Chapter Twelve

Dominic dozed in the drowsy mid-afternoon heat, one arm draped across his belly, the other flung above his head. Arnie slipped naked from the sheets and went into the en suite bathroom, closing the door behind him. Catching his reflection in the mirror, he saw the smile writ large on his face. Everything about the image looking back at him said just fucked. His hair was a crazy mess and his eyes sparkled. His cheeks had the warm glow of sex and satisfaction.

The last two hours had been intense, the appetite they had for each other insatiable.

Arnie had never felt so in-tune with another man. They matched each other in every way, in hunger and desire and stamina. In his experience, no one had ever come as hard as Dominic did on the dining table. He’d been dripping with sperm afterward. It had even hung from his chin. But when Arnie had withdrawn and seen the heavy tip of the condom, he’d realized just how much seed he’d unloaded himself. He never came that much. Maybe when he young, but not these days. Not until today.

His balls must have been working overtime, because the second time had been just as intense, just as fruitful.

He’d brought Dominic up to the bedroom, where they’d taken their time, exploring each other. Dominic’s body was like a compendium of every one of Arnie’s fantasies. Everything he found attractive in a man had been fashioned into one perfect package. Stocky, muscular, hairy. He had thick thighs and a big, chunky arse. A well-proportioned chest and a tight belly. Dominic clearly looked after himself, but not to the point of obsession or self-denial.

In the past, Arnie had been forced to get into a particular kind of shape for a movie or TV role, especially those that required him to take his shirt off. Lose weight, get ripped, bulk up—he’d had to do it all and hated it. Maintaining that kind of physique was a joyless, unsustainable grind. Diets, restrictions, twice-daily workouts. He was all for keeping fit and staying healthy, but not in the name of looking a certain way. He was glad to see Dominic didn’t fall into that trap either. He was muscular and sexy, but not to the exclusion of having a good life. Dominic had the hot body of a real man.

And what a man.

Arnie had enjoyed every inch of him, the taste and scent of his body. The blissful look that came over his face when he was getting fucked.

In bed, Dominic had reciprocated. Arnie had lain on his front while Dominic drove into him from behind, pounding him into the mattress. Wow. Had he ever been fucked so thoroughly? No way.

No wonder that face in the mirror looked so pleased with itself.

Arnie laughed, before taking a piss and washing his hands and face.

When he opened the door, Dominic was awake. He lay back, propped up on pillows, the sheets around his waist, one tanned leg sticking out.

“Hey.” He grinned.

“Hey.” Arnie smiled back. “Didn’t disturb you, did I?”

“I was already awake.”

“Fancy a drink? A beer?”

“Why not? That sounds good.”

“Be right back.”

Arnie pulled on his briefs and went downstairs. It was almost three o’clock. They had plenty of time. His parents wouldn’t bring AJ home until at least six. He checked his phone for messages in case there had been a change of plan. Nothing. All was good. He retrieved two bottles from the refrigerator, popped the tops and hurried back upstairs to Dominic.

“You’re not hungry, are you?” he asked, handing him the drink.

“Only for you,” Dominic said with a wolfish grin.

Arnie went around the bed, slipped off his briefs and climbed naked beneath the sheets. “Didn’t you have enough of me already?”

Dominic rolled onto his side to face him. “Of you? Are you mad? Never. When you shoved that dick in my arse, I thought I was about to split in two, that I wouldn’t be able to walk afterward. And now I’m all set to go again.”

Arnie laughed. “You may be. I think I need a rest first.”

“I’ll wait,” Dominic said with a wink. “I’m just being greedy. My head is a lot more willing than my butt right now.”

They both laughed loudly.

Dominic was so easygoing. So relaxed. Arnie felt no tension when he was around him. No pressure to play a part or be anything other than himself. And laughing. When had he ever been to bed with a man who made him laugh? Never.

“Did you think we’d end up here?” Arnie asked. “In bed.”

“I hoped so. God, you’ve no idea how much I’ve thought about this. But I didn’t want to pressure you. You’ve got a lot going on. So many priorities, I figured sex would be low down your list.”

“It is, and it isn’t. I fancied you the second I saw you, but it’s true, I wasn’t looking to get into anything. I resisted that desire all last week. Kept telling myself it didn’t matter. I came here this summer for AJ, not to get a shag.”

“You can be a good father and still get shagged.”

“I know. I just don’t want to fuck things up for him. It’s been difficult, you know. Trying to give his life stability. The hours I work don’t always fit in with childcare. I often have to leave him with childminders or arrange for him to stay with friends when I have a late shoot, or if I’m working evenings in the theatre.”

“You shouldn’t worry too much about that. You do a great job raising him. He’s one of the politest, most intelligent kids I’ve met.”

Arnie looked at him, searching for signs he was talking bullshit. “You mean that?”

Dominic looked straight into his eyes. “Of course I do. Just because I don’t have a family of my own doesn’t mean I’m totally ignorant of them. We get kids around the station all the time. School trips, families on days out. AJ stands out from the crowd.”

“I hope so. I don’t want to put pressure on him. I just want him to be the best he can be.”

“He is, trust me. Just look at Noel.”

“Noel?”

“Red-haired lad. About nineteen. He volunteers at the station. He was there when you dropped by last week.”

“Oh, yes. I know who you mean.” The gormless youth he’d seen several times around the marina.

“He volunteers at the station because he has to. Not from any sense of community or wanting to help. He lives with his grandparents and his grandmother makes him join in. He left school with no qualifications or experience. He hasn’t got the social skills necessary to land even the most basic job. His gran asked me to look out for him, to try to draw him out and teach him some life skills. It’s useless. I haven’t given up trying, but I might as well tell it to the wall. The kid has no interest in improving himself. I feel he resents every minute he spends at the station. He’d rather be playing games. His grandmother can’t even get the lazy bastard to sign on. If he did, at least he could offer them some money instead of always taking. So, the point I’m trying to make is that you have nothing to worry about with AJ. He’s around ten years younger than Noel, but intellectually and emotionally, AJ is way ahead of him.”

“What’s Noel’s problem? Does he have learning difficulties?”

“No. That’s the annoying part. He’s more than capable—he’s bone-idle, simple as that. And as long as his grandparents keep handing out cash, he’s got no incentive to change. I’ve told the old lady that, but she keeps on spoiling him. You’ll never have that problem with AJ. The boy is keen to learn. He’ll go far.”

Arnie smiled. “It’s good to hear you say that. I do the best for him, but I doubt myself all the time. And with the way his mother carries on, I feel like I’m always swimming uphill.”

“Well, I wouldn’t know myself, but isn’t that what it’s like for all parents.”

Arnie nodded. “I guess it is.”

He rolled onto his back and gazed at the ceiling. It was a relief, being able to talk with Dominic. He wondered why that should be. They barely knew each other, and here he was, confiding in him, revealing his insecurities. The kind of anxieties he didn’t even share with his own family. It seemed to be his responsibility as a father, to hide his fears and carry on regardless.

“How do you feel about this?” he asked.

“About what? About you? Wonderful.” Dominic snuggled closer across the bed.

“Getting mixed up with a single dad. I don’t come without complications.”

“Are you kidding? A hot daddy. That’s every gay guy’s fantasy right there. Pinch me, I must be dreaming.”

They both chuckled.

“You mean it?” Arnie said at last.

“Mean it? I already told you. AJ’s a wonderful kid. I don’t have any problems with you being a dad. In case you hadn’t noticed, neither of us are spring chickens. Any guy our age is going to come with some kind of history and backstory. Part of the fun will be discovering it together.”

“We’ll have to take things slowly. I don’t want to surprise him with anything right away. His world is shaky enough without his dad dropping a boyfriend into the mix.”

Dominic leaned in and kissed him on the side of his face. “You’re in charge, Daddy. You set the pace. I’ll wait and do things just as you want them.”

Arnie rolled onto his side to face him. “Wow. Where did you come from? You appear to be the perfect man. What’s the catch?”

Dominic grinned, so boyish and innocent, so different from the action hero he presented outside the bedroom. “No catch. No bullshit. I want to keep seeing you, that’s all. I don’t care what the terms are, that’s up to you, but anything you want, I’ll do it.”

Dominic stayed with him until five o’clock. They remained in bed the whole time and made love again. It was less hurried and more tender than the times before. They flipped positions throughout, taking it in turns to enter each other, until it drained them.

Showered and dressed, they said goodbye in the courtyard. Arnie leaned into the open window of the car to kiss him one last time.

“I’ll wait for you to call me,” Dominic said. “But please, don’t leave it too long.”

“I won’t,” Arnie said, his lips lingering. He couldn’t. Now that they’d gone this far, he had to have Dominic again. “I’ll sound AJ out later, without giving anything away.”

“If anything else happens, if that loser shows up or you’re worried, call me straight away. I’ll come right over. And my earlier offer still stands. If you want me on guard duty while the two of you sleep, you only have to ask.”

“Thanks. I appreciate it, but I don’t think it’s necessary.”

Dominic kissed him one last time before putting the car in gear and reversing out of the courtyard.