“Sure. If it won’t bother,” Raul said, looking back and forth between them.
“We’re in the same hotel.” Joaquim headed for the truck, stepping out in front of them.
Watching Raul watch Joa could become his third favorite thing to do. Joa watching Raul was pretty much second. Balta fell into step with Raul, letting them both take in the view. Joa whistled, bouncing as he walked. Second in the round went a huge way to making Joaquim happy. A huge way.
“Soon he’ll be dancing,” Balta said in a stage whisper. “He’s much cuter in private than he is in the arena.”
A dark flush stained Raul’s cheeks, those oddly light brown eyes cutting to him, then back to Joa. “Mm-hmm.”
That tight ass wiggled, just shaking in the jeans along with the song Joa whistled. “Y’all hungry?”
His dear Joaquim, still more Texan than Brazilian.
“I could eat,” Raul said, his voice at least an octave deeper than it had been.
Balta grinned hugely. What bliss. Watching Joa eat when he was in a good mood was better than porn. “Sure,na—Joa. Sure. We’ll eat.”
Joaquim hooted, throwing his gear in the truck. “Hotel? IHOP? There’s a twenty-four-hour thing on the way?”
“That sounds good.” No one would be watching, and most of the other riders would be a half hour or so behind them. Balta caught Raul’s confused look and translated. Joa had been jabbering and had switched to English again.
“Ah.” Raul tossed his bag in the truck, too, bumping Joaquim’s hip. “I like the smaller places.”
Joaquim’s blush flared again, that grin sudden and sweet. “Sim, sim. Nice and quiet. I could eat twice.”
“You worked off a lot of energy, huh? You had to pull yourself back to middle.” Balta let his hand brush Joa’s ass as he went by. Then he grabbed a bit of Raul’s, reveling in that jump and shocked look.
“He wanted me off, bad.” Joaquim climbed into the driver’s side. The big pickup roared to life, music pouring from the radio.
“He did.” Instead of putting Raul in the back, Balta climbed in and stretched out sideways, letting his back rest some, and Raul could have the front. Oh, that was pretty, the two of them together. His plan was better than he thought. They turned the music down and Joaquim and Raul talked, Joa remembering to slip back into Portuguese. Raul had a fine laugh and a good manner with Joa, friendly and careful. Balta just enjoyed the lowhum of the motor, the thump of the music in the background, and the rise and fall of their voices. Raul’s was surprisingly high and light, considering his barrel chest, Joa’s lower, as familiar as breathing.
Joaquim pulled into a diner, the place mostly empty. “This good?” Those warm, dark eyes smiled at him from under the brim of that dark hat.
“Mm-hmm. Looks perfect.” They’d seen enough cars there before to know it had good food.
Raul peered back at him when he stepped out of the truck. “You need some help, Balta? You look stiff.”
How earnest. How could he pass that up? He did his best to seem a little pitiful. “Sim. Just give me a hand, huh?”
Joaquim watched them like a hawk, eyes on Raul’s hands, on him.Deus, it was hot.
Moaning, he stretched and bent as soon as he got out on the asphalt, bending side to side. “I’m getting old.”
“Not that old,” Raul said, laughing a booming laugh and clapping him on the back. “He still has plenty of ride, no, Joaquim?”
“Sim, sim. Years and years.” Joaquim’s voice sounded raw, as if he’d made hisnamoradoscream.
He was worried that maybe he’d pushed it too far, but when he met Joa’s eyes there was nothing but heat there. Nothing but a lot of confused lust.
“I’m starving,” Raul said, leading the way until they got to the door of the restaurant, then holding the door for them.
“You okay, Balta? This okay?” His Joa worried so.
Moving close, he let their bodies touch all along one side, hips brushing. “It’s fine,namorado. I like Raul. So do you,sim?”
“Sim. He’s a good man. Lonesome, you know?” Joaquim smiled at him, eyes warm and happy. “Second in the round, Balta.Finally.”
“You did good,amato. Real good.” They got to the door, where Raul seemed kind of uncertain again, that smile very lukewarm. “Didn’t he, Raul? Joa can ride.”
