Page 16 of Ethan

"Brody and I started doing something new," Noah said, distracting us from Liam's flying fingers. He leaned toward the table and checked over his shoulder. "In preparation for having kids in the house, we've started spending our evenings in the bedroom to watch television. It's led to an interesting development … sexually. It's something we've been working up to."

He paused for way too long.

Oh, my God.

"Spit it out, Noah," I blurted.

"Okay." He checked over his shoulder again as if he expected a server to come into the snug. He must have decided it was safe, but he lowered his voice. "As you know, we like to watch game shows. Jeopardy is our favourite. While we have the television on, I don't need to be watching it, so I spend my time lying with my head in Brody's lap, holding his soft cock in my mouth."

"Cock warming?" Liam exclaimed with far too much exuberance and volume.

Noah waved his hands at him. "Shh."

"Why on earth would you want to do that?" Owen asked while holding his hand to his forehead. The admission would be blowing his mind. The sex Owen had was vanilla at best.

Noah leaned back in his chair. "It soothes both of us. Amplifies our connection."

"I think it's hot," Liam said.

I laughed and shoved Liam. "You think everything sexual is hot."

"Not wrong." Liam handed Owen his phone across the table. Owen opened what I assumed was his dating app profile. His eyebrows nearly disappeared into his hairline.

"I can't use this." Owen looked up at Liam.

"Humour me," Liam replied. "Make me a deal. Use it for one week. See who you get. At worst, you're going to be busy in the sack. At best you might find Mr. Right."

Owen sighed. "Fine."

Noah patted Owen's shoulder. "You'll survive."

Easier said for Owen. Survival. The more I thought about Daniel and his comforting words, the more I felt as though I was slowly running out of air. Every moment I was away from Daniel was bringing me closer to my demise. That I'd somehow suffocate.

Daniel held the key to my breath.

Our goodbye had been awkward. Daniel hadn't been able to commit to coming to see me again. For all I knew, he'd never come back. I chewed on my bottom lip. I chose to believe he would. I lifted my phone, opened each one of my dating apps, and muted my accounts.

He was the only man I wanted on my mind.

The only man I wanted touching me.

I'd let him make the next move.

And if he didn't … I might have to hunt him down.

Chapter Four | Daniel

I was beyond busy. Income taxes were due six months after the year-end of corporations. Since most companies had their year-end on December 31, my workload to finish their tax returns was intense for the next two weeks until the deadline of June 30.

I had a stack of paper I was working through. Thank God for my assistant who sorted all the invoices and receipts for me and the computer program that made my life easier than when I had first started as a corporate tax accountant twenty-seven years ago.

Business software had been available back then, but it had been clunky and required a large computer that needed its own enclosed room, including air conditioning to keep it from overheating. The advent of spreadsheets, word processing, and email had been a life changer.

When the internet made its appearance, the whole world opened up.

I'd been using computers for over thirty years.

Some days, I felt like a dinosaur.

---