Page 37 of Animal Instincts
The telephone’s sharp ring slashed through the practice. Both jerked, breaking the kiss, as the two short rings were replaced by Oliver’s steady voice telling the caller they were closed, but for emergencies…
The bleep was replaced by a hacking cough.
“Oh, fucking hell…” Joss groaned.
“Joss? Joss? Are you there? Bingo, stop slobbering over my slipper…” A thump, followed by a muffled voice and a bark. “That daft, bloomin’ animal. It’s not normal for a dog to try and mate with a tartan patterned slipper. You ask your vet, he’ll tell you the same. Anyway, on your way home, get me some denture fix and a bottle of barley wine. Better make that two barleys.”
A click and a bleep, and the silence returned.
Oliver’s head dropped forward, his gaze falling to his deflating dick.
What the hell had they nearly done…? But as he looked down at Joss, laying back on the examination bench, breathing hard, with one arm flung over his eyes, his only regret was what theyhadn’t.
He lifted Joss’ arm, but Joss’ eyes were squeezed tight.
“Cock blocked by my own gran… And denture fix… Christ.”
Oliver started to laugh, and Joss opened his eyes and sat up.
“It’s all right for you to laugh, but I don’t find it in the least bit funny.” Joss looked down at himself. Like Oliver’s, his own bulge was now nonexistent. “It’s been ages since I—well, you know.”
Oliver slumped against the bench next to Joss.
“It’s been so long, I don’t think I even remember how to—well, you know.” Oliver’s lips twitched in a wry smile.
He should be filled with embarrassed mortification. He should be finding the words to say what had happened had been a mistake, a stupid spur of the moment thing. He should be telling himself he was Joss’ employer. And he should not, absolutely should not, be stepping on that path where in another life he’d stumbled and fell. All of them true and valid reasons, none of which he wanted to listen to.
Yes, he’d stumbled and fell, but it had been in the life he’d turned his back on, and was a world away. Hadn’t the whole reason he’d come to Love’s Harbour been about finding a new beginning?
He nudged Joss’ shoulder, prompting Joss to look up at him. They smiled into each other’s eyes, and as the flush on Joss’ cheeks deepened, the hard ball of ice that had been lodged in the darkest, deepest, locked away place in Oliver’s heart began to melt.
Oliver leaned in and kissed him. It was light and feather soft, the heat of just moments before replaced with warm sweetness which sighed through his veins.
“I guess I’d better go.” Joss didn’t show any sign of moving.
“I supposed you’d better. You don’t want to leave your gran without false teeth glue.”
Joss shuddered, but he laughed and Oliver joined in. Joss dipped his head, and Oliver watched him as he bit down on his lip.
“Erm, I was wondering… The open mic night tomorrow. Would you, er, would you like to come with me? Only if you want to, I mean, I don’t want you to feel you—”
“Yes, I would.”
Joss’ eyes widened, his smile so bright it could have melted the ice caps, but it did so much more as the very last tiny slither of ice in Oliver’s heart dissolved to nothing.
“I can meet you there—”
“No. I’ll pick you up from home. If that’s okay?”
“Ah… It might be better to meet me at the pub, because Gran—”
“I think I need to say thank you in person for all those lunches, don’t you? Anyway, I’ll come bearing a gift. Do you think a supersized tube of denture fixative will do it?”
TWENTY-ONE
Peeking between the curtains, Joss spotted Oliver. He’d just stepped through the gate and was making his way down the long path towards the house. If he was quick enough, Joss reckoned he could get to Oliver before he reached the door, hustling him away without his gran knowing a thing.
“Bye, Gran,” he threw over his shoulder as he dashed for the hallway.
