Personal Entanglement (Thorne and Dash 2)

Thorne pushed himself up and then groaned. He slid down the cabinet and sat on the floor, making the mess all that much worse. Riley gave up on cleaning and joined him.

Thorne was looking at him with a mixture of confusion and annoyance. What had he done? “Is something wrong?”

“I know that wasn’t as kinky as some things we’ve done, but I did rub frosting all over your cock, and you fucked me up against the counter while ordering me around. I don’t think that’s very vanilla.”

Once Riley started laughing it took him a long time to stop. “No, I mean the frosting. It needs a touch more vanilla.”

Thorne stared at him for a few seconds and then laughed too, which got Riley started again. “I can’t believe I seriously thought…”

“I guess it was a bit random,” Riley said.

Thorne nodded. “It was.”

Riley glanced around the kitchen. “Cleaning this up is going to suck.”

Thorne looked down at himself; a mix of cum and frosting streaked his chest.

“I need a shower.”

Riley smiled. “Yeah, we both do.”

“Shower first, then kitchen,” Thorne declared.

Riley had to agree. “We have to stand up first.”

Thorne frowned. “Never mind. I’ll just stay here.”

Riley used the edge of the counter to help himself up and then held out a hand to Thorne.

When they were both on their feet, Thorne glanced at the extra frosting. “Cupcakes.”

Riley considered the suggestion. The frosting wouldn’t be as good after being in the fridge, but it was too late for starting cupcakes now with the rest of the work he had to do. “Tomorrow. If you’re good.”

Thorne grinned. “I’m always good.”

CHAPTER NINE

Riley barely had time to sit down as the next few days flew by in a flurry of classes, baking, planning, and worrying about the Spring Gala. Thorne tried to convince him they should go shopping for sailboats that weekend, but record low temperatures were expected and Riley had too much work to do anyway. Thorne wouldn’t be put off for long, though, and despite Riley insisting, he refused to go alone.

While on a quest for some mini cannoli forms, Riley ended up in a kitschy cooking store in a part of downtown he didn’t usually frequent. Next door was an antique bookstore Riley couldn’t help admiring. The window display looked like it belonged in a department store in the mid-twentieth century. Old-fashioned toys were intermixed with early editions of children’s books from that era. As he studied the perfect pairings of toys and books, a particular volume caught his eye: Swallows and Amazons.

Was it a first edition? If so, he was getting it for Thorne, no matter how outrageously expensive it was. It would be the perfect gift for when they bought the sailboat. Riley froze, realizing he’d actually thought of it as “their” boat.

It will be your boat too. Accept it. If you were married…

Married? No, he wasn’t even going to think about that because… Stop.

He stepped into the store. The interior was dim and warm. There were chairs here and there and wooden shelves packed full of books and more stacks on the floor. He wasn’t sure how the owner could possibly keep track of the inventory, but it was cool, like a set from a movie.

“Can I help you?”

The voice startled him. He turned and saw a thin older woman wrapped in a rainbow-colored shawl. A bright yellow knitted hat partially covered her shoulder-length gray hair.

Riley realized he was staring. “Um…yes. I saw a book in the window, Swallows and Amazons.”

She beamed. “One of my favorites, and my daughter’s favorite too. I can’t wait until my grandson is old enough for me to read it to him.”

“My boyfriend loves it too.”

She smiled, obviously unconcerned about Riley being gay. “The copy in the window is a first edition, and it’s in excellent shape. He’ll love it.” She walked toward the window, and Riley followed. “Is it for a special occasion?”

“He’s buying a sailboat.”

“Oooh, well, then. It’s perfect, isn’t it?”

Riley nodded, now as excited as she was. “I’m so glad I saw it as I walked by.”

“So am I. I love for my books to go to good homes.”

“How much is it?” Riley tensed, waiting for the verdict.

“Three hundred. It’s not in perfect condition, but it has the jacket, and it’s held up quite well.”

That wasn’t as bad as he’d feared. He knew he ought to look up something about the book and how much it was worth, but he loved the shop, and the woman seemed so sincere. He didn’t feel like being responsible. “I’ll take it.”

She smiled. “I’ll even give you a discount since you seem like such a nice young man. Let’s say two seventy-five.”

Should he protest? “I… Thank you.”

“I can tell it’s going to be appreciated. These books aren’t just objects to me. They can change your life, you know?”