Page 41 of Ravenous

“He is. He’s my entire family.”

“It must have been quiet growing up. My house was chaos for most of my childhood. Good chaos, but still,chaos.”

“Yeah, mine was pretty quiet. I was an independent kid because I kind of had to be. But it was lonely. The chaos you had? I sometimes wish I could’ve had that too.”

Ollie thought about Biz stealing his favorite makeup palette and then yelling at him when he stole it back, Tommy playing video games at full volume, and Sophie threatening his life while she was studying for nursing school. “You say that now but when you have three siblings everyone is always up in your business.”

“Which is why you’re livinghere.” Finn toasted him again, with a different egg roll and Ollie toasted him back.

“Exactly.”

Ollie made it through the rest of the night unscathed, for Finn’s calm, centered personality seemed to form a bubble around them, keeping the dread at bay, and he slowly ate his small portion without thinking too hard about it. They continued to talk and Ollie remained riveted, laughing as they debated which tennis player was the greatest of all time and which vampire movies were in their top five. The fun and intense conversation went on for so long that they only managed the first movie and one animated short before Ollie started to doze off.

“We have to do this again.” Ollie stood by the front door, smothering a yawn as he saw Finn out. He wasn’t going to end the night with another blowjob but falling asleep during a date was pretty lame. He was hoping for something in the middle?

“We do.” Finn adjusted the shopping bag in his hands. Ollie kept the vegetables and rolls but insisted that Finn take home the rest. He didn’t want to waste food and it would languish in the fridge unless Mason actually left the basement and ate it.

“Text me when you get home safe?” Ollie blinked up at Finn, who was suddenly close, his deep brown eyes glittering.

“Of course.” And before Ollie could blink, Finn leaned down, pressing their lips together. Ollie let out a little gasp, winding his arms around Finn’s neck as he sunk into the kiss. Tilting his head, Finn used that gasp, licking into Ollie’s mouth, and their tongues slid together, tasting and exploring until Ollie’s knees began to go weak.

With a final peck, Finn stepped back, a smug smile on his face, and Ollie did the same, trying not to look too ravaged as his legs shook and he clung to the door. Well,thatwas certainly in the middle.

Reaching out, Finn chucked Ollie under the chin. “Good night, Sunshine. Sleep well.”

“You too,” Ollie sputtered, kiss-drunk. He stayed in the doorway until Finn pulled away, and then cleaned the living room on autopilot. With his mind still on Finn’s delectable mouth, Ollie floated up the stairs. He should do another workout but, for once, he didn’t want to. Instead, he washed his makeup off, got into his peacock pajamas, and snuggled in bed, staring up at the ceiling as his mind whirred, filled only with thoughts of Finn.

The man who was slowly but surely stealing his heart.

12

FINN

“Thiscoffeeshopisadorbs!” Ollie gasped as Finn opened the door for him, ushering them inside. Over the last month they’d been meeting at Ollie’s house for takeout-laden vampire movie nights and it had quickly become a staple in their lives, something they looked forward to at the end of each work week. But this time Finn wanted to try something different - an afternoon date that required caffeine and a competitive spirit, and that might end with hopefully more than just making out on Ollie’s couch. All this time Finn had been nothing but gentlemanly but they were moving at a snail’s pace, and he was feeling very pent up, more than ready for the next stage.

Chances seemed high since Ollie had been warming up to Finn. Their weekly movie night included long conversations where they never seemed to tire of learning about each other, and each one seemed to strip away a layer of Ollie’s skittishness. But while Ollie looked happy, excited, and engaging, he also appeared tired, worn, and his appetite was poor, which nagged at Finn, making him feel like he was missing something big, something right under the surface.

It could be Ollie’s fear. Finn knew that Ollie was afraid of things, a lot of things, and once they were more established Finn planned to ask him about therapy. But, for now, he’d do some light digging and see if there was any way he could help.

Their first stop of the day was Vice and Virtue, a kitschy coffeehouse that Owen had highly recommended. Filled with the scent of roasted beans and freshly baked muffins, the place had snarky cross-stitched designs on the walls and pastel wicker furniture everywhere. Ollie seemed delighted, darting around from piece to piece after ordering a large coffee with a shot of espresso; Finn opted for a chai latte and a carrot cake muffin.

“Are you sure you don’t want something to eat?” Finn held his card out, waiting to pay.

“I’m fine. I had breakfast before you showed up but I amdyingfor some good coffee.” Ollie grinned at a needlepoint picture that said“I’m a bitch before my caffeine AND after.”

Their order only took a few minutes and soon they were back in Finn’s car again, heading south toward the next town.

“According to Owen, The Pointe is booking more and more and it’s all thanks to you.” Finn took a bite of his muffin, which Ollie had unwrapped and handed him, and it was so delicious he wanted to sing.

“Really?” Ollie sipped his coffee, surprise on his face.

“Yes! The hall’s social media is booming.”

“It’s doing all right.”

“Compared to what it was, I’ll stick with booming. Owen says they’re getting a ton of inquiries and tours because of that one popular video.”

“Oh right, the bride and groom leading the YMCA dance. That went viral.” Ollie smiled, eyes still on his coffee. “I’m glad it’s all working out. I really like that job.”

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