“When I’m off-duty, I flat twenty minutes from Oxford.”
“My place has a nice view if you want to take turns.”
West laughed into another kiss. “This is really happening?”
Josh’s voice crackled. “You are too generous to trifle with me. You’re incredible, West. Sociable, vibrant, humorous, kind, protective. Hot as hell. Be with me.”
A softer kiss. Their foreheads met, and West looked into his eyes. “I love that you’re so bookish, and I’ve never laughed so much with anyone before. Every moment with you feels like an adventure. You’re sensual and sexy, and I feel the possibility of endless growth when I’m with you.”
“That declaration was way better than mine. Can I have a do-over?”
West tugged him down to the blanket, grinning. The smirk on his face would be imprinted on Josh’s mind forever.
Josh folded against him, kissed his tattoo, gazed up into his eyes.
Then swivelled his hips. “Quoth he, ‘What is this so stiff and warm?’”
Laughter and lavender cocooned them.
In the wee hours, they collapsed into their bed, too tired for anything but a soft kiss goodnight—and a few pages from Grose.
Morning saw them sweaty and gasping as they came one last time before breakfast, and then it was time to take their leave.
Ashling hugged him, brushing off both his thanks and his apology with a smile, and quickly pulled back. “Thank you for urging me to dance with Joanna.”
“Joanna?”
“Professor Paisley.”
“I know, I meant . . . You’re on a first name basis?”
Ashling blushed. “I can hardly believe it.”
Josh wrapped her in another hug. “I can. You’re wonderful, Ash.”
He stepped back as West approached and slung an arm around his shoulders. So at ease. So comfortably close.
Cassius had been quiet since they’d returned to the ball last night. Josh felt his gaze as he waited on the other side of the porch with Wally.
Ashling fanned her fingers at the chambermaids peeking out around the door, and Josh straightened.
Slowly, he turned. West’s arm dropped and Josh captured his hand.
Before Josh could begin, West spoke. “Thank you for this weekend. Thank you for being brave and sharing the truth with everyone.”
“If you’ll thank me, let it be for the other truths I shared. I’m glad everyone knows the truth, but honestly, I was only thinking of you.”
West squeezed his hands and lifted his gaze over Josh’s shoulder. His lips flattened. “Time to go. Unfortunately.”
Loss rose like a powerful wave. “You have my number. I’ll see you next weekend.”
Josh was last to enter the carriage, and West helped him in, sneaking one last kiss. Folded paper was pressed into his hands. “Until we meet again.”
The driver loosened his reins and the carriage rolled away from the house. Josh stared out the window, holding West’s gaze until he was out of sight.
“Well,” Professor Paisley sighed. “What a wonderful weekend.”
Cassius stared miserably out the window, his hand gripping Wally’s like a lifeline.
Josh closed his eyes. Everything he’d done this weekend, all the hurt he’d caused just for a position with his professor . . .
He let out a slow breath and reopened his eyes.
“Professor Paisley, I was thinking . . . I’ve been privileged to work so closely with you for the past year, but I think I need to broaden my experience. Develop my own approach some more. Perhaps you could look at other research assistant options with me? Refer me to someone?”
She seemed surprised and enthusiastic about the request, but it was Cassius who stole his attention. His eyes latched onto Josh’s, stunned, touched, ashamed. He looked out the window again and swallowed. Thank you, he mouthed.
Back at the little cottage at the edge of the estate, they said goodbye to their Regency garb and shrugged back into t-shirts and jeans.
Josh heaved his suitcase into his car and slipped behind the wheel. The whole weekend felt surreal, like a dream. A dream come true.
He bit down on his smile, pulled out the note from West, and broke the seal.
A smiley with heart eyes.
TWO YEARS LATER
“JOSH!”
“Huh? What? Shit! I’m totally packed.” Josh stared at his reopened suitcases and grimaced. “Oh, God. West will kill me.”
Noah lounged in his doorway, flipping his keys around a finger. “You’ve got about two minutes before he’s back with the coffees. And another ten before I have to get you both to the train.”
Josh shovelled things back into his suitcase. In less than forty hours they’d be back home for good. Starting over in New Zealand.
He’d better only pack the essentials.
Books were far too heavy. They’d have to stay. West had promised they’d buy them all again when they got their own place.
He could do this. He could leave all his academic stuff behind. Just take clothes and his laptop.
He eyed his books all lonely in the otherwise bare room.
Nope, nope, nope.
Noah’s next flatmate could enjoy them.
The doorbell buzzed and Noah left to let West in.
Zip ‘em up. Zip ‘em up. Just . . .
Austen had been part of their meeting; much of their growth over the last two years had taken place at Camp Austen. He couldn’t not take copies of her novels.
Yes, that didn’t weigh too much. Besides, that pullover had holes, it could stay behind.
Oh, Sanditon and The Watsons. He read those aloud sometimes, sending West to sleep more often than not.
A System of Etiquette. So many sexy memories there.
Grose’s dictionary.
Dickens! He’d been reading that the first time they said “I love you.”
In it went.
Footsteps clomped up the stairs, and Josh shut the suitcase and sat on it, pulling hard at the zip—
“What’s going on in here?” West took in the state of Josh’s bed, expression a cross between horror and amusement. He set the coffee cups down and crossed the room. The suitcase shuddered under him as West zipped it closed and brushed their lips together.
“Thanks,” Josh whispered.
“If it’s too heavy, we’ll swap some into mine at the airport.”
“God, I love you.”
“I love you, too. And your hair. Blue is great on you. And the zig zags.”
“I can’t believe we were that drunk.”
“Going away parties. What can you do?”
“I didn’t think I would lose at Cranium! How’s your tattoo of my face?”
West palmed his heart. “I lost on purpose.”
They laughed into their next kiss.
Josh sighed. “I can’t wait to show you off to my parents.”
West pulled back slowly and Josh berated himself for saying it. They’d been talking for months about how West would come out to his family. In person, they’d agreed.
“I can’t wait to meet them,” West murmured.
Josh clasped West’s nape and drew him into another kiss. “Until you’ve told yours, until you’re ready to tell yours, this can be a secret.”