Page 182 of Captivated
Or maybe not. That’s a helluva lotta food for one person.
Then he heard the squeal of brakes. That had to be Teague bringing the rest of the gang. Zeeb stood to greet them.
Except it wasn’t them.
Nate hurried through the flowers. “Are you okay? What happened?”
Zeeb blinked. “Huh?”
“Teague came back and said you’d fallen and twisted your ankle, and that everyone was too busy to help get you to the hospital. I got in my car and came here as fast as I could, once he’d given me directions.” He held up a plastic bag. “I even brought ice.” He frowned. “You’re standing. On both feet. You don’t look hurt to me.”
Zeeb pointed to the ground. “We’ve been set up.”
Nate gazed at the basket for a few seconds before bursting into laughter. “All this for us? That’s so sweet. I guess we won’t be needing any ice then.” He set the bag down and sat on the blanket, grinning. “So let’s eat.” He removed all the boxes and opened them. “This looks amazing.” Then he looked at their surroundings. “I gave some of the yellow flowers to Diana. Do they have a name?”
Zeeb snickered. “We call ’em mule ears, on account of the leaves being long ‘n’ fuzzy like a mule’s ear. They’re soft to touch, cuz they’ve got these thin hairs on the surface of the leaf.”
“They look a little like sunflowers,” Nate remarked.
“They’re probably a relative. Birds, insects, rodents… they love ’em.”
“And what are these?” Nate pointed to the pink-flowered plants.
“That’s bitterroot, and it’s really an herb. It’s also the state flower.” Zeeb chuckled. “Do you want a lesson in botany, or would you rather eat?”
Nate’s stomach gave a loud rumble, and he laughed. “I think you’ve got your answer.”
Maybe it was being outside that made everything taste better. Except Zeeb had a feeling it was more to do with the company. They said nothing for several minutes, and when at last his hunger was assuaged, Zeeb let out a happy sigh.
“Damn. Matt did us proud.”
“There’s a note in here.” Nate held up a piece of paper.
“What does it say?”
He read it aloud, “Happy first date. You’re welcome. Teague.”
Zeeb laughed. Then Nate let out a gasp, and Zeeb regarded him with interest. “What else have you found?”
He raised his chin, his eyes wide. “There’s a bottle of lube in here.”
“Thank God,” Zeeb replied with a snort. “I was wondering if we could make do with chicken grease.” Nate’s lips parted, and he cackled. “That was a joke.” Then he glanced at Nate’s crotch.
Hoo boy.Someone was hard.
“Well, it doesn’thaveto be a joke,” he said with a grin.
There was that gasp again. “Here?” Nate adjusted his package.
Zeeb couldn’t manage a shrug. “Why not?”
“But… someone might see us.”
The way Nate’s chest rose and fell, the bloom on his cheeks, the raggedness of his breathing… All of that told Zeeb maybe Nate kinda liked the idea of getting caught.
“Think of it as an adventure.” Zeeb held out his hand. “Gimme the lube.” Nate reached into the basket, then handed him the bottle. Zeeb glanced at it and snorted. “Cherry-flavored edible lube?Cherry?”
“It’s appropriate, isn’t it?”
