Page 72 of The Boyfriend Gamble

He poured himself a cup of coffee from the pot. “I’ve got all the time in the world. You know how I met Rayne.”

I grinned. “Yes, that was quite a first, uh, time.”

They’d met at Quinton’s Halloween party, fucked in Quinton’s upstairs office, and Rayne had vanished into the night. Not to be seen again until he turned up two months later. I hadn’t been privy to all the details. That said, I’d noted when Everett suddenly had company and I’d been intensely curious the night several cop cars, a fire truck, and an ambulance were at his townhouse—which was only three over from mine.

Apparently, someone had tried to kill Rayne. Everett’s younger sister, Denali, had taken the guy out.

About a month later, Rayne had tried to set me up with Dynamo Denali.

Even I’d recognized I wasn’t up to the challenge. The actor had a big role in a show filming in Vancouver with huge potential for future work. She did not, in this life or the next, want to date a small-town dentist.

I wasn’t hurt.

Rayne had been affronted on my behalf. Bighearted man was too soft for his own good.

Everett sipped his coffee. “Rayne’s been working on a big case, too.”

“Oh?” Rayne was an in-demand private investigator.

“Yeah. I can’t share the details, but man…” He winced. “Seriously, I’m a lawyer. I shouldn’t be surprised about the shit people get up to…but there’s always something new.”

“Yikes.” The milk bubbled, so I moved the pan to the other burner and turned the stove off. “Are the cops involved?”

Slowly, I poured the milk into two mugs.

As I put the pan in the sink, Everett added an Earl Grey tea bag to one and started heaping chocolate powder into the other. “Your man’s drinking a frapp?”

My gaze shot to his.

And narrowed.

He shrugged. “I saw that arm brush. And the way he looks at you. And the way you look at him.” He stirred the hot chocolate. “I have to say I didn’t see that coming. Obviously Kade’s gay, but I didn’t think you—”

“I’m not.”

He slowed the stirring. “Uh, okay.”

“Sorry. I might’ve been a little abrupt.”

“You might’ve been entitled. I was trying to not make assumptions. To not presume. It’s totally fine if you’re gay, bi, straight, or undetermined.”

“Or none of your fucking business.” Rayne sauntered into the kitchen. He pressed a kiss to Everett’s temple as he wound his arm around his husband’s waist. “You’re interrogating.”

“You could hear me from over there?” Everett gestured with his chin.

We all gazed over to find Jasper’s face buried in Champ’s neck.

“Is that even safe?” Vague concern washed over me.

“If not for his past, Torah said he would’ve made a fantastic therapy dog. Your boyfriend has spent his entire life around dogs. I think he and Champ are spirit animals.” Rayne winked.

“He’s not my boyfriend.”

“He says he was at the bonfire last night.”

“He did?” I might’ve squeaked that. I handed Rayne his hot chocolate. “It’s hot.”

To my surprise, he didn’t roll his eyes. He held my gaze. “There’s always a story.”

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