Page 142 of Shameless Game

Luca orders us a round of Ouzo, a traditional Greek liquor.

Blair huddles with Ruby and Scarlett. No telling what those women are laughing about.

“Your restaurants in Atlanta.” Luca hands us our drinks. “I’m impressed. We dined there last month. You have an innovative menu; classic meets cutting edge.”

“Thanks.” Colt leans on the gleaming wood bar. “Next time you’re back in A-town, let us know. It’ll be our treat.”

“Would you ever be interested in another venture?”

“Yeah,” Colt answers for us. “We’re looking to expand.”

Colt has an appetite for risk. Me? I prefer more secure investments, but that’s another thing that makes us a perfect match.

“We’re opening a property in West Palm Beach,” Luca explains. “Let’s talk more if you’re interested.” He nods to Zar. “My CFO has all the numbers.”

“I have the numbers,” Zar adds, “and I have an invitation.”

But my eyes are drawn to the way his arm brushes Luca’s. How their intimacy is covert. How it’s like what Colt and I share. How it surges the heat in my veins. Oddly, I feel safe and seduced.

“Tomorrow,” Zar continues, “let Ruby bring you to my beach house for a Lowcountry boil. There are some others I’d like you to meet.”

Colt glances at me. I know the look. We’ve exchanged it so many times when we fear we’ve been outed.

But we don’t need to fear Zar. Right?

“These others,” I ask. “Can they be trusted?”

Zar nods. “As much as they need to trust you.”

Trust.

It’s the most valuable emotion today.

I’ve trusted Colt from the moment he told me that my fly was open on the first day of our sophomore year. And yeah, it turned me on that he was staring at my dick.

I knew I could trust Blair when I was about to step into my Anatomy class, but someone stepped on the back of my Jordans. “What the…?” I almost tripped, whipping around to see her grinning.

“You got a shoe comet.” She saved me from certain embarrassment before I walked in front of a hundred students with toilet paper on my shoe.

Toilet paper that was her fault, I reminded her while she scooped it up. “Yeah, well,” she winked, “Bronson, I may give you shit, but it’s safe with me.”

That’s why it hurt so bad. For two long hours today, I thought Colt had betrayed my trust in the worst way. I felt sick. But now I know what Reese did, and all I want to do is show Colt tonight how he can always trust me.

He can always trust us.

Again, despite what Blair says, this time always applies, too.

So, if Zar is friends with Ruby. If Blair knows Luca Mercier, and it seems she knows his wife, too. Then, yeah, I’m learning to trust.

“Alright.” I nod to Zar. “We’ll be there.”

We finish our round of drinks. They wish us a good night. A gold elevator whisks us to the top floor, to the same suite I shared with Blair on Valentine’s night.

“Did you plan this?” I swipe our guest card, holding the door open for her. “Did you tell Ruby about our night here?”

“What about your night here?” Colt flops down on the lavish sofa in the suite’s living room.

“Oh,” Blair shrugs, “I fucked myself in front of that mirror for Beau.” She points to the massive, gold-framed one on the wall opposite the windows to the Charleston harbor outside. “And then we fucked for the first time on that bed.” She smiles, pointing to the one in the adjoining bedroom. “That’s where he tied me up and gave me my blue cock alien fuck fantasy, too. So, to thank him, I fucked Beau in the spa shower before we fell asleep.”

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