Charles: Learning to Love by Con Riley

Author:Con Riley [Riley, Con]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Figment Ink
Published: 2021-07-21T16:00:00+00:00

18

Later, while Hugo rested his knee, Charles sat outside on the patio in a pool of sunshine, texting Keir.

Charles: I’m brilliant.

He hadn’t expected a reply right away, but he grinned when Keir answered within seconds.

Keir: Of course you are.

Charles: And I don’t mean just at shagging.

Keir: Obviously.

Charles cradled his phone, suffused with more warmth than sitting in sunshine should have engendered. Keir was always in his corner.

Keir: The job’s going well then? And sharing the stables? You’re getting along with Hugo?

Charles turned in his seat, Hugo visible on the sofa inside with a book in his hands, that interesting face of his only marred by a slight frown.

Charles: About that….

Charles: Have you got time to talk?

Right away, his phone rang.

“Hey,” Keir said. “Perfect timing.” Charles could hear the chatter of many voices. “I’m twiddling my thumbs in a café waiting for Mitch and his crew to finish shopping.” He must have stirred his coffee—Charles heard the chink of a spoon on china. “So as chairman, secretary, and number one member of the Charles Heppel fan club, I need to know if it’s Hugo who’s calling you brilliant.”

“Um…” Considering that he shared everything with Keir, telling him about that morning wasn’t as easy as usual. He cast his mind back to what had happened—in bed and out of it—and then relived their take-it-slow conversation, not sure how to summarise it.

Keir heard his hesitation. “Listen,” he said with a hint of worry. “I’ve only met Hugo a couple of times, but he seemed decent. Aren’t you getting along?”

“We’re getting along fine.”

As if he knew that Charles spoke about him, Hugo looked up from his book, his gaze meeting with his through the glass door. “He’s…”

So many of the ways he’d described men to Keir in the past didn’t fit Hugo.

He wasn’t hot in the way that usually caught his eye, no easy way to convey what made Charles keep staring at him now, taking in the sweet lift of his lips before Hugo lowered his head and resumed reading.

“He’s different,” he settled on saying. Then he rushed on before Keir could challenge him on that word choice. “Listen, can I ask you something?”

Something in his tone must have caught Keir’s attention. “Anything,” he said with the fierce conviction Charles knew he saved for precious few people.

“Okay. If you were seeing someone, but sex was off the table, what would you do together instead?”

“Instead of sex?” Keir lowered his voice, pausing, and Charles could almost see him thinking, giving his question every inch of his attention. “Is getting naked still an option? That would be Mitch’s first choice. Frankly, it’s a challenge to get him to keep his clothes on.”

Charles grinned, imagining the man Keir lived with. “Must be like having your very own bouncy castle.”

“It is a bit. Like waking up every day to find out it’s your birthday and Christmas,” Keir said, laughing. “But seriously, is this still Hugo you’re talking about?” he asked, not waiting for an answer. “If so, I can guess why sex is out of the question.

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