Chapter Fifteen #3
Evan’s arm was still across Miles’ bare chest, so he couldn’t help but feel him tense.
“Is that okay?” Miles asked gently. It seemed so unfair that he could have this whole incredible, infuriating, real relationship with his sister, and Evan had nobody.
“Are you asking if I’m ready to meet your sister or if I’m okay that I don’t have a sister?” Evan questioned.
Miles flushed. It was a good thing that they’d both been lowering their shields, but he hadn’t realized he was so easy for Evan to read.
“It’s okay,” Evan continued with a little smile. “Lots of people don’t have sisters, I just happened to be one of them. I’d love to meet her, if you’re good with it.”
They’d acknowledged to each other and to several others that they were dating now, but it was definitely something more for Evan to meet his family. Miles’ heart had made the commitment already, there was no going back from that, but now he had to make sure his head was on the same page.
“I’m good with it,” he decided. As if there had been any other decision he could make. Evan would torture him slowly and Gina would help Evan finish him off.
He was in this now, and the truth was, he wanted to be.
“Then I guess we’re going to lunch with your sister,” Evan said. He seemed calm enough. “I’m glad I brought another bow tie.”
“Someday,” Miles said, cradling him in his arms, and then suddenly rolling him underneath his body, hovering above him. He let his hips drop, flush and hard, against Evan’s. “I’m going to tie you up with those fucking bow ties.”
Evan’s gaze was bright and challenging. Miles couldn’t get enough of it. “I’d love to see you try,” he said.
And how was Miles supposed to ignore a dare like that?
Evan didn’t think he was nervous—at least not precisely nervous.
Apprehensive was probably the better term.
It wasn’t like he could do research to help him feel more comfortable; Gina was a person, not a location or a task or an activity.
Any research he did should be restricted to brunch, conducted by actually talking to her.
He’d never had to go to brunch with a sibling of a boyfriend before.
He wasn’t sure he’d ever really had a boyfriend before, definitely not in the sense that he and the other guy had actually agreed that’s what they were.
He’d had half-assed relationships, he guessed, if that was what it meant when you drifted together, spent time together, slept together sometimes, and eventually drifted apart.
But nobody had ever wanted him to meet their family before. And it wasn’t like Evan had any family for them to meet. None of the handful of guys in college had even known he was a foster kid; it definitely wasn’t something he’d ever talked about.
But Miles knew, and he didn’t care. It certainly seemed like he more worried about Evan’s feelings than if Gina approved.
“She’s going to love you,” Miles said as they pulled into the restaurant parking lot. His smile was sweet and reassuring.
“I’m not worried about that. People usually like me.” Evan shot Miles a coolly sardonic look. “You’re the only one who didn’t, and that turned out okay.”
Miles laughed. “I did too like you.”
“You had a very strange way of showing it,” Evan retorted as they got out of the car.
Miles caught Evan’s arm as they walked towards the entrance. “You should . . . um . . . definitely stay quiet about that part of it,” he murmured. “Especially to Gina.”
Evan might not have had any blood-related siblings, but he knew exactly how this worked. “So she can’t give you any shit about it, right?” He grinned. “I don’t think so.”
“You’re so cruel,” Miles groaned in exaggeration. “I’m not sure this was a good idea.”
But then a high-pitched voice yelped Miles’ name, and Evan had the luck to see Miles’ face the moment a tall, slender girl with long, curly dark hair piled on top of her head, came into view.
Evan had already figured out that Gina meant a lot to Miles, but seeing the joy on his face, then watching them wrap each other up in a tight, prolonged hug, made it crystal clear.
The first thing Gina did when Miles released her was turn towards Evan.
“Hello,” she said in a friendly, conspiring voice. “You must be Evan.” She extended a hand and Evan shook it immediately. She turned to her brother. “You didn’t tell me how cute he is!”
Miles flushed, and Evan was greatly amused at his discomfort. “But,” Gina continued with a quick, clever grin, “I shouldn’t be surprised at all. I know what this one is like. But you, you I’m definitely looking forward to getting to know better.”
Gina tucked her arm in his without prompting, and the stacked turquoise bracelets on her arm rattled.
“I’m hoping so,” Evan said, and to his own complete surprise, he really meant it.
Miles threw his hands up in the air and made noises about going to get them a table.
“First, you need to tell me if he ever apologized to you,” Gina said.
Evan was more than a little shocked that she knew so much. “No. Yes. Not exactly precisely when he should have.”
Gina’s expression was grave, belying the flushed excitement on her cheeks. “He’s sort of an oblivious asshole, sometimes. But I guess I don’t need to tell you that.”
Evan laughed. “No, no, you don’t. I know what I’m getting with him.”
“Good.” She leaned closer, bracelets clanking again. “Xander told me he took you to Terroir last night. Was it amazing?”
“It was terrifying, intimidating and incredible,” Evan said.
“Miles tried to take me there once and I told him, over his dead body,” Gina said. “I’m much more comfortable grabbing a burger.”
“Don’t worry,” Miles said dryly, “I’m sure you can get a burger here.”
“It’s breakfast, Miles,” Gina replied, all deadpan voice and sparkling eyes, “that means bacon and eggs and something sinful, like a cinnamon roll or a Danish as big as my head.”
Miles ruffled her hair affectionately. “I’ll have to send you a box of goodies. We’ve got tons of extras in my freezer. Some of them actually edible.”
“Don’t believe him,” Evan inserted. “All of the ones he saved are definitely edible. More than.”
“Oh, I like you,” Gina said. “A lot, I think. You’re going to be great for him.”
Evan looked steadily over at Miles, who was still beaming at his sister. “I’m sure as hell going to try.”
Reaching over, Gina squeezed his hand. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
Evan was sort of glad when this was the moment the hostess called Miles’ name to let them know their table was ready. He was a little mistier in the eyes than he felt comfortable being, especially with someone he didn’t know, even if that someone was Miles’ sister.
“And I’ll have the pineapple upside down pancakes,” Evan said to the waitress who was taking their order. “And a side of bacon. Extra crispy, please.”
“I’ll have all this right out,” the waitress said, stuffing her pad back in her apron, and moving on to the next table.
Evan only knew something was wrong by the strangled, stifled noise Miles made.
It hit him all at once. So long, being so careful, so cautious, never visibly enjoying any of the cookies he’d been making, or the macarons, or even the incredible dessert last night at Terroir.
No, all it took to screw him up was Gina beaming at him like an idiot, casually accepting, like he was going to be around for a long time. Like he was going to be a member of their family.
Miles made the sound again.
“What’s wrong with him?” Gina asked, taking a sip of coffee.
“I think he just discovered that I like sweets,” Evan said evenly.
Gina looked confused. Miles looked murderous.
“Explain,” Gina said, looking rapidly more interested by the second.
But before Evan could open his mouth, Miles had cut in.
And he sounded pretty pissed, but not cruel, or cold, or truly angry, which was better than Evan could have hoped for.
After all, there had only been a limited amount of time he could keep this secret while dating an extremely talented pastry chef.
“The second day Evan and I worked together, he told me that he did not like sweet things. No desserts. No cookies. No pastries. Nothing. And he,” Miles said, mouth twitching, like it was difficult for him to keep a straight, annoyed face, “kept up this charade until this moment.”
“I was a little distracted today,” Evan added, by way of explanation.
“You didn’t even break over the dessert course last night at Terroir,” Miles said incredulously.
And that had been difficult, but truthfully, the toughest times had always been whenever he was eating something that Miles had made.
There was something about taking what Miles had made with his own two hands and then putting it into his mouth that always made the taste even more exquisite.
Even the batches of peanut butter chocolate chunk cookies that hadn’t quite turned out had nearly made Evan moan once or twice.
“You were right,” was all Evan said. “They should have used thyme, not rosemary, in the white chocolate lemon mousse pyramids. But you were right about the gold; they certainly looked impressive enough.”
Gina was giggling so hard she nearly choked.
“You guys . . . you are . . . perfect . . . for each other,” she managed to get out in between hysterical chuckles.
“You’re not mad?” Evan asked, lifting an eyebrow.
Miles just shrugged. “If I remember correctly, that was the morning after I filmed myself baking Ding Dongs. Anything you said that day is just payback for the video. Besides,” he lowered his voice, “I definitely plan to get you back, at the soonest possible opportunity.”
“Gross,” Gina exclaimed, but she was smiling so big, her smile took over her face. And Evan couldn’t help but smile right along with her.