”

“This was your date.” Rhys moved away and grabbed the doorknob to go. “You left decisions up to me, but it was still yours.”

“That seems like it’s cheating.”

“Beckett.” He opened the door and lingered, almost in the hallway. “I’ve gotten ahead in life by preying on other’s missteps. I’m not proud of it, but I am talented at making situations work for me when I want them to.”

Beckett rolled his eyes and sighed. “That’s the least surprising thing you’ve ever said to me, I think.”

“Do you work this weekend?” he asked.

“I don’t know.”

“If you don’t, you’re mine.”