Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 87536 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87536 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
“Famished.”
“Can I make you dinner?”
“I thought you had to work today,” I said as I again awkwardly stuffed the surfboard into my loaner car.
“I did. I’m done. The club can survive without me for the rest of the afternoon. And evening. And night.” He smiled brightly.
I flashed him a big smile, too. “Well gee, if I didn’t know better, I’d think you were insinuating that you wanted to spend the night with me. Again.” We’d already spent both Friday and Saturday nights curled up happily in his big, comfortable bed.
“I might possibly be insinuating that,” he told me.
“And I might be persuaded to take you up on that offer.”
“Oh? And what will I have to do to persuade you?”
I stepped close to him and whispered, “When you get me home, fuck me until I can’t remember my own name.”
Dmitri’s eyes slid shut and he shivered with pleasure. “Don’t tempt me, Jamie,” he replied, his voice low.
“It’s time. I want you in me,” I whispered, running my hand over his flat stomach.
He grabbed my hand and kissed it. And then he said, “Soon. Ok? But not tonight. We’re not quite there yet.”
“How do you figure?”
His blue eyes locked with mine. “Just trust me on this. Please?”
“Is it because you don’t want to top me? Because I can go either way.”
“I can, too. I’d prefer to bottom with you, but I’ll happily fuck you when the time is right, if that’s what you want.”
“Oh God, Dmitri.” A thrill of desire cascaded though me.
“Just a little more time, baby. Ok?” He looked at me pleadingly, and finally I relented.
“Fine. I’ll try to hold off on throwing myself at you tonight. But it’s not going to be easy.”
He leaned in and kissed me lightly, and then said, “Come on, let’s go home so I can bathe you and feed you.” He held out his car keys to me. “Want to drive? I’ll follow in your car.”
“As if I’d want to get sand and seawater all over the interior of your car,” I told him. “I’ll follow you in the Hyundai. See you in a few minutes.”
He kissed me again and got behind the wheel of the Maserati, and pulled out of the parking lot. I watched him for a long minute, the dark sports car turning lots of heads as he climbed the hill heading into the Embarcadero. I supposed our public display of affection had turned some heads as well, but I really didn’t give a shit.
Then again, what if someone I knew saw me making out with Dmitri Teplov? What if word got back to my family, or the department?
I hated that it bothered me.
I’d come out just four months ago, because I was sick of living a lie, and because I realized I was being a hypocrite. I’d been so angry at Charlie for denying his love for me, for not admitting to his family and everyone else that he was gay and that he wanted to be with me.
And then I’d realized that by not coming out, I was basically doing the same thing. Our families had thought Charlie and I were best friends, nothing more. In all that time together, we’d always kept our relationship secret. To this day, Charlie’s family still didn’t know the truth.
And now here I was again, hiding a relationship from my family, but for very different reasons. It wasn’t because I was dating a guy, it was because I was dating an alleged criminal. But the deception didn’t feel much different.
Could I tell my family about Dmitri? Should I?
It wasn’t as though I was ashamed of him. Far from it. And I didn’t believe he was guilty of the things I’d heard him accused of. How could he be? Dmitri Teplov was good. I knew this in my heart. Everyone had to be wrong about him. And maybe I could make my family see it.
Yeah, good luck with that.
I sighed as I reached behind me and drew down the zipper of my wetsuit, then peeled it off my shoulders and torso. I wrapped the beach towel around my waist and pulled the suit off beneath it, then stuffed the wetsuit in the back seat of the Hyundai and slid behind the wheel, lost in thought.
I really didn’t know how my family or my department would react to my relationship with Dmitri. Not well, obviously, though just how bad was anyone’s guess. But I couldn’t live a lie – not again. I had to be honest with them.
And most of all, I had to be honest with Dmitri. I hadn’t told him I was a cop yet, and he deserved the truth. I was so afraid that he’d break up with me, but that was no excuse for dishonesty.
When I pulled up in his driveway the garage door was open, the Maserati in its usual spot. I parked behind the Land Rover and grabbed my board, then cut through the garage, propping the surfboard against a wall and hitting the button to shut the garage door on my way past.