Page 123 of Crocodile Tears

“We are bloody awesome!” Tyler took hold of Alex and spun him around the workshop, dancing manically with excitement.

Alex laughed, enjoying the feeling of Tyler’s hard body against his own. Was he imagining this, or was there a vibe between them? They stopped dancing and grinned at each other stupidly.

“Now, it’s over to you. Don’t fuck it up.” Tyler winked at him.

“I won’t. I’ll make it work. I’ll make you proud of me, I promise,” he said earnestly.

“I’m sure you will.” Tyler put his hands on Alex’s shoulders and gazed intently into his eyes. “I have total faith in you.”

“You know – you didn’t have to try and impress me with the helicopter, the floating city, and the fancy restaurant. This, here, what we just did – that’s impressed me far more.” Alex waved his hand at the prototype duck.

“It looks like I’ve found what makes you tick, then. Noted – for future reference.” Tyler grinned. “Now c’mon – it’s late.” He shoved Alex jokingly towards the door. “I’ll drop you at Solange’s house – she’s been complaining that she hasn’t seen much of you since you started working with me.”

When Solange opened her front door sleepily a little while later, Alex picked her up and swung her around. “Your godfather is awesome,” he exclaimed.

“Hmm, yeah, I know that.” She wrapped her arms around him. “What brought this on?”

“I’ve never worked with anyone who really got me before. We were just riffing off each other, y’know? It was fantastic. Hey – d’you have any croc? I want to celebrate.”

He spent the next ten minutes inhaling the drug off her beautiful belly, and then made love to her, crocodile tears flowing steadily down his cheeks.

Afterwards, he picked her up in his arms and held her close, and she snuggled into him, warm and soft.

A little thought crept, unexpectedly, into his mind. What it would be like to be holding George Tyler in his arms instead? How would it feel to bury himself in Tyler’s body and make that powerful man scream his name with pleasure? Or to be held down by Tyler’s tanned brown hands while the man fucked him hard? To be caressed by Tyler the way he’d caressed that engine back at the workshop would be quite something.

“Do you think George is bi?” he asked suddenly.

Solange sat up. “Alex – he’s my godfather! I don’t think of him that way. Why? You haven’t got a crush on him, have you?”

Alex gave a guilty laugh. “No. It’s just a vibe he gave off tonight. Also, I’m nosey. Who does he hang out with? He’s never been married, has he?”

“No, but he’s not exactly a monk. Women throw themselves at him all the time, and some men, too. I don’t think he turns them all down. I’ve seen him having private dinners with beautiful people, and I always assumed…” She shrugged.

“I know he’s old enough to be my father, but there’s something about him,” Alex mused idly.

“You find him attractive?” Solange looked up at him curiously.

Alex hesitated. It felt taboo, not least because of Tyler’s history with his family. “Yes,” he admitted at last. “I like his energy and drive, and I feel this weird compulsion to impress him all the time. He also looks pretty hot for a man his age. Is that weird?” He looked down at her anxiously.

“No,” she sighed. “Plenty of people have fallen for him, and I can see why.”

“You’re not jealous, are you?” he asked. “I mean – you and me – it’s never been serious, has it?”

“No. It’s never been serious.” She shook her head, making her wild curls bounce. “You’re not really available, are you, Alex? Not in here.” She rested her hand on his chest, over his heart.

“Nor you.” He picked up her hand and kissed it, and she put her head on one side, gazing at him quizzically. “You walk around like you’re locked up in your own little world, Solange,” he explained. “There’s always this distance between you and everyone else.”

“That’s why you like me so much,” she said sadly. “You’re the same.”

“At least you have your godfather.”

“Yes – and now you do, too. Don’t do anything stupid to fuck it up.”

“I won’t. I just want to make him proud of me. I want to build the best AV in the world and make a huge success of it. Nobody believed in me before he came along; I want to repay him for that.”

“Oh, Alex.” She kissed his lips gently. “That’s really sad.”

“No – it’s fantastic. I’m happy.” He paused, feeling astonished. “I’m actually happy for the first time since Mum died. It’s been so long, I’d forgotten how it feels. I’m fucking happy, Solange.”

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