Page 37 of Awakened Desires

I stare at him for a moment. His eyes are bright, and his gaze is fixed on me, but his mouth keeps twisting into tight grimaces.

“I’ve been thinking of learning how to do wax play for a while,” I tell him.

“Wax play?”

“Dripping hot wax onto a sub’s body. Not from a normal candle,” I add quickly. “You have to get special candles that burn at low temperatures. Stefan was telling me all about it. He offered to give me a tutorial on how to do it.” I rub the back of my neck. “Do you really want to know this?”

“I asked.”

“I know, but you’re looking increasingly panicked with every word I say.”

Callan sits up straight. “I am?”

I nod.

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be.” I press my lips together. “I was a bit freaked out when Darragh first mentioned it too. But the more he told me, the more fascinated I got. I tried it out of curiosity and because I wanted to understand why he enjoyed it so much.”

“You always were the curious one.”

I chuckle. “I remember you being pretty curious too.”

“Aye, and didn’t it get us both into trouble?”

“Like when we almost fell through the roof of that warehouse.”

Callan shudders. “Not one of my fondest memories.”

“Nor mine.”

“We were lucky.”

“We were.”

Callan clears his throat. “I’ve taken enough of your time. I should go.”

“You don’t have to.” I’m not sure what’s happened to make him bolt. Was it the conversation about kink or our brief walk down memory lane together? I don’t want him to go, but I can’t think of a way to convince him to stay.

“I know.” He stands. “Thanks for the chat, Rory.”

“Anytime.”

My heart patters like rain on a tin roof as I watch him leave. I wish he hadn’t cut our conversation short. It seemed like we were getting to know each other again. My heart remembered why I loved talking to him so much when we were younger. But we’re different now. Callan has the weight of the world on his shoulders. I’d give anything to be able to carry that for him, if only for a little while.

I return to my rattle project and continue sanding the hippo. I want to make the most beautiful hippo rattle there’s ever been. I want to give him something that will fill his heart with joy.

7

CALLAN

It’s Wednesday evening, and my stomach is rumbling, so I go to the kitchen to make dinner. Hendrix is kneeling on a chair at the table, doodling on a hand-drawn calendar created on a massive sheet of paper.

He looks up and grins. “When’s Rory’s birthday?”

“What are you doing?”

“Making an important dates calendar. One that’s not year specific that we can keep up forever. It was Theo’s idea, but he’s working tonight, so I’m putting the finishing touches to it. Rory’s birthday?”