come.
There were things Robin wanted to know too.
Dean closed the door behind them. “Are you hungry? I can order us something.”
“Yes, but I can wait.” Robin sat on the sofa, his gaze locked on Dean. “You said we were going to talk.”
Dean removed his jacket, and laid it over the arm of the sofa. He sat beside Robin, then patted his lap. “Come sit here.”
Robin shifted across to straddle him. “This doesn’t feel like talking,” he said with a chuckle.
Dean cupped Robin’s nape. “I wanted to talk last night, but we got a little… distracted.”
Robin’s face and ears felt hot. “My bad.”
“Oh, I’m not complaining,” Dean assured him. “I enjoyed every second of it. But… I need to ask you something important.”
He stilled instantly. “Then ask.” He swallowed.
“I guess I need to know how you feel… about me.”
Robin caught his breath. “I was gonna ask you the same thing.” His heart went into overdrive.
Dean’s breathing synchronized with his. “I know we haven’t known each other all that long, but—”
Robin stopped his words with a fervent kiss, his hands cupping the back of Dean’s head. He poured every ounce of love he possessed into it, his heart beating like a drum, his pulse rapid. When he broke the kiss, Robin looked Dean in the eye. “I love you.”
Fuck. He’d gotten the words out at last.
Dean sagged against the seat cushion with a sigh, and fear trickled through him. Please, tell me you feel the same. Robin had trusted his instincts and laid his heart bare. Please, don’t break it.
Dean took Robin’s hands in his. “I love you too.” He brought them to his lips and kissed Robin’s fingers. “So much.”
Robin’s heartbeat hadn’t climbed down yet. “Is there a but on its way?” Because it sure felt like it.
Dean gazed at their joined hands. “I didn’t see this coming. But now that we’re here, I have to say I’ve never been happier.” Then he raised his chin. “But—”
Robin silenced him with a finger. “It’s my parents, isn’t?”
Dean nodded. “I think we both know they won’t like this, no matter how open-minded they seem.”
“Then we don’t tell them yet,” Robin said, his heart hammering. “We keep going as before.” Except he knew the subterfuge would have to end someday. They would only be prolonging the inevitable fallout.
Right then, he didn’t want to spoil the weekend with such thoughts.
“Tell me again,” he demanded.
Dean smiled and tugged Robin into his arms. “What—that I love you?” Robin nodded, his heart aching to hear the words once more, to assure himself this was no dream. Then Dean’s gentle hand was on his neck as Dean kissed him, slow and sweet. “I love you,” he said when he broke the kiss. “And I will tell you that as many times as you like.”
“Tell me in bed, when you’re inside me,” Robin whispered.
Dean’s eyes sparkled, and he held onto Robin as he got to his feet and made his way to the bed. “As you wish.”
Chapter Twenty
“Why have we stopped here?” Robin peered through the windshield at the boatyard, all in darkness.
“Because I’m not letting you get out of this car without kissing you, and I can’t very well do that in front of your house, can I?”
Robin didn’t need to hear another word. He unfastened his seat belt, leaned over, and Dean enfolded him in his arms. Their lips met, and Robin poured his heart and soul into that kiss, breathing Dean in, taking his scent deep, desperate to hold onto it for as long as he could.
“I had a wonderful weekend,” Dean murmured between kisses. “Waking up with you these last two mornings has been heaven.”
“But now we have to come back to reality.” And what would that be? Moments snatched here and there? Meeting up after work to steal a precious hour or two? No chance of falling asleep in Dean’s arms, of making love in the middle of the night when neither of them wanted it to end…
Dean’s forehead touched his, and his sigh warmed Robin’s face. “Right now reality sucks, I know. But when it’s the middle of the week and you can’t wait for Saturday to get here… when we talk on the phone and all you want is the real thing… Hold onto one truth, okay?”
“And what truth is that?”
Dean’s eyes locked on his, Dean’s hand so gentle as he cupped Robin’s cheek. “That I love you. When you’re nineteen, I’ll still love you. But I’ll abide by your wishes. So when