Page 15 of Merrick

“He’s coming over again tonight,” Wilder confessed.

Justin smirked and shoved some sandwich into his mouth.

“Don’t look at me like that.”

“I’m not looking at you like anything.”

“I’m going to actually talk to him tonight,” he said. “I don’t want things to go any further if he’s not…”

“Submissive,” Justin filled in. “He made you coffee this morning.”

“I asked him to. Suggested it.”

“I bet if you let him stay the night again, he’ll do it tomorrow morning of his own accord.”

Something that felt a lot like want exploded in the middle of his chest. Wilder rubbed his sternum, shaking his head and trying to force a disagreement.

“It’s too good to be true.”

“Doesn’t sound like it.”

He leveled a look at Justin across the table, but it didn’t faze his friend in the slightest. If anything, it encouraged his behavior. Justin smirked at him again, all innocence.

“Why is it so hard to believe that something good might have just fallen into your lap?” Justin pressed him.

“Was that what it was like with Keith?”

“God, no.” Justin leaned back and scrubbed a hand down his face. “I mean, sort of, but Keith came with a lot of baggage. It was always good, but not always easy. Micah was both.”

“Micah still is easy,” he teased.

“For Keith, sure.”

Wilder grinned, then sobered. He stared down at his salad, knowing he needed to eat if he wanted to stay awake to see Merrick later in the day, but with the workday between them, the potential realities of what he was walking into weighed heavy on his shoulders.

“Where did you go?” Justin flung a French fry across the table at him. It landed in his salad and he ate it, finding the greasy potato much more enjoyable than his salad. Justin must have sensed the preference, rearranging their plates without asking so his fries were in reach. Wilder took another one and ate it, then another, and another, and his appetite was back and he finally dug into his salad.

“I love your relationship,” he finally said, “but I don’t think I could do it myself.”

“A lot of people couldn’t.”

“So what am I doing letting a man who advertises himself for free use spend the night with me? Why am I inviting him over for another go?” Wilder asked.

“Because he made you feel good?”

“Yeah, but?—”

“No,” Justin cut him off. “Don’t try to disqualify it until you’ve had a proper conversation with him.”

“Stop being reasonable,” he grumbled.

“Dinner tonight?” Justin asked. Wilder nodded. “Dinner at the table and talking on the couch. Clothes on, yeah?”

“Obviously.”

Wilder took consent seriously, and even the way he and Merrick had negotiated things the night before had been a littletoo deep in the gray area for his liking. He preferred those conversations to happen with a clear mind and a level head. Table and couch, though he could get fucked on either if he wanted to.

No.