Page 53 of Total Creative Control

Lewis blew out a gusty breath and sat up, pushing back his hair with one hand. “But if I don’t, Charlie will never let it go.”

“Fuck Charlie.”

“No thanks.”

Aaron huffed a soft laugh, and Lewis almost smiled, a faint glimmer of amusement in his gaze. “Thanks for… for whatever it was you did in there.”

“No problem. It used to help when my sister had anxiety attacks.”

Lewis glanced at him. He hadn’t managed to rebuild his façade yet, and his expression was still raw and open. It hurt to look at him.

“I didn’t know you had a sister.”

“No,” Aaron agreed, smiling. “Believe it or not, there are a few things you don’t know about me.” Some of which he could never know.

Lewis regarded him steadily. Then he said, “So, Hippolyta said just relaxation after this?”

“Healingrelaxation.”

Lewis looked away, over the ordered grounds towards the wilderness beyond. “I don’t want Charlie to think this rattled me.”

“Rattled you?” Aaron frowned. “Wait. You don’t think he did this on purpose, do you?”

Lewis shook his head wearily. “Nah. Charlie’s all about Charlie—he’s too self-absorbed to be that Machiavellian. But he does love seeing people unsettled, and he’ll definitely take advantage of it if he thinks he’ll get some leverage over me.” He glanced at Aaron, his mouth twisting in a wry smile. “Basically, he’s just a common or garden corporate bastard in hemp sandals.”

Aaron nodded. “I bet Geoff would agree with that assessment.”

“Poor bastard.” Taking a deep breath, Lewis pushed to his feet. “Fuck it, I have to finish this bloody workshop.”

The sun was behind him, and Aaron had to squint to see his face. “You really don’t, you know. You could just go back to your room and rest.”

Frankly, that sounded like a great idea to Aaron. After his sleepless night, a nap was exactly what he needed.

But Lewis shook his head. “And let him win? No fucking way.” Then, to Aaron’s astonishment, he held out his hand, his expression uncharacteristically uncertain. “Come with me?”

Maybe it was all the touching they’d done in the workshop, but it didn’t feel strange to take Lewis’s hand and allow himself to be pulled to his feet. Nor did it feel strange to be close enough to feel the heat of Lewis’s body beating against his own as he met the man’s bruised, unguarded gaze.

And maybe it was also why, when Lewis went to drop his hand and step back, Aaron found himself tightening his grip, just for a moment, and saying, “Of course I will. I’ll always be there if you need me.”

Lewis stared at him for a moment, his bright, blue eyes searching Aaron’s face, as though verifying his sincerity. Then he nodded and whispered, “Thanks.”

Aaron let go of his hand, and they turned and began walking back to the house.

When they arrived, it was to find the others were all in the Long Gallery.

Hippolyta and Charlie were standing off to one side. Hippolyta was talking in a low voice while Charlie listened, but his expression was mutinous, lips pressed into a hard line.

Milly was chattering inanely to Toni, who wore a polite expression, while Geoff stood beside them, hanging on his wife’s every word.

Toni glanced Aaron and Lewis’s way as they approached. She met Aaron’s gaze, signalling subtle concern. Aaron gave her a slight nod and hoped she took it as reassurance.

As they drew closer, Toni said, “Hey there. If you’re hungry, there’s muffins and Danish pastries on the table. Tea and coffee too. Hippolyta organised it.” In a lower voice she added, “I don’t think we actuallyhadto fast last night.”

“Oh, but itwasrecommended!” Milly piped up, earnestly. “Charlie said so, and I for one feelamazing. So light and, you know,unburdened?”

“Yeah, well, you fast all the time,” Geoff said. “You’re always on some faddy diet or other.” He smiled at her, but it was a tight sort of smile.

She narrowed her eyes at him. “No, I’m not,” she said, a note of venom in her tone that was completely at odds with that cutesy thing she had going on the rest of the time. “And you know I literally hate the way you police my eating.”