Page 27 of Kiss Me Honey Hone

Kenny ran his fingers along Aaron’s spine in thought, then lowered down to press his lips to Aaron’s temple. It wasn’t quite a kiss, but the following words were just as intimate. “Not entirely true.”

“No?” Aaron peered up, eyes wide.

“IwishI didn’t want your shit, but as the current situation proves, I can’t help gravitating towards it.” He closed his eyes before adding softly, “To you.”

Aaron smiled, chest easing just enough to let the corners of his lips lift. The gesture felt foreign, like something he hadn’t done in forever. Not forced. Nor fake. Not this time, and when Kenny’s eyes opened to catch him, Aaron watched as something flashed in his eyes. Surprise, maybe? Or something deeper.Heavier. Then Kenny inhaled, chest rising with a force that made Aaron’s stomach twist.

What’s he thinking?

The question burned in Aaron’s mind, but he didn’t dare ask. The tension between them was enough of a live wire, taut and thrumming. Was Kenny reacting to the smile itself? The fragile truce it seemed to offer? Or was he grappling with the same realisation Aaron was? That they were in too deep, tangled in something they couldn’t escape, even if they wanted to?

The way Kenny looked at him, chest tight, lips parted, made Aaron’s heart clench. It was too much and not enough all at once. He wanted to hold on to this moment, to cling to the connection they never spoke of, but both knew was there. Yet, beneath the tenderness, the magnitude of everything they’d done, everything they couldn’t undo, a threat was ready to pull them under. The crushing reality of what they were. Two people who shouldn’t bedrawn together yet couldn’t seem to let go. And Aaron felt the impact of that like a physical force. He didn’t know whether to savour the moment or brace for the inevitable fallout.

Either way, he couldn’t look away.

“But I also wish your shit didn’t keep happening to you,” Kenny finally said through the haze.

“Ditto.” Aaron yawned, then settled back down on Kenny’s chest. “Do you want me to go?”

“You’re not going anywhere.”

The possessiveness of that statement had Aaron tingling. Ever more so when Kenny unbuttoned his shirt, wriggling it off, ripping it from beneath him to discard on the floor, then shunted off his jeans to his boxers, once again hauling Aaron to him for him to lay his head on Kenny’s bare chest, listening to the dull thuds of his heart.

Where he fell into a contented sleep, devoid of bad dreams.

* * * *

The next time Aaron woke, the bed beside him was empty.

He stretched, muscles aching faintly as he pushed himself upright. Beside him, a freshly refilled glass of water and two paracetamol capsules waited on the nightstand. He grabbed the water, draining half of it in a few gulps before downing the pills. The sunlight filtering through the edges of the curtains bathed the room in a soft glow, and a glance at the clock told him it was already noon. Technically, the afternoon.

Aaron settled back against the headboard, the coolness of the sheets a stark contrast to the warmth Kenny had left behind. He couldn’t fault him for leaving. Kenny had a life to return to. Responsibilities to manage. And Aaron wasn’t exactly a Saturday priority. Still, a part of him couldn’t help but wish Kenny had stayed, just for a little longer. Had woken with him,only so he could drag him under these sheets and claim him as his rejuvenation.

Instead, he used the moment to learn more about Kenny through his master bedroom. He hadn’t been in here before and it exuded understated elegance, with all muted slate-grey walls, warm oak floors, and a king-sized bed dressed in a charcoal duvet with deep-green cushions. It was a testament to Kenny’s OCD. With black-and-white photos lining the walls in perfect symmetry, a sleek dresser holding a watch stand, a leather tray, and neatly arranged aftershaves. Balanced bedside tables added to the order—one with a lamp and a novel, the other with an unlit candle. A woven rug and blackout curtains framed tall windows, reinforcing a calm, controlled atmosphere.

Aaron loved it.

Far, far more than the spare room he’d occupied before.

When he felt as if he wouldn’t keel over, he stumbled out of the bed, checking for his clothes. The grey joggers and faded Nirvana tee were comfy, but way too big. Kenny was taller and slightly broader than him, so he had to roll the waistband to keep them up. With no sign of his own stuff, he had to make do and found his way out of the room to the landing, where he relieved himself in the bathroom, splashing cold water over his face. Then he glanced around the top floor. Two bedrooms, a bathroom and a home office. All vacant and just as organised. Except for the office, that looked like the place Kenny let chaos rule. He then crept down the stairs, Kenny’s voice drifting out from the kitchen.

“Yeah, I know…I’m sorry. I’ll stay here and get some rest…All right, yeah, thanks.”

Aaron waited until he was sure whatever call Kenny had been on had ended before he trundled down the rest of the stairs and made his way to the kitchen/diner at the back of the house. Kenny, back to him in a flannel dressing gown, shoved choppedup fruit into a smoothie maker. He switched on the whizzing, then turned, startled, as Aaron entered.

“Do you…uh, know where my clothes are?” Aaron raised his voice over the blender

Kenny switched it off, shunting the kitchen into silence. “They’re drying.”

Aaron winced. “Oh, shit. Did I throw up on them? Piss myself?” Fuck, now he knew why he shouldn’t have called Kenny. Why hadn’t he called Mel?

Because he wouldn’t be here now, wrapped in Kenny’s clothes, sitting at his breakfast bar, once again seeing what the man looked like first thing in the morning.

Which was annoyinglyhot.

“No.” Kenny took out two mugs, adding tea bags, already knowing exactly what Aaron preferred to drink in the morning. “But I washed them, anyway. They were caked in mud.”

Aaron widened his eyes. “You washed my clothes?”

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