Page 66 of Forgiven

“I’m really sorry if I got you into trouble.”

Callum shrugged. “It’s okay. Mac just reminded me to focus on customers while I’m behind the bar, that’s all.”

Dylan nodded, relieved. “And I’m sorry he thought I was flirting with you.”

“You were.”

Dylan stuffed his hands into his pockets. “I know, and I shouldn’t have. You’re the only one who gets to decide when you want people to know about us.” He stopped and stared. “If there is an us.”

Callum’s eyes went wide.

“Is there an us?” Dylan asked in a shaky tone.

Callum stepped close. “There’s an us.”

Dylan let out the breath he’d been holding. “Thank fuck.” He wanted to grab Callum and kiss him in the street but decided it wouldn’t be the right thing to do. “Do you want to come back to my place?”

Callum laughed. “It’s a bit late for ice-cream and a movie.”

“We could cuddle and sleep?” Dylan suggested. “Last night was really nice.”

Callum dipped his chin, cheeks lighting up again. “Yeah, it was.”

It was the first time in his life that Dylan had thought of cuddling and falling asleep as ‘nice’. The only times he’d fallen asleep with a guy in the past was during post-coital exhaustion, but everything was different with Callum.

“My place?” Dylan’s heart thumped wildly as he waited for Callum to reply.

“Okay.” Callum’s smile was coy. When coupled with the bright blush that stained his cheeks and nose, he looked utterly adorable.

“Let’s grab a taxi,” Dylan suggested.

Theycouldwalk and he often did, but he also normally fell asleep the moment he got into bed. He wanted at least a few moments of kissing and cuddling before he gave in to exhaustion.

It didn’t take them long to find a taxi and get back to Dylan’s flat. After letting them both inside, Dylan turned on the fairy lights, turning the dark flat into a twinkling wonderland.

“Do you want to take a shower or anything?” Dylan asked. “I showered at the club,” he added. “Pole dancing is sweaty work.”

“So I saw.”

Dylan grinned and rested his hands on Callum’s hips. “Did you enjoy the show?”

“I enjoyed watchingyou.”

“That’s good.” Dylan kissed him softly. “Because I enjoyed dancing for you.” He brushed his lips over Callum’s jaw. “One day, when you’re ready, I’ll do a striptease for you.”

Callum shivered. Dylan took the opportunity to kiss his neck, right over the stylised eagle tattoo.

He nuzzled Callum’s jaw with his nose. “Shower?”

“I think I’m good. Unless you’re telling me I need one?”

Dylan chuckled. As much as he would have loved to see Callum strip naked and have a shower, he knew that was unlikely. “You’re good. I do have a spare toothbrush though. We probably shouldn’t get into the habit of going to bed without brushing our teeth.”

“Probably not.”

Dylan let Callum use the bathroom first and then took his turn. Normally, after brushing his teeth and having a quick wash, he’d strip to his boxer pants and discard his clothes in the laundry basket. But he paused because Callum had come out of the bathroom fully clothed. Was Tattoo Boy planning on sleeping like that again, even though it wasn’t exactly comfortable? He took everything off except his boxers and put the clothes in the basket. Callum had seen him on stage wearing precious little, anyway.

Callum was sitting on the sofa when Dylan left the bathroom, looking more than a little nervous. He looked up and smiled, his stare focused on Dylan’s eyes for little more than a second before slowly roving down. Dylan let him stare, enjoying the attention.