Screens Apart

by Charlie Novak

  “Sure, we’ll go with that.” I pressed a kiss to the top of his head, a little smile curling over my lips.

  “And I promise to make it worth your while,” Taylor said, giving me a lascivious grin before tilting his chin to demand a kiss. “After all we don’t have to worry about Steve interrupting us anymore. I’m going to fuck you in every room of this flat. Many, many times.”

  “I look forward to it.”

  “Good.” He pulled a face and grimaced. “But first, I need a shower. I’m leaking.”

  I snorted. “Thanks for the visual.”

  “It’s sexy though, being filled with your cum. I can see why you like it.” He kissed me again. “Want to join me for a shower? I think this one might actually fit the two of us, well just about anyway. You can help me get all clean.”

  “Before we get dirty again?”

  “Exactly.”

  “Or,” I said, looking around the room, “if you let me dive through quickly, I’ll make the bed while you clean up so we actually have sheets to sleep on.”

  “You drive a hard bargain, but I accept your terms. There’s a washbag in my suitcase.” He waved a hand in the direction of his bag. “I don’t know where the towels are though.”

  “I think I do.” I went to move, but Taylor held me tight, keeping me in place.

  “I love you,” he said. “I hope you know that. I love you more than anything in the world. In the entire fucking universe. Happy anniversary.”

  “I love you too.” I kissed him gently. “I can’t believe I’ve put up with you for a whole year.”

  “Oi! I’m fucking adorable.”

  “Yeah, you are. And I love you so fucking much. I’m so lucky.”

  “Not as lucky as I am,” Taylor said.

  We kissed for a little while before I eventually extracted myself from his grip to go and shower. It took me a while to figure out the new controls, but I was pleasantly surprised by how good the water pressure was. It was definitely better than the shower in the old flat.

  When I got back to the bedroom, Taylor was lying on his stomach, his perfect ass on display as he thumbed through his phone.

  “Anything interesting?” I asked, grabbing my joggers from earlier in case I had to wander around the flat to find the box of sheets. I couldn’t remember if the curtains in the living room were closed, and I didn’t want to show the whole of Parson’s Green my junk.

  “Not really.” Taylor rolled onto his back, eyes raking over me. “I posted those photos on the blog and then got a message from Connor wishing us a happy anniversary. He and Patrick are looking forward to coming to see us in a couple of weeks. They booked an Airbnb.”

  “I’m glad they got it figured out. They’re cute together.” I shifted a couple of boxes, reading the labels scrawled on the top of them. “How did the photos go down?”

  “Well, you have over a hundred notes in like, five minutes, so, I’d say good.” Taylor smirked and stretched lazily, momentarily distracting me. Then he climbed off the bed and sauntered towards me. “They’re all jealous because you’re all mine.”

  I bent down and kissed him. “All yours.”

  Two weeks later, I stumbled into the flat, soaked to the skin from my walk home in the freezing rain and gale force winds that were the UK in late November. Trust my umbrella to break on the one day I actually needed it. Not that it would have been much use in the wind.

  The flat was warm, and the lamps were on, which was odd because I’d thought Taylor was supposed to be in his office this afternoon. His new job had taken off over the past year, and the company he and Aiden had founded had become a roaring success. Taylor spent most of his days in their small office, but he occasionally worked from home, spreading himself over the dining room table and leaving a trail of dirty mugs and biscuit crumbs in his wake.

  “Babe? You home?” I called as I dumped my bag and hung my sodden coat on the little row of pegs I’d put up. I turned into our bedroom, pulling off my jumper as I moved. I was wet through and everything seemed to be sticking to me.

  I dumped my jumper and began unbuttoning my shirt when I noticed a large, glossy black box in the middle of our bed. I frowned. I hadn’t ordered anything like that. And all Taylor’s Christmas presents were being sent to my office so he didn’t accidentally open them.

  There was a little pink card tucked neatly into a slot on the lid with pretty, curled lettering on it in handwriting I didn’t recognise. It just said: Open Me.

  Was it for me? Was I supposed to open it?

  I stared at it, my hands frozen.

  From behind me, I heard footsteps padding along the carpet. “You can open it you know,” Taylor said, his voice soft. “It’s for you.”

  “Oh… what’s the occasion?”

  “Do I need an occasion to spoil you? Call it a very early Christmas present. Or a late anniversary one.”

  I shot him a look over my shoulder. Taylor just shrugged and smiled. Then he frowned, tilting his head as he looked at me. “You’re soaked?”

  “If you hadn’t noticed, it’s pissing it down.” I chuckled.

  “Shit. I hadn’t. I had headphones in. Do you want to get changed first?”

  “Yeah,” I said, automatically resuming stripping off without taking my eyes off the box. “Are you going to tell me what’s in there?”

  “That kinda defeats the purpose of a surprise, babe.” Taylor leant against the door frame, watching as I dumped my sodden clothes in the washing basket and grabbed a comfy t-shirt, a hoodie, and a pair of grey jogging bottoms. I may have chosen the joggers deliberately since I’d peeled off my boxers and hadn’t bothered putting clean ones on. I couldn’t resist teasing Taylor.

  I still had no idea what was in the box, although thinking about it logically, I could probably make a fair guess. Large luxury box, in our bedroom, at a time when it was just the two of us? My money was definitely on lingerie or sex toys. Maybe both.

  I glanced at Taylor who was still watching me, his expression strangely neutral. Like he was desperately trying to keep a straight face.

  Reaching for the box, I gently slipped the lid off, placing it on the bed. Underneath were layers of tissue paper, neatly folded and sealed with the sticker of a brand I didn’t recognise. Carefully, I peeled the sticker open, unfolding the tissue. There was a gentle waft of a sweet, floral scent as if the tissue paper had been sprayed with perfume. Taylor really had gone all out.

  I gasped as I opened the tissue, my voice and breath frozen in my throat.

  The box was filled with beautiful lingerie—a pale pink corset garter, stockings, and several pairs of satin and lace panties. But it was what was tucked in the middle of them that shook me most.

  A little black ring box.

  “Open it,” Taylor said from behind me. His voice was shaking. So were my hands as I reached for it. This couldn’t be happening. Because in all my wildest dreams I’d never imagined that I’d get to have this.

  I scooped up the box and opened it. Nestled inside a cream silk interior was a silver-coloured band, inlaid with sapphires. It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. I didn’t think I was breathing, and my eyes prickled with tears.

  I turned slowly on the spot, looking for Taylor. This couldn’t be real. How could this be real? It had taken me a year to accept that Taylor really wanted me, but to know he wanted me forever? That was incomprehensible.

  Taylor was down on one knee, a nervous smile on his face, eyes full of fear and hope.

  “Simon,” he said, clearing his throat. “I always thought I didn’t want a relationship because I’d never found anyone who wanted me the way I was, a mouthy, stubborn, bossy, twinky asshole.” I snorted. Tears started slowly trickling down my face. “Shit, don’t cry. I’ll fucking start too.” Taylor wiped his face, but it didn’t do much good. We were both crying now. “Anyway. Shit. I thought you were super fucking cute from the moment we first met, but I never imagined you’d turn out to be the man of my dreams. You�
��re so kind and funny, and you put up with my shit better than anyone I’ve ever known. And you’re the sexiest man in the universe. Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that I love you so fucking much. And I refuse to imagine my life without you in it.”

  I bit my lip, nodding, even though there wasn’t anything for me to agree with. I was still clutching the ring box in my hand, but my eyes were fixed on the face of the man in front of me. The man I loved more than anything or anyone else. The man I’d harboured a crush on for so long, and the one I’d secretly wished could be mine. The man who I’d started building a life with, and the one I wanted to spend every day with from now until the end of time.

  “I love you too.” My voice cracked, and I sniffed. Taylor sniffed too, then took a deep breath.

  “Simon… will you marry me?”

  “Yes. Yes. Fucking yes.”

  “Thank fuck for that,” Taylor said, letting out a huge, shaky exhale and climbing to his feet. Gently, he took the ring box from me and pulled out the ring, then he reached for my hand.

  The ring slid onto my finger as if it had been made for me, and I had a sneaking suspicion it might have been. It felt strange, but not in a bad way. It was as if something inside me had clicked, a piece of the puzzle I didn’t realise I’d been missing until now.

  Taylor tilted his head up, love burning like wildfire in his bright blue eyes. He drew me in for a kiss that sent a shiver of pleasure and happiness running across my skin.

  “You’re mine now, always and forever,” he whispered against my lips.

  “I’ve always been yours. Right from the beginning. I was just waiting for you to catch up.” Taylor chuckled, kissing me again, and I sighed happily against his lips. I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him close and feeling the heat of his body against mine. My mind turned to the box on the bed and its beautiful contents… I always did look pretty in pink.

  “I think we should celebrate,” I said, when I was able to find my voice again.

  “Oh?” He tilted his head back, raising an eyebrow. He glanced over at the box and then back at me. A familiar, wicked smile played on his lips. It was a smile that promised a night I’d never forget. “I think you read my mind.”

  THE END

  Bonus Art of Simon

  I couldn't resist having some fabulous art of Simon in his lingerie commissioned.

  Simply click here to vist my website and see Simon for yourself!

  Art by Soushiyo

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  Also By Charlie Novak

  OFF THE PITCH

  Breakaway

  Extra Time

  Final Score

  SHORT STORIES

  One More Night

  For a regularly updated list, please vist:

  charlienovak.com/books

  Charlie Novak

  Charlie lives in England with her husband and a severe lack of dogs. She spends most of her days wrangling other people’s words in her day job and then trying to force her own onto the page in the evening.

  She loves cute stories with a healthy dollop of fluff, plenty of delicious sex, and happily ever afters – because the world needs more of them. Charlie also believes that love comes in all shapes and sizes.

  Charlie has very little spare time, but what she does have she fills with cooking, pole-dancing, reading and ice-hockey. She also thinks that everyone should have at least one favourite dinosaur…