Page 78 of Oh, Sacred Dark
Roman wrinkled his nose. “Next time I get to make you come too,” he grumbled.
Tyler laughed, the noise shaking through Roman. “Whatever you say, baby.”
Roman huddled into Tyler’s warmth and drifted there, his favourite place.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
TYLER
Tyler was so in love with Roman it was ridiculous.
Connie’s words, not his own…although he didn’t exactly disagree.
“Tyler. Babe. My sweet little muffin. Get the fuck over yourself andtell him. It’s ridiculous to watch two grown men make heart eyes at each other and not talk about it,” Connie complained. They were tucked away in a corner of Milly’s Bakery, chomping on some frankly obscenely good croissant sandwiches as Roman finished his shift.
“It’s not that easy,” Tyler grumbled, looking around to make sure the man in question wasn’t within earshot.
Things between Tyler and Roman had turned…unbearably good. There waskissinginvolved now—lots and lots of kissing—and it was the best torture Tyler had ever been put through. To have Roman in his arms, trusting and pliant and warm, and not knowing if it was going to last was driving Tyler crazy.
Connie had noticed. “Okay. Kinda is, though. Seeing as you’re both gaga for each other.”
Tyler wanted to believe that was true. “Even if that’s the case, Roman has to be the one to take that step. He needs to be in control of this, not me.”
Connie snorted. “That’s such a cop-out, Tyler. You’re just scared and, like, that’s normal, but putting this all on Roman is bullshit. Five months ago? Sure, yeah, he wasn’t in a place to consent to a relationship. Now? You should respect the progress he’s made in saying no to things.”
Tyler took a deep breath, staring at the crumbs on his plate. “What if…what if he only likes me because I was the first Dom who was nice to him? What if, in a year, he realises he wants something better?” he admitted quietly.
Connie reached across the table to squeeze one of his hands. “Tyler—all relationships have an element of that. Everybody wonders, ‘What if the person I’m with falls out of love?’ It isn’t unique to you and Roman. Also, you’re not the first Dom who was nice to him—that was Cross, and they’re not stupidly in love.”
Tyler sighed, nodding even as a knot tightened in his stomach. He was scared of so many things. Of being rejected. Of not being rejected, and then finding out Roman hadn’t really wanted to be with him. Of finding out he’d hurt Roman without even meaning to, that he was another bad thing in the sub’s life.
Being vulnerable in front of Roman after he’d been kidnapped had assuaged those fears for a while, but the mind was a cruel thing, rousing worries from the dead.
He was scared of getting his heart broken. He was scared of losing the best person he’d ever met.
He was scared of them getting together and Tyler doing something wrong, harming Roman in the course of their relationship.
The thing was, though, that it was difficult to be completely overwhelmed by these anxieties when they were about the bravest person Tyler had ever met. Tyler looked at Roman, at everything he’d gone through and how hard he fought each day to be the person he was supposed to be, and was left in awe.
He wanted to be courageous because what else could he be, in the face of someone like Roman?
**********
Tyler planned it out obsessively.
They’d cook dinner—he’d thought of doing it himself but doubted Roman would like that. Despite manning a staffed kitchen practically every morning, Roman was still insistent he do most of the cooking when he was with Tyler.
So, they’d cook dinner together, and eat together, and sit on the couch as always. Instead of scening, Tyler would hold Roman’s hands and confess his feelings, as big and messy as they were.
Of course, sometimes life had a way to just take over.
“Avulture?” Roman said incredulously as they hiked their usual trail. It was getting cold, the sky pregnant with clouds, but they’d worked up a bit of a sweat under all their layers.
“Yeah.” Tyler shrugged, trying to keep the smile off his face. “If I could be any bird, I’d be a vulture.”
“Why?” Roman asked, nose wrinkling.
“They’re big and not prey, but also don’t have to hunt—easy food.”
