Page 25 of Doubting Hearts

“Do you want to come back to my place?” I asked. “You can bring some stuff over, have a shower there, and we can hang out for the evening.” I hesitated. “You can stay over. It beats the hut, I promise. We need to find somewhere else to make out.” I grinned at him, waiting with butterflies to see what he said. His sudden intake of breath told me he was surprised. I don’t think he’d expected to see the inside of my place anytime soon. I don’t think I’d ever even told him where I lived.

“Stay at your place? I have to be here at seven tomorrow morning, so it depends how far away you are. I don’t want to wake you up too early.” He sounded awkward.

I shrugged. “I’m an early riser. I’m only about fifteen minutes away, anyway. You’ll have plenty of time to get here for seven. You can follow me home if you like so you can get away tomorrow. Or we can drive home in my car together, and I’ll bring you back in the morning. If it’s earlier than usual, I can hang out and drink coffee until Lucas arrives.” I knew I was blabbering a bit, and he looked a little flustered.

“I do want to come.” He flushed at how that sounded, and I raised an eyebrow at him in what I hoped was a sexy move.

“I’m pretty sure we can make that happen,” I said wickedly. He smiled, hitting straight at my heart and making it beat faster.

“I mean, come to your house, you pervert. I don’t mind coming home with you if you’re happy to bring me in to work in the morning. I don’t have my own car, and I think Simon’s using the work car I’d normally drive when I need to.”

I smiled. “So, go grab your stuff, and let’s get off. We can grab something to eat on the way if you’re hungry and then see what happens.”

His face lit up. “I’ll go get some clothes and my toothbrush and other shit and see you down here. Don’t go without me.” He turned and bounded away like a puppy chasing a ball. I watched the twin globes of his arse as he left and hoped like hell I’d be between them tonight. We stopped off first and got Chinese takeout from one of my favorite shops. Half an hour later we’d arrived at my cottage and were walking up to the front door. Toby had been talkative on the way here, and we’d chatted about our respective friends yanking our chains about the garden hut and its use as a sex palace. I opened the door and led the way in.

My cottage was in the small town of Oakham, just outside of the village. I’d been lucky to get this place, as it also had a small barn on the premises which I used as a workshop. It was a two-bedroom stone cottage, set on a couple of acres of land out in the middle of the countryside. There was a dirt road off the main road leading up to the house. It was private and secluded, and I loved it. I switched on the lamp, flooding the room with warm, dim light. Toby moved forward, deeper into the lounge.

“You’re not scared of dogs, are you?” I asked, laying the takeout on the small side table and shrugging out of my jacket, hanging it up on the hook on the wall. “I’m not sure where she is. Probably sleeping on my bed, but you can bet she’ll be here soon when she smells the food.”

Toby looked around with appreciation at the low-beamed, wood- paneled, and comfortable living area. It was scattered with various African prints and knickknacks sent over from my mother, who loved sending me things to remind me of my birthplace. Despite the fact I only spoke to them once or twice a month, I knew my parents were always there for me. The trinkets reminded me of them, brought them closer. This place was a haven to me, and I was glad Toby seemed to like it.

“I love all your stuff. I like dogs. Never had one, but I like them.” He grinned. “She’s not much of a guard dog, is she?”

I laughed. “Her bark is definitely worse than her bite. Sheba’s a real softy.”

Toby set his small overnight bag down on the floor, that small gesture sending a tingling through my body. He slung his suit jacket over the back of a dining-room chair and moved around, looking at things, picking up odd items with curiosity and examining them. His eyes lit up in wonder when he spotted the huge print on one of the walls. It was a print of a painting by Naples-born artist Sabatino Cersosimo. Tommy had bought it for my birthday a few years ago, and it was one of my favorites. It depicted a man’s face looking out and was quite striking.

“I love this picture. It’s amazing.” He peered at it closely. “It makes you wonder what he’s thinking.”

“I know what I’m thinking,” I murmured cheesily, moving up behind him and wrapping my arms around his waist. Physical action always calmed me down, grounded me. He leaned back with a sigh, and I kissed the side of his neck. “I’m glad you’re here. It feels good having company.”

Toby turned around and kissed my lips. “I’m glad you asked me over. It’s so bloody difficult with me only having that small room at the hotel. I don’t take my dates up there. It just doesn’t feel right.” His voice was apologetic. “So I’ve always had to rely on the other man’s place, and that doesn’t always happen.” He chuckled. “Some guys seem to think that it means more than it does.”

He looked at me, and I saw the teasing light in his eyes. I pulled him closer, already feeling the swell of my cock in my trousers just at his nearness and the scent of him. I took his mouth fiercely, feeling his lips open as I pushed my tongue inside, meeting his. He wrapped his arms around my neck as he pressed his own hardness against mine, and we rubbed together wantonly. We were both really getting into each other when we were interrupted by a loud bark, which made us both shoot two feet in the air. My heart pounded as we pulled apart.

“Jesus, Sheba,” I panted, both from arousal and from fright. “You gave me a bloody heart attack.”

Sheba stood there, watching both of us with a doggy grin, her tail wagging furiously. Toby moved over to her, and she sat down and wagged the tail even harder.

“Hey, girl.” He crouched down beside her, a look of sheer pleasure on his face as he scratched her behind the ears. “Your dad takes good care of you, doesn’t he? You’re a beauty.”

I wasn’t normally one for calling the human owner mom or dad, but coming from Toby it didn’t sound too bad. “Have you ever had a dog or a cat?” I asked, bearing in mind he was a foster kid.

His face darkened. “No. I never stayed in one place long enough. And obviously the hotel isn’t the place to have a pet of any sort.” His voice hardened, and I wondered what memory had triggered the sudden pain in his eyes. “I don’t like cats. But dogs—they’re okay.”

He stood up and looked at me. “Just as well she interrupted us. The dinner’s getting cold. Let’s eat.”

We sat down at the small homemade dining-room table, set to one side of the rather large open-plan lounge. I’d made the full suite, including the four chairs, a few months ago. It was just oak, but I’d really enjoyed creating something that had such a practical use in my own home.

Toby looked at me with a wary expression. “Can I ask you something?”

I nodded as I took a mouthful of food. “Sure. Fire away.”

“What happened with you and your ex? Why did you break up?”

I stopped chewing and regarded him. His expression was anxious, as if he wasn’t sure whether I wanted to talk about it. I didn’t like telling people my sorry story, as it reminded me of the past. But Toby wasn’t just people, and I guessed he needed to know. I took a deep breath.

“Tommy and I were together for two years. He was a croupier in London. One day he came home and told me he was bored with his job and he’d taken a position as a croupier in Monte Carlo. I imagine by default he was bored with me too. He said he wasn’t sure how long he was going to be out there, so he wanted a stay of absence as long as he needed.” I gave a short laugh. “I told him if he went, he went. I wasn’t hanging about for him. It was more of a threat to try and bring him to his senses, but he took it as a get out and said ‘Fine.’ So off he went. It’s now been eight months.” My voice went quiet. “He called me six months ago and said he definitely wasn’t coming back, that he found life out there so much more fun than here. He told me he missed me, but he wasn’t coming home.”