“I missed you both, too,” he murmured, before he gave Logan a kiss. Logan melted under the attention of Dec’s mouth and his knees buckled, but Dec had a hold on him, so he didn’t fall. “Did you drive here?”
“No, but I got a rental car,” I answered. “We could have driven, but Logan and I need to get back to work tomorrow, so we got a very early flight back to New Gothenburg.”
He smiled. “Okay. I know the perfect place to take you. The team has been there before. I’ll meet you out front.”
We each gave him another kiss before I grabbed Logan’s hand, leading him out of the locker room and into the tunnel. Logan’s smile lit up his face and he all but floated his way beside me. I couldn’t help but grin; he truly was perfect for us.
17
Logan
Light music driftedfrom inside the over-the-top dining area to where I stood with Jake flush against my back. This space between the front door and the diners was spectacular with a teardrop blue-glass chandelier overhead and carpets to match under our feet. Every inch of the rest of the furniture and décor was either high-gloss wood or mirror-shined steel. But as beautiful as our surroundings were, I couldn’t concentrate on them because Jake had his lips pressed against the exposed skin on the nape of my neck. Heat sizzled down my spine as he touched the tip of his tongue to my flesh before he pulled away and kissed up underneath my ear. He slid his hands around my waist, and Declan drummed his palms on the counter lightly and winked at me… or maybe Jake… or both of us? His handsome face shone with happiness, and I was warm and well-fed, so I didn’t care to try to sort it out.
“Holy Toledo, that was a meal fit for kings. If I’m ever on death row, I’m ordering that mushroom-quail egg thing,” Declan said, patting his stomach.
As an older woman in a fancy black dress arrived back at the counter with our coats, he reached across to take them from her. She gave me a warm smile that had my cheeks heating. With a little maneuvering, Declan slid his coat on before he held up Jake’s. I loved watching the warmth in their eyes as they smiled at each other and whispered together, quietly flirting. Jake laughed as he slipped his arms into the coat, and Declan kissed his cheek. Then he held up my coat, and I felt on display and shy as I let him help me into it. No one had ever done anything like this for me. He brushed a kiss to my cheek and heat lingered on my skin after he straightened.
I’d never felt so indulged in my life. I cleared my throat, but the feeling of being well-cared for lingered, and I turned to glance up and found a small, crooked smile on Declan’s lips. “It was gougère,” I said quietly.
Jake blinked at me, then laughed as he laced his fingers with mine. The easy way he showed everyone we were together had my heart racing like it had at the game. I was scared—not because I was worried about anyone seeing, but because I didn’t want this to ever stop. “You remember what that fancy-pants food was called?”
I shrugged and my face felt too hot as he continued to chuckle. “It was good. I want to be able to eat it again sometime.”
“He’s obviously the brains of this operation, Jake,” Declan said and cupped my jaw, rubbing his thumb along my cheek.
“Don’t know about all that,” I said quietly.
Jake giggled.
“That does it. You’re too schnookered to drive,” Declan declared.
Jake didn’t argue—so it was probably true—only fluttered his eyelashes in his husband’s direction as Declan continued to be amused.
Jake cuddled in close to my side, and Declan wasn’t bashful about slinging his arm around our shoulders as he ushered us toward the exit. The fact he could reach across me like that and still have room to grasp Jake really brought home, maybe for the first time, that he was a massive man. It was difficult to gauge his size up close because when I was in his arms, that wasn’t usually what I was focused on.
One of Declan’s teammates waved at us on our way out of La Meilleure Fin, which we’d arrived at underdressed. I’d never seen Declan throw around being famous—at least to people who followed hockey—but he’d been more than happy to sign autographs for the host, maître d’, and sommelier so we could be seated without jackets and ties, and apparently he hadn’t been the only one on the team who’d done the same thing.
Declan cleared his throat and smirked. “You know, sweetheart—” He glanced at Jake, who practically sparkled in his direction with the wine he’d drunk and his overall pleasure at being back with him. “—I like that our anniversary is so close to the one where we met Logan. Means if I want to bring you guys back here next year to celebrate, you two will just have to let me do it.”
I rested my cheek against his shoulder for a second, then had to pay attention because we had to maneuver out of the door, and then we were out on the cold sidewalk. I shivered and zipped up my coat. “Y-you think you’ll want to do that?” I asked, although what I really wanted to do was demand to know how he was so sure they’d still want me that long from now. When I sent a look at Jake, the small, warm smile he gave me let me know that maybe he’d realized what was running through my head. He tangled his fingers with mine again and gave my hand a squeeze.
Declan nodded happily. “Of course.”
“He means it” was all Jake said, but he had a confidence in his voice that had me relaxing, and so far Declan had never lied to me about anything.
“Sorry about the dessert, too.” I made myself turn to Declan as I apologized. “I know it was expensive. I thought I’d be able to eat it. The menu made it sound so good.” I snuggled up against his side and pressed a kiss to his shoulder over his coat, hoping he wouldn’t be too irritated about it. Declan had tried to keep me from seeing the tab, but this was probably the most expensive meal I’d ever eaten in my life.
He dropped a kiss to my forehead as we walked, and even though I stumbled and felt strangely warm after three glasses of wine, he kept me on my feet without any trouble. “I didn’t mind a bit. It was an amazing dessert. All three times I ate it.” I turned toward Jake, who threw his head back and laughed.
“You know, babe, we could have gotten it to go.”
“Nope. The chef said it was best eaten warm. No way I would have wanted to do anything else.” Declan squeezed both of us closer, and I felt too hot—in a decidedly good way—as Jake slipped his hand across me to burrow under Declan’s coat and stroke his muscled stomach. My cock chubbed and I had no control over it, but didn’t particularly care, either. We probably looked odd to someone else, Jake and I cuddled together while Declan swept us along toward the rental car, but it was difficult to give a damn when I felt so wanted.
“Anyway, thank you for not being mad about it,” I said softly.
“That would have been silly,” Declan said promptly and without an ounce of sarcasm. He simply meant it. Jake stopped groping his husband and squeezed my fingers with his.
I brought my free hand up and rubbed at my cheek. “It’s just that you two were buying, and you also paid for my flight. I don’t want you to think I’m ungrateful.” I tried to swallow past the lump growing in my throat.
