Raven’s. Or…something.
Fortunately, before he could really start to fret about should haves and could haves, his phone started vibrating and the sound of Trouble by Pink brought a smile to his lips.
Lark. He might be quirky and meddlesome at times, but he was still always guaranteed to distract and lighten the mood. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, Mark flipped it open and answered with a grin.
“Hey, Lark. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“Um…hi… I m-mean…it’s not Lark. It’s—”
“Raven?”
“Yes?”
“Oh! I mean, wow. That’s…wow, that’s…great.” Mark cleared his throat and tried to kick some brain cells into action. “It’s good to hear from you.”
Mark winced. That sounded lame even to his ears.
“It is?”
“Yes. Definitely,” Mark rushed out. “I was just thinking about you. How’d you find my number?”
“I um… I b-borrowed Lark’s phone.”
Mark resisted the urge to smack himself in the forehead as a hot flush of embarrassment crept up his neck. His only defence was that he’d become so tied up in knots to find himself suddenly talking to Raven after spending days thinking about him, he’d completely forgotten about hearing the distinctive ring tone he’d assigned to Lark’s mobile number. So much for engaging brain cells.
“I’m s-sorry,” Raven murmured. “I shouldn’t have—”
“No, it’s cool. Really. I mean, it’s just great to hear from you.”
Mark closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. He hoped he could stop sounding like a complete moron sometime soon.
“R-really?”
Despite his embarrassing gaffe, a small smile tugged at Mark’s lips. The innocent surprise in Raven’s voice was both a relief and a turn on. “Yes, really.” Mark swallowed against the sudden dry knot of nervousness lodged in his throat. “I’ve ah…yeah, I’ve been thinking about you a lot.”
“Me t-too.”
As suave and sophisticated conversations went, Mark wasn’t sure he could have made a worse impression if he’d tried. Or a bigger fool of himself. And yet, Raven’s soft admission still managed to make him feel like a king as his heart started to race wildly. He grinned, probably making him look like an even bigger idiot than he felt, but he didn’t care. He felt so good right now he was surprised he wasn’t floating.
“So, what’s up?” he asked, hoping his voice didn’t give his stupid expression away.
“Well… I was just w-wondering…if the offer’s still there…if m-maybe you’d like tto…you know. To m-maybe…go…out.”
Raven suddenly growled in frustration—a soft adorable little sound that made Mark’s cock instantly take notice. He wondered what other noises Raven might be capable of, given the right incentive.
“I’m m-m-messing this all up.”
Mark managed to drag his mind back out of the gutter. “No. Honestly you’re not. I’d love to go out. The offer’s definitely still there.”
“Oh!”
Mark smiled at the sweet sound of surprise again. He only wished he was there to see the expression on Raven’s face right now. If he looked half as cute as he sounded…
Mark cleared his throat, trying to get back on track. “Would you like to come over to my place and I’ll cook for you, or would you like to go out somewhere?”
Both ideas had merit. At Mark’s house Raven wouldn’t have to cope with a lot of extra people—something Mark had noticed Raven sometimes had trouble with. But at the same time, he might not be comfortable being alone with Mark on his home turf, so to speak, either. It might imply a whole different level of pressure. And he knew Raven wasn’t ready for anything like that.
Mark could see a lot of cold showers in his future.
“I…ah… I think m-maybe going out somewhere. If that’s ok-kay.”
“Sounds wonderful. Do you want to pick where we go or can I surprise you?” Mark held his breath. As trust went, it was a minor, almost inconsequential testing of the waters, but he really hoped Raven
Fortunately, before he could really start to fret about should haves and could haves, his phone started vibrating and the sound of Trouble by Pink brought a smile to his lips.
Lark. He might be quirky and meddlesome at times, but he was still always guaranteed to distract and lighten the mood. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, Mark flipped it open and answered with a grin.
“Hey, Lark. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“Um…hi… I m-mean…it’s not Lark. It’s—”
“Raven?”
“Yes?”
“Oh! I mean, wow. That’s…wow, that’s…great.” Mark cleared his throat and tried to kick some brain cells into action. “It’s good to hear from you.”
Mark winced. That sounded lame even to his ears.
“It is?”
“Yes. Definitely,” Mark rushed out. “I was just thinking about you. How’d you find my number?”
“I um… I b-borrowed Lark’s phone.”
Mark resisted the urge to smack himself in the forehead as a hot flush of embarrassment crept up his neck. His only defence was that he’d become so tied up in knots to find himself suddenly talking to Raven after spending days thinking about him, he’d completely forgotten about hearing the distinctive ring tone he’d assigned to Lark’s mobile number. So much for engaging brain cells.
“I’m s-sorry,” Raven murmured. “I shouldn’t have—”
“No, it’s cool. Really. I mean, it’s just great to hear from you.”
Mark closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. He hoped he could stop sounding like a complete moron sometime soon.
“R-really?”
Despite his embarrassing gaffe, a small smile tugged at Mark’s lips. The innocent surprise in Raven’s voice was both a relief and a turn on. “Yes, really.” Mark swallowed against the sudden dry knot of nervousness lodged in his throat. “I’ve ah…yeah, I’ve been thinking about you a lot.”
“Me t-too.”
As suave and sophisticated conversations went, Mark wasn’t sure he could have made a worse impression if he’d tried. Or a bigger fool of himself. And yet, Raven’s soft admission still managed to make him feel like a king as his heart started to race wildly. He grinned, probably making him look like an even bigger idiot than he felt, but he didn’t care. He felt so good right now he was surprised he wasn’t floating.
“So, what’s up?” he asked, hoping his voice didn’t give his stupid expression away.
“Well… I was just w-wondering…if the offer’s still there…if m-maybe you’d like tto…you know. To m-maybe…go…out.”
Raven suddenly growled in frustration—a soft adorable little sound that made Mark’s cock instantly take notice. He wondered what other noises Raven might be capable of, given the right incentive.
“I’m m-m-messing this all up.”
Mark managed to drag his mind back out of the gutter. “No. Honestly you’re not. I’d love to go out. The offer’s definitely still there.”
“Oh!”
Mark smiled at the sweet sound of surprise again. He only wished he was there to see the expression on Raven’s face right now. If he looked half as cute as he sounded…
Mark cleared his throat, trying to get back on track. “Would you like to come over to my place and I’ll cook for you, or would you like to go out somewhere?”
Both ideas had merit. At Mark’s house Raven wouldn’t have to cope with a lot of extra people—something Mark had noticed Raven sometimes had trouble with. But at the same time, he might not be comfortable being alone with Mark on his home turf, so to speak, either. It might imply a whole different level of pressure. And he knew Raven wasn’t ready for anything like that.
Mark could see a lot of cold showers in his future.
“I…ah… I think m-maybe going out somewhere. If that’s ok-kay.”
“Sounds wonderful. Do you want to pick where we go or can I surprise you?” Mark held his breath. As trust went, it was a minor, almost inconsequential testing of the waters, but he really hoped Raven
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