Thirty-One

Friday, February 9, 2024

—Would y'all be up to letting mecook you dinner tonight?

—Nico will be there, but I've got plans with my dad. Y'all have fun, though.

—I'm not a sure thing yet. Depends on what you're making me.

—Chicken or steak. Your choice.

—I'll always choose steak.

—Steak, it is. Baked potato?

—Definitely.

—Wine?

—Leave the drink to me.

—You sure you won't join us, Stevie?

—I think you boys need a night alone together.

—If you say so.

Several hours later…

Stone stood in the kitchen, staring at the closed lid of the countertop grill that had become his best friend over the years. He loved this damn thing. It had been a while since he'd had a reason to use it. While on the Double J, most of his meals had been consumed at the Johnsons' main house because Leah had insisted on it. Since it kept him from having to spend money on groceries, Stone hadn't objected.

Had the weather been better, he would've borrowed his dad's fancy Traeger grill he was so proud of, but it was sleeting, and his father would've shit monkeys at even the suggestion of that grill getting wet.

So here he was, flipping ribeyes in the kitchen. Baked potatoes were in the oven, and plates were waiting for both on the counter. The only thing he was missing was the wine or whatever drink Nico chose. Oh and Nico. He wasn't there yet.

Although Stone called Stevie an hour after that text exchange in an attempt to change her mind, she stuck to her guns, insisting she really did want to talk to her father tonight over dinner. Plus, she insisted he and Nico deserved some alone time. He hadn't argued because he was looking forward to spending time with Nico. He simply wished Stevie was coming, too.

Stone did his best not to look at the clock. It was almost seven thirty, which meant Nico was more than fashionably late. There was a good chance he wasn't coming, which was the only reason Stone had started cooking. At the very least, the food wouldn't go to waste. He could heat it up for lunch tomorrow.

As the thought flittered in his mind, headlights sliced through the darkness outside, blinding Stone momentarily as someone pulled up to the barn. He waited until the headlights turned off before looking out again. A sigh of relief escaped him when he saw it was Nico's truck.

A minute later, he was opening the door as Nico stomped his boots on the mat before coming inside carrying J?ger in his arms.

"Sorry I'm late."

"Jesus, you're soakin' wet."

Nico turned back to go outside. "Sorry about the floor."

"I'm not worried about the floor," Stone told him, grabbing his arm and urging him deeper into the house.

"I shoulda gone home to change." Nico placed J?ger on the floor. "Mrs. Jeffries called. Asked me to come by and cover her plants. Begged me, really."

J?ger took off for parts unknown.

Stone grinned. "I didn't realize you make house calls. I'll keep that in mind."

"She's eighty-seven and calls me up every year to have me add somethin' to her yard. Devoted customer. I couldn't tell her no."

"Here, let me take your coat. I'll toss it in the dryer."

Nico shrugged out of his coat. His shirt and jeans were both dark from the water.

"You wanna jump in the shower to warm up?"

Nico started pulling off one boot. "Nah. I'll be—"

"At least change into somethin' of mine," Stone told him, gesturing toward the bedroom. "I've got sweatpants and shit in the closet."

Nico swallowed, his gaze sliding toward the bedroom.

"Go," Stone said firmly. "Bring back the wet clothes. I'll toss them in the dryer, too."

He hesitated again, but only for a moment before doing as he was told.

It was impossible not to watch the man walk away, admiring his ass in those damn jeans. The guy looked good enough to eat.

Thankfully, Stone had the presence of mind not to follow him. Instead, he carried Nico's jacket to the laundry room and opened the dryer. When he turned around, he nearly stepped on J?ger, having to dance around the little guy to avoid a collision. He laughed as he leaned down and rubbed his little head.

"I'm gonna have to pay attention, huh? You're just so damn little. I don't—Oh, shit," Stone huffed, hurrying back to the kitchen island. He lifted the lid on the grill and found the steaks hadn't burned. Thank God.

He flipped them once more before closing the lid. When he looked down, he found J?ger staring up at him with those big brown eyes, his little nose twitching as he sniffed the air.

"What's up, little guy? You need somethin'?"

Realizing the puppy was wet, Stone grabbed a hand towel out of the drawer and rubbed the water off J?ger's back and head.

"Better?" Stone laughed when J?ger attempted to steal the towel.

Footsteps sounded on hardwood, so Stone stood tall. Nico approached wearing a pair of dark gray sweatpants and a dark blue long-sleeve T-shirt. His hair was mussed as though he'd just crawled out of bed. He tried to remember if that was what Nico looked like when he woke up in the morning. He honestly hadn't been paying attention when he'd stayed over. Too many other things had been going on. But now he had a raging desire to spin the man around, lead him back to the bedroom, get him into the bed, and keep him there until morning simply so he could do the comparison later.

"Dryer's in there," Stone told him, gesturing toward the laundry room at the far end of the kitchen. "I hope you're hungry."

"Starvin'. Skipped lunch when I realized the weather was turnin' bad."

Yeah, they were expecting ice on the roads tonight. That was never a good thing around these parts. Because they didn't get snow on a regular basis, there wasn't an abundance of salt or sand trucks to take care of the roads, so getting out in it was a gamble.

"How do you like your steak? Before you answer that, you should know they're well past raw, so medium or well?"

"Medium-well's fine."

"Good. Me, too. Food should be ready in—" Stone's words died when he saw more headlights coming toward the barn.

Nico's attention also shifted to the window. "Expectin' company?"

"Nope."

Hope sprung eternal. Maybe Stevie had changed her mind.

Neither of them said anything until the headlights turned off, the outdoor flood light doing its job of outlining the vehicle.

"That's Brady's SUV," Stone told Nico.

A minute later, Reilly bounded up the porch, holding a coat over her head. She rapped knuckles on one of the glass panes before opening the door and coming inside.

"Hi!" Her gaze flitted between Stone and Nico.

Stone wanted to ask why she was there, but the only sound that came out was, "Uh…"

"Hey, Reilly," Nico greeted.

She gave a small wave, then looked at Stone, cocking one eyebrow. "Don't worry. I'm not stayin'."

"Did you need somethin'?"

Her smile was so wide it was a wonder her face didn't split. "I saw Stevie at the store earlier. She said you had a date tonight."

Why did he feel like he had that one time he'd been in his parents' living room, watching a movie with … God, he couldn't even remember her name … and his parents came home. He'd had his hands down what's her name's pants beneath the blanket when his dad decided to take a seat because he "loved this movie," or so he said. Needless to say, what's her name didn't come over again after that.

This was very much like that—a perfectly good evening made awkward by family stopping in unexpectedly.

"That's what this is, right?" Reilly glanced between them. "A date?"

"Yup," he answered, doing his best not to clear his throat and give away his discomfort.

"I thought I'd come by and offer to babysit."

Stone frowned.

"The puppy," she said, clearly recognizing Stone's confusion.

As though J?ger realized he was the topic of conversation, he hopped toward her, tail wagging.

"Oh, my God! You're just so darn cute. And big. You're a growin' boy, huh?" Instantly, she was on her knees, pulling J?ger into her arms so she could cuddle him and shower him with kisses.

Reilly looked at Nico. "Would you mind?" She clasped her hands together as though praying. "I promise I'll bring him back tomorrow."

Stone looked at Nico. "I swear I had nothin' to do with this."

Nico flashed a grin. "It's fine. Just warnin' you, he's a handful. You can't take your eyes off him for a second, or he'll chew up whatever you didn't want chewed up."

"My whole night's gonna be dedicated to him." Reilly addressed Nico. "I've been beggin' Brady to let me have a puppy since you brought him to the store. This is gonna be a trial run. That way, y'all don't have to worry about him while you're … uh … eating."

Nice save, Rye.

"Totally up to you," Stone told Nico. "He'll be fine here."

"No, it's cool. I … um … I brought a bag with some food. It's in the truck."

Stone couldn't hide his grin, especially since the color was rising in Nico's cheeks, and he wouldn't look at him. Had he anticipated staying the night? Enough that he made the dog an overnight bag? Damn, that was cute.

"Yay!" Reilly scooped J?ger up into her arms. "You hear that? We're gonna have a slumber party!"

"Truck's unlocked," Nico told her.

"I'll text you in the mornin'. Or you can text me so I can bring him home."

"Thanks, Rye," Stone told her as he followed her to the door, opening it for her.

"Yup. Have fun. Don't do nothin' I would do."

He laughed, watching as she hurried down the steps to Nico's truck. She opened the rear door, closed it a moment later, then hurried to the SUV, getting into the backseat instead of the front. The headlights came on a second later.

"I swear I had nothin' to do with that," Stone told him again as he went to the grill.

"No, but I think Stevie did." Nico shook his head, grinning. "It's the same thing Niyah would've done if she were here."

"She wants us to be alone, huh?"

Nico chuckled, then grabbed the bag he'd brought in with him. "I picked up a bottle of wine. The guy at the store said to let it breathe. I don't have a clue what that even means."

Stone laughed. "I thought you said you liked red wine."

"Stevie's a fan. I've only had it once. I just wanted to see how far you were willin' to go."

Stone met his gaze, unable to hide the fact that the simple statement lit him up from the inside. "You might come to regret that later."

Nico's sharp inhale made him smile.

***

Nico was nervous, and he had noidea why.

It wasn't like he hadn't been on a date in a year or anything.

Oh, wait. He hadn't. He didn't count his outings with Stevie because they did everything as friends. And they hadn't had a chance for anything formal since they shifted their relationship status into the more serious range. Aside from sleeping in his bed every night and fucking like rabbits, nothing had really changed.

And it had been significantly longer since he'd been on a date with a man. He could count on one hand how many of those he'd had in his lifetime. None of them had been remarkable or worth a repeat.

"You ready to eat?" Stone asked as he pulled the steaks off the small grill.

Even if he weren't, he would've said yes because he needed something to do other than stand there like a complete fool.

"Can I help with anything?" he offered, still holding the wine bottle.

"Nope. Just take a seat."

Nico pulled out one of the bar stools since those were his only options.

"Not that one," Stone said.

Nico frowned and moved to the next one.

"Or that one."

Realizing there was amusement in Stone's voice, Nico turned to look at him.

The guy was smiling, and damn if that smile didn't amp up his sinfulness to the nth degree. Stone Jameson was by far the most attractive man Nico had ever laid eyes on—dark hair, chiseled features, and a smile that warned of devilish deeds to come. And yeah, maybe Nico was a little biased since Stone had quite literally altered the course of his life in one single night. He'd opened Nico's eyes to things he never knew about himself—and yeah, even a few things he'd suspected. In doing that, he'd allowed Nico to connect so many dots.

"You can sit anywhere you want," Stone said, his eyes glittering with mirth.

Nico took a seat in his second selection, then got up almost instantly to grab the glasses that were sitting on the counter. Before he sat, he poured wine into both.

Until that night, with Stone and Stevie, Nico hadn't realized he was gay. Well, technically, bisexual was probably a better term since he was quite fond of women, too. One in particular. However, after that night, he realized he had a preference. Not so much for a gender specifically, but rather a particular aspect of his encounters. His night with Stone and Stevie had opened his eyes to what it felt like to be truly dominated by someone. For years, he'd hoped to find it again, but he learned that most women, and even the few men he'd been with, expected him to play that alpha role. He could, and he did, but it only took a few times to realize he preferred to be on the opposite side. At least when he was with a man.

Stone placed one of the plates directly in front of him.

"Thanks."

When Stone was walking around the island, Nico found himself admiring how the man moved. He still had that swagger that Nico had admired when he was a teenager. The guy carried himself like he was completely comfortable in his own skin. But why wouldn't he? From what he could tell, Stone accepted who he was, faults and all. Another thing Nico had admired about him back in the day.

"Thought we'd watch a movie after," Stone said when he returned with a second plate.

"What'd you have in mind?" he asked, wanting to contribute something to the conversation.

"Depends on your mood."

Nico's gaze slid up to meet Stone's. That damn smirk was plastered on his face.

"You have any musicals?"

Stone barked a laugh. "Not on hand, but I'm sure we could find somethin'. If you're really into musicals."

"I'm not," he admitted, chuckling. "Just wanted to see your reaction."

"Baby, if you wanna watch a musical, I'm all for it."

Baby?No one had ever called him that before. His ex-fiancée had called him honey, but it never sounded like that. As though the words were an actual sex act.

"You mentioned your sister earlier," Stone said as he began cutting his steak. "How's she doin'? You said they moved to California. For work?"

Nico nodded. "Adam got a job at Primal Instincts."

Stone's fork paused near his mouth. "They make workout equipment, right? Those exercise bikes everyone's goin' crazy for?"

"Yeah. He's some kind of computer whiz. Coding and shit."

"So he moved to California to do it?"

Nico nodded, chewed. "Niyah's always wanted to move outta Texas. And accordin' to Adam, the amount of money they're payin' him is insane. Why wouldn't they?"

"What about you? You ever had the desire to move halfway across the country?"

"No." Nico reached for his wineglass. "I prefer the devil I know."

Stone smirked again, and Nico realized how that sounded.

Thankfully, Stone didn't call him on it.

The rest of the meal went like that: small talk that never ventured into anything too deep or meaningful. Two old friends catching up, but neither bringing up a subject that might cast a light on their history together.

It probably should've been awkward, but Nico felt comfortable with Stone. The guy was one of those people who could weed out your deepest, darkest secret before you even realized you were telling him all the sordid details. He was easy to talk to.

Probably a little tooeasy, which was how Nico found himself staring at Stone, attempting to process the question he'd just asked: Have you ever been in a serious relationship with a man?

"I didn't mean for it to be difficult," Stone said with a chuckle as he pushed his empty plate away and poured more wine into his glass.

"No, it's um…" Nico shook off the surprise and shook his head. "No, I haven't."

"Because that's not your preference? Or because the opportunity didn't arise?"

Nico reached for his wineglass and downed what was left, then held it out when Stone reached for the bottle.

"Didn't arise," he said, watching as Stone poured the rest of the wine into his glass.

"Prefer a safer topic?" Stone asked, sounding as though he was thoroughly enjoying Nico's discomfort.

"What about you?" Nico asked, turning the tables. "You been in a serious relationship with a man?"

"No," he answered easily. "Nor with a woman. Only Stevie."

"Never?"

"Never."

"Allergic to commitment?"

"When I was younger, maybe. Until Stevie," Stone answered as though Nico hadn't been goading him. "As I got older, the idea of one didn't make me violently ill." He laughed, rinsing the plates in the sink. "But I never found what I was lookin' for."

"Because you'd already found it. And left it behind."

Stone's discomfort was etched on his handsome face.

"Sorry. That was uncalled for."

"But true," Stone conceded.

Nico swallowed hard. "And what are you lookin' for, Stone? Now, I mean."

Those mischievous hazel eyes locked right on Nico when he said, "Nothin'."

Nico frowned.

A smirk pulled at Stone's wicked mouth. "I don't have to look anymore. Like you said, I've already found it."

It was a wonder Nico didn't go up in flames.