“It’s fine,” he said.
That made Jacobs’s frown deepen. “You say that a lot.”
“Say what?”
“You say ‘It’s fine’ quite a bit,” Jacob told him. “I don’t think it is when you say that. Now that I’ve gotten to know you better.” He sighed. “I hope you can tell me what you really think.”
James checked that Brad and Josh were still across the shop and Luca was in the back before leaning closer. “I just haven’t had time to…you know.”
“There is no timetable,” Jacob assured him.
“I know,” James said with a roll of his eyes. “I’d just have to tell my brother.”
“You don’t have to tell him anything until you’re ready,” Jacob replied.
“Really?” James let his sarcasm lace his words. “You have a twin of your own. Do you actually think that Scott isn’t going to know something’s going on?”
Jacob dipped his head as he smiled. “True.”
“Now what can I get you, Professor? Your coffee is on me tonight,” James told him.
“I’ll take a chai latte, please,” Jacob ordered. “And I can pay.”
James waved that off. “I can give away one drink a shift. You’re my special person tonight.”
Jacob’s smile grew. “Okay. Thanks.”
Yeah, there was something going on between them and James needed to get answers. He wanted to explore with Jacob. With only Jacob. He just didn’t want to do so if he and the professor weren’t on the same page. Maybe it was time to make a decision like an adult.
Damn, sometimes being an adult was so hard. Even when being an adult meant he needed to be little. Now that was a weird thought.
Chapter Nine
James
He knocked on the back door of the main house and waited.
Jacob pulled open the door and looked at him questioningly.
“Hey!” James said quietly grinning up at the professor.
“No cake?” Jacob asked as he pulled the door open wider.
James laughed. “I have a bag of gummy worms in my backpack.”
Jacob groaned. “Please tell me that isn’t what you had for dinner.”
“That’s not what I had for dinner,” James parroted.
Jacob narrowed his eyes. “What did you have for dinner?”
That was a very good question. Normally James took his meals seriously since being well fueled meant that he could train harder. Of course, the one night he’d skipped dinner was when Jacob would ask.
Once Jacob had left the coffee shop with his chai latte, James had decided that he’d waited as long as possible. Jacob’s reminder that Scott would be home soon meant that it was now or never. James didn’t even know if he was a little. Now it was time to find out.
“I’m going to take the silence for the answer it is,” Jacob growled. “Come inside.”
Stepping into the warm kitchen made James smile. Breakfast had been delicious but the memory of them teasing and Jacob relaxed for once would stay with James. If Jacob wanted to feed him again, then who was James to complain? “I didn’t come for dinner.”
