Luke hopped up off the floor and sat in the chair, pulling Nichole into his lap. She curled up on him and cried herself to sleep. After the sun came up a noise sounded behind Luke, so he glanced over his shoulder. Bryan leaned up against the doorjamb, his cock at half-mast.
Lust and something a little stronger flowed through Luke. The ‘something more’ scared the shit out of him because he didn’t want to want Bryan, not like that. Nichole’s words kept needling his mind, pricking him over and over again, bringing out the pain of loneliness. He didn’t have Bryan, the way Nichole thought he did. They were fuck buddies and nothing more. Hell, they hadn’t even been fuck buddies until last night. Emotions weren’t part of his life and they couldn’t be right now. He liked Bryan but he’d been screwed too many times to let emotions play into his decisions.
He placed his fingers on his lips, telling Bryan to be quiet. Luke gathered Nichole up in his arms and carried her to the bed. He placed her on her side and pulled the covers up over her. She rolled into a little ball and slept on, as though he hadn’t moved her.
He shut the bedroom door and joined Bryan in the kitchen. “Make yourself at home. I have eggs for breakfast.”
“Sounds great.” For a moment they stared at each other, the tension thick.
“Really, grab something to eat. I’m sure you’re starving. I could make you something—”
Bryan held up his hand. “No, I’ll cook. I actually enjoy cooking but haven’t done much since I moved.”
“Well, the pans are under the stovetop and the plates and bowls are in the cabinet by the sink.”
Bryan nodded and opened the fridge. He stared at the food for a moment before he pulled out eggs and bell peppers. Already, Luke liked the man.
“The other night, that was the first time I’ve ever seen you at Silver Lace,” Luke said.
Bryan stopped cracking eggs into a bowl and glanced over his shoulder at Luke. A flash of pain flitted across Bryan’s face, then was covered by indifference.
“That’s because I’ve never been there.”
“That’s a shame. How come?” Luke asked.
Bryan started to cut the vegetables, but moved to the higher bar area, as if he realised how close the knife was to his cock. Luke thought Bryan had forgotten about his question, but then Bryan turned around to face him. The pain was back again, etched across his face, his eyes glassy with anger.
“I was in this relationship for the last few years. It ended recently, so I went out.”
“Did you find what you were looking for?” The question was loaded. Luke knew better than to ask if people liked him. He wished he could take the words back.
Bryan glanced away from Luke, sending an unwelcome chill down Luke’s back. That look said it all. Bryan didn’t need to answer. Just like always, Luke had never been more than a pretty thing to others. They didn’t appreciate anything deeper than his appearance.
“No, I found something different,” Bryan said, his gaze shifting back to Luke’s.
“What do you mean?” Luke held his breath. Did Bryan like something about him other than his beauty?
“I certainly wasn’t expecting to find a man. I gave that up in college. I was happy with my girlfriend. Very happy.”
“So you wanted to get fucked and you got fucked. Who cares if it was with a guy?”
Bryan spun back to the stovetop, turned the burner on and let it heat up. After using some oil, he dropped in the vegetables and let them simmer for a minute or so. He added the eggs next, stirring them around with a spoon, his shoulders stiff.
Luke waited for Bryan to answer, to prove his assumptions that no one would ever find him special right. Bryan had no idea who Luke was. But what if he’d been wrong about that and Bryan knew exactly who he was? Hell, Luke had been taken advantage of so often, he wouldn’t give a shit if this guy had taken him for a ride too.
Bryan grabbed two plates and served up the eggs. He placed both plates on the bar and handed a fork to Luke.
“I found more than I was looking for. I can’t explain it. I think I’m stupid for saying that, mainly because you’re a dude and I’m a dude, but hell, I don’t know what to do.”
Luke’s chest went tight. He took a bite of the eggs. Bryan had experienced the feeling too. He hadn’t been imagining the connection. His mind stalled at the possibilities.
“You’re not saying much,” Bryan said.
Luke took another bite of his eggs. “I’m stalling.”
“Why?”
“I don’t want to jinx what we have.”
Bryan put down his fork and reached for Luke’s arm, but didn’t actually touch him. “What’s going on here?” Bryan asked, his voice laced with stress.