“I’m having lunch with my friend Annie at one, in the café across the street from the bicycle store on Humbert Street. If you have your lunch break around then, maybe you’d like to join us?”
Steve lifted his hands, smoothing his gloves down over his fingers as his eyebrows lifted in surprise. It looked like a nervous gesture, and Dylan found himself wanting to put him at ease.
“Your friend won’t mind?” Steve asked.
Dylan shook his head. “No, I’ve talked about you, and I’m sure she’d love to meet you in person.”
Steve let his hands fall back down to his sides. “If you’re sure it’s okay, yeah. I can take my break at one.”
“So I’ll see you there?”
Steve nodded, a slow grin tugging at his lips. “For sure.”
Dylan smiled back. “Nice. See you later.”
Steve turned around, Dylan staring at his ridiculously broad back, and exited the coffee shop. He waved at Dylan through the window as he walked to his motorcycle, still grinning. Dylan watched him mount the bike, unabashedly staring at his ass as he swung his leg over the powerful machine.
It wasn’t like he was cheating. If Ryker or August were present, they would have sat there and ogled right along with him.
“Was that your boyfriend?”
Dylan jumped, startled by the proximity of the voice. He looked away from the window, turning his head to see a woman dressed in a chic blazer and the kind of chunky jewelry that Dylan associated with people who worked at art galleries standing next to him. She looked to be about the same age as his mom, or maybe a few years older, and she was watching him with an openly curious expression.
Dylan blushed, glancing out the window just in time to catch Steve driving his motorcycle around the corner. “Oh, no. He’s just a friend.”
“But you’d like him to be more?” the woman prompted.
Dylan blinked, the invasive question taking him off guard. He shook his head, holding back a protest when the woman took the seat that Steve had just vacated.
“No, he’s just a friend,” Dylan said, making his voice firm. “I’m very happy in my current relationship.”
The woman leaned in conspiratorially. “I’m sure that’s true. But then again, it’s not every day that awerewolflooks at you like that nice policeman just did.”
Dylan wanted to say something along the lines of, “maybe not for you,” or, “you’d be surprised,” but he held his tongue and shrugged.
“Like I said, he’s just a friend.”
“If you say so.” The woman sounded like she didn’t believe him.
“I do,” Dylan confirmed, annoyed.
Who did this lady think she was?
“Then you have a good day, and congratulations on your relationship. It must be pretty great to let a man like that slip through your fingers.”
“It is,” Dylan said, gritting his teeth. Who even was this lady?
The woman rose up and walked away, leaving Dylan feeling befuddled and grumpy at the interaction. He grabbed his laptop from his bag, putting the encounter out of his mind as he resumed work on his thesis.
23
STEVE
It was a little after one when Steve ducked into the café where he was meeting Dylan and his friend. He’d taken off his gloves and helmet, storing the former in the latter, and ran a quick hand through his hair in an attempt to tame his helmet hair. He looked around, his gaze landing on Dylan almost immediately. The boy was sitting at a small table, a pretty young woman next to him, the two of them talking animatedly to each other.
Dylan caught sight of him, his expression brightening as he lifted his hand and waved him over.
“Hi, Steve, I’m glad you could make it,” Dylan said, standing up and giving Steve a hug. Steve returned the embrace with a quick squeeze before taking a seat and trying to ignore the way his cock had twitched at the contact.
