Chapter 2
The next day dawned bright and clear, although Steve saw nothing of the sun coming up. After a night spent with the boys telling far-fetched stories and downing one too many beers, the sleep in was welcome. He gradually woke to the sound of birdcalls drifting through the open window—not the gentle chirping of a sweet bird but the insistent screeching of something bigger, something no doubt hunting prey in the bushland outside. He pried open an eye and squinted against the glare, rolling to the other side of the bed to escape the bright puddle of light beaming from the window and reflecting off the white linen of his pillow.
He stared at the ceiling and contemplated grabbing another hour or two of sleep. However, the muffled sounds from the kitchen, together with the rumbling of his stomach, lured him from the comfortable mattress. He slipped from between the sheets and raised his hands to the ceiling, enjoying the stretch of his muscles. He didn’t waste any time with a long shower. He washed and dried in record time before pulling on shorts and a T-shirt. He brushed his hair and his teeth, but after running his palm across his fair stubble, decided to give shaving a miss. Five minutes later, he padded barefooted to the kitchen.
“Hey, sleepyhead.” Corey’s bright voice welcomed him. Steve grunted and pushed a stray strand of hair back from his eyes.
“So, not a morning person, I see.” Corey smiled and reached for a mug from the overhead cupboard. He held it out. “Coffee?”
“Sure. That’d be great.” Steve perched himself on one of the timber stools at the breakfast bar and watched while Corey worked his magic with the coffee machine. “Where’re the others?” he asked.
Corey passed the coffee across and sat opposite Steve with his own mug. “Thanks,” Steve said before he took a tentative sip of the hot drink. The aroma of the coffee was wonderful but the taste even better, and he sighed in grateful appreciation of the caffeine. Corey grinned at his obvious enjoyment before answering his question.
“They had breakfast and then went down to the garage to check out the bikes. Douglas and Matt brought theirs but there are supposed to be a few here we can use.”
“So that’s the plan?” Steve asked. “Mountain bike riding?”
“Yep, that’s the plan. Hit the trails before lunch, then a barbecue and lazy afternoon. And don’t you have to make that pudding?”
Steve groaned. “Oh shit, don’t remind me. Why did I offer to make that bloody thing?”
“Offer? From what I heard, you damn near insisted you were making it. From scratch, mind you.”
Steve rolled his eyes.
“C’mon, it won’t be that bad. I’ll give you a hand. I’m quite good in the kitchen, don’t forget.” Steve couldn’t help the surge of happiness at Corey’s offer to help. It would actually be enjoyable spending time in the kitchen with Corey for company. “I’ve got cooking in my genes,” Corey continued. “I grew up with a spatula in one hand and a knife in the other. I’m lucky Mum and Dad insisted I go to uni because for a while I thought I should help the family by working at the restaurant. Not that it would have been a bad life, but I know now I much prefer nine-to-five and tinkering on computers over hospitality.”
Steve knew Corey had been born in Australia, but his family was originally from South Korea. They’d moved to Australia to give their family a different life, and the three Oh siblings had grasped the opportunity and run with it. Corey was a data analyst, working with a large bank. His sister was a nurse and his brother a solicitor. All in all, they’d done well, including his parents who ran a successful suburban restaurant.
“Well, I’m glad they passed on their mad cooking skills to you because we’ve all benefited from your meals.”
Corey laughed, then tilted his head. “Do you remember that dinner party? The one where we first met, when Mal invited you all over to my place?”
Steve had a flash of memory. A wonderfully warm welcome, their group of friends crowded into Corey’s small but comfortable apartment, a table laden with Korean delicacies, and Richard’s scowl across the table when Steve had complimented Corey’s cooking. “Yeah.” It had been a lot of fun apart from Richard’s sour attitude.
“I… I couldn’t stop looking at you. I had to keep running back to the kitchen to ‘check’on things, but it was just an excuse to catch my breath.” Corey made air quotes around the word check and gave a shy grin.
“You were looking at me?” Steve raised an eyebrow in query. His pulse sped up at the thought that maybe Corey had been interested in him.
“Yeah. I… I… Listen. Can I tell you something? Maybe something I should have said a while ago.”
Steve took in Corey’s bowed head and the way he fidgeted with the handle of his coffee mug. He wasn’t sure he wanted to hear what Corey had to say. His heart sank as he realised Corey probably hadn’t fancied him after all. Steve swallowed thickly. “Sure.”
“That night—when I met you and Richard. I’d seen Richard before. I’m not sure if he recognised me but I’d seen him at a club a few weeks before.”
Steve’s stomach plummeted. He didn’t like where this was going. He sucked in a deep breath. “And?”
“I could have been way off base, but he’d looked awfully friendly with another guy.” Corey had trouble meeting his eye. “A guy who wasn’t you. I couldn’t be certain there was anything untoward going on, so I didn’t want to say anything, especially as I’d just met you both and knew nothing about your relationship, but….” Corey’s gaze briefly met Steve’s before he looked to the counter again. Corey obviously wasn’t comfortable with imparting the information.
“Hey. It’s okay. I would have done the same thing and not said anything.” Steve reached across and put his hand over Corey’s where it rested on the laminate. Corey’s hand was slim, the skin soft under his fingers. “And you’re right. You didn’t even know if what you saw was wrong.”
“I know, but—”
“No buts.” Steve sat straighter. “Since we’re being honest here... well, to put it bluntly, Richard always hated you. I’d assumed it was because he knew I thought you were cute, but now, from what you’ve said, maybe he disliked you because he thought you might give away his secret. You were right, Richard wasn’t monogamous.” Steve glanced out the window, and when he looked back it was to see Corey with a wide grin showing a flash of bright white teeth. “What?”
“You thought I was cute?” Corey asked as he waggled his eyebrows.
Steve couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled up. “Yes. I thought you were cute. I mean, youarecute.” He waved his hands in Corey’s direction. “What’s not to like? Tight body, masses of thick black hair, big dark eyes, great sense of humour, a fabulous cook. Oh, and those cheekbones.”
