Nothing to Gain (Learning the Ropes #2) - E.M. Denning Page 0,65

explained.

“The look on her face when Mom threatened to shove a fork up her ass,” Zane laughed. “God, those two are a mess.”

Brett relaxed as everyone went around the room and shared stories of their family drama. A golf cart in the lake story from Ricky. The time Caleb’s sister threw him under the bus at dinner by ratting on him about skipping class to make out with the head of the audio-visual club, so he’d ratted on her for the half-empty box of condoms he found in her room.

“God,” Brett wiped a tear from his eye. His cheeks hurt from laughing and he took a deep breath. “Your families are a mess.” He felt better about Chad’s outburst. It hadn’t ruined a thing. In a way, the small drama had cemented their bonds as a haphazard family. Brett hoped that in years to come, they might still tell the story of the very first time they all got together in the tiny apartment he shared with Ansel.

Brett watched Caleb come up behind Eric. His large hands always made Eric look slight and waif-like, Brett thought. They settled on Eric’s hips and he whispered something in Eric’s ear. Eric nodded.

“We should do this again. Next time Caleb and I will host. It’s stupid of us to only get together on holidays.” Eric made a point of looking at Linden. “And you will have to show me how you made those dinner rolls. Mine never turn out right.”

“Absolutely,” Linden promised with a voice full of pride.

“You just want a larger space so you can show off your fancy moves,” Brett rolled his eyes, but he was already looking forward to their next gathering.

“Moves?” Linden asked. He trailed his fingertips down Brett’s thigh, sending swirls of heat to Brett’s center. Brett put his hand over Linden’s trying to stop him from bringing on an accidental erection. Linden’s other hand moved, caressing the curve of Brett’s hip. Maybe not so accidental.

“Tango.” Brett turned and waggled his eyebrows at Linden. “Eric taught me. Well, he tried. I have beauty, but I lack grace.”

“That’s not true,” Eric tried to argue, but his faux indignity faded. “Okay, it’s true. Wear steel toed boots, Linden.”

“He’s not that bad.” Caleb’s mirth betrayed his lie.

“Will you teach Zane to tango?” Dante asked, his cheeks bright and his eyes let his joy shine through them. He looked at Zane like he hung the moon. Brett remembered a time when he’d see happy couples come into the cafe and his chest would constrict with want. But that wasn’t him anymore. Not since he met Linden.

Linden’s fingers slid up underneath Brett’s shirt and teased the bare skin above the waist of his pants. He wanted to be alone with Linden so he could strip him bare and do naughty things to him.

“How about we demonstrate?” Caleb purred in Eric’s ear.

Dante scrambled to his feet and changed the song. “How’s this?”

“Taylor Swift is perfect. We danced to her at our wedding.” Eric turned and melted into Caleb’s embrace. There wasn’t room in the small apartment for a tango, but Caleb managed to twirl Eric, their sparkling gazes only leaving each other for the length of a blink. Caleb tilted Eric into a dip and kissed him.

Eric laughed and set his hand on Caleb’s chest when he pulled away. “Not in front of the children, dear.”

Caleb and Eric stayed for another dance. And another. And Dante danced with Caleb, to Zane’s amusement. The food disappeared bit by bit, and before long Eric and Caleb excused themselves. After Brett and Linden saw them out, Dante and Zane lingered by the door.

“We should go too.” Dante wrapped Linden in his arms. He whispered something to him that made Linden hold him tighter. “We’ll do coffee tomorrow. Text me. Thanks for having us over.”

“I’ll walk you down.” Linden said, linking arms with Dante.

“You two go on ahead, I’ll be there in a second.” Zane kissed Dante, then waved them off.

Dante shot him a weird look, but relented when Linden started chatting at him and tugging him through the door.

Zane raked a hand through his hair. “Thanks for inviting us. It means a lot to Dante. I don’t know how much Linden has told you about him.”

Brett shook his head. “Nothing, really. The odd anecdote, but nothing personal.”

“Well, Dante is my little brother’s best friend. He and Jonathan are really tight, but Jonathan is in California. It means a lot to him to have Linden, and you and