“You’re right. Youdiddeserve that,” Aiden said. He let out a laugh, then Quinn and he started to walk the rest of the trail to cool down. Aiden was out of breath, but still feeling pretty good.
“Whew…” he sighed. “That was some workout.”
Quinn laughed. “Yes, it was, and I’ll admit that I didn’t think you’d be such a tough competitor. I stand corrected.”
“And why would you have thought that?” Aiden shot a quizzical look Quinn’s way.
The omega shrugged and looked at him out of the corner of his eye. “Well, you have to admit you are a bit taller and bulkier than I am. I figured the extra weight would work in my favor.”
Aiden snickered. “I’m glad I could prove you wrong,” he teased.
Quinn chuckled and then the silence fell over them. Aiden enjoyed the late morning more than he figured he would have. As they continued to walk, his stomach started to grumble, reminding him he still wanted to go out to lunch.
“Did you hear that?” Aiden asked.
Quinn stopped walking, bringing Aiden to a halt next to him. Quinn looked around, clearly puzzled. “Hear what?”
Aiden laughed. “My stomach… it’s growling. So how about that meal you promised me if I won? There’s a diner down the block? We could even walk there from here.”
Quinn raised a brow. “You won?” He chuckled. “I think not.” Quinn’s cheeks reddened, and he looked away. “Lunch would be nice.”
They took the four-block walk to the diner, and Aiden held the door open for Quinn to enter.
“Thanks,” he smiled. Aiden couldn’t deny that that smile was starting to do things to him.
The diner was busy since it was lunchtime on a Saturday, but they still found a table in the back, right up against a window. Aiden grabbed the menus and handed one to Quinn, then looked down at his own. By the time the waitress reached their table, they both knew what they wanted and placed their orders.
After she left the table, Aiden cocked his head to the side and smiled at Quinn. “I had a good time running with you today. We should do it again sometime. Maybe even make it into a regular thing.” He took a sip of his water and prayed that Quinn said yes.
Quinn shot him a serious look, “Even though you cheated, I didn’t beat you by nearly as much as I thought I would have.” He finally smiled, breaking the tension that had been building inside Aiden. “But I’m still game.”
Aiden grinned at Quinn. He loved the teasing in his voice, and how he seemed to be getting more comfortable around him. The omega was truly gorgeous when he smiled.
The alpha had taken a good look at him while they’d been running. Even though he was slender, Aiden could tell he had a toned build, and when Quinn had been running ahead of him, he couldn’t help but stare at the cute plump little ass that swayed in front of him.
“Maybe next time we go out, I will have trained enough to beat you,” Aiden said.
Quinn snort-laughed. “You’re such a dreamer… who knew?” He leaned forward. “But I’m glad you finally admitted to losing.”
When Quinn sat back, his eyes were dancing. Aiden wasn’t sure he’d seen the man so carefree since their first meeting.
He lifted his glass and took a drink, never breaking eye contact with Aiden, and man, did that make him smile. But still his thoughts went back to the kids that he wanted to meet… his and Quinn’s kids.
“What about your children?” Aiden started. “Do they run, or do they prefer being indoors?”
Quinn’s face seemed to close up, and he took another sip from his glass. “Is that a trick question?”
Aiden shook his head. He wasn’t sure what he meant and didn’t intend for it to be intrusive. He was just curious and wanted to find out more about the three kids he barely knew.
“The last date I went on... the guy didn’t want to talk about my kids. In fact, he made his distaste for them known. Most guys run the other way as soon as they hear I have them.” Quinn sounded bitter.
“No, no, no.” Aiden was quick to cut in “I have no problem with children. Obviously, that other guy didn’t deserve you.”
Quinn looked at him with pursed lips, seeming to size him up. Whatever he had been looking for, he must have found, because he relaxed somewhat in his chair and said, “Since you asked, my kids are amazing, and they are pretty active, so yeah… Are they runners in the official sense? No. But put them on the playground and I have to run in three different directions to keep up.”
From Quinn’s voice, Aiden could tell that he loved his kids, every word dripping with pride, and when he added, “I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Aiden knew he was right.
Aiden couldn’t ignore the way his heart thudded in his chest when he saw Quinn’s bright smile. He looked away from Quinn before he blurted out something inappropriate just as the waitress arrived to deliver their food.
