Chapter 27
Silas
Taco Loco was slammed Saturday night.
I made my way between tables, arm behind my back so I could keep my fingers linked with Bryson’s as I led him toward Maverick, Jamie, and their boyfriends.
We’d skipped our usual Happy Hour this week to meet up for a group date. I’d scoffed at the idea when I’d been single, fearing I’d be the fifth wheel. I glanced over my shoulder to smile at my boyfriend. I’d never have to worry about that again.
Paxton glared over at us from the bar. He always noticed me, even if I tried to fly under the radar. Bryson employed a different technique, raising his free hand in a wave.
“Hey, Pax! Having a good night?”
Paxton nodded. “Just great.”
“Awesome!”
I tugged Bryson forward again. “Don’t poke the bear.”
“I’m not poking the bear. I’m showing him it’s time to move on.”
I turned and leaned up for a kiss. “In that case, let’s really show him.”
Bryson kissed me, keeping it sweet in the crowded restaurant, then nudged me toward the table. “Okay, I want the big boyfriend intro. This is my moment to shine.”
“You are very shiny,” I teased. “I think you might be sweating a little…”
He pinched my side, making me yelp and laugh. “No need for violence. They already love you.”
Maverick overheard my last few words.
“That’s right,” he said. “We told Silas to lock that shit down.”
“Appreciate it,” Bryson said.
Damon nudged him. “Hey, are you checking out Silas’s boyfriend? Keep your eyes on my hot ass, please.”
Maverick craned his head. “It’s kinda hard to see from this angle.”
Jamie snickered. “Sit down. They’ll be at this all night.”
They’d chosen one of the large corner mafia booths, which was positioned in a semicircle, so I slid in beside Hank, and everyone scooted down to make room for Bryson on the end.
Everyone looked at me expectantly, waiting to follow my lead.
I cleared my throat. “Well, Mav and Jamie, you both know my boyfriend, Bryson.”
“We do,” Jamie said with a big smile. “So happy for you guys.”
“And these other guys are Hank and Damon, their long-suffering boyfriends. You’ll all have a lot in common soon.”
“Nice to meet you,” Hank said. He was a big, bearded giant, but also a softie, and it showed in his warm tone.
Damon was cockier, the perfect match for sassy Mav. “Yeah, just text us SOS if Silas is too much for you to handle.”
“Oh, I can handle him,” Bryson said with a grin. “He makes me work for it, but he’s worth it.”
He kissed my temple, and my face heated as I squirmed.
It had been a long time since I’d been half of a couple, but along with the blush, my chest warmed.
Bryson wasn’t afraid to show affection, as Michael always had been.
I’d never thought much of it. We were a gay couple, and it was learned behavior to hide your affection in public.
But now, with Bryson, I realized just how different it was to have someone who looked at me with love and touched me often—not just for sex, but for connection and affection.
“Bryson’s a saint, basically,” I said with a laugh.
“He just knows a good thing when he sees it,” Hank said. “He’s a smarter man than I was. I took way too long.”
“Me too, bro,” Damon said. “Maverick had to parade a bunch of terrible dates under my nose for me to figure it out.”
Maverick laughed. “They weren’t terrible.”
“Not even Percy?” he challenged.
“Well…”
“And Gordon?” Hank added. “That guy’s a creep. He hit on Jamie right in front of me!”
“He did not!” Jamie said with a laugh. “Besides, you were friend-zoning me at the time.”
“Because I was an idiot,” Hank said. “But he was still a creep.”
“Ugh, yeah,” Damon said. “I had to step in before he got his paws on Mav.”
Maverick rolled his eyes. “More like you got jealous and finally made a move.”
“Guess I won the boyfriend lottery,” I said smugly. “Bryson didn’t drag his feet at all.”
“That was all you,” Maverick pointed out.
Bryson chuckled. “I knew he liked me. Deep down. Deep, deep, deep down.”
I elbowed him. “Okay! But I figured it out.”
“Yes, you did.” He slung his arm around my shoulders and pulled me in against him. “I’m really glad you caught that bouquet.”
“What’s this now?”
Bryson and I filled them in on the Matchmaking Mamas antics and Caitlyn’s orchestrated throw of the bouquet right at us.
A server arrived to take drink orders and by the time we’d finished the story, the drinks had arrived and everyone was in stitches over the role Bryson’s sister-in-law had played in getting us together.
“She was Team Bryson from the start,” he said with a grin. “She helped me barge in on so many wedding plans.”
“Evil wench,” I joked. “I was so nice to her too!”
Bryson and I had talked a lot over the past few days, though, so I knew that Caitlyn warned him not to pressure me. She only wanted to give us a chance to really get to know each other.
Her plan worked, too. Because once I knew Bryson, how could I ever walk away?
“Your brother’s still on his honeymoon, isn’t he?” Hank asked.
Bryson nodded. “They’ll be back next week, thank god.”
“Bryson has been working all hours to get the store ready for its official opening upon their return. He’s exhausted.”
“I bet,” Damon said. “I’ve passed by there a few times. The window displays look pretty awesome.”
“Silas helped with those,” Bryson said. “He’s got a great eye for design.”
“All that wedding planning,” Maverick said.
“Luckily, I have a break before the next wedding. Doing Darren and Linc right before Branson and Caitlyn was a lot.”
“Who’s next on the agenda?” Damon asked.
I smiled enigmatically.
“Not another secret!” Jamie protested.
“No, I don’t think so.” I chuckled. “Kevin cornered me while he was doing the bridal party’s makeup. Says he and Garrett are finally tying the knot.”
“Really? I didn’t think they’d ever want that.”
“Apparently, he couldn’t stand watching everyone else have lavish parties. He wants one too, and he wants to wear a gorgeous gown to do it. I think it’ll be a lot of fun to plan. I can’t wait to talk to Nico about the wedding photos.”
“The photog who’s all flirty?” Bryson asked, trying to sound casual.
“Somebody’s jealous,” I teased.
“Well, can you blame me?” he grumbled. “You’ve hooked up with him before, and I could tell he wanted a repeat.”
“Sweetheart.” I took told of Bryson’s jaw and turned his face toward me. “You’ve got nothing to worry about. I love you.”
“Aw,” Jamie said.
“Better get used to meeting his hookups,” Damon said unhelpfully. “They’re all over the place.”
“Dude,” Maverick said. “Read the room.”
“What? It’s true.”
Worry flared inside me as I gazed at Bryson. I’d had fun with guys while I was getting over my heartbreak and fooling myself into thinking I didn’t need love. But what if that very thing ruined my love life right when I was finally ready to build something real?
Bryson kissed my cheek. “I’m not worried, darlin’. That’s your past. I’m your future.”
I smiled uncertainly. “Yeah? You’re not bothered by it?”
“Well, I might have to kiss you excessively in public and stake my claim. But if you can live with that…”
I laughed. “Seems a small price to pay.”
He caught my chin in his hand and leaned in to kiss me. Maverick whistled, and Damon cat-called. Hank and Jamie laughed.
“I think everyone has gotten the message,” I said. “But feel free to send it as often as you like.”
He locked eyes with me. “Happy to do it for a lifetime, if that’s what it takes to show everyone you’re mine.”
“Get a room!” Damon cried.
“Sorry!” I turned back to the table. “So, Mav, weren’t you saying something about owing Damon some payback the other day?”
“Low blow,” Damon accused with a grin. “But I’ll have you know I like it when Maverick goes all prankster on me.”
“Ooh, baby, I’ve got a good one planned,” Maverick said, rubbing his hands together.
“You guys are so weird,” Jamie said.
Hank nodded. “Guess it works for them. We have our love of dogs, and they have…revenge.”
“There’s nothing like angry sex after a prank.”
“Then makeup sex after the angry sex,” Maverick added.
They locked eyes, clearly reliving some X-rated material.
I picked up my cosmo. “You know, you two are inspiring. Don’t you think, Bry?”
“Definitely. Do you want to have angry sex or makeup sex?”
“Eh, I say we try it all. How else will we know what’s best?”
“Good plan,” Maverick said seriously while Damon choked on gulp of beer as he tried not to laugh.
“Silas is never one to be outdone in the sex olympics,” Jamie said.
“Lucky me,” Bryson said, resting his hand on my thigh and squeezing gently.
I smiled at him knowingly.
In bed, sometimes our touches were soft and other times frantic and rough. But despite our joking, one thing was always the same.
Bryson touched me with love, as he always had, even when I’d denied it could be anything but a fling.
And I treasured being in his arms—knowing our love was precious and nothing about it was casual.
It never had been.