“Of course. But there isn’t much to know. I’m pretty boring.”
One thing he admired about Jeremy was his ability to put unpleasant things behind him and be positive.
“Babe, you are anything but boring. Trust me.”
A ripple of lust zinged through him at the intensity of Jeremy’s stare. The memory of all their sexy times resurfaced, and his mouth dried.
“Uh, anyway.” He glared at Jeremy, who smirked right back at him. “I’m pretty much what you already know.”
“You have an older sister, Jeremy told me? And a nephew. That must be fun.”
“It is. Yes. Henry is a great kid. And Michelle and her husband, Evan, have been married for almost twenty years.”
“Wow, she got married young.” Noah took some more baked clams and offered him the platter. “We have to finish, or Nora will think we don’t like her food.”
Everything was delicious, and he had no problem cleaning his plate.
“I wouldn’t want that. I love Italian food, and Jeremy was right. This is the best I’ve eaten.” He popped a baked clam into his mouth, enjoying the seasoning. “As for Michelle, she and Evan got married right out of college.”
“Your parents didn’t mind her marrying young?”
He tensed and picked up his wineglass, taking a sip to coordinate his thoughts. “My mom was sick with cancer, and Michelle wanted to make sure she got to see her married. Mom died soon after.”
Sadness swept over Noah’s face. “I’m sorry. We lost our dad to cancer. It’s very rough.” Jeremy’s warm hand massaged the nape of his neck.
“Yeah. So that’s me in a nutshell.”
“Is your father still alive?”
A simple sentence but one that still had the power to destroy him.
“Yes. We aren’t close.”
From the corner of his eye, he saw Jeremy shoot him a sharp glance, but he ignored it. He refused to allow his father to ruin a perfect evening.
They waited for the waiter to clean the dishes. “The main courses will be out soon.”
Blake groaned. “Oh my God, you mean there’s more?”
Noah’s eyes danced. “Don’t worry. If you can’t finish, she’ll give it to you to take home. Enough to eat for a week.”
Nora herself brought out the meal. Platters of eggplant rollatini, chicken parmigiana, and chicken marsala. Side dishes of broccoli rabe and spinach, redolent with garlic and oregano, sat side-by-side with bowls of pasta.
“Here we go, my boys.Mangia.” She stood by, beaming, watching them fill their plates with the steaming, delicious food. To Blake’s surprise, she patted him on the cheek. “You come by with or without them. I always have a table for you too.”
Blake stared after her as she walked away, and once again, Jeremy stroked his neck, leaving his hand to rest on Blake’s shoulder possessively. “Nora doesn’t take to everyone. She knows you’re special.” He refilled all their wineglasses. “So here’s to family.”
They clinked, and Blake, warmed by the wine and acceptance, smiled happily into his glass, feeling for the first time like he belonged in a world he once walked through like an invisible man. Living life instead of watching it pass him by. He hadn’t thought about his father in a while, but his cruel and cutting words meant little to him now with Jeremy holding him as if he mattered.
Chapter Seven
Abitter coldJanuary wind whistled outside but Jeremy didn’t care and shifted closer to Blake’s warm, naked body. If anyone would have told him a year ago that he’d be dating a shy CPA with a penchant for having sex in semi-public places, Jeremy would have asked them what they were smoking. He recalled their New Year’s Eve and couldn’t help but smile. His first with a boyfriend. They went to Rockefeller Center, saw the tree, and then went ice-skating. Afterward, Blake surprised him by insisting on a carriage ride around Central Park. All the touristy things he’d once shunned became exciting and fun with Blake at his side. The night had ended with them making love in the living room after watching the ball drop. A perfect start to the new year.
Wide awake now, he stretched out the kinks in his back from his heavy workout the night before and glanced over at Blake, who remained facedown on the bed. Poor guy. He was wiped out from coming home late every night from work. Blake had warned him about tax season being brutal, but Jeremy hadn’t expected that to mean their sex life vanishing to a once-a-day quickie—if he was lucky enough to wake up early to catch Blake before he left for work. Jeremy had taken to staying late at the gym and working out to relieve his tension and frustration.
“I know you’re staring at me.” Blake turned his head on the pillow, keeping his eyes shut.
He chuckled. “I like staring at you. You’re cute.” Jeremy kissed Blake’s shoulder and watched his lips curve into a smile. “And I’ve missed you this past week.”
