Chapter 23

R oman tugged the door of the restaurant open and waited for Grant to go ahead of him. Unconsciously, he licked his lips as Grant sauntered past him in a plaid button-down and dark jeans. The overhead lights bounced off Grant's shiny brown locks, and Roman's hands twitched. He wanted to touch him. To tear his clothes off and drag his mouth over every gorgeous inch of him.

Since Roman didn't want to piss off Drystan by getting himself arrested for public indecency, he just stretched his arm out toward his other half. Grant turned his head and grinned as he snagged Roman's hand and intertwined their fingers. They stopped in the short line to wait for a table, and Roman cupped Grant's cheek. Their eyes met.

A mixture of affection and banked lust stirred in the bright green depths of Grant's beautiful eyes. Roman shifted, and Grant met him halfway for a soft kiss.

"I'm surprised you wanted to go out to dinner tonight," Grant said.

The couple ahead of them was led away to their table, so Roman had to wait to reply to his mate so they could secure seats for themselves. They were led to a booth, and Roman caressed Grant's waist briefly before his other half slid onto his side of the table.

Roman sat across from him and smiled.

"Of course we had to go out tonight," Roman said after the host melted into the crowd. "You were assigned your first big project."

"And here I was thinking you finally decided I needed to be wooed," Grant teased.

Immediately contrite for not wining and dining Grant, Roman grimaced. "Shit."

Grant laughed. "Hey, unless you count sucking you off on the couch, I haven't wooed you either."

"Believe it or not, knowing we're both bad at this isn't making me feel any better."

"It should. We're equal in everything…including our jobs now."

"Sorry."

Grant's gaze hardened. "I know you want to protect me. I appreciate the sentiment. If I was in a position where I could protect you, I'd probably do the same. But I have to prove myself. This is what I was resurrected for. What I trained for. I can do this. I promise."

"Hey, I know you can do this. I have no doubt you'll be the best damn VK among us."

The furrow of Grant's eyebrows spoke to his disbelief of Roman's words, but they were momentarily distracted by their server showing up. Neither of them had glanced at the menu yet, but at least it was easy to order their beers.

"I didn't realize that by denying you the chance to wade into the thick of things, you'd begin doubting your abilities."

Grant laughed, but it was strained. "That didn't start it. I've felt that way since before you even placed that VK patch on my uniform. The keeping me from doing shit like being on call just made it worse. But now, I can build my confidence. I need a chance to prove to myself more than anything that I can do this."

"I'm here to help, you know."

"Yeah, I know," Grant said. "I'll be using your expertise. Don't worry."

"Like in bed or work-related?"

As Roman had wished, Grant chuckled. "Yeah, both. Now, focus. I don't want to irritate our server. What are we ordering?"

"You're having pizza because Andra's is the best. I'll have pasta because, thanks to Chand, I can't eat pizza without wanting to swear."

"Okay?"

"Trust me, you won't be disappointed."

"Fine, pizza it is. So, why this restaurant? For the pizza?"

"I borrowed a bit of a tradition. It started with Alaric and Chand coming here for their first date. So did Arvandus and Albie. I figure if it worked for them, it'd be a great start for us too."

"Doesn't feel like we're just starting out. Is that stupid?"

Roman shook his head. "No. You were the puzzle piece missing from my life. I understood that before we met. But I never expected the way you'd snatch my heart."

"Have I?"

With a chuckle, Roman nodded. "Yeah. And we still have so much to learn about each other. Years and years to grow as a couple. It's crazy, but somehow, I'm more excited for the future each morning I wake up with you sprawled in our bed."

"Our bed?"

"Sorry, am I the only one who thinks it feels like our bed?" Roman asked, taken aback by Grant's reaction. Since the first night he'd finally tasted Grant, they hadn't slept apart. He'd assumed they were both equally happy curling up together until morning. But perhaps he'd been selfish. Grant's life was so new. Maybe he needed some space of his own to spread his wings. To gain the confidence Roman had just realized he somehow lacked in himself.

"It's been an unspoken thing that I'm sleeping over, so it's good to hear you call it that," Grant commented as relief rocketed through Roman.

"What do you have left at that apartment?"

"I bought some bagels. Turns out I'm more of a donut person."

Roman rolled his eyes. "Duh, you eat an entire box every morning and barely remember that your mate also likes them. You're paying rent for some bagels you're never going to eat? Bring them to the office. The vultures will descend and cart them off."

"Good idea. I guess I need to tell Kyle I've moved."

"Change whatever you want in the place. It's your home now too."

"Great. Put my name on the deed and tell me how much the mortgage is because I'm paying half."

Roman was irritated at Grant's ability to get straight to the point. Once again, Roman had time to mull over his response as the server returned with their drinks and took their orders. The moment the server sailed away, Roman leaned forward on the table.

"I chose that place and the high mortgage. Can't you pick up another expense?"

"I'm paying for half of everything. But I knew you were going to be a pain in the ass about the mortgage, so that's where we're starting."

"Ugh, how can I be simultaneously pissed off and turned on by your confidence and directness?"

"I'm serious, Roman."

"I wish we were home so I could distract you with sex," Roman muttered.

"You'd only be delaying the inevitable. I don't have a faulty memory. We'd return to this discussion the moment I had your come sliding down my throat."

"Tell me what it made you feel like when Drystan and Conley handed you this parade project."

"Roman," Grant stated in a tone that warned Roman he'd better get his shit together or he might get kicked to the couch later.

"I don't like it."

"Too bad."

It was a losing battle. Intellectually, Roman knew that. But the medieval part of him wanted so badly to provide everything for his other half.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" Roman asked. Although it perturbed him to allow Grant to pay for anything, Grant's need to be an equal partner was understandable.

"Yes."

"Fine. I was going to add your name no matter what."

"I know. But later, after I liberate the bagels and bring them to our place so I can take them to work in the morning, you'll show me how to pay my share of our mortgage."

"Absolutely not," Roman countered. "That discussion is waiting for morning. I'm doing some heavy wooing here. Later, the plan is to seduce if you're willing. If I play my cards right, we'll be way too busy to be discussing money or anything but where you want my hands and mouth."

"And your dick? Why don't I get a say in where he goes?"

Roman closed his eyes, and a mental picture of burying himself in Grant flowed into his brain. It was what he wanted. But something held him back. Until that moment, as Roman sat in a pretty Italian restaurant with red-and-white-checked tablecloths, he hadn't realized what was wrong. What Roman desired most was to have his soul united fully with Grant's, then feel the snug caress of Grant's channel as his mate came with Roman's cock deep inside him.

As he was swimming in a little wave of lust, the server returned with their food. Taking a deep breath, Roman set aside his delicious fantasy and inhaled deeply to appreciate the delightful spices of his spaghetti.

"Roman, are you going to answer me?" Grant asked quietly once they were alone again.

"Of course. I got distracted. I have a plan for what you want. Don't worry. But not tonight."

"Your way of trying to dictate things irritates me. But it also makes me tingly with pleasure because I know you care. That you want things to be special. Or to keep me from feeling overburdened like the work shit."

Roman twirled some pasta on his fork. "Consider this. We're the first couple of VKs. Which means we'll spend twice as many nights on call in our household as Arvandus and Samson. Yes, they share a house, but they're in separate rooms. Maybe I was trying to get in some additional weeks of sleep. Your phone goes off or mine and it's going to wake us both up."

"Okay, the thought of Arvandus and Samson not sleeping in separate rooms is making my brain hurt."

Roman laughed. "Albie would cut someone, and Brynn would be so annoyed no one would get cookies."

"You better not answer my phone if you wake up a few seconds before me."

"If you think I'm giving up sleep to do your job, you've lost your fucking mind," Roman assured Grant. "When I wake up first—because we both know I will since I do every morning—I'll make sure you get up and answer it."

"Don't be evil."

"I can't change my nature, Grant."

"This is the first time in our relationship I've wondered why I like you," Grant teased. "But that makes sense. We haven't been together that long. I'm sure as the months and years pass, I'll grow used to this feeling."

"I appreciate the optimism."

"Says the man ready to walk right out of here because I demanded he allow me to pay my share of our household expenses."

"I'm still adjusting to that," Roman grumbled. "How's your pizza, baby?"

"Delicious. Thanks for ordering me to pick it. Pasta good?"

Roman twirled another bite of his dinner around his fork and held it out for Grant. "Taste."

Grant smiled as he chewed and raised his eyebrows. Then he swallowed. "That is almost as good as my pizza. Fuck, you know what though? I forgot to check the dessert menu."

"No worries, we'll get some. They have several good options."

"Cool, we can each pick one and share."

"Absolutely. Can we talk about your big assignment now?"

"Sure, did you know about the parade?"

Roman shook his head. "Nope, we all heard about it together. I can barely remember the last Council parade. Maybe it was to celebrate our move to Vegas, so our part of the city wasn't that built up yet?"

"The route is the thing I think will impact personnel decisions, so I want to nail that down first. I'm guessing I'll learn a timeline for this whole thing at the committee meeting because Drystan and Conley mentioned nothing about it."

"Knowing how Council committees like to argue about everything, they probably need to fight over that, so I imagine you'll have a chance to get your opinion in there too."

"Good, because this isn't going to happen overnight."

"Yeah, honestly, the more time you have, the better."

"That's what I was thinking. Will Alaric feel that way too, you think?"

"I can't speak for him, but I imagine he'd be cautious. Text him. Tell him to go to Redmilla's tomorrow night. You can pick his brain and get on the same page before your committee meeting."

"The best thing about you, Roman, is that you're not just a pretty face," Grant teased, then blew him a kiss. "Thank you, I'll do that."

"You can reward me with some real kisses later."

"Trust me, I think about kissing you all fucking day long."

Roman chuckled. "Now you know what's on my mind during the day. I fantasize about your mouth. And all the rest of you, baby."

"They do to-go boxes here, right?"

"If you behave and stay here for dessert, I'll let you pay for half of dinner."

Grant laughed heartily. "Oh, Roman. You're hilarious. I was always going to pay for half of dinner."

Delighted that Fate had created a man who was strong, thoughtful, and sexy, Roman smiled. Grant was the other half of Roman's soul. The piece of him that had been missing for so long. And each day since Grant's resurrection, more affection for him grew in Roman's heart. Unfortunately, there was still a bit of the past that needed to be reconciled. But when would the right time present itself?