“Aaron!” Lewis said and ushered him inside with a hand on the small of his back. “Are you alright?”

“Yes, I-I’m fine,” Aaron said quickly.

“I’m happy to see you.” He was holding Aaron at arm’s length, one hand on each shoulder, and Aaron’s face burned. “I was worried I had done something wrong.”

“What?” Aaron asked. “You didn’t do anything -- I-I’m the one who --” His mouth went dry at the sweet expression on Lewis’s face and he so desperately wanted to kiss him that he forgot what he was trying to say.

“Well, I’m glad you’re here.”

“I-I found that check in my book -- the one for five thousand pounds.”

“Did you cash it?” Lewis asked, sounding hopeful.

“Of course I didn’t cash it! I tore it up. I can’t have that kind of money just lying around. I thought it was for like a hundred quid or something --” He cut off when he saw Lewis at the table scribbling something and stormed over, pulling the checkbook from his hands. “Lewis Klein, stop it right now!”

Lewis looked offended, but didn’t reach for the checkbook. “I just want to make sure you’re okay. It’s for emergencies.”

“Lewis, I am a grown adult and I can take care of myself,” Aaron said, even though it felt like a lie as it came out of his mouth.

Lewis hesitated, glancing from Aaron’s face, to the pen in his hand, to the checkbook that Aaron was holding hostage. Then he capped his pen and sighed as he set it on the table, looking at Aaron with a slightly more serious expression. “I know, Aaron, I know you can take care of yourself. I’m sorry if I made you feel like I didn’t believe in you.”

Aaron melted immediately and his shoulders relaxed. “It’s okay,” he said, setting down the checkbook. “You don’t have to worry about me.”

Lewis laughed, but after a moment, he looked more serious than ever. “Just do me a favor?”

“Hmm?”

“If there’s anything you need -- if there’s anything you want -- just ask and it’s yours.”

Aaron swallowed and his heart raced under Lewis’s serious gaze. His eyes still were so kind and Aaron was reading too far into his words, but how could he not? This brilliant, gorgeous, rich man wished to give him the world and Aaron was being stubborn and rejecting it.

“You’d really give me anything I wanted?”

Lewis looked contemplative for a moment and bobbed his head. “Yes.”

Aaron almost kissed him, like it was just a habit. He thought Lewis would give him a kiss if he really wanted it. “Even your car?”

Lewis pulled his key from his pocket.

Aaron pushed it away, shaking his head and laughing. He smoothed Lewis’s collar with deliberate slowness. “Anything I need?” he asked, but could feel his smile fading.

“Yes,” Lewis answered.

Aaron peered steadily at him. “Anything I want?” His hand slid up Lewis’s shoulder and he took another slow step forward. Lewis had to tilt up his chin to look at him.

“Yes,” Lewis whispered.

Aaron bent his knee so that his thigh pressed against Lewis’s groin. “Anything?”

Lewis closed his eyes and sighed, but he didn’t move at all. “Anything,” he answered breathlessly.

Aaron slid his hand down Lewis’s chest, gliding over soft muscle. They stood there for a long moment, and Aaron wondered if he were to kiss Lewis, would Lewis kiss him back? He moved closer to him, his nose brushing Lewis’s curls before he took a deep breath and leaned away.

“Well, then, I want to go to the club, and I want you to dance with me.”

Lewis swallowed and licked his lips, blinking up at him. “That’s ... specific. Okay.”

Aaron grinned and kissed his cheek, dangling the car key in front of his face.