Page 33 of Boy Issues

Silver indicated to the futon. “Let me take a quick look at the butterfly bandage, then reapply the other one to your hand.” Once Silver was satisfied Donovan was good, he quickly rose. “Now it’s my turn. Go ahead and get in bed. I’ll shut off the light if you want, I can see all right from the bulb right outside the door.”

“Oh, sure.” Donovan wouldn’t meet his eyes. He regarded the bed then peered up at Silver. “But, leave the lights on in here, if you don’t mind.” Donovan wrapped his arms around himself. “Don’t laugh. Being in unfamiliar places…unnerves me.”

Silver grasped Donovan’s chin, locking gazes with him.

“I’d never laugh at anything like that. As you get to know me better, you’ll come to understand how I operate, how I believe and think.”

Donovan stared at him wide-eyed. “I’m unbelievably fascinated by you. You know, I’ve met scads of people over my lifetime, especially in business, who have what some might refer to as a strong sense of self.” He gave a derisive snort. “But that wouldn’t be accurate, not even close. What they have is a disgusting propensity for self-aggrandizing behavior. Not one of them has ever held my interest or enticed me to believe that what they had to say held any true value. However, I’d listen to you. I’d know that what you said mattered.”

Donovan covered his eyes with both hands and shook his head. He let them fall, chuckling as his cheeks flushed. “Jesus, I’m not even drunk. I usually only blather on when I’m wasted.”

“Did you mean what you said?”

The red in Donovan’s skin deepened. “Yes. Every word.”

“Then it’s not blather.”

Silver took a step toward Donovan, his heart opening up a fraction more from how surprisingly forthright Donovan was being. He laced his fingers through Donovan’s, then brought their joined hands to his lips, pressing a kiss against the sweet-smelling skin.

“Thank you.” Silver released Donovan’s hand then brushed back his hair, running his palm down the soft salt and pepper beard. “Come on, let’s get you into bed.” The corner of Donovan’s mouth twitched, and Silver smirked at him. “Behave.”

Donovan regarded him with fake innocence. “I didn’t say anything.”

Silver pointed to the futon. “No, but your thinking was very loud.”

Laughing, Donovan did as he was told. Silver found he loved it when Donovan laughed almost as much as it excited him when he obeyed. Once again, Donovan didn’t try to tease, but slipped under the covers before removing the robe. He laid it at his feet then turned on his side, facing Silver.

Donovan stuffed the pillow beneath his head and wrapped his arms around it. “At the risk of sounding too spoiled, would you mind grabbing another water bottle for me on your way back up?”

“You don’t sound spoiled. Are you thirsty right now?”

“It’s no big deal. I can wait.”

Silver shook his head. “One of the first things we’ll need to discuss is you expressing to me what you need without holding back or apologizing for it.”

Donovan furrowed his brow. “You keep talking about that, about need. And about explaining to me what you’re all about. I’ll confess that I’m dreadfully curious.”

Silver supposed he was being a bit cryptic. He couldn’t help being who he was, but at the same time, didn’t want to overwhelm Donovan with too much information. So far, he’d spent the evening hinting around to Donovan so as to hopefully soften the blow when he explained his lifestyle.

“I know. Not my intention to frustrate you. But you need rest right now, everything else can come later.”

“When you say later…” Donovan gave him a teasing smile. “Is that something I should put in my planner?”

Silver bristled at how Donovan had fallen back into his snarky banter, then decided he was being too critical. There was a difference between playful and sarcastic, and he shouldn’t always assume Donovan was being passive aggressive. After all, that impishness Silver had picked up on from when they’d first met was part of the attraction.

He considered what was going on behind Donovan’s words. It’d been a long time since he’d been in Papi mode. But his mijo needed a response, judging from his crestfallen expression. He was likely reading Silver’s hesitation as disapproval.

Should I be thinking of him as my boy yet? Silver wasn’t sure he could help it.

“It’s okay to ask me directly when we can get together again. I’ve already told you I operate without games, that honesty is what I require.”

Donovan sighed. “Fair enough. It’s just that I’m already mortified at how blatant I’ve been with you, so I suppose I’m trying to dial it back a bit.”

Silver cocked his head. “Blatant? How so?”

Donovan hugged the pillow tighter. “I normally control how things go with a man, and part of that control is making sure they know I’m not all that interested in them, that whatever is happening between us is in the moment and nothing more.”

“I see.” Silver nodded. “So, asking me about later strips away your control and leaves you open to rejection.”

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