Henry took a deep breath and let it all spill out. “I don’t know what this is?” He quickly gestured between the two of them. “Are we just having a friendly dinner and that’s it? Or will there be sex after? I know that’s a big assumption on my part because you might not fancy me at all. It’s not like we’re hooking up in a club or anything.” His eyes widened and Henry knew he was starting to ramble, but the words didn’t want to stop despite his brain trying valiantly to rein them in. “I mean, it’s not like we’ve even kissed, so—”
Dom gently cupped Henry’s jaw, his palms rough against his skin as he tilted his chin up to meet his gaze. “Yes, I’m inviting you round for a friendly dinner, because I like you. We’re both on our own, and I thought why the fuck not.”
“Okay.” Disappointing but not the end of the world.
I can do friends.
Dom didn’t move his hands, though. Instead, he stroked a thumb ever so softly over Henry’s cheekbone. The light touch making him shiver. “To answer your other questions, I absolutely do fancy you, but I have no expectations for anything this evening. Just that we eat and have a good time. And if that turns out to include sex of some sort, then yes, I have the necessities.”
“Good to know.” Henry smiled, couldn’t help it. He also couldn’t help the way his gaze drifted to Dom’s mouth. He was so close, if Henry moved an inch or two forward...
“And as for not even kissing yet...” Dom raised an eyebrow in question, and Henry took that for the invitation it was and closed the remaining distance between them, slipping his arms around Dom’s waist.
His lips were cold against Henry’s, soft though, and his heart swooped. This was the first kiss he’d experienced since Kyle, and it was far easier than he’d expected to lose himself to the touch of another man. Dom made no move to deepen it, and Henry was fine with that. Being close to him like this was more than enough for now. He closed his eyes, the subtle scent of Dom’s aftershave teasing his senses, and he lingered for a moment longer before pulling back. They still had to go shopping after this, and Henry had no wish to wander up and down the grocery aisles with an erection.
It took a lot of willpower to step back and put a little distance between them when every part of Henry wanted to explore Dom’s mouth and turn their kiss into something far more X-rated.
“So now that we’ve got all that out of the way,” Dom said, reaching for Henry’s hand and twining their fingers. “Shall we go do a bit of shopping and then head back to mine?” He met Henry’s gaze, the heat in his eyes igniting a spark inside Henry that would take very little encouragement to turn into a roaring flame.
“Yeah. Okay.” He swallowed and stepped outside, tugging Dom after him. Hopefully the cold night air would have the same effect as a cold shower. Locking the door after Dom, Henry let him lead the way back towards the main domed area.
Night had well and truly settled in, and Henry glanced up at the lights illuminating their path every few feet. The road was eerily quiet and he was struck by how weird it was not to see any cars. “It’s quite nice having to walk everywhere.”
“Yeah.” Dom squeezed his hand and Henry hid his smile, glancing instead at the villas on his side of the road. “It’s one of the things I really like about it. Lots of fresh air and no road rage.”
Henry snorted. Dom seemed like the last person to get road rage. “I bet you stick to the speed limit all the time.”
Dom turned to him, eyebrow raised. “I do, as a matter of fact. They’re in place for a reason. That doesn’t stop me getting pissed off with idiots who seem to think they can set their own speed limits and fuck the consequences.” He let go of Henry’s hand to run his fingers through his hair. “Sorry.”
Henry frowned. “What for?”
“I didn’t mean to get all preachy about it.” He had a funny expression and it suddenly dawned on Henry that Dom thought he might have offended him. That maybe Henry was one ofthosedrivers.
The idea of it made him laugh out loud.
Which, of course, Dom took totally the wrong way. His back stiffened, expression morphing into a scowl. “Dangerous driving isn’t a laughing matter.”
Henry’s laughter cut off abruptly and he quickly moved in front of Dom, stopping him walking with a hand on his arm. “That wasn’t why I was laughing, honestly. I totally agree with you.”
Dom’s eyebrows scrunched in confusion. “Then why laugh?”
“Because I know you were thinking that I was probably some reckless arsehole that ignores all speed limits.” Henry gave him a pointed look and Dom winced.
“I might have considered it.”
“I know. And the reason I was laughing is that Idodrive like a grandma. Well, not my grandma because she’s a nightmare and shouldn’t really be on the roads, but that’s beside the point. I got caught speeding once, had to go to the speed school thing and that’s four hours I never ever want to repeat. And some of the stuff they cover really got to me.” He shrugged. It had been the most uncomfortable afternoon he’d ever experienced. “So now I stick to the limits religiously.”
“Oh.” Dom took his hand again, much to Henry’s delight, fingers twined loosely together. “Sorry for misjudging you.” He smiled, eyes full of warmth, stirring something in Henry he refused to acknowledge.
He swallowed, looking down at their joined hands. “It’s fine. No offence taken. It’s not like you know me or anything.”
“Yet,” Dom murmured.
“What?” Henry glanced up, getting caught once again in Dom’s gaze.
“It’s not like I know you well,yet.” Without elaborating further, he started walking again, tugging Henry along with him. “Come on. I can’t remember what time the shop shuts, and I don’t want to get there too late.”
He held Henry’s hand all the way there. Being at the holiday park, away from his everyday life, seemed to give everything a slightly unreal quality. He doubted very much he’d be strolling hand in hand down the road with a bloke he’d just met if he was anywhere else.
