Page 50 of Obnoxious Bad Boy

“We won’t,” I say, grabbing both his hands and tugging on them so he looks straight at me and only at me. “We’ll go on an exclusive tour. Just for you,” I whisper, and while I’m improvising, I already know that I have just the thing no one else could offer him.

He pouts but at least the tears are holding on to his eyelashes. “Tour of what?” He asks skeptically.

I give him a quick kiss. “Birthday surprise.”

He squints at me. “There better be snacks.”

Chapter 14

Aaron

My heart is still a bit sore, but my mind is far too occupied with watching Vex break a lock to ponder that.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” I whimper. “What if there’s alarms?”

Vex glances my way, his eyes sparking in the glow of my flashlight. He has a special set of tools, which he brought to this heist, and while we don’t intend to take anything from the small museum, I still feel like I might never come back from this transgression.

“No way, this place is too small. And it’s not like any of the stuff on display is worth God-knows-how-much,” he mumbles, using both hands to pick the lock.

I’m instantly reminded of the crime that made him (in)famous, and worry crawls up my legs like a swarm of ants. Yet I do nothing as the lock clicks and he grins at me.

“Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you,” he sings in a hushed voice.” Happy birthday, my baby boy Aaron, happy birthday to you,” he finishes with a kiss to my lips.

It does sweeten his earlier forgetfulness, so I prolong the kiss with a sigh. “They have Mark Twain’s fountain pen and a replica of one Leonardo da Vinci would have made. He was the first person to come up with the concept of a reservoir pen,” I add excitedly.

“Really?” he asks, and I believe that he does find it interesting. People judge him as shallow, because of how good he looks, and how many sexy photos he posts, but there’s so much more to him than meets the eye. He’s one of the hardest workers I know, and his interest in art is genuine.

“Well, there are notes on a reservoir pen being used in Egypt, but Da Vinci’s is the one we have drawings of, and going by the way some of his later writing looks, historians think he had a working fountain pen.”

I can’t believe I’ll get to see the pen and calligraphy exhibition before anybody else. It proves to me that he does listen if he came up with this.

“Is this something your dad taught you?” I ask, pointing to the tools as he puts them in a small case, and then into his pocket.

“Yeah. Still as easy as frying eggs,” He says and gently pushes down the door handle before turning the flashlight into the hallway beyond it. “What did your dad teach you at eight?”

I laugh because I don’t want to be patronizing by saying how sorry I am that his father was so awful. “He taught me the importance of knowing the right people when I threw a tantrum about wanting to ride a pony, and he pointed out my kid friend had one. But by that point I had told the kid his sweater was stinky and he vowed to never speak to me again.”

Vex blinks. “Wow. Maybe we both have terrible parents after all,” he says and reaches for my hand after surveying the corridor.

I’m eager to squeeze it, barely able to contain my excitement. “It’s hard to compare these things,” I say, all too aware of everything my parents have given me in contrast to Vex’s shitty dad. “But I agree Dad’s lesson was also shitty. After all, one shouldn’t only be nice to people to use them when it was convenient. As soon as I got into Springton, my parents made sure I was in touch with Declan, and you know just how much I like him.” Vex has endured many rants about Declan over the last three months, so he knows what I’m talking about.

“So... how many of their friends’ sons have you tried dating so far?” Vex asks, leading me down the dark corridor. There are some pictures on the walls, but it’s peaceful, especially with the thick carpet muting our footsteps.

I chuckle. “Three. All only a first date, no-kiss kind of affairs. One lasted only half an hour at an uncle’s wedding. Grim. No chemistry whatsoever.” Unlike what I feel whenever I look at Vex.

It was a heartbreaking disappointment when I put my cards on the table, invited him on a date just to be shot down for the boyfriend position, but I can’t stay away from him even if it means I live in this permanent limbo. All I know is that my heart beats faster when I’m around him, he rocks my world in bed, and I can talk to him for hours. I can see a future with him, but if he can’t reciprocate that feeling, I’ll still choose being with him in whatever capacity he’ll have me.

He lets out a hiss, reminiscent of the sound a person might make when burned. “Ouch. You really like a bad boy, huh?” he asks and steps away from me to check whether the coast is clear.

My eyes got used to darkness, so I look around, and despite the miserable start of the evening, I have to admit this break-in feels like the most romantic thing anyone’s ever done for me.

“I’m a hopeless case. I want something raw and real, not some lame relationship based on both of us finding each other reasonably attractive and comparing our earning potential.” I smirk at Vex. He’s wearing a nondescript black hoodie, like the one he left me after that library blowjob. He makes me do crazy things, pulls me out of my comfort zone, and I love the challenge of that. I still often sleep in that hoodie, since he never asked to get it back.

His eyes flash, and he squeezes my neck as we kiss, right at the entrance to the single room making up the museum. I mewl, grabbing at his shoulders, but when his tongue slips out of my mouth, I need him to support my weight.

“Only raw and real with me, baby boy. Ready to see the calligraphy?”

“Yes. I’m so excited.” I stroke his side with a sigh. He always smells so good, and I’m addicted to his touch by now. Even if I ended up leaving after a fight with him tonight, it wouldn’t be a breakup and I’d probably be texting him within a few days. Matt says I’m way too obsessed with Vex, but what does he know when he’s attached at the hip to his boyfriend?