Page 70 of Meet You in the Waves
“You promised you’d keep me safe,” I returned.
“That was before I had to deal with your pretty little wandering hands,” he returned. I had noticed Nick always kept a respectful distance of space between us when we were out in public, like maybe it was something that he’d gotten used to doing over the years. Keeping back a part of who he was even though he’d never kept it secret that he was gay.
It was something I’d noticed but I wasn’t entirely sure it was something I liked.
“What, you mean this?” I asked, breaching that space between us as I returned my finger to the firm skin of his waist, teasing him there as his eyes darkened.
“That is exactly why you should come with a warning label,” he all but growled back at me, hand clutching my wanderings as a group of men passed near us, headed for Paddy’s. Nick instantly moved a step away from me but I held on.
“You don’t like touching me in public?” I asked. It didn’t seem to match Nick to me, this reluctance to be himself in public.
He just snickered at me as he shook his head. “No, baby,” he assured me. “If I had my way I’d always be touching you. Keeping it appropriate would be the challenge.”
“Then why …”
Nick eyed me a moment, one eye squinting as he scrutinised me. “Are you really ready to be out in public?” he asked. “Ready for the scrutiny we’ll definitely attract. Not all of it friendly.”
“I guess I hadn’t really thought about it,” I admitted. “But I’m not ashamed to be out with you if that’s what you mean.”
Nick said nothing, eyes serious and fixed on me before he closed the gap again and brushed our hands together. “You’re really something, you know that, Ajay?”
“Only with you,” I assured him. “But either way it’s cool. It’s not like I should just assume you’ll tell your friends about us either. That’s totally your decision.”
Nick laughed again before he knocked his head onto my shoulder. “Oh, Ajay, sweetheart. They already know.”
“What? Really?” I asked, kind of shocked that he hadn’t told me. “You told them about us?”
“Weeell, actuallyyoukind of let the cat out of that bag,” he said, pressing his lips together as he looked down at me. “All yourNicky’sand big heart eyes gave it away.”
“Shit,” I huffed. “Sorry?”
“Don’t be sorry,” Nick replied, pressing a quick kiss to my lips. “I love it. I love that they know about us.”
“Even Mateo?” I asked quietly.
The mood instantly plummeted and Nick’s shoulders sagged a little. “Yeah. It’s better that he knows too.”
“And … and is he okay about it? About us?”
“I don’t know, baby,” Nick sighed, tugging at a lock of my hair and twisting it through his fingers. I let it drop, knowing this was always going to be a fraught subject for my man and the ex who was still an extremely visible presence in his life. But I ran my hand down his arm, entwining our fingers together. He looked up at me, a question in those pretty blue eyes as I squeezed his hand.
“Okay. Let’s do this then,” I said. I swear Nick’s eyes brightened even as he looked at me with more emotion than I really knew how to deal with. I’d never held another guy’s hand out in public either. I had no idea what to expect but all I knew was that I wanted to hold Nick’s hand. I wanted everyone to know that he was mine and I wasn’t afraid to claim him the way he deserved.
“You are …” Nick started before shaking his head softly. He closed the gap between us as his lips found mine, telling me what he was feeling without the words he hadn’t said as his free hand wound its way into my hair. He moved our entwined hands to press between us as he kissed me in that alley, ignoring the people as they passed by us on the way to the pub.
I had never felt a kiss more deeply than I did right then in that alley beside Paddy’s pub even though it was not like our usual kisses. This one was all sweetness and tenderness with maybe just a dash of spice as I let Nick know this wasn’t just a fleeting summer fling for me.
Not even close.
I held Nick’s hand tightly as we made our way inside Paddy’s. The usual set of hellos greeted Nick on his arrival and though there may have been one or two curious gazes cast our way, nobody else there seemed particularly bothered. Or even surprised.
“Terry,” Nick nodded as we made our way to the bar.
“Made it official then?” the bartender asked, pointing his chin in our direction.
Nick just smirked. “Yes. Now, how about those drinks.”
“The usual?”
