Somebody to Love (Tyler Jamison #1) - April Wilson Page 0,112
accentuating his musculature. The only problem is I can see hints of his nipple piercings through the soft cotton fabric.
“I’m going to have to sit through dinner tonight trying not to stare at your nipple piercings,” I say. When I brush my thumb over a piercing, he shivers. “Maybe you should wear a hoodie instead, something bulky that hides your piercings.”
“Not a chance.” Ian grins as he pulls me close, wrapping his arms around my shoulders.
“We could cancel our reservation,” I say, grinning because I know how this will go.
“Cancel? God, no! I’ve been waiting all week for this, Tyler. We are not cancelling!” Ian smacks a kiss on my lips then storms out of the closet and into the bathroom to finish getting ready.
I’ve been ready for almost an hour, dressed in black trousers and a white button-up, sans tie. I hardly own anything other than black and white, so it wasn’t a hard decision for me.
I find Ian in the bathroom spritzing on some cologne. After brushing his teeth, he fingercombs his hair, which is still a bit damp from a shower. “How do I look?” he says.
“Amazing.” I walk up behind him and wrap my arms around his waist to draw him back against me. I’m sure he can feel my erection pressing into his ass. “Watching you primp and preen gives me a hard-on.”
He grins as he meets my gaze in the bathroom mirror.
I run my hands over his broad shoulders, unable to resist teasing him. “Are you sure you don’t want to just stay home and fuck?”
He frowns at my reflection. “You really don’t want to go out tonight?” he says. He looks crushed.
Crap. Now I feel like a heel for putting a damper on his excitement. He’s been talking about this date all week. “Of course, I want to go. I was just teasing you.”
Actually, I would rather stay in tonight, but that’s not an option. We need to be gone from the townhouse for two hours this evening. I have a surprise for Ian, and he can’t be here when it arrives.
I run my fingers through the hair on top of his head, spiking the wavy strands. “All right, let’s go.”
Smiling, I kiss his cheek. Every day I spend with this guy, the deeper I fall under his spell.
* * *
It’s a nice night, and the restaurant is only a few blocks away, so we decide to walk. Ian has a light jacket on over his Henley, and I’m wearing my typical black leather jacket to conceal my holster.
We walk side-by-side along the pavement, crossing from Ian’s quiet residential neighborhood to Rush Street, which is a huge tourist attraction. Occasionally, Ian’s hand brushes mine, and I have a feeling he’s aching to hold hands. But he doesn’t press the issue. He knows I’m not exactly comfortable with public displays of affection, especially not after the jeer thrown at us in the parking garage of Shane’s building.
Despite the lack of PDA, Ian looks happy, his smile radiant. Still, I feel like I’m letting him down.
When we reach the restaurant, I open the door for Ian. He grins as he steps inside. There’s a short line at the host’s podium. The waiting area is packed with guests.
“We have a reservation,” Ian says to the two young women standing behind the podium. “Jamison, party of two.”
While one of the women checks the guestbook, the other grabs two menus and tucks them into the crook of her arm. She’s a cute blonde, her long hair hanging in a complicated braid. Her blue eyes sparkle as she gazes at Ian a little longer than necessary.
Forget it, honey. You’re barking up the wrong tree.
Ian seems completely oblivious to her charms as he glances back at me. His enthusiasm is a bit infectious, and I can’t resist brushing my hand against his lower back as I escort him into the dining room.
We follow the hostess to a corner table for two. As she lays our menus on the table, I pull out a chair for Ian, and he sits.
A young man stops at our table and fills our water glasses.
“So, what looks good?” I say to Ian.
He opens his menu with a flourish and scans the pages. I’m sure he’s been here a hundred times before and knows exactly what he wants. “Crab cakes for an appetizer. A prime burger, medium rare, fries, and grilled veggies. And a Cosmo.”