Chapter 16
Kaspar
Holy shit.
I had a visceral reaction to the voice. The last time I had heard it, I’d blown its owner, and then sucked off his husband while he had fucked me.
Brace yourself.
Ollie still took my breath away.
“Ollie, hi.”
The man moved in, hugged me, and kissed my cheek. I hugged him back automatically.
He smells great.
“It’s lovely to see you, Kaspar. How are you?”
“Oh, I…good. Yeah, I’m good. What about you? Bo?”
“We’re fine. Are you on your lunch break?”
“Yeah, I needed a few minutes of peace away from my colleagues.”
His bright laugh made my heart happier than it should. “Oh, I’ll leave you be, then. I just wanted to say ‘hi’.”
“No, please,” I said way too quickly. “Why don’t you stay for a bit? Or do you have somewhere to be?”
“No, I don’t.”
“Have lunch with me?”
Ollie tilted his head and contemplated me for a moment. “Yeah, okay. I’d like that.”
We chose the same protein-laden bowl with sweet potatoes and pomegranate from the menu.
“Can I invite you?” Ollie asked me with his smartwatch poised over the card reader. The cashier looked expectantly from one of us to the other, clearly waiting for someone to claim the bill.
“Oh, uh, that’s not necessary.”
“No, but it would make me happy to pay for you.” With a small wink, he indicated to the server to put everything on his tab.
I grabbed our rhubarb sodas from the counter and balanced them on the tray, leaving Ollie to get cutlery for us.
“Thank you,” I told him when we’d taken opposite seats at a tiny table in a corner.
His eyes held mine for a moment. Seeing his smile soften made me happier than it should. “You’re welcome.”
“What are you working on here in the city?” Ollie asked. “I’m sorry, I don’t even know what you do for a job.”
I grinned. If I’d needed another sign Ollie wasn’t from here, this was it. No German would have spent hours in bed with someone without knowing what they did for a living.
“I think we were a little preoccupied last time.”
Ollie laughed along with me.
“Yeah, definitely.”
“I’m a carpenter. We’re renovating an apartment in one of the old houses near the castle.”
“Oh, wow. I love that. I’m useless with my hands.”
“I wouldn’t say that,” I objected, remembering how he’d stroked me off. He was great with his hands.
The gorgeous man blushed pink and laughed so hard tears trickled into the scruff on his cheeks. “I meant with wood.”
“Yeah, me, too,” I quipped. Damn, I loved seeing him laugh like that. The sound warmed me to the core.
“It’s so good to see you again, Kaspar.”
Oh, you sweet human.
I know I should go, get him and his husband out of my mind. But that was fucking easier said than done.
“What’s your job?” I asked to steer the conversation to more neutral topics than his wood-handling skills.
“Bo and I started a foundation after our wedding. Part of the money is from what Bo earns. We don’t need a lot, you know? And we get lots of donations.”
“What does your foundation do?”
“We support kids, especially those with family problems. We offer after-school activities, holiday camps, that kind of thing. Bo got inspired by a similar charity in Scotland.”
“Wow, I…” I took a draught of my soda. “I really love that. If you ever need anyone to build shit with kids, I’m your guy,” I said before really thinking it through.
“Are you serious?” Ollie’s eyes lit up. “I’m sure that would be a hit.”
Up until that moment, I hadn’t realised how serious I was. Or how hot he looked eating his food.
“I am. And I have a colleague, Gabriel. He’s raising his younger sister. I bet he’d be interested, too.”
“That would be amazing.” He pulled two business cards out of the inner pocket of his elegant jacket. “Tell him to call me during my office hours. You can call me anytime.”
Swoon.
Perhaps he saw it in my eyes how much I loved what he’d said.
“I texted Bo earlier. He asked me to say hi. And…” Ollie bit his bottom lip. “He asked me to ask you if you wanted to hang out with us sometime.”
“Hang out?” I emptied my bowl and glanced at him from under my eyelashes. “Is that what the kids call it these days?”
“God, I hope not.” He snorted. “I think he actually meant that, though. At the risk of sounding odd, we’ve missed you.”