Page 17 of The Fete of Summer (Tales of Crumbington #1)

“And you call me a dork,” said Jaymes. “Let’s just say that Peter , her husband , who is also my ex-colleague and best mate back in North Wales, clearly thought so. Otherwise he wouldn’t have married her. I’m the godfather to their little girl.”

“Oh.”

“Yes, oh . She stopped by Tuesday to drop off books I’d left behind. If you’d been feeling a bit more sociable and hung around, you’d have found that out. Any more questions? Hang on, is that why—?”

“Where do you want to go tonight?” interrupted Nathan, his cheeks aflame by now. “Couple of pints at The Arms and then the curry place on the high street? Or we could drive to the Golden Buddha Thai restaurant just outside Mayfield.”

Jaymes hissed out a laugh and slouched back in his seat.

“Nah, you know what? It’s bloody cold out, and I’m knackered. One of us won’t be able to drink if we eat out, so how about we just grab a Thai curry and some beers? Go back to your place and watch some mind-numbing Netflix movie or another?”

Which is precisely what they did. Nathan had left the heating on in the flat, and the place felt snug when they got back.

Jaymes, as usual, made himself at home, kicking off his shoes and helping himself to beer.

If Nathan was going to be completely honest, he liked having Jaymes over, enjoyed his easy company as much as the banter.

Part of him wondered if he ought to offer to rent him the spare room.

He still felt a little guilty about not doing so before.

Not that he needed the money. He’d inherited the business with the flat above the shop, including a substantial sum from his father’s life policy.

Maybe he would bring up the idea of the spare room with Polly.

After divvying up the food onto plates then taking trays and drinks to the sofa, they watched an old comedy about a bunch of widows planning to rob a bank.

From time to time, whenever Nathan laughed at some of the scenes, he sensed Jaymes looking at him.

Halfway through the movie, Jaymes excused himself and headed to the bathroom.

Nathan quickly checked the time on his phone—ten to eleven—and wondered if he might have had a message from Clifton.

Apart from the texts after the committee meeting, there had been radio silence. Maybe for the best.

Absently, he reduced the television volume. Jaymes seemed to prefer things louder. He didn’t even acknowledge Jaymes’ return until the man threw himself back onto the sofa and snatched the remote out of Nathan’s hands. Without a word, he changed channels from an action film to a live rugby game.

“What are you doing?”

“Boring. They get away with it in the end. The heist. Predictable, really.”

Nathan folded his arms.

“My house, my rules, Wynter. Change the bloody channel back.”

“This is far more exciting.”

Nathan glared at Jaymes. The bigger man ignored him, smiling his annoying smile and continuing to watch the game without once glancing over.

“Jaymes.” He used what Polly would have called his grown-up voice. “Give me the channel changer.”

“If you want it, come and get it.”

“Give me the bloody remote control.”

Nathan tried to snatch the remote back, but with each attempt, Jaymes pulled the device farther out of reach.

Losing his patience, Nathan tackled him on the sofa and the two tussled together.

Eventually they both rolled down onto the carpet, and although Nathan had been annoyed at first, he soon found himself chuckling.

Jaymes’ face shone with mischievous playfulness and competitiveness.

Nathan could see Jaymes was not giving up the remote, not without a fight.

Jaymes had size and strength on his side.

Before long, he had rolled Nathan beneath him, straddled him and pinned both his wrists firmly to the floor.

Nathan writhed, squirmed and giggled until Jaymes tightened the grip of his thighs around Nathan’s midriff.

“Get off me, you big oaf.”

“I win.”

“Win what? There’s nothing to win. Get off me!”

Jaymes shook Nathan’s wrists, his head hovering over Nathan’s face.

“Say it, Nate. I win.”

“Get your arse off—”

“Say it!”

Nathan stopped struggling and lay still, meeting Jaymes’ mock glare. Nathan’s chest rose and fell quickly, his breathing loud and pronounced.

“Okay, okay. You win, Jim .”

At first, Nathan smirked at Jaymes. But then, as though a furnace had been lit within him, Jaymes’ eyes darkened, igniting a spark of arousal in Nathan.

They stared at one another, all laughter gone until Jaymes brought his lips to meet Nathan’s.

The kiss started slow, tentative—but not innocent.

Jaymes knew how to kiss. Nathan caught up quickly, thrusting into the embrace, pushing his tongue past Jaymes’ teeth and into his hot mouth to wrestle Jaymes’ tongue.

That move appeared to be all the permission Jaymes needed.

He tilted his head to deepen the kiss, releasing Nathan’s wrists to hold Nathan’s head and probe deeper.

Nathan pushed his groin up to meet Jaymes’ erection, rotating his hips and rubbing, causing the larger man to utter a deep, guttural moan and thrust back.

But as Nathan wrapped his arms tightly around Jaymes’ neck, he felt Jaymes’ body tense up.

When Jaymes pulled away, he looked shocked.

Instantly, he lumbered to his feet, wrenching himself out of the embrace as though realising what he had done.

“Shit. I should never have—”

Nathan straightened from his space on the carpet, wondering if Jaymes might bolt for the door. Instead his friend threw himself onto the sofa and put his head into his hands. Crisis of conscience. Nathan needed to pick his next words carefully to give Jaymes breathing space.

“Jaymes. You’ve done nothing wrong here.”

Jaymes remained silent.

“Look. Let’s put this down to a moment of insanity or an alcohol influenced delirium.

You can phone Polly now, if you want, and ask her to come pick you up.

Neither of us is fit to drive. Or you can sleep over on the sofa or in the spare room, if you can bear to be here.

Nobody needs to know what happened. However much I enjoyed what just happened, I give you my word I won’t breathe a word. What do you want to do?”

Jaymes raised his head from his hands before rubbing each wrist, as though someone had just removed handcuffs.

After a moment of hesitation, he pulled out his phone.

Thumbing across the screen, he eventually prodded a number and put the phone to his ear.

Nathan felt a tinge of disappointment even though he quietly understood Jaymes’ decision.

When Jaymes finally levelled his gaze at Nathan, he seemed calmer, appeared to have made his peace with himself.

“Her voicemail,” he said before turning his head to speak. “Hi, Poll. Jaymes. Just want to let you know I’ll be sleeping over at Nate’s tonight. Don’t wait up.”

After ending the call, he put the phone away and turned back to stare at Nathan.

“Do you want to talk?” asked Nathan.

“No. Which way to the bedroom?”

“The spare room’s down the hall on the left, opposite the bathroom.”

“Not the spare room, Nate. Yours.”