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I chuckled but kept moving my hand, kissing him until I was all but edging myself.
“I’ve wanted you forever. Since the first time I saw you, I wondered what it would be like to be yours, but…”
“But you were too young.Waytoo young.”
“Well, that and no one knows about me, about…this side of me.” I tightened my hand again, but Archer reached down and stopped me.
“And why is that?” he whispered, almost as though he was afraid he’d spook me. “Your friends wouldn’t care. They’re all, well, out and proud?—”
“Right.” I let go of him and gave a nonchalant shrug. “But you’ve met my parents.”
Archer’s slight wince was exactly why I wasn’t out of the closet. Everyone knew what the Abernathys expected of their one and only child, and being gay didn’t fit into their plans.
“They have certain goals in mind for me. Expectations they’ve molded since the day I was born. I was to go to school, get good grades, find a nice girl, and start a family. Then off to Washington I’d go, where I’d follow in my father’s footsteps.”
“Preston.” A solemn expression crossed Archer’s face. “That’s?—”
“Sad? Pathetic?” So much for keeping things light. I let out a breath and went to move back to the opposite side of the tub, but Archer’s hand at my waist stopped me.
“That’s not what I was going to say at all, and where do you think you’re going?” The arched brow and no-nonsense look he aimed my way had my body stilling where it was. “I was going to say, that’s no way to live your life. It’syourlife, not your parents’. Do you even like politics?”
My lips twisted, and he let out a bark of laughter.
“So that’s a no.”
“It’s just so…boring and contentious, and there’s so much you can’t show. So many secrets to keep. I’d be living a lie.”
“Because of your sexuality?”
“Right. I’m not sure I want to live my life that way. I’m not sure I can. Not after being with you like this. This is the first time I’ve been able to really be myself, and I’m not sure I can goback.” I bit down into my lip. This talk was suddenly much more serious than I’d ever expected after what happened tonight.
Archer stroked my back and urged me down over him. I curled into his body, resting my cheek to his chest and listened to the steady beat of his heart.
“You know what?”
“What?”
“You don’t have to decide tonight.” Archer trailed wet fingers down my cheek to my chin and tilted my face up. “Or tomorrow, or the next day.”He hugged me in close. “You’re twenty-one—God, I can’t believe I just said that—and you have your whole life ahead of you.”
I nodded and played with the damp hair on his chest. “What were you doing at twenty-one?”
“I had a kid.”
My head snapped up, and Archer let out a loud, booming laugh.
“See, there are worse things.”
“You’re right. At least there’s no chance of that happening with me.” I kissed his grinning lips, grateful for the change in subject. “Thank you.”
“For?”
“Making me feel better about the bad decisions I made in my youth.”
“You’re still in your youth.” A loud knock on the hotel door had Archer letting out a soft curse. “Sorry to break this up, but that’s our dinner.”
“Oh, the dinner you need two of because you’re low in iron? Speaking of bad decisions…”
Archer pointed to the other end of the tub. “Get off me.”
