Page 50 of Off the Pitch

“I know, but this is nuts.” Christian pulled himself into a sitting position and paused the show, fixing me with Lily’s trademark look of disapproval. “You’re burning yourself out, and this is coming from me, the king of burning out by working too hard.”

I sighed. He wasn’t lying. The truth was, I needed the teaching money and the experience, especially if I wanted an academic job once I finished my thesis. Not that I’d really given post-PhD life much thought.

“Is that what you want?” Christian asked, when I’d explained my dilemma.

“What do you mean?”

“Do you want an academic job? I mean, all you ever do is complain about it, and sure, I know you like the teaching, but that’s all you seem to like. You ranted at me for two hours last week about the need to attend conferences and when you were going to fit that in.”

“Well, I mean…” I paused, trying to think of a counterpoint, but none came to mind because what Christian had said was true. I’d done my PhD because I’d loved my subject and because academia seemed like as good a career as any. Still, the further into it I got, the more I wanted to run screaming for the hills.

“What else would I do?”

“Whatever you wanted.” Christian shrugged. “You’ve got time to figure it out.”

What did I want? That was a question I’d avoided for a while. I liked the idea of working somewhere historical, and I liked teaching. Maybe one of the museums would want someone? You always saw people leading groups or giving talks to schoolkids. That could be kind of fun!

Except that sort of job was bound to want a ton of experience I didn’t have, and there was no way I could justify taking on an unpaid placement or internship just because I fancied trying something new. I had bills to pay.

“Yes, but there is the small question of money,” I said. “Once my funding runs out, I’m fucked if I haven’t finished.”

Christian stared at me, eyebrow raised.

“What?”

“Babe,” he started. “I love you, I really do, but for someone who’s super smart, you kinda lack common sense.”

“That’s new. I’m the sensible one.”

“And the dramatic one.” Christian grinned, squeezing my thigh. “Look, I know this is going to be hard for you, but don’t worry about the money,” he said. “I make more money in a day than some people do in a year. I have more than I need. I can easily support both of us, and you can always live here. Just… don’t worry. Please?”

I sighed, and something inside me gave a funny jolt. It wasn’t that I wasn’t grateful for his offer—I really fucking was—it was just… well.

No, if I was being honest, I had no damn excuses. Just pride. And my desire to stand on my own feet. It was something I’d always thought I had to do, but here was Christian offering to pick up the slack without even a second thought.

“I know that look. Stop thinking,” Christian said, smacking my leg. “I won’t think less of you, and you won’t need to pay it back. I’m not going to attach any strings to this offer.”

“But—”

“Fine.” He grinned. “You can pay me back in sexual favours!”

I smirked and pulled him in for a kiss. “So I’d basically be your kept boy?”

“Pretty much,” Christian said against my lips.

“I suppose that works,” I said, deepening the kiss and dragging him onto my lap, my hands wrapping around him to pull him closer. I nipped at his lip, loving the soft moan that emerged. My hands squeezed his perfect butt, and I wondered if we had time to fool around on the sofa before Lily returned from wherever she’d disappeared to this evening.

Christian pulled away, panting, with a delicious flush to his cheeks. “Wait,” he said, resting his hands against my chest. “I need to ask you something.”

“Anything.” There was a pause, and Christian seemed determined to look anywhere other than directly at me. “Is something wrong?”

“No,” he said, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly. “I wondered if you wanted to come to the arcade tomorrow, with Liam and Jordan and me.”

Well, that was new.

“They’re always trying to get me to go with them, and I finally said I’d go, and then they said I should bring you, since we’re always texting and I said we were old football friends because I didn’t know what to tell them, and that you’re cool and—”

“Christian, breathe, baby,” I said, cutting off his rambling train of thought.

---