Page 92 of Flare

He chuckled. “Are you done?”

“For now.”

He leaned in for a second kiss, then slung his leg over my thigh and went back to watching the moored motorboats tilt and roll as a sailboat passed behind them, while I watched him eat.

“What?” he said around a mouthful of donut as he turned to faced me. “Don’t tell me I’ve made another mess.” He wiped the back of his hand across his face.

“No. You’re fine.”

His brows dipped. “Then what?”

“Just you.” I threw my bag in the bin and rested a hand on his thigh, squeezing gently.

He glanced down. “Don’t get any ideas, mister. I have zero room in these trousers to cope with even a small semi. Hell, even the donut is pushing it. Any further expansion and all the blood supply to my dick will be cut off and it’ll turn blue and fall off.”

“Wouldn’t want that.” I squeezed a little higher.

He wriggled in his seat and his hand landed on mine. “Stop it. Now tell me what you were thinking.”

I sighed and leaned back on the bench, smiling as a black and white corgi passed by full of business and self-importance. “I was just thinking about You. Us. This. I feel like a ridiculous teenager.”

He cast me an amused look. “Is that a good thing?”

“I think so. I never had it first time around. Teenage years weren’t the happiest of times for me.”

He nodded, swallowing the last of his donut, and I grabbed his hand, licked the tips of his fingers clean, and then wiped each one, avoiding his gaze.

“Behave.” He slid his hand free and glanced around. “There’s a whole café back there who think we’re the lunchtime entertainment.”

“Then let’s give them a curtain call.” I stole a leisurely kiss and he opened immediately, melting against me with a happy sigh but for not nearly long enough.

“You’ll get us arrested.” He straightened his coat from where my hand might have wandered just a little.

“I’d like to see them try.”

“Thanks for dragging me out.” Rhys kissed the knuckles on my hand, his lips warm against my cool skin. “But I should get back. I’m sewing the final of this damn jacket myself so there’s no chance of it leaking. I might not have stock for anyone to order, but I’ll have something ready for the catalogue at least.”

His phone buzzed and Kip’s name flashed on the screen. Rhys read the message and glared. Then he held it out for me to see.

Gloria’s here.

* * *

Rhys

We ran into Leon just as he was leaving Flare, his strawberry blond hair pulled back into a tail, and his sleeves rolled up putting all that sexy ink on display. The man never wore a jacket and I shivered just looking at him.

He glanced at our joined hands and smiled. “Rhys. Beck. Well, look at you two all cosy and shit.”

“Leon.” Beck shook his hand while I rolled my eyes and ignored Leon’s not-so-subtle dig.

“Were you looking for me, neighbour?” I enquired.

Leon grinned and shook his head. “Just dropping something off for Christopher.”

I smirked. “You do know how much Kip hates being called that?”

“Of course I do.” Leon winked. “Watching all those hackles bristle is the fucking highlight of my day.” He flicked his head to the inside of the store. “Trouble’s brewing, I gather.”

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