Page 36 of Only One Tent
What the fuck was he thinking? I thought he’d gone to the bathroom at Afterglow, and by the time I realized he hadn’t, he was gone. And he wasn’t coming back. And I couldn’t think about anything else.
Had I done something to blow it? Or was he fucking with me the entire time? Playing with my heart, reeling me in so he could break me. Well, it worked, and I didn’t know what to do.
Shutting my laptop, I got up and crossed the room. I grabbed my keys as I headed out the front door. The SUV was in the driveway, since I only had room for my Beemer in the small garage, and I wondered for the millionth time why I bought a million-dollar home with only a one car garage. But fuck it.
I got in and dialed Warner at the same time.
“Yo,” he answered.
“Where are you? I’m heading over.”
“Pushy much?” he made a derisive noise that I ignored.
“Need to talk.”
“Already?” What the fuck did that mean? I ignored it. After a moment’s silence, he muttered, “Okay, I’m at home today. Come on over then.”
He only lived a few miles away. We were always close whether that meant proximity, mentally, or emotionally. We’d grown up together—best friends—Done everything together. Includingfucking a few guys and one eventful double penetration session, but none of that even compared to Skyler.
I parked and walked into his house, not bothering to knock. That’s the kind of bond we had.
“Back here,” he called from his office. I knew where to find him.
The door was open, and I waltzed in and plopped down on his leather sofa. Warner spun around in his chair and stared at me with his hands on his knees. “What the fuck, dude?”
“It’s Skyler.”
“So, I guessed. What the hell’s the problem?”
“He won’t take my calls.”
Warner leaned back and crossed his arms over his broad chest. He wore a crisp white T-shirt and swim trunks, probably headed out to the pool after he finished up whatever he was working on. That was a normal day for both of us. Unless he had to go into the office or court, which happened, but mostly, he worked from home. “Look, Crow. If you like this guy, go get him. I mean, I’ve never seen you like this over anyone. What’s so special about him anyway?”
I glared at Warner. He’d heard me bitch about Skyler before. After the trial and after Danny and Lee’s wedding. He knew how I felt. “He means something to me.”
“He’s gotten under your skin. Again. You need to either get him on board or forget about him.”
“I can’t forget about him. Have you seen him? Talked to him? He’s amazing. So fucking smart. Sassy, but not in a bad way. And so fucking vulnerable.”
“And what? You think he needs a daddy?”
I definitely thought that. “If anyone I’ve ever met needs one, it’s him.” I’d thought that so many times now. I’d even told Skyler what I thought about it.
“I need a drink for the rest of this conversation.” He grunted and got up. We moved back into his main house. He had a fancy bar set up between his kitchen and dining room. “What do you want?”
“Nothing. I’m driving.”
“Fine. Suit yourself.” He hummed as he poured golden liquid, probably whisky or bourbon, from a decanter into a glass. He dropped a big square ice cube from his under-cabinet icemaker in and swirled it. “Now…” He motioned to the living room where he had comfortable furniture and a large screen over the fireplace. His was wood-burning while my two were electric. His house was overall more traditional than my modern mini-mansion. Neither were like anything we grew up in. Our families both lived in the same middle-class neighborhood. But we grew in station over the years, having not only lucrative careers, but amazing financial investments. I wasn’t a billionaire, but I had more than a few million to spare, and so did Warner. Hell, he didn’t have to work for Drew, he simply enjoyed it. And he knew me better than anyone else. So when he sat in a club chair and sipped his drink, eyeing me. “You are a dumbass. What did you do? Take him to Afterglow right off the bat?”
I eased down onto his couch and clasped my hands in my lap. “Yes. But hey, I’m not perfect. It’s just that, I don’t know, Warner. This is more than a boy under my skin. I mean he’s so pretty with those green eyes and tight bod, but there’s so much more to him than that. He laughs easily. Enjoys the moment.”
“I saw you watching him during the camping trip. When he didn’t know you were looking.” He pointed at me with his index finger on the one holding his glass. “I had a feeling we’d be having this conversation.” He took a sip. Then sighed over dramatically. “Never thought the two of us would ever settle down. But…I can see you long term with him, if you both can get over yourselves.”
“Is this about Cody? Are you serious with him now?”
“Oh, I’m serious all right. Hell, he’s the only one that’s been around more than a fucking minute. He’s adorable, right?”
Not my type, but I could see him with Warner. “For you, yeah.”
