Page 89 of Handle with Care
“You are, unfortunately.” But Will smiles.
And I’m smiling too. “You daft man,” I tease.
He laughs and shivers, then blushes. “Also.”
“Also?”
“I must confess that, very selfishly…” he begins. “I… I want you to stay on at the museum, Dylan. If you can. Because… I’ve fallen in love with you too.”
I can’t believe what I’m hearing. I wasn’t prepared to hear him feeling the same way. I was counting on spilling my guts out and crying alone on the train the way back to London. Of course, I don’t know how to handle this.
“But why?” I protest, aghast. “Why would you fall in love with me? Doesn’t that seem rash?”
Will laughs, terribly amused, and it thrills me to make him smile so broadly. It’s obvious he’s incredible, but I’m not used to the idea of someone falling in love with me. I mean, I have some great qualities, but I don’t let anyone get close enough to find out for sure.
Except now. Except for Will.
“Because you’re so moreish I can’t stand it. Because you stand up for me. More than that, for what you believe. I’ve never met anyone quite like you before. Someone who makes me feel like this. Special.”
“You should try coming to Canada sometime,” I joke. “The country’s full of people like me. I mean, I may need to go back to the motherland, and you can take another Canadian—pick of the litter.”
“I don’t believe you.”
I shrug. “You’ll have to take my word for it, then.”
His expression softens as he gazes affectionately at me. “Dylan. I know what you’re doing with the jokes, alright?”
I’m about to make some other smart-ass response, but my teeth click shut instead. I gaze back at him, lean into his arms, and kiss him thoroughly again until he moans softly in his throat.
“I wish…” His fingers are in my hair.
“You wish?” I breathe, teasing.
“I wish we were in my flat so I could do all the things I want to do to you in my bed. Even if you have to go back to Canada. I want to take advantage of the time we have together. Selfishly.”
“Mm, I like the sound of that very much.” I lean into him again, beaming with the joy of being so close to him once more. “Your greed’s a win for me as well.”
“Will?”
“Yes?”
“I don’t know where we go from here. Or what happens next. But one thing I want you to know is… what I want to ask is… would you be my boyfriend? Like, officially?”
His expression is of pure joy. Because of me. Because I made him feel that. “On one condition.”
My heart literally does the skip-a-beat thing as the first raindrops start to patter down on us, despite the shelter of the giant oak.
“What’s that?” I dare ask.
“That you’re my boyfriend too. Officially.”
Naturally, I throw my arms around him and kiss him with great enthusiasm, till he laughs and moans and grips my shirt. His mouth burns.
“Okay…” I gasp, intoxicated by the taste of him, like everything summer. “Yes.”
“Yes,” he agrees softly, leaning into me. He’s warm in my arms. The raindrops dance on the leaves of the tree. The still surface of the pool is broken by the rain. Everything smells fresh and new out here.
“God, Will. I missed you so much.”
