Page 83 of Dream a Little Dream

“No.” Kenny shoved two slices of bread into the toaster. “I haven’t.”

Kenny eased the tension lingering from the morning after the night before with his domesticity, and he made the tea, buttering the toast usingrealbutter from a porcelain dish, none of that margarine crap straight out of a plastic box, slathering a generous smear of jam on top. He then pushed the toast across to Aaron without a word, not even to ask Aaron if he liked jam.

“You gonna see your mum today?” Aaron asked, biting into the toast and masking how the delightful sweetness tinged his tongue. “Cause, you know, I can fuck off whenever.”

“You’ll fuck off when I say you can.” Kenny’s growl was sharp enough for Aaron to choke on his toast.

“All right, daddy,” he coughed.

Kenny leaned back against the counter, coffee in hand, and Aaron felt threatened under that intense stare. Kenny was peeling back his layers again. He’d already dragged out Aaron’sdarkest secrets, and it was obvious how dangerously attracted to him Aaron was. Beyond that, Aaron was empty.

It was probably the inappropriate and ill-timed daddy comment.

“I want you to keep seeing the uni counsellor,” Kenny said as Aaron polished off his toast and tea.

“Kinda have to.”

“Yeah. But you say nothing.”

“It’s a long fuck off hour when you sit there mute. Trust me, I’ve done it before. Are counsellors taught how to withstand awkward silences?”

“Yes.”

“Bollocks.”

“You can talk,” Kenny dropped his voice in warning. “But keep it surface-level. Don’t let him pull you in deeper than anger issues. It comes from having to protect what’s yours in care homes. Nothing more.”

Aaron licked the remnants of jam off his lips, watching Kenny carefully, waiting. He knew there was more coming.

“Then you come see me. Every week. One hour.”

Aaron smirked, cocking his head. “Might need more than that.” He winked, but Kenny sidestepped the innuendo as if he’d been waiting for it.

“We’ll start at the beginning. Work our way through.”

“You sure you want to open this can of worms?” Aaron tapped his temple. “They’re wriggly.”

“I can handle it.”

“Can you?”

Kenny’s phone rang, breaking the tension and he grabbed it, answering with a sharp, professional, “Dr Lyons.”

Aaron watched the ease with which Kenny shifted back into work-mode, his command over the moment palpable. After abrief conversation, Kenny ended the call, tucking his phone into his pocket.

“Do I need to fuck off now?” Aaron asked.

“Yes. Go back to your room. Get some sleep. And readDiscovering Statistics Using SPSSfor class on Monday.”

Aaron rolled his eyes. “Never off duty, eh?”

Kenny inhaled a sharp breath. “Let it be known, I was very much off duty last night.” He snapped his laptop shut. “I need a shower. Can you see yourself out?”

Aaron leaned back on the stool, eyes following Kenny’s every move. “Go lather yourself up, doc.”

Kenny hesitated, something unreadable glinting in his eyes. And Aaron thought he was going to frogmarch him out with the realisation he couldn’t leave Aaron alone in his house. And it took a long damn time but, in two quick strides, he slalomed around the counter, gripping the back of Aaron’s neck, and forcing him to spin on the stool to face him. With his fingertips hard and bruising, he pressed his lips to Aaron’s. Soft and yielding. Demanding and devastating.

When he pulled away, his voice was rough, barely a whisper. “That’s it. The last one.”

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