Page 10 of Toren

“What was his name?” Dave asked.

“We don’t have those conversations,” he murmured, still standing in front of the door, arms crossed in front of his chest and one eyebrow raised.

Dave must have seen the defiance in his posture because he grimaced and reeled back, holding up his hands in surrender.

“You’re right,” he said. “I’m just not used to you coming over tasting like other men.”

Andrew shrugged. “Are you going to make this a problem?”

Dave scrubbed a hand down his face, turning in a half-circle. The frustration rolled off him in waves, and Andrew steadied his posture, ready for a fight.

“Maybe you were right.”

“This again?”

“We’re older than we were before,” Dave said. “Maybe if we’re serious about each other, it’s time to settle down and be serious about each other.”

He didn’t want to press the point that they could be open and serious in the same breath, and the fact Dave didn’t consider the two capable of existing in the same realm was something he probably needed to examine.

“You’re saying you want monogamy now?” he asked.

Dave closed some of the space between them and walked his fingers up the middle of Andrew’s chest, over his collarbone, until his hand was curled around the back of Andrew’s neck. He let Dave pull him in for a kiss, opening his mouth and letting their tongues tangle.

“I’m saying I want you,” Dave whispered, his hands getting to work on Andrew’s fly. “I missed you this weekend.”

“I was gone two nights.”

“I was alone.”

I wasn’t, Andrew thought, dropping his head against the closed front door, thinking of Toren while Dave peppered kisses along the curve of his jaw.

“Say it’s just us,” Dave pleaded.

Andrew grabbed Dave by the outer arms and physically pushed him back enough to get Dave’s mouth off him. Dave’s pupils were dilated, cheeks flushed. There was so much want in his face, it reminded Andrew of all the things he had loved about Dave the first time around.

“It’s just us,” he lied, because he was tired, because he didn’t want to fight and be in a bad mood when Toren came over.

Was he really still going to see Toren that night?

Andrew had agreed to the visit when he’d been in an open relationship. He’d planned to tell Toren all about Dave and their situation before they went all the way, but Dave was here, now begging for monogamy, and Andrew didn’t want to hurt anyone.

Didn’t want to hurt himself.

“But I need to go,” he said. “I’m tired and want to unpack and relax before work tomorrow.”

None of that was a lie.

“I can keep you company.”

“I’ve done a lot of socializing this weekend. My brothers are a lot, but they’re good by the way. Thank you for asking.”

“I di—” Dave stopped himself, snapping his mouth closed when he understood the comment had been a dig, not an answer.

“We’ll talk about all of it later this week, alright?”

Dave leaned in and kissed him again, nodding when he pulled away. Andrew knew he was going to break up with Dave. He should have just done it then and there and walked away cleanly, walked into a night with Toren without any baggage. Instead he let Dave deepen the kiss, only stopping when Dave’s hands again started to wander down toward Andrew’s cock.

“You’re sure you’re ready for monogamy?” he asked. “To give up all your extracurriculars?”