Page 90 of Chasing After You
He looked like an oversized little kid—shoes abandoned in the backseat, hair tousled by the wind from the cracked window, and a family-sized bag of gummy worms in his lap.
He hummed tunelessly to the song playing on the radio, head bobbing with a sugar high he tried to blame on everything but the gummy worms. His mouth was stained faintly blue and red, and when I glanced over, he grinned at me with one caught between his teeth.
“You want one?” he asked, offering the bag my way.
I arched a brow. “Isn’t that a bit too sugary?”
Josh shrugged, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “Well, yeah, but car snacks are supposed to be unhealthy.”
I reached over and plucked one out of the bag, letting my fingers brush against his on purpose. I didn’t even like gummy worms. I just likedhim.
My angel.
The road stretched out before us—open, long, and easy. The last few weeks with Josh had shifted something tectonic in me. I was still learning that he was real, and here, and didn’t run screaming every time I touched him.
And that he had “boundaries” I needed to respect.Ugh.
“You nervous?” he asked, licking the excess sugar off his thumb.
“A little,” I admitted. “I don’t know what to expect.”
Josh smiled gently. “They’re good people, Dorian. Paul wouldn’t be riding with them if they weren’t.”
“Still… motorcycle clubs have a reputation. Not that I give a shit if they’re doing anything illegal, but I can’t have you getting hurt or caught up in anything dangerous.”
He snorted, pulling his legs down and sitting up straighter. “You mean the Sons of Anarchy thing? Yeah, I thought that too. But apparently, most of them are vets, former first responders, or just normal guys like Paul who needed a new kind of family. Last month, they did a fundraiser for burn victims.”
I considered that. It still felt like a foreign language to me. A chosen family that didn’t come with strings, secrets, or debts.
“Are you nervous?” I asked.
He made a little face, thinking to himself. “Kind of. I haven’t seen Paul in a while.”
“Did you think through what to say if he recognizes me?”
Josh chewed that over like he did with every word that mattered. “I’ve kinda been avoiding it… But it’s not like he can call the police on me for being with someone I’m not related to by blood or law. I just… I’m worried about him finding out and being disgusted. I guess if it comes out, we’ll leave if thingsare uncomfortable. I owe Paul a lot for taking me in, and I love him like he’s my real family, but I love you more than anything. It would hurt, but I’d cut him off if I had to. You’re more important.”
I nodded, keeping my grip steady on the wheel. “Thanks. And whatever happens, happens. We’ll just deal with it.”
His hand slid across the console and rested on mine for a few seconds, warm and anchoring.
“You’ve been really good to me lately,” Josh said, eyes still focused out the windshield.
I swallowed, feeling the back of my throat tighten. “I’m trying.”
Josh looked over at me, his smile soft now, without the gummy-worm mischief. “You don’t have to try so hard. Just being with you like this? It’s enough.”
I nodded. “Even with the cock cage and plug?”
He sputtered, caught off-guard, “O-oh, yeah, y-yep. Even with… that stuff. Um… I wouldn’t want you to change that part of you. Being… you know… my… Dom…” His face was bright red.
“I know, angel,” I smirked.
He popped another gummy worm into his mouth, looking away from me.
He went back to humming a few minutes later, flipping through songs and complaining about my taste in music. I didn’t mind. I didn’t care what we listened to. I would’ve driven those two hours forever if it meant keeping him right there next to me.
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