I slowly reached up and cupped Wade’scheek, trailing my fingers over the soft, barely there scruff. “I don’t thinkyou’ll ever understand how jealous I was of him and how I had to fight that. Inmy mind you two were so perfect together I would have just destroyed that.”
Wade tilted his head, pressing his faceinto my hand as he smiled. “Is that why you were always so careful with me? Youwere always such a gentleman and I think that’s what made Matthew’s fantasiesso dirty.”
“Just Matthew’s?” I could feel his faceheating as he blushed.
“No.” I could hear the nervousness in hisvoice, but his actions told another story. He stepped closer and rested hishead against my shoulder. “Not just his, but I’ll admit he was the one whowould’ve pushed for it if he’d have known you were a Dom too. But I would’vewanted it too. He was simply more daring.”
Wrapping my arms around him, I slowlytightened my grip until he was pressed against me. “I would have been blownaway if he’d said anything, but once my brain started working again, I would’veloved to have gotten to know both of you deeper. Not just the surface, publicside of your relationship.”
Wade lifted his head and kissed my cheekbefore resting against me again. “We would have liked that…but that was thepast.”
He took a deep breath and looked up at meagain. “But what about now? Do you want to get to know me deeper now or hasthat moment passed?”
Chapter 9
Wade
The fucking oven timer decided it was theperfect moment to go off. Griffin shot it a look like he was ready to chuck thewhole thing out the window. It probably wasn’t the right time for laughter, butit was too funny.
His frustrated gaze turned back to me. “Iwas going to say something romantic and touching, damn it.”
That would have been sweet, but this sideof him said more about how real life would go than anything else. “How about Itell you that you look cute when you’re frustrated and then we turn off theoven?”
He chuckled, then leaned closer and kissedmy forehead. “I’m starting to see why Tristan was flogging you.”
I grinned. “I’m so sweet, it was myreward.”
“Of course you are.” Griffin’s hand ranover my head as he took a step back. “Okay, I’m going to finish getting dinnerready, then we’re going to talk.”
My heart was still pounding, but the lookhe gave me was full of happiness and a bit of wickedness, so I was fairlycertain there wasn’t anything to worry about. “Deal.”
If I could wait that long.
Patience wasn’t really my strong suit.
His thumb trailed down my cheek before hestepped away. “Dinner.”
It seemed to be an internal reminder,nothing that I had to worry about, so I just smiled. He let out a long breathand nodded before heading over to the oven. Once he got his brain going inanother direction, he was efficient and dinner was soon ready.
He’d taken me at my word when I’d told himI wanted to be bribed with Italian. Caprese salad started us off, then stuffedshells, and finally dessert. By the time dinner was over I was going to have toroll home. “That was delicious.”
He chuckled. “Are you sure you don’t wantanother piece of tiramisu? I saw you eyeing it.”
I groaned. “No, don’t even talk aboutfood.”
Griffin seemed pleased to have stuffed mesilly. If we kept seeing each other, even if it was just as friends, I wasgoing to need to start working out more or none of my clothes would fit.
And Austin would kill me if the cute stuffhe’d bought me for the club wouldn’t fit.
“I’ll pack you some leftovers before youleave. Then you can have more tomorrow.” He laughed when I couldn’t decidewhether I was happy about that or I should complain.
“You’re clearly trying to give me a heartattack so we don’t have to finish our discussion.” I surprised myself with myforwardness, but something about Griffin made me feel safe to say whatever cameto mind.
His smile turned a bit wicked as he leanedforward and braced his arms on the table. “No, I wouldn’t want that, butputting you in a food coma might make you more agreeable to anything Isuggest.”
“That is a distinct possibility.” Then, maybebecause I was too full to have any blood left in my brain, I leaned forward andgave him a wicked smile. “But you might just have made me too sleepy to doanything but talk after our discussion…” I let the silence build for a second.“Because I know you were thinking about going on a walk with me.”
Quietly chuckling, he nodded. “Yes, that’sexactly what I’ve been imagining for years.”
