Sam quirked a brow and said nothing.
If he was interested, Sam would return it with a little flirting of his own. Zach took a deep swallow of his wine, already exhausted from being “on.” There was something to be said for hiding on the sidelines while others took the lead. It had been years since he’d actively flirted, and if he admitted it to himself, he hated it as much now as he did back in college.
Usually more circumspect, Zach drank his wine down, more from nerves than the excellence of the vintage. Their meals came, and Sam surveyed his steak with a gleam in his eye.
“This looks amazing.”
Zach had to agree; they’d both ordered the strip with caramelized onions and mushrooms on top and extra-crispy fries. “I’d answer you, but I need to eat these fries.” He poured the ketchup, then popped a fry in his mouth, the salty potato taste mixing with the ketchup. “Umm, yeah these are pretty awesome.”
Sam gave him a strained look. “You have some ketchup on your lip.” He touched the top of his mouth with his finger. “Right there.”
Zach went to wipe at it, stopped, and thought about what Marcus would do. Suddenly he didn’t give a damn about the bet; he wanted Sam Stein to touch him as a lover. “Why don’t you wipe it off for me?”
Did I really say that?
Apparently he did, as Sam’s eyes darkened, and he reached across to wipe off the spot of ketchup. Sam’s thumb rested a second on Zach’s upper lip, then, with a tantalizing slowness that brought an ache to Zach’s groin, drew the pad of his thumb down the side of Zach’s mouth.
“All clean,” Sam murmured, then returned to eating his steak with gusto.
Obviously, a man like Sam Stein, big, virile, and good-looking, his rugged face only adding to his overall appeal, had no trouble finding someone to warm his bed. Determined to keep his newly-discovered courage in the forefront and not let it fade away, Zach attempted small talk as they ate.
“What line of work are you in?”
Sam chewed, then swallowed and took a sip of wine before answering. Zach watched his moves avidly, the pit of his stomach in a tight knot. Damn, even the man’s throat was sexy.
“Private investigations. I go undercover a lot. People hire me when they have issues at work and they need someone in the mix to see what’s happening.”
“I’ve seen those kind of shows on television.” Zach finished his second glass of wine, feeling reckless and wanting a buzz to help settle him for the night he planned. “You pretend to work with the employees while in reality you’re looking to see if they’re stealing or something, right?”
Sam wiped his mouth with a napkin and tossed it on the table. “Something like that.” His plate was pretty much cleaned, while Zach had barely touched his food. He’d been too busy drinking and staring at Sam.
“Not hungry? You barely touched your food.” White teeth flashed in Sam’s tanned face; the scruff of his evening beard was more pronounced now than it had been at the cocktail hour. Zach wanted to feel it scrape against his cheek, abdomen, and thighs.
Wow.
“Not really.” Zach held Sam’s gaze.
“Let’s get out of here then. I have something I’ve been dying to do since I came here tonight.” Sam signaled the waiter while Zach’s nerves skyrocketed and his heart pounded. Was he really going to go through with this?
“Oh yeah?” he choked, wondering where he found the voice to speak. Zach fumbled for his wallet to pull out his credit card. “What’s that?”
“Put your wallet away. Dinner’s on me.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Zach protested. “I can’t let you pay for me.”
Sam ignored him and signed the check, slid the pen into the leather case with the receipt, closed it, then handed it to the waiter. “It’s fine, don’t worry about it.”
“But—”
“Hey.” Sam’s quiet tone focused Zach’s attention back on Sam’s handsome face. “How about you buy breakfast for the two of us, then?”
Funny how Sam seemed uncertain about Zach’s response. Determined to still keep up his façade of unruffled cool, Zach’s heart nevertheless stuttered a few times before he found his voice. “Sure. I hope you have a big appetite in the morning.”
They left the restaurant, Sam slightly behind him, his hand resting on Zach’s hip. It may have been a light touch, but it left an indelible mark on Zach. As they walked through the casino, Sam spoke softly. “I’m planning on working one up tonight.” It took all Zach’s strength not to stumble; the warm, spicy scent of Sam’s aftershave coupled with the rich wine of his breath created a heady concoction that set Zach’s long-neglected libido into overdrive. He barely paid attention to where they were going, until the cool night air hit his face, and Zach shook himself out of his daydream.
“Where are we going?” He blinked and peered out into the darkness. His contacts itched; this was the longest he’d worn them in months, and he desperately wanted to take them out already. The yawning black surface of the ocean lay in front of them, its waves rolling up against the shore with a hushing sound. There was a certain insignificance, standing at the edge of the sea; the endless horizon and the water’s inky black depths coupled with its force remained a mystery to those on land.
He’d been derided as being “not there” by Nathan, and Zach could almost understand now what he’d meant. He’d always thought of himself as an inconsequential drop in those infinite waters, creating a momentary ripple that spread out until all remained calm once again and he was forgotten. Only, as the saying goes, still waters run deep; no matter how close he and his friends were, there were parts he held back, tight to his heart.
