focus back to Ian—“let me know.”
An entire bottle of wine was consumed before the subject of ordering food surfaced. At Harper’s suggestion and much to his surprise, Ian ordered the bone-in rib eye without a single giggle.
“How’s the steak?” Harper asked, ignoring the waiter hovering over their table and refilling their wineglasses.
“It’s incredible. This is so nice. Thank you.” He resisted the temptation to pick up the bone with his hands and gnaw on it. Harper, who had sat back in his chair, held his wineglass to his chest and looked over with an alluring smirk. Ian held his gaze for as long as he could and then retreated back to his plate.
“May I ask you a personal question?”
He looked back up. Harper hadn’t moved. “Yeah, sure,” he replied with a nervous chuckle. Whatever this is, let it happen, Ian.
“Are you seeing anybody right now? Are you in a relationship?” Harper swirled the wine in his glass.
Harper’s frankness made him sit up in his chair.
Here you go. Hang on! “Not at the moment. How about you?” He held his breath.
“Not at the moment. Are you open to seeing anyone?” Harper asked with another expert swirl.
“Dating, you’re talking about dating?” He wanted to make sure he understood the question.
Harper smiled and nodded.
“Honestly, I hadn’t thought about it. I guess so, if the right—” He stopped himself just in time. He didn’t have to finish. He knew what Harper meant. And the answer was yes. “Yes.”
He couldn’t prevent the blush he knew colored his cheeks. A chronic condition he could count on at moments like this. Whatever was happening to him on the outside, it delighted Harper, who chuckled.
“You don’t have to answer. You can nod if it’s easier. Do you want to start seeing me ?” Harper leaned forward, his gorgeous eyes focused on Ian, awaiting his answer.
Ian felt his trouser leg lift slowly off his shoe until it reached midcalf. “Is your foot rubbing my leg?” he asked, both aroused and astounded.
“Oh for gosh sakes, is that where it went?” Harper blurted with mock despair. “I was starting to panic. I didn’t know how the hell I was going to get out of here.”
Ian laughed. He’d caught small glimpses of silly in Harper a few times during the evening and loved it.
“Harper, I have to be honest. I’m not looking for a one-night stand. I know that wasn’t what you asked, but I need to make sure you understand that.” It was his turn to sit back. Listen carefully to how he answers this. It could be the crack in the plaster.
“I’m not looking for that either. I’m at a point in my life where I need someone to be there with me,” Harper confessed with an entire year’s supply of sincerity. “I’m hoping that someone will be you.”
Ian took a minute to let this one settle in. In his wildest dreams, he would have never thought the evening would go in this direction. It was time to step up to the plate and trust. “I’m thinking it’s worth a damn good try.” He was amazed at what had so nonchalantly wandered out of his mouth. Several seconds passed by without a word said between them.
You’re one handsome man, Mr. Callahan. And the best part is, I’m having a hard time believing you’re full of shit. You might just be the real deal.
“What are you doing for the rest of the evening?” Harper asked.
“I have no plans,” he answered evenly. Drop the sword and surrender, Galahad.
“How about a fire, a movie, and….”
“See where it goes from there?” Ian smirked, guessing he’d finished Harper’s question for him correctly.
“Check please!”
T HE toilet flushing woke Harper. How odd to hear his own toilet flush while he remained in bed. Ian! He turned to face the door in time to see his handsome, naked new boyfriend saunter through the door.
“If it’s possible, you look even better in the morning. Get back in here!” He pulled back the covers.
Ian picked up the small
An entire bottle of wine was consumed before the subject of ordering food surfaced. At Harper’s suggestion and much to his surprise, Ian ordered the bone-in rib eye without a single giggle.
“How’s the steak?” Harper asked, ignoring the waiter hovering over their table and refilling their wineglasses.
“It’s incredible. This is so nice. Thank you.” He resisted the temptation to pick up the bone with his hands and gnaw on it. Harper, who had sat back in his chair, held his wineglass to his chest and looked over with an alluring smirk. Ian held his gaze for as long as he could and then retreated back to his plate.
“May I ask you a personal question?”
He looked back up. Harper hadn’t moved. “Yeah, sure,” he replied with a nervous chuckle. Whatever this is, let it happen, Ian.
“Are you seeing anybody right now? Are you in a relationship?” Harper swirled the wine in his glass.
Harper’s frankness made him sit up in his chair.
Here you go. Hang on! “Not at the moment. How about you?” He held his breath.
“Not at the moment. Are you open to seeing anyone?” Harper asked with another expert swirl.
“Dating, you’re talking about dating?” He wanted to make sure he understood the question.
Harper smiled and nodded.
“Honestly, I hadn’t thought about it. I guess so, if the right—” He stopped himself just in time. He didn’t have to finish. He knew what Harper meant. And the answer was yes. “Yes.”
He couldn’t prevent the blush he knew colored his cheeks. A chronic condition he could count on at moments like this. Whatever was happening to him on the outside, it delighted Harper, who chuckled.
“You don’t have to answer. You can nod if it’s easier. Do you want to start seeing me ?” Harper leaned forward, his gorgeous eyes focused on Ian, awaiting his answer.
Ian felt his trouser leg lift slowly off his shoe until it reached midcalf. “Is your foot rubbing my leg?” he asked, both aroused and astounded.
“Oh for gosh sakes, is that where it went?” Harper blurted with mock despair. “I was starting to panic. I didn’t know how the hell I was going to get out of here.”
Ian laughed. He’d caught small glimpses of silly in Harper a few times during the evening and loved it.
“Harper, I have to be honest. I’m not looking for a one-night stand. I know that wasn’t what you asked, but I need to make sure you understand that.” It was his turn to sit back. Listen carefully to how he answers this. It could be the crack in the plaster.
“I’m not looking for that either. I’m at a point in my life where I need someone to be there with me,” Harper confessed with an entire year’s supply of sincerity. “I’m hoping that someone will be you.”
Ian took a minute to let this one settle in. In his wildest dreams, he would have never thought the evening would go in this direction. It was time to step up to the plate and trust. “I’m thinking it’s worth a damn good try.” He was amazed at what had so nonchalantly wandered out of his mouth. Several seconds passed by without a word said between them.
You’re one handsome man, Mr. Callahan. And the best part is, I’m having a hard time believing you’re full of shit. You might just be the real deal.
“What are you doing for the rest of the evening?” Harper asked.
“I have no plans,” he answered evenly. Drop the sword and surrender, Galahad.
“How about a fire, a movie, and….”
“See where it goes from there?” Ian smirked, guessing he’d finished Harper’s question for him correctly.
“Check please!”
T HE toilet flushing woke Harper. How odd to hear his own toilet flush while he remained in bed. Ian! He turned to face the door in time to see his handsome, naked new boyfriend saunter through the door.
“If it’s possible, you look even better in the morning. Get back in here!” He pulled back the covers.
Ian picked up the small
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