ends of several bacon slices poking out. Lifting it, he eyed the chili cheese brat that Leo was easily putting away. Before taking a bite, he couldn’t help but comment, “You know, I don’t like the taste of raw onions.”
Leo froze with the half-eaten chili dog before his open mouth. Lifting one brow, he watched Cardin chew his bite of food. Shocked he’d said that, Cardin fought his blush as he watched Leo set down the chili dog.
“What about salt and vinegar potato chips?” Leo asked. He pointed at the pile of pale chips next to the barbeque ones. “Like them?”
Then, to Cardin’s surprise, Leo began picking the diced onion pieces from his chili dog.
“I-I didn’t mean that you couldn’t eat them,” Cardin sputtered as he saw the growing pile of white covered in other bits. “And, yeah. They’re okay. Not my favorite, but okay.”
Leo lifted his messy fingers to his mouth and licked his forefinger clean. “Do you like the taste of onions on your lover’s tongue?” he asked before sliding his thumb between his lips.
“N-No,” Cardin admitted.
“Well, then,” Leo replied simply with a half-smile. “To taste your lips, I’ll happily no longer eat onions when you’re around.”
Seeing the way the obviously powerful businessman ever-so-nonchalantly cleaned his fingers, Cardin felt his heartrate spike. The mental image of him sucking something else popped into his mind. His hard dick twitched behind his fly, and he realized he couldn’t remember the last time he’d been blown.
Narrowing his eyes, Leo flared his nostrils as he lowered his hand and grabbed a napkin. “Oh, beautiful. I sure wish I knew what you were thinking right now,” he rumbled as he dried his fingertips.
“Here’s your beer, Cardin,” Vicar said, announcing his arrival. He placed a bottle on the small table with the plates. Next, he added a tumbler full of amber liquid with a few ice cubes. “And your whiskey.”
Vicar lifted one brow as he eyed the pile of discarded onions.
Leo smiled at the man. “My mate doesn’t like them.”
“Ah.” Vicar nodded, seeming to accept that statement without question.
Wait. Mate?
“What—” Cardin began to ask.
“Cardin, I can’t believe you made me come all the way to Denver to track you down,” Shawn called, striding toward him. He carried a bouquet of flowers, but considering his boyfriend’s flushed face and how he crushed the stems in his grip, Cardin didn’t think they would survive to be put into water. The way Shawn swung them around as he flailed his arms dramatically also heralded their demise. “And now here I find you practically sitting on another guy’s lap.” Shawn rested his fists on his hips—and, yep, there goes half the bouquet, crushed against his side—and scowled at Cardin. “If you wanted to make me jealous, you should have picked someone more believable. No way a hot stud like that would be interested in your flabby ass.”
Even though Cardin had thought the exact same thing not half an hour before, having his ex-boyfriend say it out loud pissed him the hell off. Yep, definitely time to make him the ex. Smirking, Cardin picked up his beer as he eyed Shawn.
“I didn’t answer your calls, so I don’t care what you think,” Cardin stated. Before taking a sip, he added, “And I sure as hell didn’t ask you to follow me to Denver. I came here to get some time away from you, and now I can see that was a good move.” Scoffing, Cardin stated, “I might have a flabby ass, but at least I’m not a cheater.”
“What do you call this?” Shawn asked, indicating where he sat between Leo’s spread thighs.
Cardin swallowed his mouthful of beer and set the bottle down before picking up his burger again. “I call it having a meal with a new friend. Although”—he swept his gaze over Leo’s handsome, aristocratic features, then refocused on Shawn—”he has made it plain that he wants me.” Grinning at Shawn, Cardin stated, “Shawn, we’re through. You cheated on me, you disrespected our bed and our home, and you ignored my wishes for time to process what happened. I can never forgive you for all that.”
“You bitch,” Shawn hissed, tossing aside the flowers. “I come all this way, and—”
“That’s my point, Shawn,” Cardin cut in, suddenly appreciating the support of all his new friends, some of which he hadn’t even officially met yet. Still, they’d stopped what they were doing—some even getting out of the pool—and gathered around. The way they eyed Shawn—as if he were scum