Page 41 of Tinsel & Tools
“This is great,” he said. “I’m starving.”
We sat at the table and dug in.
After he swallowed his first bite, he asked, “What’d you do in town?”
“Not much. Stopped at Cinnamon & Crumb first. Mrs. Katz remembered me.” I took a sip from a can of cola.
His mouth curved up. “Sounds about right. She remembers everyone and everything.”
“That’s not all. A lady named Karen was behind me in line. She told me I’m apparently the hot new topic at the salon.” I popped a chip into my mouth.
He lifted a brow. “Oh really?”
“Yep. She mentioned that you had sworn off dating and something about Ryan being a big flirt.” I chuckled. “It sounds like I’m next in line to be set up.”
Something that looked a bit like worry flashed across his face before it disappeared. “Did you say anything about you being …?”
“Gay?”
He shifted in his chair. “Yeah.”
I leaned forward. “Would it be an issue if I had?”
Instead of answering, he spoke quietly. “What was it like for you? The first time you told someone?”
I shrugged. “Uneventful, honestly. I didn’t make some big coming-out speech or anything. One day, after school, I told my parents about a boy I was crushing on, and that was that. My friends didn’t really care either. It was just the way it was.”
He nodded. “It sounds like your parents are pretty cool.”
The pain I tried my hardest to keep at bay crept in a little. “They were. They passed away in May.”
“Oh. I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Thanks,” I replied, genuinely touched by the kindness in his voice.
We finished eating, and when we stood to clean up, I reached over to take his plate at the same time he went for mine, and suddenly we were inches apart. His gaze held mine like he was searching for something.
Instead of stepping away, he set the dishes aside and closed the distance, crashing his mouth into mine. A jolt of heat shot through me, and I tugged him closer, hungry for more.
He angled his head and kissed me harder, his tongue tangling with mine as he pressed me back against the counter. For a man who had sworn off dating, he kissed like someone who hadn’t forgotten how.
His erection ground against my hip and instinct took over. I palmed him through his jeans, and a low moan ripped from his throat. I fumbled for the button of his fly, desperate to take things further, but the sound of tires driving over gravel broke the moment.
Cole tore his mouth from mine, his breath ragged and his eyes wide with panic. He stepped back a split second later as heavy footsteps approached.
“Hey, Cole! You in here?” Ryan’s voice rang out from the front hall.
17
Cole
Ryan came around the corner. “Hey! Shop’s slow,” he announced. “Figured I’d swing by and see if you need a hand?”
“Yeah. We just finished lunch,” I answered as I put my plate into the sink. I actually had a sandwich in my lunch box in my truck, but I liked sitting down with Gavin and eating the sandwich he’d made for me. “I’m headed outside in a minute.”
“Working on the porch?” he asked.
“Yeah, ledger’s flashed and bolted, beam’s set. I’m hanging joists and putting the rim on, and if the snow holds off, I’ll start decking, with steps and rails tomorrow.”
