Page 66 of Love You Like That (Excess All Areas 4)

“Fine,” she muttered, hurrying to the bathroom. Having taken off all her make-up the night before, cleaning her face only took a minute. She couldn’t just wear red lipstick on its own, but a bit of primer, some mascara, and a quick swipe of a brown eye crayon would have to do.

There was something incredibly intimate about pulling on Alex’s clothes that smelled of his washing powder. With the addition of some gold hoops, her green parka, and trainers, the outfit was complete.

“You look pretty.” Alex put a coffee into her hand the moment she stepped out of the elevator but kissed her before she had the chance to take a sip. “Red lipstick on you is my catnip. Reminds me of how you looked on your knees sucking my dick. It’s a bit of a walk to breakfast.”

Zoe laughed. “That was quite the shift of topic.”

Alex winked. “Just saying it all as I see it. Can’t help it if thoughts of you and my dick and our schedule all collide in one stream of consciousness.”

He took her hand and led them through the city that was coming alive with a casual confidence she admired. Red double-decker buses and cyclists co-existed in a purely haphazard fashion. Store shutters were rising, lights were flickering on.

“Where are we going?” She looked at Alex, but he was looking around as he spoke and with all the other background noise, she couldn’t make out what he said. “You need to face me,” she said.

Alex turned his gaze to her and squeezed her hand. “Sorry. I forgot. Brother Marcus’s for Sweet Potato Fritters. Well, you can have whatever you want, but that was why I picked it. Sweet potato, courgette, and feta fritters stacked with mashed avocado between them. Sounded good when I was looking.”

“That does sound good.”

They finished their coffees on the walk and then stepped inside the plant-filled restaurant. The scent of food made her mouth water. The sight of the fritters, when they arrived about fifteen minutes later, turned her salivary glands into overtime.

“Are early breakfasts going to be a thing with you?” she asked, cutting into the stack.

“Before the tour, I slept in until noon most days. I think all the travel and stuff is throwing me off schedule. But I hope when we get back to Manchester tomorrow that I get to climb into bed with you for two straight days.”

Zoe bit into the fritters. “Oh my god, this is the most delicious thing ever,” she mumbled through the mouthful. “And yes to two days in bed.” The idea had her squeezing her thighs together beneath the table.

Alex grinned as he took his first bite. They didn’t talk much as they devoured the food and finished their coffee. She liked it. There wasn’t an incessant need to fill the silence, and while it felt wrong to think of her…boyfriend…as a dog, she couldn’t help but think Nan was right calling him a Labrador. He was loyal. Playful. Energetic. But also, happy to just sit near her.

“You done with your coffee?” he asked eventually.

“I am.” Rummaging in her bag, she pulled out her credit card, but Alex placed his hand on her wrist.

“I know in many ways, I’m a pretty forward-thinking guy, and I totally respect your right to equality and all that. But, when I take you on a date, I pay, yeah?”

“But you paid for breakfast yesterday.”

“And you gave me an amazing blowjob and steamed my trousers which isn’t a euphemism. Let’s call it straight.”

Zoe glanced around to make sure no one had overheard. “Shh.”

“I will if you don’t make me point out the gap in our income. Just let me pay. I enjoy it.” He tipped his head in the direction of the exit. “We have more to do.”

And more they did. They made out on the London Eye and ate oysters in Mayfair while Alex talked about the band’s early days in-between random facts about aphrodisiacs. They wandered a bookstore where she challenged them to find a book they thought the other would enjoy reading. She found a book about how art and activism were so societally connected, that cuts to childhood arts funding was a crisis waiting to happen. He’d found her a book filled with short stories about people who had taken huge leaps to fulfil their ultimate potential. He challenged them to pick a position they’d like to try from the Karma Sutra.

As the equipment for the night’s gig had all been left set up from the previous night, there was no reason for Alex to attend the soundcheck.

“What’s your view on masturbation?” Alex asked as he let them into his hotel room.

“On what?” she asked.

“Masturbation.” He fingerspelled it too.

Heat filled her cheeks. “Umm. A good thing when you’re solo and need some relief. Why?”

Alex threaded his hand around her neck before kissing her. Suddenly, his answer didn’t matter. Just being in his grip, being this close to him, was enough.

“I said we should wait until Manchester to sleep together, to go slow. But being around you all day has me wired. I can take care of it myself. Or you can get naked with me, Zoe. Undress me. Touch my body. Let me touch yours. Then we’ll show each other how we like it, yeah?”

God, she hated she was missing parts of what he said. Especially when he was like this.

---