Free After the Scrum by Dahlia Donovan Page B

nicknames and the circumference of my head after I've slept and consumed copious amounts of coffee and…." Francis trailed off into a slurred mumble, which was followed seconds later by the start of a barely audible snore.
    They woke several hours later to the sound of the concierge ringing with their courtesy wake-up call. Francis hadn't wanted to miss the earliest part of the last day of the fair. It took a minute or two to untangle themselves from the mess of limbs, complicated slightly by the enthusiastic Sherlock trying to greet them with liberal licks to their faces and wags of his tail.
    Dog breath at seven in the morning did not constitute a pleasant wake-up. Sherlock, it seemed, had been anxiously waiting for his morning walk. He grabbed his leash and dropped it on Francis's head, directly on his bump.
    "Ow." Francis winced with a pained groan. "Has anyone ever told you that you have an exceptionally hard head?"
    "Something's hard." Caddock thrust his hips forward to brush the truth of his words against Francis. "How's your bump?"
    "Sore." Francis slipped out of the bed and blushed practically from head to toe at his nudity. He rushed into his own room with Sherlock hot on his heels. "I'll… see you downstairs."
    Caddock chuckled for a moment then hefted himself out of bed with a heavy sigh. It seemed last night hadn't completely relaxed Francis. Good. He quite enjoyed being the reason behind that flushed skin.
    Knowing they had an hour before Francis would become impatient to leave, he jumped into their shared shower. It might be fun to provide a bit of a visual temptation if he was walked in on.
    The connecting door never opened though. Caddock finished up and dressed in a fresh set of jeans and one of his old training jerseys. He sat in the lobby of the hotel, reading a paper with a cup of coffee, waiting for Francis to join him.
    It gave him ample opportunity to allow his mind to consider the risks he was taking. Anyone who had the media's attention had to work incredibly carefully to watch their image. He'd never given a rat's arse about sharing most aspects of his life, but this was different.
    He'd never been truly active in the community as such. The London scene could be a bit much for him. And he'd never met anyone like Francis there.
    Or maybe he hadn't really been looking all that hard.
    "Careful, you might strain something with all those lofty thoughts." The man occupying his thoughts swanned by, stealing his cup of coffee then heading towards the front door with Sherlock at his heels. "Coming with?"
    Shaking his head in amusement, Caddock followed the two out of the hotel—after obtaining a second cup of coffee. Punishment could be meted out for the loss of his original cup. It'd be amusing to see how many fantasies they shared.
    He spoke first with the hotel concierge about having supper delivered to his room. No way would they be sleeping separately again on this short trip. One night had given him a taste of the joys of having Francis in his life—and bed.
    With his orders placed for the evening, Caddock headed out of the hotel to hunt down his companions. Sherlock and Francis appeared to be playing a game of tag around his Range Rover. Francis ran by with his dog nipping at his heels, stopping only once he was completely out of breath.
    "Enjoying yourself?" He grinned at them, watching Sherlock, who sat panting at their feet with his tail wagging happily. "I'd pay several quid to bottle his energy."
    "Sherlock felt the need to express his displeasure at being cooped up all night." Francis pulled a portable water dish out of his satchel and set it down for the thirsty dog. "I had to soothe the savage brute before taking him around delicate artefacts."
    Caddock raised his eyebrows then glared between sheltie and Francis. "Savage brute?"
    "You two have a lot in common." He retrieved the bowl, opening the rear door of the vehicle to let Sherlock hop inside. He turned a suspicious frown towards