Page 25 of Ethan

My cheeks heated. We were revisiting those escalating sentimental words again. I slipped my hand into his. Caution to the damned wind. "I could get used to leisure."

"Are we finished here?" the server asked as she came to hover by our table.

God. Timing people.

"We're going to finish the wine," Daniel replied. "Then one check."

I waited until the server moved away. "We can split the check."

"Nonsense. I asked you out."

We switched back to safer topics as we finished our wine. The running of the coffee shop. My love of baking. My time in Paris as an impressionable young gay man.

During a lull, I had a question.

"Have you ever been on a date or done anything with a man before?"

"Is it obvious I haven't."

I shook my head. "No, far from it. You seem comfortable."

"That's because I'm here with you."

I laughed. "You're dangerous. Such a sweet talker."

"It's all true. I feel at ease with you."

I needed to pull us back again. "We should go. People are waiting for our table."

Daniel motioned to the server, paid our bill, and helped me into my spring leather jacket. I'd toned down my wardrobe tonight to a respectable roar. Tight black jeans that made my ass look great and a silver button-up shirt with a stiff collar. It was obvious Daniel liked what he saw.

Even now, he was staring at me.

Hand in hand, we stood on the pavement.

"I parked in the Bastion parkade," Daniel said.

"I walked."

"Where do you live?"

"Over in Chinatown."

"In that case, it would be silly to offer you a ride."

"It would." Our evening together was winding to a close. Neither of us wanted it to be over, evident by how we wouldn't let go of one another. "I'll walk with you as far as the car park."

Daniel gripped my hand tighter, and we headed down Langley toward Yates. We could have walked in behind the old courthouse but that would have cut our trip short.

I ended up walking Daniel to his car.

"We should exchange numbers," I said, my voice quiet. My good mood from earlier had crashed. I didn't want to part ways with Daniel. I wanted to take him home with me, have him fuck me, and be held all night by him. I unlocked my phone and handed it to him.

"We'll do this again," he said.

I nodded as I entered my number in his phone. I was startled, absorbed in what I was doing, when he touched my face, using his thumb and forefinger to lift my chin until I met his gaze.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

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