We arrive at Stonewood’s just in time for the evening rush. Even with accepting reservations, they’re packed, and a dozen parties are still waiting for tables.
“Wow, they must be really—”
“Bryce! How are you, man?” Someone walks up to Bryce, and he looks strangely familiar.
“Hey, Luke, right?”
“Yes. Luke Stonewood.” The guy motions around the room.
“Holy shit, this is your place?” Bryce shakes his hand and follows Luke into the dining area, guiding me with a hand on my lower back.
“Yeah. It’s my first, and going pretty well, as you can see.” Luke stops at a table tucked away in a corner. “You going to introduce me to your friend? Or are you afraid I’ll hit on him?” he says with a wink.
I’m guessing he’s gay too, from the teasing.
“Luke, this is Bodie.”
“Hey, Luke.”
“Luke is a customer at The Garden. He and his boyfriend tend to eye-fuck each other all night, and I mess with him by—”
“By hitting on my boyfriend right in front of me.” Luke laughs as Bryce blushes.
“Umm, should I be jealous?” I take my seat as another guy approaches us. This one has dirty-blond hair with really pretty eyes—not as gorgeous as my Oz’s, though.
“No reason to be jealous. Luke is head over heels in love with Kaden.” The new guy sidles up next to Luke. “Gabe, Luke’s business partner. I recognize you from the bar. How are you guys?”
Seeing the two of them next to each other now, something clicks. Gabe was with the platinum-blond guy in the parking lot of The Garden a couple weeks ago, and Luke is the guy they were watching with, I suppose, his boyfriend, Kaden.
Heat rushes to my face as they start chatting, and I’m mentally back in that parking lot, watching Luke and Kaden fucking behind the Jeep. Even now, I feel like a creep thinking about that night. They had no care in the world for whether anyone was watching them. Luke carries himself with so much confidence, and while I never thought of myself as lacking confidence, damn, but I could never fuck like that out in the open. I can’t imagine Bryce is into that, but then again, I never knew he would be into a lacy jockstrap either. Hmmm.
“Babe, are you okay?” Bryce’s question bursts the bubble my mind got stuck in. “You look a little flushed.”
I fan myself with the menu. “Nope. I’m good. Just surrounded by a few gorgeous men.” What am I saying? Shut up, mouth.
Thankfully, they all laugh.
“Well, we’ll let you get to your dinner. Hope you’re hungry. Luke’s menu is to die for.” Gabe pats Bryce on the shoulder and waves goodbye as he walks off to the bar.
“Have a good night, guys. Enjoy your meal.” Luke leaves us alone, and I’m even more embarrassed about my comment.
Bryce leans into me, his lips brushing against my lobe. “Don’t you go flirting with every cute guy you see now. You don’t want to bail me out of jail, do you?”
“Nah. I’d leave you in there a little while and let you sweat it out.”
“You wouldn’t dare,” he says as he bites my earlobe and sits back in his seat. I love it when possessive Bryce comes out—I feel the same way about him. I’ve always felt a type of way about other guys around Bryce, but I was just too blind to see it for what it was at the time. I don’t know what I’d do if someone hit on Bryce right in front of me now. I know how I get with Drew, but he’s a whole different story—I’ve never liked him.
When Bryce gets his rare ribeye and does the little happy dance he does when he eats—he doesn’t even know he does it—it fills my heart with joy. I know how hard this last week has been for him with opening up like that and leaving himself vulnerable. Even if it was only with me, which should have been easy given our past, but I get it.
“Sorry I didn’t get you flowers and candy.” I smirk as he looks up from his steak.
“You know damn well I’d take a steak over flowers and candy any day. What’re you up to?”
I chuckle at his skepticism. “You have zero trust in me,” I joke, but Bryce’s lips go tight and his jaw tenses.
“I trust you, Bodie.”
Unspoken words settle between us when he reaches over, clasping my hand in his.
