“Stop it. Don’t…”
I grin, imagining him fighting it. I’m not much better, not with that sensual voice right in my ear.
I could push and beg him to come over to the villa, have him climb over the fence like we did at Arcadia the other day. Calvin’s dogs are useless guards anyway. We could make love all night.
That would be so perfect, but I’m learning to let the moment be enough.
“How was the studio?” he asks, strategically changing the subject.
“Great, Yosh. Everything I've been scribbling down these past few weeks, hell, you've seen those notes, there were piles of them. I finally brought them to life. It might even be one of the best works I’ve done in my career.”
“Oh my god, I need to hear it! Will you let me hear it?”
“You’ll be the first, I promise.”
A comfortable silence settles between us. There's still something I need to say before we end this call.
“Yosh…”
“Hmm?”
“I want to apologize again for what happened yesterday. That wasn’t me. I need you to know that. So, again, I’m really sorry.”
He sighs. “It’s okay. Loyalty means a lot to you, Terrence knows that. He knows where to aim. You’ve been doing a lot of deep digging these past weeks, so it makes sense your emotions are all over the place.”
He pauses. “And I’m not making things easier, I know that. If I were in your place, I might’ve snapped too.”
“No. It's not an excuse for my temper.”
“Don't be so hard on yourself, Tom. We're good.”
He can’t see it, but I smile, my eyes a little wet.
This kind of honesty? It’s not what I’m used to. I feel everything all at once, and it’s a lot.
“I’m heading to town tomorrow. I’ve got an appointment with a contractor at two. She’s coming to check out the house, give me a quote. What if I pick you up afterward?”
That has me bouncing like a puppy going after a tennis ball.
I was already planning to go back to Arcadia, even though I could easily spend the entire week locked in the studio. But let’s say I’m choosing creative inspiration over productivity right now.
“Alright, do I need to send you the address?” I ask.
“Mind sending me coordinates?”
“Oh, piss off, Yosh.” We both laugh.
“Now that we can finally drop the stupid act,” I add, “I’ve got to admit, you might be the biggest tease I’ve ever met.”
“Strangle and kiss,” he whispers softly, like it's our new secret language. I bite my lip, resting both hands on my spinning stomach.
“I don’t want to hang up,” I whisper back.
“Me neither.”
“How about we say goodnight?”
“I can live with that.”
