Spencer Cohen Series, Book Three (The Spencer Cohen Series 3) (7 page)

My moan was cut short by his mouth covering mine. He ground his hips into mine and kissed me hard, all clashing teeth and tongues and urgent hands.

I tried to pull his vest over his head, needing to feel the warmth of his skin against me, but he had other ideas. Bossy Andrew was in charge, there was no doubt about it. He batted my hands away only to drag me into the bedroom where he stripped me, stretched me, and just like he said he would, he filled me.

Later, when we were splayed out on my bed, puffing, and boneless, he took my hand. “You okay?”

“Very.”

He chuckled, still trying to catch his breath. “Wow.”

I brought our joined hands to my lips and kissed the back of his hand. “I know, right? You left work early?”

“Yep. I’ve worked through enough lunch breaks for my boss not to care when I asked if it was okay.”

“Couldn’t wait, huh?”

He turned his head and looked right at me. “Nope.”

“And it’s still early enough that we can go out for dinner.”

“Really?”

“Yep. Like a proper date kind of dinner, and if you promise to fuck me like that again later, I’ll even take you to a jazz bar after we eat.”

He laughed. “Or we could just stay in.”

“Or we could just go out for dinner.”

“Is this you being bossy?”

“Yep.”

“It needs work.”

“Shut up and get dressed.”

He laughed. “That’s much better.”

Saturday morning consisted of showers and ending up back in bed. My arse was tender from the night before, and Andrew offered himself, but it wasn’t what I wanted. I lay over Andrew, nestled between his thighs, our erections pressing together, but it wasn’t hurried or desperate. It was slow rocking and gentle kisses, tight embraces and soft whimpers, a physical display of words I couldn’t say.

It was mid-morning and we were downstairs in the shop when Andrew’s friends Shell and Wendy arrived for their tattoo appointments. Both were excited, and Andrew greeted them both with a kiss to the cheek. “You guys ready?” he asked.

“Yes!” Shell said. “Oh, Spencer, hi! I take it you didn’t mind Andrew leaving work early yesterday?”

I gave her a warm, honest smile. “Not at all.”

“Ugh, don’t start them,” Emilio said with a laugh. “They’re like rabbits.”

I thought Andrew might have been a little embarrassed or even horribly mortified, but instead he laughed. Shell nudged him with her elbow. “You still coming out this afternoon? Everyone’ll be there. Or have you had a better offer?” She looked pointedly at me.

Andrew’s smile faltered just a little. “Of course I’ll be there.”

I didn’t miss the flicker of uncertainty that crossed his features and made a mental note to ask him about it later. Did he not want to go out with his friends? It was his idea, wasn’t it? He was the one who said we should spend one afternoon this weekend apart—

“Who’s first?” Emilio asked, breaking me out of my mental headspace.

“Me!” Shell said. She took a seat on Emilio’s work chair, and Wendy held her hand. Andrew stood and watched, fascinated, as Emilio worked. When Shell was done and Wendy took her place, I pulled Andrew aside.

“Can we talk a minute?”

His eyes widened, and he licked his lips nervously. “Sure.”

I led him out the back door, keeping it propped open so we could go back in. Andrew wiped his hands down his thighs and was a shade of pale. “You okay?” I asked.

“Um, no conversation between couples that starts with ‘we need to talk’ ever ends well.”

A bubble of laughter escaped me, which I quickly realised was not the correct response. I snatched up his hand and pulled him in close. I stared into his eyes, now very serious. “Don’t think for one second that I’d want to have that conversation with you. Please, Andrew,” I whispered. I didn’t trust my voice not to crack. “You won’t ever hear that conversation from me.”

His eyes looked such a bright blue in the sunlight. “Then what?”

“Before, when Shell mentioned going out, you looked at her funny,” I said, squeezing his hand. “Wanna tell me what that was about?”

He opened and closed his mouth a few times. “It was nothing.”

I nodded slowly before I gave him a smile. “Andrew, remember when we first got together, that time in the cab you tried to shut me out and I had to go mow you down, and I told you that the whole miscommunication trope just pisses me off? You remember?”

He nodded.

“See, when we’re in bed, we have no problem in saying exactly what we want, but out of it, I think we struggle. I know it’s not easy for you to talk about stuff, and believe me, I am no expert. I am clueless when it comes to relationships. But I know that communication and honesty are everything.”

He blinked, and dear God, he still looked like I was about to say goodbye.

I kissed him softly. “I’m not going anywhere. Are you?”

He shook his head, almost violently. “No.”

“Then tell me, why the hurt on your face when Shell mentioned tonight. It was your idea, was it not?”

Andrew looked to the ground and nodded. “It was. I just…”

“You just what?”

“It’s not that I don’t want to go out with my friends, because I do. It’s that I want you to come with me. I want you to meet all of my friends, but you said we were supposed to be taking it slow. You said we needed to spend time with our friends by ourselves.”

“Which you agreed to.”

“I did, but only because I thought it was what you wanted. Small steps, you said, and meeting friends and family is not small steps. I’m trying to slow down, but Jesus, Spencer, I don’t want to. I know that’s scary and wrong, especially after Eli, because Lord knows I rushed into everything with him and look where that got me. I don’t want us to crash and burn, but—”

“Breathe Andrew,” I whispered.

He took in a deep breath. “I don’t want to scare you off, and I feel like I’m trying too hard.”

“I’ve already met your family. And Shell and Wendy.”

“I know.” He ran his hand through his hair. “I ruined everything again, didn’t I?”

I chuckled and lifted his chin so I could kiss him softly. “Not at all. But if you want me to meet all your friends, then I will.”

“I come here and hang out with your friends, and they’re great, they really are. But I want you to meet my crew, and I want you to like them as much as I like your friends.” He sighed and frowned. “Eli refused to hang out with my friends, and I felt torn between him and them, and I don’t want that to happen with you.”

And there it was. The
real
reason.

I put my forehead to his. “Thank you,” I whispered against his cheek. “Thank you for telling me the truth.”

He mumbled, “I feel stupid.”

“Don’t ever discount the way you feel.”

He sighed, his eyes closed. “You don’t have to come with us today, but soon, if that’s okay?”

“What are you guys doing tonight?”

“Going to Universal. There’s a new special effects show, and we’re all visual animators, which is probably kinda lame, but it’s what we do. And there’s a great restaurant on the CityWalk which we love. We can just organise something else for another weekend, if you want.”

A slow smile crept over my face. “Are you kidding? That sounds awesome!”

His gaze shot to mine, and his lips twitched upwards. “Really?”

“Hell, yes. Would your friends mind if I tagged along?”

“Not at all. Actually, I’m pretty sure a few of them think you don’t exist, so it might shut them up.” His whole face was lit up; his eyes sparkled with happiness.

I laughed and lifted his chin again so I could press my lips to his. “And for what it’s worth, trying to take things slow with you is like trying to hold back the tide.”

“Oh, would you two get a room,” Lola said from inside the shop.

Andrew and I broke apart. All smiles and holding hands, we went back in, pulling the door closed behind us. “I didn’t know you were here,” I said to Lola, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

“Just got in,” she said, looking as gorgeous as ever. “You still coming around for dinner tonight? I told Gabe; he was finishing around five today so I thought I’d come in and get stuff organised for tomorrow. Sunday weddings are great, but breakfast weddings? Who does that? Anyway, I can’t have a late one. Gotta be up early.”

The corner of my mouth pulled down. Shit. “Oh. Well, actually, there’s been a change of plans. I was gonna meet Andrew’s crew tonight. Sorry.”

“Oh,” she said, giving us a stilted smile. “That’s cool.”

“You could come with us?” I blurted out. “Everyone can come, yeah?” I asked Andrew.

He blinked, clearly surprised. “Uh, sure.”

“Is that okay?” I pressed. “You can say no. But I figure in for a penny, in for a pound, right? If I’m going to meet all your friends, they can meet mine?”

Andrew nodded, unable to stop the grin from spreading wider still.

“Hey, Emilio?” I called out.

“Yeah?”

“You free tonight?”

“Uh,” he paused. “Finish at six. Wassup?”

We walked out to where he was finishing up Wendy’s Peter Pan tattoo. “Universal Studio’s have some new 3D drawing thing, dinner and drinks.”

He shrugged. “Sounds cool. I’ll ask the boss.”

His one and only boss was his beautiful wife. When Emilio was finishing up, he called Daniela, she agreed, and so it was done. My closest friends were about to spend a night out with Andrew’s friends.

Andrew was buzzing, excitement pouring off him. “In for a penny.”

I squeezed his hand. “In for a pound.”

* * * *

Showered, beard trimmed, hair styled for the hundredth time, I walked out dressed in tan pants, a white button-down shirt rolled to my elbows, and my blue loafers, which matched my blue suspenders. Andrew’s mouth fell open when he saw me. “Too much?” I asked.

He shook his head. “Perfect.”

“I’m nervous.”

“Don’t be. They’ll love you.”

The
L
word made my heart stumble in my chest. I breathed out as steadily as I could manage. It wasn’t like he said it to me, but it still made me hope.
Hope?
Shit. I brushed down my shirt, and before my nerves could get the better of me, my phone buzzed. “Emilio and Daniela are downstairs. Right then. We ready?”

Andrew, dressed in his black jeans and grey argyle sweater, nodded. “Yep.”

Emilio looked sharp in his designer jeans, crisp black button up shirt, and boots. Daniela looked amazing in a knee-length red dress that perfectly matched the colour of her lips. Her long black hair in waves down her back and with the flow of her dress, she could have been a Spanish dancer. It wasn’t overdone; it was understated and elegant.

“Wow,” Andrew said, beating me to it. “You guys look great.”

“If there was a magazine called
Sexiest Latino Couple
, you guys’d be on the cover.”

Emilio snorted out a laugh, but he only had eyes for Daniela. “My bride steals the show.”

She looked at him fondly before saying, “We don’t get out often. It’s nice to get dressed up. And you two look so sweet!”

Andrew rolled his eyes, his ability to take a compliment still sorely lacking. “We ready?”

We climbed into Andrew’s car and made our way toward Universal Studios. “Lola and Gabe are meeting us there,” I announced to Emilio and Daniela in the backseat. “They’ll have to leave early.”

Andrew added, “Yanni and Peter are meeting us there as well.”

This was news to me. “Oh?”

Andrew gave me a smile. “Yeah, just as friends. They actually get on really well, but that’s all there is to it apparently. Or so Yanni said.”

“Well, I’m glad.”

“And Yanni needs to get out more. He’s kinda cool. I like him,” Andrew said as he drove. “He needs to meet new people, so I suggested he come along tonight as well. Hope you don’t mind?”

Actually, I was happy that Andrew and Yanni had become friends. I took Andrew’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “Not at all.”

Andrew knew where he was going without any assistance whatsoever. As we parked and walked through the Studios, the sky was putting on a show of darkening purples that were slowly fading to black. But the night was clear and warm with crowds of happy, laughing people, and the nerves in my stomach now mixed with keen anticipation.

I wanted to meet the people Andrew called his friends. I wanted to be a part of his life, and I didn’t want him to have to separate parts of himself. He shouldn’t have to choose between me and his friends, and the fact his ex-boyfriend had made him do exactly that made me want to meet his friends even more.

I just hoped they liked me.

We rounded a building and a group of about six or seven people were standing around. I noticed Shell and Wendy first, then someone saw Andrew. “Hey! Here he is!”

Andrew laughed and squeezed my hand before dropping it to give his friends a hug. “Hey.” He stood back. “Everyone, this is Spencer. Spencer, this is everyone. You’ve met Shell and Wendy,” then he rattled off eight other names like Steven, Jace, Lien, Yushi… God, I was never going to remember them all.

But everyone smiled and said warm hellos. I introduced Emilio and Daniela, just as Lola and Gabe turned up. Lola wore a rockabilly-style dress with watermelons printed on it, green pumps that matched her dress, and her pink hair was coiffed perfectly in her usual 50s-style victory rolls. She looked…

“You look delicious,” Andrew said.

She laughed and kissed his cheek. “Not too much?”

“Never,” he said warmly, introducing her and Gabe to his friends. If our tattooed-covered bodies alarmed any of them, they never showed it.

Yanni and Peter arrived next. Yanni greeted me with a half-hug and a smile that told me he was nervous but equally brave. “Glad you could make it,” I told him. Then I shook Peter’s hand. “Good to see you again.”

There were fourteen of us all up, and we looked like someone combined the invitations to a chess tournament and a tattoo convention. We were a mixed bunch that was for certain, but funnily enough, as we strolled through the paved alleys of Universal Studios, we all chatted and laughed.

And Andrew beamed.

The new animation show was incredible. Andrew and his friends got more out of it, on a professional level, than I ever could, but Emilio did too. When it was over, he walked in amongst Andrew and his friends talking about movement and dimension, shadowing and lines. Daniela slipped her arm through mine as we walked behind them, both of us smiling.