Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 93448 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 467(@200wpm)___ 374(@250wpm)___ 311(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93448 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 467(@200wpm)___ 374(@250wpm)___ 311(@300wpm)
They were wearing him down. Touching and kissing each other felt completely natural. There wasn’t even a hint of jealousy that rippled through him when Gio touched or kissed Calder. Only a deep feeling of contentment and peace. If Gio and Calder were happy, he was happy. He never questioned Gio’s attraction for him. Nor did he wonder if Gio felt for him what he felt for Calder. Lucien could see it in Gio’s eyes.
“What are we getting?” Calder inquired. He held up the small dessert menu with pastries, coffees, and dessert liqueurs.
Lucien quickly glanced at the menu. “I’m good with anything except the sorbets. I’m not in the mood for anything cold tonight.”
Calder flashed him a cheeky wink as he said, “Gio and I can warm you up again.”
“Troublemaker,” Gio muttered under his breath, but there was still a hint of a smile. “The chocolate brownie is good, but the red velvet cake is to die for here.”
“Oh, let’s do the cake, then.” Calder turned his attention to their server and placed the order. If she thought there was anything strange about the three of them being together, it didn’t show on her face. She gave them all a smile before hurrying to put their order in.
“Was it hard to move to Savannah after living here your whole life?” Wiley asked when they were alone.
“No, not so much,” Gio started thoughtfully. “I’d traveled to Savannah a lot over the years for work, so I knew the town well. We got so much business from the area because Savannah is steeped in as much history as Charleston, and my dad always wanted to open a branch of the business there.” He paused and shrugged. “There hasn’t been much upheaval for me, and it’s been fun learning a new place to call home.”
Baer relaxed in his chair and wrapped his arm around Wiley’s slim shoulders. “Do you miss your family?”
Gio chuckled. “Not really. Don’t get me wrong, I love my family, but a little space has been good. My family is very big, loud, and likes to be involved in my life. My mom still calls at minimum once a week to check on me. Luckily, she’s got my brother and many cousins to also check on and manage.”
“Do you miss Charleston?” Calder asked softly. It was a question that had been needling Lucien as well.
Before they reached the restaurant, Gio had taken them on a walking tour of downtown Charleston, telling stories and the history of the city as well as any professional tour guide. He knew the detailed history of at least a half dozen churches they passed and the Powder Magazine from the revolutionary war. As if that wasn’t enough, he’d sprinkled on a few more current stories of locals he knew, tales of debauchery, cheating, and even a few ghost sightings. Charleston was clearly part of Gio and always would be.
“Not too much.” Gio looked at Calder with a softness to his gaze that helped to drain some of the tension from Calder’s shoulders. “There’s always the allure of the familiar, but I’ve had some not-great personal experiences here that have since tainted many of my favorite places. I figure it’s time to make some new, better memories in a new place.”
“We’re glad you’ve decided to make Savannah your home, and we’re happy to help with the memories,” Lucien offered.
Wiley snorted. “I’m sure you’ve gotten some interesting ones already.”
Gio grinned broadly at the artist. “I’m definitely never going to see the Girl Scouts the same way.”
They were all laughing when the server returned with their desserts. Gio had been right. The red velvet cake was to die for, but really the best part was getting to feed Calder and Gio bites and watching them moan over the delicious treat. If Lucien had his way, he’d order another slice to go, so he could spend time slathering the cream cheese frosting on both their cocks and licking it off.
And judging by the heat building in Gio’s gaze, the man was beginning to imagine the same thing or something very similar. Tonight was going to be interesting when they got to their hotel room.
At least, he hoped it would.
Regardless of what happened when they finally crashed for the night, Lucien was simply relieved that Gio appeared to be relaxing around them again. He was smiling at their flirtation and laughing. It was the first hints of the man they’d met at the bar a few nights ago.
Stepping outside of the restaurant and onto the sidewalk, Gio started to turn toward their group. “Were you guys interested in some more sights, or should we wander to the hotel?”
“How are we supposed to walk with all this food in our bellies?” Wiley moaned. “How about we call an Uber?”
“The hotel is only three blocks away.” Calder snickered.