Red Hot(Sex & Mayhem #5)(92)

Without his eyebrows, Jack looked weirdly threatening, which in turn, Loki found ridiculously hot. The medical disaster had to be fresh in Jack’s mind, because he kept spacing out, fidgeting and losing focus, but maybe it was just about being in a place meant for gay people.

Loki drank more of the thick, sweet milkshake and gently nudged Jack with his elbow. “What’s up?”

Jack gave him a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Ah, nothing, just thinking. You like it here?”

Loki nodded, trying to think of a way to loosen Jack up. Seeing him so anxious made Loki tense on the inside, especially now that the failure of earlier that day was once again settling on both their minds. Having hope was such a shitty thing. Loki of all people should have known better. “Can I move closer?”

“Y—yeah.” Jack had a look around, but he’d also taken other precautions on this trip. He took the car instead of his bike, and didn’t wear his cut. They were also out of town so the probability of anyone recognizing him was pretty slim. “You wanna eat something? We’ve got shitloads of money from the doc.”

Loki shifted so close they were thigh to thigh, and he put his arm behind Jack’s back. Just being close like that made him feel so good on the inside. He kissed Jack’s shoulder and rested his cheek against it. “Yes. What do you want me to eat?”

Jack laughed in the sweetest, most nervous way. It was a kind of sound Loki would expect from a schoolboy, not an outlaw biker who buried people in concrete. Jack didn’t flinch from the touch either.

“I’ll order some cake. Wait here.”

Loki chuckled. “With that much cash on you, I expect it to be the cake of my life.” He stilled, listening to his own heartbeat as they both froze, looking into each other’s eyes. Loki exhaled and dared to lean in even farther, kissing Jack’s cheek.

The grin he got in return was better than the blow job he gave Jack back in the car. “It will be.” With those words, Jack got up and walked off.

Loki slurped on his shake, hunched over the table as he let his gaze trail after Jack’s muscular back. He was so big in all the right places, a man-mountain trailing through the diner and gathering stares. Loki congratulated himself as he savored the thick, creamy drink. Yes, that guy was here with him, which made him the luckiest man in the world, no matter how cliché that was.

His eyes followed Jack all the way to the bar, where he leaned over to talk to a waiter in drag. Loki then looked around the whole diner, taking in the atmosphere. He was trying hard to relax, but just as he managed to untangle the knots in his shoulders with yet another shrug, his gaze skimmed over a familiar face. A handsome brunet with wavy hair and tan skin. The guy used to periodically spend days at a time on Ted’s sofa, and was great at sucking cock.

Loki’s mouth dried, and he briefly remembered Jack’s jealousy in the morning. It had felt good to be considered such a prize, and a naughty voice at the back of Loki’s mind whispered for him to acknowledge Arturo, have him come over and give Jack a reason to get territorial again. But then Loki thought of the uncertainty in Jack’s eyes, about the tender, loving sex from the previous night, about Jack’s desperation to keep Loki alive, and so Loki turned his back to Arturo. He would not intentionally hurt Jack ever again.

Jack came back without a cake but with a smirk that had Loki frowning.

“You ready for your cake?” he asked, and before Loki could answer, five waiters began walking their way, one carrying a small cake with a sparkler burning in the middle. They all sang Happy Birthday, and the few other people in the diner quickly joined in.

Loki stared at Jack, completely taken aback. There went his plan of being inconspicuous and go unnoticed by Arturo. It wasn’t even close to his birthday, and yet those people were celebrating it with him. Loki choked up, his face growing hotter with each passing second. “Oh. My. God,” he whispered, grabbing Jack’s hand.

Jack just sat there with a smug smile and entwined their fingers as the waiter put the cake in front of Loki. The man lit the candles with a bright, white smile and encouraged Loki to make a wish.

Loki took a shuddery breath, and all of a sudden, he was both gloriously happy and torn apart by a flash of heat piercing his chest. He looked straight into Jack’s eyes and squeezed his hand. The connection between them was so intense no words were needed. When the smile on Jack’s face faltered slightly, Loki knew Jack understood that there was just one thing Loki could wish for. To stay with Jack forever.

He blew the candles out in one go.

Applause from the staff and guests erupted around them, and Jack pulled his hand away so he could clap too. In the end, the waiters left them with the cake, and Arturo winked at Loki from afar, but fortunately, Jack didn’t notice the silent exchange.