because it was hard for him to feel like he was in a loving relationship when they never left their homes. “Have fun with Kevin, okay? Will I see you later still?”
“Yeah, I’ll feed the girls, and if you come and grab Ruby on your way home, I can have Kevin drop me off at your place.”
“I can do that. I brought the spare key you gave me.”
Lukas had given it to him about a week before so he could run over and feed the girls and take care of Ruby while he was having dinner with his coworkers. When John had tried to return it, Lukas had waved it off and told him he’d probably need it again at some point. John had wanted to give Lukas a key to his place, too, but didn’t have the pet excuse and wasn’t sure if Lukas was ready for the seriousness of John just giving it to him so he could come and go as he pleased.
He heard Kevin say something in the background, and Lukas laughed, causing John to smile. He loved the sound of Lukas’s joy almost as much as he loved the sound Lukas made when John first pushed his dick inside him. The little hitching gasp he let out every time drove John crazy.
“I gotta go. We’re meeting some other friends for dinner before the club, so we’re heading out soon, and I’m not dressed yet.”
John smiled wider. “Are you naked?”
Lukas laughed harder. “No, you perv. But wait until you see what I’m wearing to the club.”
“Can’t wait.” The urge to say those three little words rose up again, but he choked them down. “I’ll see you later, baby. Be safe.”
“We will. Bye!”
John shoved his phone into his pocket and eyed the front door as he stepped out of his truck. It had always seemed so welcoming, but now the cheery red color seemed almost intimidating. Shaking his head at his foreboding thoughts, he marched up the walkway and knocked twice before opening the door like he always did.
“Hey, it’s me,” he called out as he closed it behind him. He heard Lydia call out a hello from the direction of the kitchen, so he headed that way. Entering, he saw Dave wasn’t in there and figured he was outside with his grill, as usual.
“Right on time,” Lydia said with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. She turned and grabbed a tray of steaks from out of the fridge and held it out to him. “Will you take these out there?”
“Of course. Everything okay?”
Instead of brushing off his question like he thought she would, she glanced toward the sliding glass door, then jerked her head toward the pantry and set the tray of meat on the counter.
Intrigued, he followed her into the same pantry where she and Lukas had disappeared during the night he and Lukas had almost kissed in the guest bedroom. Once he’d shut the door behind him, she reached out and grabbed his arm.
“Dave invited Garrett Singer to dinner. They’re both outside waiting for you.”
“What?” John’s blood ran cold as he looked in the direction of the back patio, even though he couldn’t see it from inside the pantry. Dave hadn’t brought up Singer since their last conversation at the cabins, and Singer’s emails had dried up when John hadn’t budged on his required payment amount.
“I don’t know all the details, but I think they want you for a project they’re partnering on. I just… After the whole Gina thing, I didn’t want you blindsided again.” She looked up at him with pleading eyes and a worried frown.
Sighing, John scrubbed at his face and realized he still had the few days’ worth of stubble Lukas had talked him into keeping. He didn’t want to grow a beard or anything, but the look on Lukas’s face when John ran the stubble against the inside of his thighs? Worth the annoyance he felt when he rubbed his face and scraped his palm.
“John? Are you pissed?” she asked tentatively, one of her hands landing lightly on his arm. “I know Dave is just trying to—”
“Control everything. Like always.” He raised a brow at her, and she couldn’t do anything but give a half smile. She’d been married to the man for decades; she knew exactly how he was and had reprimanded him a number of times right in front of John. “I’ll go see what his excuse is, but I may not stay for dinner,”