The Geek and His Artist (40 page)

“All the more reason,” Jimmy assured him, pulling him in. Simon stood against Jimmy, who spent a long moment savoring the ability to hold like him this, something that had been so rare lately.

When the elevator dinged, they turned into the hall and found the doorway to Starbucks. Jimmy was, for once, relieved to see a decent-sized line. He pointed at the dessert case. “Want anything?”

While Simon peered at the pastries, Jimmy sent Amy a very quick message.
Longish line.

Amy’s reply was quick.
Good. We should be done soon. You won’t need to hang out.

Got it.
Jimmy stuffed his phone back into his pocket and turned to Simon. “See anything?”

Simon shook his head. “Not really. I’m a little hungry, but Amy said we have dinner plans, so I can wait.”

Jimmy smiled and tried not to look like he knew too much. “Okay. The usual?”

Simon nodded, and Jimmy pulled him in, his back against Jimmy’s chest, and wrapped both arms around him. They took the few shuffling steps forward, neither speaking. Jimmy simply enjoyed the bit of closeness, something he hoped he’d have back for good after that night.

They made it to the counter, put in their orders for tall white chocolate mochas, paid, then moved to the other end of the counter.

Once they had their drinks and started back to the elevators, Jimmy pulled out his phone one more time.
Leaving ’bucks.

The three-word reply came fast.
Done. We’re gone.
Jimmy pocketed his phone and took Simon’s hand as they got back on the elevator.

Even with the touching, the elevator ride did nothing but give him time to get more nervous.
What if he laughs? What if he doesn’t want it?

What if he says no?
Jimmy tried to push the thought from his head. He didn’t
really
think Simon would laugh or turn away. Despite their distance, he
had
spent time the last few months getting to know Simon more. With that reminder firmly in his head, he took a deep breath as they stepped out of the elevator.

He used his keycard to open the door and waited for Simon to precede him into the room. When Simon started for the sofa, he caught his boyfriend’s hand. “There’s something I’d like to show you,” Jimmy said, feeling his heart try to pound right out of his chest.

Simon raised his eyebrows but nodded.

Jimmy kept his hand and turned to the door that led to the bathroom and bedroom part of the suite. Hoping his palm didn’t feel as sweaty to Simon as he thought it was, he stepped into the bathroom itself and turned.

Simon’s eyes were wide and his mouth hung open in surprise. Jimmy bit his lip nervously as he watched to see if it was a good shock or bad one. Simon blinked a couple of times, his eyes darting from Jimmy to the whirlpool tub filled with bubbles and surrounded by candles, and back again. The tub was the perfect size and depth to accommodate two people nicely. Just above the tub and set into the wall, a wide window stood open, providing access to the wall of glass and view of the falls. Amy had pulled two thick towels and a washcloth out and set them on the floor next to the tub.

Jimmy swallowed and started shifting from foot to foot, not sure how to take Simon’s silence. “Is… do—”

“This is amazing,” Simon whispered, turning to Jimmy. The shock seemed to loosen its grip and a slow smile replaced it. “Did you… was this…?”

“Most of it was my idea, I just, uh, got Amy’s help putting it together and working out the details.”

“It’s wonderful.” Simon’s smile spread across his whole face, and Jimmy’s relief left him in a
whoosh
!

He still had nerves—the bath was, by far, not the biggest part of the evening—but he would worry about that in a bit. He looked around at all the small pillar candles Amy had set up around the tub and even a few on the sink across the room. Jimmy took a deep breath. “We need to talk, Simon,” he said, then had to clear his throat as Simon’s smile faded. “It’s… something’s been… I don’t know… off, between us. And Amy said that if we got in a tub, got naked”—he blushed—“that it’d be harder to get mad at each other, to hide from each other when we did.”

Simon blushed too, but he nodded. “I… I can see that.”

“So, uh, want to get in?”

Simon looked up, his green eyes dark in the candlelight, and nodded. Jimmy took their mochas and set them on the windowsill, then turned back. He reached up and cupped Simon’s face in his hands, then leaned in and brushed his lips over his boyfriend’s. He kept it light, not ready to get too involved in that way yet. He wanted to clear the air, had other things to do first. Then he focused on tugging Simon’s T-shirt off.

Simon started to reach for his belt, but Jimmy pulled his hands away. “Let me, please?” Simon nodded and dropped his hands. Jimmy knelt, then slid the leather through the buckle and popped the button. He pulled the zipper down and parted Simon’s jeans as if he was opening a gift.
Kind of am.
With all that had happened, it was something he needed to remember, that Simon
was
a gift. Jimmy reached under the waistband of Simon’s boxer-briefs and slid both those and the jeans down Simon’s legs. He tugged off the shoes, then socks, then finally the jeans.

Simon reached for him, but Jimmy shook his head. He stood, leaned in, and kissed Simon again, just as gently, just as chaste. “Get in. Watch?” Simon nodded, and the green eyes darkened even more. Jimmy knew
that
look, and his body reacted to it. He took a breath and held Simon’s hand as his boyfriend stepped into the water. “Not too hot?”

“No.” Simon shook his head, turning and settling in.

Jimmy forced himself to take his time. He wanted to set the right mood, remind Simon—and himself—of the attraction that initially drew them to each other. He’d all but taken notes from Amy the day before and was determined to do this right. Once he’d kicked his shoes off, had his jeans, T-shirt, and socks off and was ready, he leaned in and touched Simon’s hearing aid. “Don’t want to mess it up.” Simon turned his head, let Jimmy carefully pull it out, and set it over on the counter. “Sit on that side, so I can be by your right ear,” Jimmy said, pointing. The happy surprise on Simon’s face made Jimmy feel good.

Once Simon was settled, Jimmy climbed in. He had to fold himself a bit, but managed to find a reasonable enough way to sit, with his feet on either side of Simon’s legs. He took a long moment just to look at Simon, something he could admit he hadn’t done in too long.

Simon’s face had filled out a bit and was less sharp now that he was eating properly. The haunted look that used to be permanently in Simon’s eyes was gone. His blond hair—still shaved on one side—seemed fuller, healthier, and Jimmy guessed that, too, came with better eating. “You are beautiful, you know that?”

Simon’s face immediately went pink in a way that had nothing to do with the tub temperature. “I… uh… I’m—”

“I know, it’s still hard for you to hear that. But I really think you are. Gorgeous. You know I think you’re hot, but it’s much more than that. And I am the luckiest man on earth for being able to call you my boyfriend.” He took a deep breath. “But I haven’t been taking care of that.”

Simon frowned. “I feel the same about you. I… I fell in love with you so fast. And I think I’m the lucky one. And… I haven’t either. Dirk talked to me yesterday.”

Jimmy raised his eyebrows and Simon nodded.

“Yeah. He thought I might appreciate some advice on how to be married to a Bennet.” He smiled and Jimmy laughed.

“I didn’t think we were that complicated.”

Simon’s smile widened and he shook his head. “No. But…. There’s… well, relationships can be. And Dirk gave me some… some advice.”

“Amy gave me some too. Like… talking things out while naked in a bathtub surrounded by candles.”

Simon looked up, eyes twinkling. “Did she really tell you that way?”

Jimmy shook his head. “Not exactly. She said get naked. I thought of the tub and the candles. She added the bubble bath.”

“I’m not sure if I… appreciate it more… or should be more embarrassed at the thought of your sister knowing we’re in here naked.”

Jimmy laughed. “My face has been plenty red since dinner yesterday.”

Simon grinned. “I bet.” His smile faded. “Uh… I haven’t been, uh, completely honest.” Simon paled a little, then his cheeks reddened.

“Oh?”

Simon nodded. “Yeah, uh….” He dropped his gaze and started playing with the bubbles. “I told you nothing was wrong. That there wasn’t… uh, with you, and that….”

“That you weren’t afraid of The Bastard?”

Simon didn’t look up, but he nodded again. “Yeah, uh, but… I’m… it’s not just
him
. It’s… I’m afraid of….”

Jimmy’s eyes widened.
Oh shit, no!
“You’re afraid of me?” Jimmy asked, barely able to take a breath.

Simon’s head snapped up, a look of horror on his face. “No! Oh no, no, not like that.” He reached out and took Jimmy’s hand. “No, I… I was afraid you wouldn’t want me. That you were… because, uh.” He stopped and closed his eyes, his cheeks turning redder. “Because I don’t need to be saved anymore.”

If it weren’t for the fact that it was so quiet in the room, Jimmy wouldn’t have heard the words. But after all his fears, the things
he
was worried about, it just struck him as funny. He struggled to keep in the ridiculous laugh, and when he could trust himself to speak, he took a deep breath. “I was afraid, since you didn’t need to be rescued anymore, that you wouldn’t want
me
.”

Simon stared at him for a long moment, and then
he
started laughing. “All this… oh God,” he managed, then started laughing again. Jimmy couldn’t help but laugh too. When they finally calmed down, Simon shook his head. “All this time, we were both thinking the same thing. Well, I mean….”

Jimmy nodded. “It appears that way.” He sighed. “Amy said we have to start talking more. Not try so hard to protect the other person from our own worries.”

“That’s what Dirk said. He said it wasn’t fair to you ’cause you don’t know what I’m thinking and because you’re… how did he put it? Noble, yes. That you’ll assume it’s you.”

Jimmy blinked. “Well, I wouldn’t have thought of it that way, but I guess he’s right. Amy said because of what you’ve been through, you’d assume it was your fault because that’s what you’ve been taught to think. And that you learned to keep stuff to yourself.”

Simon nodded. “Yes. God, I’m sorry, Jimmy.”

Jimmy leaned in and kissed him softly. “I’m sorry too.” He turned and picked up the washcloth and got it wet, then lifted it to Simon’s shoulder. “I’m still scared that he’s out there. I want to lock you up in our room and never let you out until he’s caught.”

“I’m afraid he’ll go after you,” Simon whispered. “That’s… I….” He closed his eyes, and Jimmy watched the struggles on his face. “That’s what my nightmares have been.”

“I am so sorry, I never should have… I should’ve held you more. I—”

Simon lifted a hand and put a finger over Jimmy’s mouth. “We’ve apologized. I’ll tell you, okay? You tell me?”

Jimmy nodded, then pulled Simon’s finger away. But he couldn’t resist kissing it before letting it go. He went back to bathing Simon slowly and finally let all his fear and worries out.

Simon listened without interrupting until Jimmy sat in silence for a while. “I think it’s my turn,” he said, taking the washcloth.

Then Simon did the same for him, washing him down, letting out the mess in his head. Jimmy listened to him recount his nightmares and pulled him in, holding him tight through it.

When they’d talked themselves out and were sitting with Jimmy against the side of the tub and Simon against him, Jimmy thought it was time to move things forward. Not only because the water was starting to cool, but there was the fact that he’d been half aroused the whole time. And then there were his nerves about to get the best of him. He took a breath, willed his heart to slow, and ran his hands down Simon’s arms. “I have more surprises. Ready to get out?” he murmured into Simon’s good ear.

Simon looked over his shoulder and nodded. They shared a soft kiss, then stood. Jimmy picked up one of the towels and slowly dried Simon off, then took the other and started to take care of himself.

Simon, however, wouldn’t let him. “I want to. One of the things Dirk told me is that you—all of you—like to give and do, sometimes too much. He also said that I should tell you when I want to. So I like to give to you too, so let me?”

Jimmy nodded. “All right.” He handed the towel over and tried his best to keep from getting too turned on with Simon’s hands on him. He had every intention of making love before the night was out—hopefully more than once—but he wasn’t ready yet. He managed to keep himself reasonably calm, and was gratified to see he still affected Simon as much as Simon affected him.

Once dry, Jimmy took Simon’s hand again, leading him into the bedroom. Amy had outdone herself. The sun had started to sink, and Jimmy hadn’t realized how long they’d been in the tub, but now the low light was perfect. Several blankets were spread out in front of the window, what looked like most of the pillows in the suite piled on them. The two armchairs normally in the same place had been pushed aside. The small table that sat between them was next to the blankets and held a tray filled with grapes, cheese, and a few other things Jimmy couldn’t see from there. On the floor next to it, Jimmy saw the ice bucket and the bottle of sparkling grape juice chilling. Next to the bucket were two champagne flutes. He was pretty sure he saw a couple of smaller objects behind them—probably the lube. Candles of all shapes and sizes covered almost every surface: the tiny mantle over the electric fireplace, on top of the little dresser, the end tables, even along the narrow windowsill. Jimmy was going to seriously owe his sister for this.

A gasp next to him drew his attention. He looked down at Simon’s stunned expression.