Page 22 of Candy Hearts
“Oh.” Benji could kick himself for assuming.
“That a problem?”
“Of course not. Want to talk about it? And don’t think that our little foray into Sexuality 101 is going to get you out of talking about your job.”
William pulled Benji closer, their bodies flush. “I’m not big into descriptors.”
“Okay.”
“Okay?”
Benji nodded, not wanting to push. “Yeah. I know lots of people who don’t do labels.”
William smiled. “I don’t offer up labels very often, but pansexual feels the closest. It’s complicated, and I don’t like having to explain.”
“I like complicated, and Ihateexplainers.”
William snorted, which was the most endearing type of laugh. Benji’s new goal was to get William to snort all the time.
“Anyway, the pizza should be here in—”
“Nope. Not so fast. I’m gay. Now that our rainbow stripes are out in the open, let’s talk about your job.”
William groaned. That was as nice of a noise as the snorting. Benji definitely wanted to hear him groan again, but in a much different context.
“I poured my fears and issues out on you earlier. Fair is fair,” Benji said, even though he was thinking about sinking to his knees.
“Fine.” William considered him for a long moment. “I’m lonely. I’ve been married to my job for so long that I have no idea how to be a good partner, but I want to be. I want to find someone who is right for me, and whom I’m right for too. I’ve hurt a lot of people in the last ten years. My career came first. It came before my family, before my friends, before anyone I dated. And I don’t regret that, exactly. I love my job. But I’m at a place where I can slow down, and I don’t want to do that alone.”
Benji didn’t think practicing the valentine gig this weekend was that great of a test for William. The power was out. It was impossible for William to work without electricity. The real test would be if he could be an attentive valentine when his job was tempting him away.
But Benji sure as hell wasn’t going to saythat. He’d rather live in their weird little paradise.
“See, that wasn’t so hard, was it?”
“You have no idea,” William said, his eyes almost sad and pleading, and Benji melted.
Benji leaned down to kiss William. He was taller, but William took control of the kiss immediately, gripping Benji’s chin firmly.
Benji’s legs were jelly, so he let gravity pull him down. Science was great. He hit his knees.
William groaned again.
Benji grinned. He was in total lust with that groan.
“Have you had enough time to recover, old man?”
“It’s been hours, smart-ass.”
“Oh yeah. Keep talking dirty to me.” Benji yanked William’s flannel pants to his knees.
The doorbell rang.
“Noooo,” Benji whined. He thunked his head onto William’s thigh.
William threaded his hand into Benji’s hair and tilted his head back. Benji’s body lit up like a pinball machine.
“Dinner first, you beautiful sl—” William bit the word off before it escaped.
