Sean rolled his eyes. “Mother of God, you’re a pain in the ass.” He stomped into the bedroom, ripped off his clothes, and changed into shorts and a dry T-shirt. Fuming, he returned to the living room to find Tristan answering the door and taking delivery bags inside.
“What’s that?” Sean gestured, his stomach growling. There wouldn’t be a damn thing in those bags of rabbit food he’d want to eat. Figures he’d have a crush on someone he had zero in common with.
Tristan set the bags on the kitchen counter and started unpacking his greens. “I ordered groceries earlier, because we didn’t go shopping after the apartment-searching. I have nothing to eat.”
“Oh.” He’d thought maybe they’d have dinner together and a heart-to-heart about their mouth-to-mouth. But he should’ve known better. “Well, neither do I, so I guess I’ll order something in.”
“You don’t have to,” Tristan responded, his head in the refrigerator as he stuffed inside a bunch of kale bigger than a small child. “I also ordered you some food. Those scallion pancakes and General Tso’s chicken from that place we like. It should be here in a few minutes.”
“What?” Dumbfounded, Sean watched Tristan slowly turn to him, face expressionless. “You got me dinner?”
He lifted a shoulder and Sean’s heart gave a peculiar thump.
“That was really nice of you,” Sean said softly.Dammit. How was he supposed to be annoyed at the man when he did something so sweet? And hearing him say “that place we like” turned his insides to jelly.
“It’s nothing.”
“No, you’re wrong. Just like you were wrong about Chad and me.”
Tristan’s eyes hardened. “I don’t think so.”
Frustrated, Sean snapped. “It doesn’t matter what youthink; it matters what Iknow.After we eat, I’ll tell you what happened.”
In that maddening way he had, Tristan shrugged and said nothing as he went on to gather the items he needed to make whatever it was he planned to have for dinner, which turned out to be something green and stir-fried that Sean couldn’t help but admit to himself smelled pretty damned good. His food came, and they sat together at the counter. Sean was enjoying his meal, and couldn’t help darting glances at Tristan’s plate. How could all that healthy stuff smell so good?
“Okay. You look like you want to jump me, so do you want a taste?” Tristan’s smirk and twinkling eyes released a barrage of emotions inside him. He held Tristan’s gaze and nodded. Tristan scooped up some of the vegetables in a sauce on a spoon and held it out to Sean, who took it, careful not to touch his fingers. He liked thinking his mouth would be where Tristan’s had been only moments before. Then he forgot everything as the flavors hit his tongue. He chewed and swallowed, closing his eyes, almost moaning in pleasure. It took all his willpower not to lick the spoon.
“What is this?”
“Vegetable curry. It’s everywhere as takeaway in London, and I was curious how easy it was to make at home. It took a while, but I now have the recipe down pat.”
“That’s the second-best thing I put in my mouth today.” Sean stuffed the last of his scallion pancakes into his mouth. Tristan’s face burned bright red, and Sean loved that he could make the stoic man blush so fiercely. “I’m done. I’ll put the rest of my food in the fridge and heat it up later.”
Tristan polished off the remainder of his plate and stacked the dishwasher. He cracked open a beer and cocked his head. “Want one?”
“Yeah.” The condensed moisture on the bottle cooled his overheated skin, and he took it and sat on the couch. “Can we clear the air now?”
Tristan didn’t answer right away, drinking his beer until it was half-gone; then he strolled over and sat next to him on the couch. He set the bottle on the coffee table and pinned him with that unblinking stare. “Go ahead.”
“I’m not one of your suspects, you know. And I didn’t do anything wrong.” Stupid maybe. “It was just…the way you answered that broker. Like you were so afraid someone might think we’re together.”
“That’s not the case,” Tristan mumbled. “I wasn’t afraid.”
“Bullshit. You almost decapitated yourself with how fast you spun around to correct her. So I got butt-hurt and left. I was still feeling sorry for myself after the movie, and I remembered that Chad had texted me several times, asking to give him another chance. I wanted to let him know, once and for all, that we were done. For good.”
“You went to his place?”
“Yeah. But he had a visitor.”
The tension in Tristan’s jaw eased, and Sean knew Tristan understood exactly what he meant.
“Oh. That must’ve been hard.”
“Not really.” Sean drank his beer, relieving the dryness in his throat. “I mean, it proved what I already knew. That I made the right decision.”
“Are you sure that’s why you went there?”
Never the best at choosing his words, Sean struggled to make Tristan understand. “I didn’t want to have sex with him, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
