Page 83 of Rules in Love
“Pfft, he wishes,” scoffed Finn, spitting the still sealed condom from his mouth. Fighting the urge to laugh was as hard as the erection trying to pummel my core, but I had to try.
“Shh, he’ll hear you, Finn.” I took my turn to cover his mouth, then replied, “Yes, all good. Thank you, Gareth.”
The impeccably timed fool may have managed three steps down the hall before Finn’s lips were on me again. I was pressed back against the table. The front of my dress was pulled down, and the same hunger he exhibited when ravaging my neck was devoted to my breasts. But just as my body began to melt, the footsteps returned, and I swear I heard a dull thud as he leaned against the door.
“Finn, as your boss—”
“Gahh, God help me, that’s hot. Say it again.”
“No. Well, okay. Finn, as your boss, your superior, I demand that you stop.”
He pulled his head from my boobs and looked at me hazily. “Stop?! What? Why?”
“Gareth,” I whispered, pointing to the door. “He’s right there. Can’t you hear him?”
“Nope, potato valley is really soundproof.” I gave him a slap and shushed him again. Further shuffling and a rattle of the door handle had him zipping up in seconds. “Yeah, we gotta go. Mark this asto be continuedat home, boss. Hey, you don’t think he’s got a camera in here, do you? I would have thrown in some fancier moves had I known.”
In NYC, a week is a long time where a whole lot can happen. Especially when you’re a single parent whose child is spending an extra-long week with their other parent. Because of my hospital visit, Ben had been gone for four days already and still had a few to go. Keeping busy at work had always gotten me through the Ben-free days, but the evenings were always long and lonely. Life was changing, though. The nights remained long…but not so lonely. Instead, they were filled with blond hair, blue eyes, crumpled sheets, and laughter.
Oh, and sex. Really, really, really incredible sex.
I was a greedy, greedy Finn-whore, desperate for more, shaking for his touch, constantly seeking out my next pounding. But it wasn’t just the shagging. An element of loved-up domestic bliss crept into my world.
Each evening, once Iris was settled for the night, Finn would race to my place for a late dinner. Just as his parents had done, we’d cook side by side, he’d take my hand and dance me around the kitchen, and kiss me across the table when we finally sat to eat. While he did the dishes, I made our lunches. Then, we’d bundle ourselves on the couch or in bed, watch Netflix, drink wine, and fold laundry. We went for runs in the dark and made love as the sun rose. Even at work, the freedom of not hiding our affection, of bookending our days with a kiss, holding hands over lunch, and receiving high-fives from HR Jan when she caught us kissing in the hall became the norm. Never had I known such contentment. Such balance.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t the same for Teddy, and after a long, sweaty Wednesday-night run, Finn and I returned home to find him face-down on my sofa, surrounded by empty lollipop wrappers.
“Teddy? What’s going on? You’re eating sweets after seven p.m. You only drink carbs after sundown.”
He raised his head, glanced at Finn and me, sighed, and then flopped onto his back. “Please tell me you didn’t do the nasty on the sidewalk.”
“No, we didn’t do the nasty. Not all of it, anyway.” I walked to his side and went in for a high-five but was left hanging. “What’s going on, Teddy? And please, don’t say nothing because I know you’re full of poo.”
His reply was like a slap in the face with a wet fish. “Just drop it, Scar. I don’t want to talk about it. It’s too personal.”
As I gasped and clutched at my heart, Finn padded up behind me and pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “Uhh, why don’t I go take a shower? Catch ya later, Teddy.”
Normally, Finn mentioning taking a shower would have me in a hot flutter of dirty thoughts, but neither Teddy nor I paid him any attention. “Too personal? Too personal? Theodore William Henry Digby, you were at—”
“The third.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake. Theodore William Henry Digby the third!” Icorrected.“You were present for the birth of my son. You saw my lady bits stretch and tear and get sewn back together. I think we crossed the line of personal boundaries a long time ago.”
“Well, this is not about me. It’s about Asher, and I don’t know if he wants me to tell anyone. But I have to tell you because it’s stupid, and I need him to understand that it is.”
“So, tell me, then!”
“Fuuckk!” he groaned while whacking his arms and legs against the sofa before flailing dramatically into the beaten cushions. We really were two peas in a pod. “Fine, then. Remember how I hid the fact that Asher and I were dating when we first got together?”
“Yes. I was super annoyed and am still low-key bitter, by the way. I know I hide it really well.”
“Hmm, yeah, you keep telling yourself that. Anyway, I didn’t tell you because Asher wasn’t really out.”
“Oh. Shit.”
Teddy sighed, sat up, and snuggled into my boobs. “Yeah. Oh, shit. Only his parents and a few staff at the bar know he’s bi. We rarely go out, and if we do, he won’t hold my hand or show any affection.”
“What? But I’ve seen you kiss at the bar.”
