Chapter 2

 

Cormag sighed and sank onto the edge of the bed, as Lachlan shut the door behind him. “He looks like shit. Are you sure this is a good idea?” he asked.

Though he desperately wanted to say 'yes' and sound convincing, Lachlan had to shrug. He really wasn't sure anymore. “He looks stressed, doesn't he?” he agreed, worried that all of Grayson's placating and convincing had only made him complicit in something that was inadvertently going to hurt Konnor. He understood Grayson's motivation and loved that he cared so much, but maybe there was another way? A better way?

“Come here.” Cormag held his hands out, waiting until Lachlan walked over and held him in a hug. Those strong thighs clamped around his, holding him close, as a hand drifted into his hair and began a gentle, soothing caress. “We'll keep an eye on him and, if it comes to it, find a way to get him away from here for a while. You could take him on a walk or something, just to get him away from everyone.”

Lachlan smiled into his shoulder, curling his hand around Cormag's biceps. He loved having a husband who knew him so well; someone who didn't even have to ask what he was thinking or what he wanted, because Cormag already knew. That was only all the more magical whenever it concerned Konnor. “I don't know what I ever did to deserve you, but you're amazing,” he whispered, not wanting to break the moment for anything. “After everything Konnor put you through, when we first got together, you should hate him. But, as much as I love you, I love you more for not doing that,” he confessed.

A smarting smack on his backside made him laugh and break the hug to stare at his husband. “Let's get unpacked, then grab Konnor for a beer,” he said, that playful twinkle in his eyes promising Lachlan all the proximity he could hope for later. Once they'd gone out there and made sure his best friend was coping with the sudden onslaught of guests.

“Agreed.”

Lachlan turned to grab his bag and began doing just that; he unpacked his clothes and Cormag's into the dresser under the window, the wardrobe along the left hand side of the room and tucked his bag onto the top shelf when finished with it. It took all of ten minutes, then he was left standing there feeling kind of useless, while Cormag set out their items on the dresser top and unpacked the bathroom items.

“Huh.” He looked around, pretty sure that it had taken three hours to pack for the trip, yet it only took ten minutes to unpack. “That's unfair.”

“What?” Cormag asked, ducking his head out of the bathroom, a toothbrush hanging out of his mouth the wrong way round.

Lachlan squeezed his lips together to stop the laughter from leaving him. “Why do you have the end in your mouth?” he wondered, watching his husband glance down at the brush, having to go cross-eyed to get a good look.

When he removed it from his mouth, he smiled. “I was multi-tasking,” he said, as if that explained everything. And, really, it did. It absolutely did.

For a few minutes, Lachlan just stood there mentally gushing over his husband, as he returned to the bathroom to unpack. With a happy sigh, he sank onto the edge of the bed and kicked off his trainers, leaning back on his palms to stretch his muscles and wiggle his toes into the carpet.

It felt good to get away; to leave the laptop behind and the phone and the bills. To just pretend life was one big holiday. More than his own need to finally force himself to take a real break, he knew Cormag needed it too. Those bags under his eyes were only getting darker and heavier in the past few months, with more responsibility constantly being thrust onto his shoulders. Even with Casen helping out, it was so hard for him to get time away from the museum.

“This will be good for both of us,” he promised himself, with a nod.

By the time Cormag walked out of the bathroom and stuffed his hands into his trouser pockets, casting an approving glance around the room, Lachlan was firmly decided that this week would only be the start of a longer break.

“I like it,” his husband said, nodding his approval of the little room.

Looking around, he tried to figure out what he meant. The room was nice, sure, with soft cream walls, real wood details and furniture, but it was mostly plain and inoffensive. There wasn't anything particularly special about it. But he could just imagine what Cormag saw – how many people had stayed here before? What were their stories? Who were they? Were they important? Did history remember them?

He couldn't help but smile at the thought.

“I think we should have a second honeymoon,” he mentioned, growing on the idea the more he considered it.

Cormag raised an eyebrow and leaned against the door frame. “And how are we going to afford that? We've just had to do up the kitchen and we're not exactly rolling in cash,” he objected.

Rolling his eyes, Lachlan patted the space beside him until Cormag came to sit beside him. “I know we're not. My royalties and your wages pay the bills, help us eat and keep us both in enough books to satisfy our big brains,” he admitted, not even daring to laugh because it really wasn't funny. They got by with careful planning, well balanced budgets, and common sense. “I don't mean some extravagant trip abroad. Just something like this,” he explained, looking his husband in the eye. “You like this place. I like it. Maybe we can find something like this within driving distance, next summer, that doesn't cost half our mortgage?” he suggested, reaching up to brush his fingertips through the ends of Cormag's thick dark hair.

His husband watched him closely for a minute, his eyes so expressively open and accepting that it still made him breathless. “I guess we could do that. A week or two wouldn't make much difference. And, if we're waiting until summer, we have time to save up,” he agreed, slowly smiling in approval. “If we curb your need for every e-book on the new release list.”

Lachlan chuckled at the teasing and leaned forward to kiss his husband, just because he felt like it. When soft lips brushed his, he couldn't help but sigh and meet his calm, loving gaze with his own. “I love you, you big lug.”

“Lachlan...love, you're still the best thing that's ever happened to me. That will never change,” Cormag whispered in reply. “If you need to get away, just tell me. Don't wait for something like this to push it out of you. You know I'd do anything for you.” His stare was intense. Too intense.

Taking a deep breath, he rose to his feet and held his hand out. “Deal. But, for the record, you're a smartass and I didn't realise how badly we needed this until we got here,” he confessed, watching Cormag's bigger hand settle on his and wrap it up as though it were delicate.

“Fine.” His husband chuckled and stole another kiss, once he was on his feet. Then he led the way out of the room and back into the living room.