Rico (Cock & Bull #2)

Chapter 1

Rico Demara’s thumb hovered over the send button on the text he just typed out

It should’ve been a no-brainer to say yes to a night of mindless fucking with no strings attached that he occasionally enjoyed with Basil Landry

The two men had been acquaintances for years, following a random hookup one night

Rico wouldn’t go so far as to say they were friends since ninety percent of their time together was spent getting each other off

He knew the basics about Basil—his name, age, phone number, his occupation—mechanic—and the fact he never fucked anyone without a condom, nor did he smoke or do drugs

He also had an incredibly talented mouth, but beyond all that, Rico knew little about the man

He had no idea if Basil had brothers or sisters, if he had any family he was close to, or even if he was originally from San Francisco or had grown up somewhere else before moving to the Bay Area

Basil knew just as little about Rico

It’s how the two men preferred to keep their relationship. Whenever they both found themselves unattached, they hooked up—plain, simple, and uncomplicated.

Rico wouldn’t have hesitated if it was any other night than Wednesday

His staff at the Cock & Bull, the pub he owned, could handle things while he took the rest of the night off, so that wasn’t why he wavered in his response to Basil

Nope, the reason why he couldn’t press that damn button was because he might walk in.

He was a six-foot-two, two-hundred-pound, delicious man named Evan

Rico didn’t even know the guy’s last name, but that hadn’t stopped Rico from lusting after him

Evan came in like clockwork every Wednesday night at six thirty for the past seven weeks

He sat at the end of the bar, ordered a burger or sandwich for dinner, had a few beers, and chatted with the staff and other patrons

If the Giants played a baseball game that night, he watched it on the large-screen TVs above the bar, cheering and groaning with everyone else, depending on whether the local team was winning or losing.

He was in his late thirties, with a fine physique, and was so damn good-looking, he made Rico’s mouth water

With light-brown hair, chocolate-colored eyes, and classic features, he garnered the attention of men and women alike but never returned their interest—at least not that Rico had noticed

Evan always seemed a bit shy whenever anyone hit on him, but he never appeared insulted if it was a guy

In fact, Rico knew some of the regulars were trying to figure out whether Evan was gay, straight, or bi without coming right out and asking him

Either way, it wouldn’t bother anyone since the Cock & Bull was an all-inclusive establishment catering to many in the LBGTQ+ community.

Over the past year and a half, the C&B had become a popular place for both locals and tourists, no matter their sexual orientation

Occasionally, the bouncers needed to kick out a few bigots, who somehow missed the prominent pride flag in the front bay window, but it didn’t happen often.

If Rico had to guess, Evan was in the closet

Several times, while looking through the reflection in the mirror behind the bar, Rico caught Evan eyeing him with a lustful expression that would quickly disappear again before anyone else would notice

Rico even tried a little subtle flirting with the guy last week, but all Evan did was blush, finish his beer, and say he needed to get home.

It drove Rico nuts that he couldn’t get a read on the guy, and the last thing he wanted was to be someone’s experiment or dirty little secret

But he couldn’t stop watching the door and the clock, waiting for Evan to stroll in.

He was just about to say fuck it and hit send on his phone when the object of his growing obsession arrived, looking yummy in faded snug jeans and a royal blue Henley

Evan greeted the hostess, Elena, as he did each week, then headed for an open stool at the end of the bar.

Since the other bartender, Austin Haynes, was busy making some mixed drinks, Rico poured a Coors Light draft, ambled over to Evan, and set it down in front of the man, who chuckled

“Thanks, Rico

If you know what I want before I even order it, I guess this means I’m a regular now.”

Rico hated how much it turned him on to hear this man say his name in that rumbling voice that he felt all the way down to his toes

And what was up with his cock’s reaction to Evan’s statement about knowing what he wanted? If the man knew what Rico really wished Evan wanted from him, he’d probably leave and never come back.

Why the fuck did he have to be attracted to the closeted ones? Been there, done that, had the bruises on his heart to remind him it was a bad idea to get involved with any guy who was too mortified to admit he was into men and not women.

Rico forced himself to treat the hunk like all the other patrons. “Guess so. Want a menu?”

Evan glanced at one of the boards hanging on the walls around the restaurant, announcing the night’s specials. “Nah, don’t bother. The whiskey burger sounds good—I’ll have that. Medium rare, please.”

“You got it.”

Thankfully, the next few hours were busy because it kept Rico from constantly ogling Evan, although he had to suffer through watching him get hit on by two men and one woman

Perverse satisfaction stole through Rico when all three were shot down—politely, of course.

Around nine p.m., Rico’s friends Scout Turner and Alex Shepherd walked in, surprising him because of the late hour

Scout was a self-made millionaire and the founder and CEO of Turner Continental, which owned several hotels and apartment complexes, including the Paradox Hotel & Residencies across the street from the Cock & Bull

The hotel took up the first twenty-eight floors, while condos occupied the next fourteen

Rico lived on the thirty-second floor, while Scout and Alex’s home was one of two penthouses.

He and Scout had known each other since they met when their separate elementary schools were funneled into one middle school

When Rico’s parents were killed in a car accident at the end of his sophomore year of high school, he had to move in with his aunt, uncle, and cousins in another school district

Despite that, Rico and Scout stayed close, and Rico thanked God for that friendship on more than one occasion.

In fact, if it hadn’t been for Scout, the Cock & Bull would still only be Rico’s pipe dream

When Rico had trouble getting a bank loan to open the business, Scout stepped in and became a silent partner

At first, Rico adamantly turned his friend down, but the bastard could be relentless when he wanted something

In the end, the only way Rico agreed to accept the money was if it was considered a loan that he would repay, and thanks to the success of the C&B, he had no trouble making the monthly payments with interest to Scout.

About a year ago, Scout hired Alex as his new personal assistant and winded up breaking his steadfast rule of not dating or fucking any of his employees

Alex had gone high school with Rico’s cousin, Gino, but they were both a few years younger than Rico, and he hadn’t remembered Alex from school when Scout introduced them

Rico liked to think that a conversation with his friend a few months later prompted Scout to take a chance on love, which the man had finally done

Back in December, right before Christmas, Scout and Alex got engaged while on a trip to New York City. The wedding would take place in October, with Rico being Scout’s best man and Alex’s sister standing up for him.

Rico was annoyed to feel relieved when Scout and Alex took the two now-empty stools beside Evan on the short end of the bar, hoping it would cut down on the number of people hitting on the man

Evan’s stool was in the corner next to the wall, so there was little space for someone wanting to squeeze past the other two men to talk to him.

Tossing two cardboard coasters on the bar in front of Scout and Alex, Rico said, “Hey, what are you guys doing here this late?”

Scout was the one to answer. “Just came from the art gallery that’s handling Rex’s exhibition. Tonight was the private showing before the gala on Saturday. You’re going, right?”

Rex Adams was a friend of Scout and Rico and a well-sought-after artist as of late

After years of hard work, Rex’s career finally took off about twenty months ago

It was after movie star Magnus Keller, who lived in the Paradox penthouse opposite Scout and Alex’s, had done a recorded interview from the sanctity of his San Francisco home

When the female reporter asked who the artist was of the stunning painting that hung in his living room, he told her about Rex, whose art also graced some of the walls in the lobby of the hotel downstairs

Rex hadn’t even known about the interview until after his phone started ringing off the hook

Since then, his paintings sold like crazy

Canvases that were in storage for years now hung in the homes of some of the wealthiest people around the world. To say the guy was still shell-shocked was an understatement.

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world. I’m glad he’s finally getting the recognition he deserves.”

Rico always knew his friend had talent and that it was only a matter of time before everyone else knew it too. In fact, he proudly had two of Rex’s paintings on display in his living room, having been gifted them as housewarming presents when he moved into his condo.

“Right. If we knew all it would take was for Mag to open his big mouth, he would’ve been a hit years ago.”

“What can I get you two? The usual?”

Scout glanced at his fiancé, who nodded. “Why break tradition?”

Rico chuckled, then left to retrieve a Guinness draft for Alex and a Grey Goose and club soda with a twist of lime for Scout. By the time he brought the drinks to them, they were involved in a full-blown conversation with Evan about the upcoming NFL draft the following weekend. As Rico set the glasses on the bar, Evan stuck his hand out to Scout. “By the way, I’m Evan Calhoun.”

Rico’s longtime friend accepted the handshake. “Scout Turner, and this is my fiancé, Alex Shepherd.”

Evan shook hands with Alex. “Nice to meet you. Wait a minute. Scout Turner, as in Turner Continental? As in the hotel across the street?”

Both Scout and Alex nodded, and Rico held his breath. Usually, people freaked out and made fools of themselves when they realized they were sitting next to a multi-millionaire—a hotel magnate—but Evan surprised him. “My nephew, Billy, just started working for you—well, for the restaurant there. He’s a busboy.”

Scout smiled. “Blond hair, tall as hell for a seventeen-year-old?”

Evan’s face lit up when he realized the wealthy man beside him knew who a lowly busboy was. “Yeah, that’s him.”

“He’s a good kid and doing a great job.”

Sapphire’s was the upscale restaurant off the hotel lobby, and there was rarely a night when it wasn’t filled to capacity.

“Thanks. My sister told him that if he wants a car, she’ll help him get it, but he has to pay for the gas and insurance. My son, Brian, almost had a heart attack when Billy told him Magnus Keller—you know, the movie star?”

When Scout and Alex just smiled and nodded, Evan continued, “Well, he was there for dinner, and Billy said his hands shook anytime he had to refill the guy’s water or a breadbasket.”

“Mag’s a nice guy,”

Alex said. “But I don’t blame your nephew for being starstruck around him. The first time I met him, I couldn’t think of a single thing to say to him until Scout made me down a few shots of whiskey. Then I couldn’t shut up.”

His cheeks reddened as his fiancé laughed at him. “It was very embarrassing. Scout doesn’t let me forget it, but Mag was cool about it. I’m used to him living across the hall from us now.”

While the three men continued to chat about different things, Rico covertly studied Evan

It hadn’t escaped his attention that Evan had a son, which made Rico wonder if the man was married or divorced

There was no ring on his left hand and no sign that one was usually worn but had been removed for the night

As he often did on Wednesday evenings, Rico tried to pick up more details Evan might drop about himself

But a small crowd of businessmen and women walked over from a late meeting at the Paradox, crowding around the bar, and Rico needed to focus on helping Austin fill the drink orders.

About an hour later, things were under control again. Most patrons had left for the night, needing a few hours of sleep before tomorrow’s workday began.

Austin could close up without any problems with the help of Reggie, one of the bar-backs. The kitchen was shut down, and only a few tables lingered, so one waitress and a busboy would stick around until they left.

Scout and Alex stood from their stools as Rico approached them. “Done for the night?”

“Yeah,”

Scout responded as he left a large tip, which would go into Austin’s jar. As the owner of the Cock & Bull, Rico never kept any tips while tending the bar, leaving them for his staff. They worked hard and deserved every penny. “We’re flying up to Washington tomorrow to check on things, and we’ll be back Friday.”

Last year, Paradox North opened in Seattle and was as successful as Turner Continental’s other properties. Scout had the golden touch regarding hotels and other business ventures.

“Have fun. I’ll see you Saturday.”

“Don’t forget it’s black-tie.”

His eyebrows shot up. “Seriously?”

Scout chuckled. “Didn’t you read the invite?”

“Just the date and time. Crap, you know I hate wearing freaking ties.”

Jeans and a sports jacket over a T-shirt were as dressed up as Rico liked to get, even though both men and women told him numerous times over the years that he rocked a suit or tux.

Alex laughed. “You can easily pull off a Frank Sinatra and leave the tie hanging with the top button of your shirt open.”

“He does look really fucking sexy when he’s being the rebel, doesn’t he?”

Scout joked to his fiancé, causing Rico to roll his eyes. They didn’t have to worry about Alex’s reaction to Scout calling Rico sexy. The man knew his future husband was madly in love with him, and even though Rico and Scout both figured out they were gay in high school, they never experimented with each other. It would’ve been like kissing a brother, and just the thought of it grossed them out. That didn’t mean teasing each other wasn’t done all the time.

Rico pointed at the door. “Out. Get out. Alex, take him home.”

The two men laughed at his expense as they strode toward the door, and Rico just stood there shaking his head. When Evan threw money down on the bar to cover his bill, along with a generous tip, and got to his feet to leave, too, Rico tried to fight back his disappointment. Now he’d have to wait another week to see him again—not that he did anything other than silently lust after the man.

“Well, I’m out of here too. Have a good night, Rico.”

“’Night, Evan.”

Rico was about to turn away when he noticed the other man hesitate after taking a few steps toward the door. He seemed to have a small battle with himself, and Rico swore he heard him mutter, “Just fucking do it already,”

before returning to the bar. Rico lifted his brow and waited to hear what the man wanted.

Evan took a deep breath, then asked, “Would you like to ... I don’t know ... go somewhere for a cup of coffee or something?”

That was the last thing Rico expected the man to say, and he just stared at him for a moment

No one else was at that end of the bar, so their conversation would be just between them

As Rico tried to formulate an appropriate response, Evan ran a hand down his face

“You know what? Never mind. Sorry. I’m not good at this.”

Before Evan could turn away, Rico reached across the bar and grabbed his arm, stopping him in his tracks

It took him a few seconds to weigh his words, but the longer he pondered what he wanted to say, the more annoyed he got

Physically, he definitely wanted the other man, but he doubted they were on the same page

“Look, I don’t date anyone in the closet, and I refuse to be someone’s experiment, so if that’s what’s going on here, I’ll pass.”

There was a long pause, and then Evan nodded

“And if it’s not? Because I’ve been out for over a year, and I’ve already done enough experimenting with guys who didn’t mean a thing.

I’m done with that. What I meant by not being good at this is I’ve never asked a guy on a date before.”

A wry smile ghosted his face. “Hell, I haven’t asked anyone out on a date in about twenty-five years. My ex-wife and I were high school sweethearts.”

“You’re bi?”

Rico had nothing against anyone who was bisexual, but he was only into guys and didn’t like dating someone who might want to bring a woman into the mix. He held his breath as he waited for a response.