Mack ruminated on that for about a full second. “Yeah, no, that didn’t make sense. Everything you just said didn’t make sense. First of all, you’re not attractive, okay? You’re damn sexy. Are the people around you fucking blind?”
I laughed, the sound low in my chest, because this reaction both pleased and amused me.
“Second of all, why the hell would you worry about people flirting with me?”
“’Cause you’re too cool,” I told him, enjoying his spluttering. “You’re a medium, you’re cute as hell, and you can really cook. When people learn all of that about you, I’m going to have to beat them off.”
Mack didn’t just raise his head, he lifted himself up completely to straddle my hips, hands on my chest. He stared at me as if he wasn’t sure whether I was teasing or not. I wasn’t, and I met his eyes levelly, hoping he could see that. The environment he’d been raised in didn’t let him see himself clearly—see just how amazing he was. But it hurt my heart that he didn’t think of himself as sexy when he really was.
His light brown eyes were suspiciously bright, and he had to clear his throat before he spoke. “So we both think the other’s too sexy for words. That works out well.”
“Does, doesn’t it?” I agreed. I’d let him tease now, take things to a lighter note. “Do you want to cuddle some more then go get dinner?”
“Yeah.” Mack snuggled back in, both of my arms around him. He lay there, all content and warm, for a full minute before something occurred to him, and he swore. “Dammit.”
“What?”
“Jon’s going to take one look at us and know, isn’t he?”
“Yup,” I said, popping the p.
“And he’s going to tease us, isn’t he?”
“I’d give that fair odds,” I said, not bothered.
“Well, hell.” Mack sighed, already resigned. “More sex to make it worth it?”
I immediately rolled, putting him underneath me. Above his parted lips, I breathed, “You read my mind.”
10
I waited outside the hotel restaurant as Brandon went in to check the menu for me. I truly didn’t understand what I’d done right in life to get Brandon Havili, but I made note to say a few prayers of gratitude tonight. I still didn’t get what about me drew his attention. His sincerity, though, I trusted that. He truly did look at me and see someone amazing. Someone sexy. If we didn’t already have a ghost hunt planned for tonight, I felt absolutely certain he wouldn’t have let me out of bed.
Brandon said he’d never had sex with a man before. I believed him, as he was hesitant enough to make it obvious this was a first for him. But god, the man was a fast learner. I couldn’t wait to try anal with him.
The image of being under him, filled by him, consumed my mind, and I went off into dreamland. Wow, what a lovely image. Dammit, why didn’t I have lube handy to turn it into reality?
“Bit of drool there,” a light tenor voice told me.
I automatically reached up to wipe at the corners of my mouth then realized it was Jon—and he was laughing. I turned to track him as he came down the stairs smirking, and in a very mature move, I stuck my tongue out at him. “Thanks a lot.”
He came down the rest of the way, blue eyes sparkling with humor. A bit of concern hovered in his expression, though, his brows drawn together.
I didn’t know why he looked at me like that. “What?”
“I’m saying this because I’ve experienced it myself. As amazing as it is to have him, the Havilis are a bit…overwhelming. Sometimes it’s not until well after the fact that your emotions properly catch up.”
I felt like I was missing something, some history, and made a mental note to ask later. Now didn’t seem the right time for it. “Other way around, Jon. I pursued him.”
His brows rose a little. “Did you?”
“Yeah. Why are you surprised by that? You told me to.”
“I told you to flirt with him, and people aren’t always smart enough to take my advice.” Jon cocked his head at me and thankfully kept his voice to a confidential murmur as people passed us in the lobby. “Brandon asked Donovan for advice on how to flirt with you, so I assumed he’d made a move.”
“Sort of? He kept giving me interested signals, but he was shy about doing anything.” Then again, I was the first man he’d wanted enough to flirt with. And it had to be odd to be thirty-something and figuring out how to flirt all over again.
“Hmm.” Jon accepted this with a slow nod. “I suppose I should have expected that. Still, I’m glad you two connected.”
“Not as glad as I am,” Brandon said as he appeared from the dining room, carrying a paper menu in his hand. He’d gone ahead of me to see if the hotel kitchens could accommodate my food allergies. Passing me the menu, he said, “Anything with a star on it is safe for you to eat, or they can easily make it safe.”
I flipped through the trifold menu and noted I had a good eight choices to pick from, which was excellent. “Great, I like these options. Let’s eat here.”
“If you’re eating here, text Donovan,” Jon requested of Brandon. “He was debating on what to do for dinner.”
“Sure.” Brandon pulled out his phone and typed in a message.
“That way you can tell him you’re dating.”
“Yes, yes.” Brandon didn’t look up from the screen. “Says he’s coming down.”
The hostess showed us to a table, and by the time we settled around it, Donovan had entered the dining room. It felt different, somehow, seeing him and Jon. Because my relationship with Brandon had changed, it felt like it had changed with the other two men as well. They weren’t just people I’d meet and separate from. I’d be around them, get a chance to make friends with them. I looked forward to it.
Brandon gave his brother a full two seconds to sit and get comfortable before informing him, “Mack and I are dating now.”
Donovan froze and darted a look between the two of us, then a smile lit up his face. “Really? Good work, little brother.”
I found that descriptor hilarious since Brandon had several inches on Donovan. “Excuse you, I was the one that did the work.”
Donovan blinked at me, surprised. “Really? Then good work, Mack. But how are you two going to work this out?”
“I’ll request him for a partner.” It pleased me enormously that Donovan was so obviously happy for both of us. I so rarely received acceptance for having a boyfriend that I basked in the moment. “I’m supposed to try out people anyway to find an anchor. I’ll just make sure the FBI is clear that Brandon’s my choice of partner and request a transfer to Nashville so I can work with him.”
“Nashville doesn’t have an FBI office, though,” Donovan pointed out.
“No, but I’m still training to be an anchor,” Brandon argued, his attention mostly on the menu. “And who better to train me than you and Mack?”
I knew for a fact the head office wouldn’t have a problem with this. They were so anxious for any un-anchored mediums to have an anchor they bent over backwards to be accommodating.