Page 106 of Leather and Longing
Adam beamed, not seeming the slightest bit embarrassed by Paul’s kiss. Then his smile faltered. “I’m sorry. Have I interrupted your lunch? I thought you’d be finished by now.”
“We have, Adam,” Taylor said. “We were just chatting.” He gave Paul a hard stare. “It was good to catch up. Let’s do it again soon, yeah?”
In other words,this conversation isn’t over.
“Nice to see you again, Adam.”
Adam turned toward the sound of Mark’s voice. “Mark? Hairdresser Mark?”
“None other. I’d like to introduce you to my boyfriend, Sam.”
Sam rose to his feet and brought his hand to meet Adam’s extended one. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Adam arched his eyebrows. “All good, I hope.” He peered in Paul’s direction. “If you want to stay longer, that’s fine. I can find my own way home.” Another flash of that happy smile.
“No, I’ll come with you.” Paul gave a nod to the others. “I’ll see you all soon, okay?”
They said their goodbyes and Paul accompanied Adam out of the café. They walked slowly up the hill, Adam leading the way. Paul kept silent, his mind mulling over the conversation with his friends. That last question still echoed in his head.
‘Even if that would mean losing Adam?’
No, Paulreallydidn’t want to think about that.
“Want to tell me why that felt as if I’d walked into the middle of something important?” Adam’s voice drifted back to him.
“Excuse me?”
Adam stopped and turned, reaching out for the picket fence that lined the path. “There was an atmosphere down there.” His expression was neutral. “And please, don’t lie to me, not when all the hairs on my arms were standing on end and my flesh was covered in goose bumps. I trust my instincts.” He tilted his head to one side. “Well?”
Fuck.
“We were having a bit of a heart-to-heart, that’s all.” It was as far as Paul was prepared to go.
Adam stared at him for a moment before sighing. “Fine.” He resumed his walk up the hill, cane swinging in an arc. Paul followed with a heavy heart.
Talking with the others hadn’t made things any clearer for him. If anything, he was more confused than before.
Now what do I do?
“Was that the postman?” Adam called out, his fingers pausing over the keyboard of his laptop.
A moment later Paul entered the library where Adam was sitting on the couch, laptop balanced on his knee. “Yep.”
“Anything interesting? And by that I mean anything other than bills,” Adam remarked dryly.
“Yes, as a matter of fact.”
The smile he heard in Paul’s voice was intriguing. A rustle of paper, an envelope tearing, a barely suppressed squeal. “What have you got there?”
Paul sat beside him. “Late birthday presents for you.” He took hold of Adam’s hands and placed something cool and porcelain into them.
Adam examined it with his fingers. “You bought me a mug?”
“Not just any mug. Feel on top of the handle.”
Adam ran his thumb over it. There were three sets of ridges. “What are these?”
“They signify different levels in the mug. One bar is the lowest, then two, then three. When you pour in hot water, you put your thumb over the water level you want, and when the water reaches that level, a bell sounds. There are sensors in the mug. So now you can pour yourself a coffee or make one using the kettle.”
