But hell if Drew isn’t so damn attractive that I just about forget everything else. His sandy stubble is grown in a little more, and he’s dressed casually, sporting a tight pair of jeans and that blue T-shirt. I immediately start thinking about pulling the clothes off and getting him naked again. We barely got started exploring each other, and I’m still learning how Drew likes things.
I remember the feel of his body, pressed to mine.
“Drew,” I answer, then toss the rag in my hand aside. “Come on in.”
Grace runs over happily, jumping and barking. Drew laughs as he greets her, rubbing the back of her head. “Come on, girl. I’ve got to check out these machines.” I notice that Drew’s got a six-pack of beer in his hand, my brand, and warm satisfaction fills me.
“Down,” I command Grace, who falls back happily. I expect Drew to walk straight over to the machines, but he comes and throws his arms around my shoulders instead.
“Thank you, thank you,” he says, his voice tickling my ear. “I can’t believe you went and got these for me.”
The enthusiasm in his voice makes me wonder if I’m gone too far, made too big of a gesture. But when he steps back and I see the light shining in his eyes, I realize that even if that’s true, I don’t fucking care.
“Glad you’re happy.”
“Whoa,” Drew says with a laugh, then hurries into the garage. “Caesar, you cleaned them! And you set up the tools. And lights!”
I cross my arms over my chest while I watch him, spinning back and forth between the machines, all excited. It’s true that I have basically rearranged my garage around his project, now that I look at it. The two pinball machines are both in the center of the space, and I hauled out the tools he would need and put them on display. But that just makes more sense than having him bother me about it every time he needs something.
Drew spins back to face me. “This is amazing. Thank you so much!”
“Sure. You’re probably eager to get started messing around.”
He shakes his head, then holds up the beer. “Let’s have a drink first. Want one?”
I grunt my yes. “Inside?”
“It’s a nice night,” Drew says with a shrug. “Outside?”
The neighborhood is pretty quiet for a summer night, and the birds are chattering away. The garage door is rolled up and open to the street, so I drag one of the benches from the backyard over. “Take a seat.”
Drew hands me a beer, then surprises me with a kiss on the cheek before he sits on the bench. I know I have anaw shuckskind of expression on my face, so I try to hide it from him, eyeing the machines as we both sit down.
“You hauled them here by yourself?”
“Sure did.” I twist my beer open. “It wasn’t bad, though. That woman didn’t even come out and bother me, just watched me cursing from the window.”
Drew laughs. “Is there something I could do to say thanks? That must have taken you all day.”
Our eyes meet; then Drew grins. He’s got a mischievous look in his eyes, and that makes it all the harder to stop thinking about undressing him.
“Okay,” he teases. “There are lots of things I could do to say thanks.”
“Just do your thing with the machines. I’ll be happy to see you work. That’s all the reward I need.”
Drew lets out a soft sigh, still holding my eye. “You really do know how to say the perfect things, don’t you?”
“No one has ever accused me of that before you.”
He leans back on the wooden bench, opening his body to me. “That’s just because you’re a loner, so no one knows.”
“I’m a loner?”
“That’s what you told me last night.”
I try to think back to our conversation, and I’m pretty sure I never said that. “I know I’m twice your age, but I don’t think I’m losing my memory.”
Drew tilts his head to the side. “Wait, are you twice my age?”
