“That’s right.” Caleb looked at the remaining food in front of us but didn’t say a word.

“You’re not going to elaborate, are you?”

His eyes twinkled with a teasing light that stroked my dick as good as I knew his hand would.

I waited for him to continue. Then waited. And waited some more.

“Caleb…”

“You done?”

I looked down at the full plate in front of me and several remaining samples, then back to him. “Yes?”

“Good.” He slid out of the booth and gestured to the door. “’Cause I’m suddenly in the mood for some moreBumfuckery…at home.”

THIRTY-SIX

caleb

“DAMN, SOMEONE’S COOKING something amazing,” I said as we headed down the hallway to our condo.

“Yeah, they are. As a matter of fact…” Travis opened our door, and the scent came wafting out. He gestured for me to go in first, and I gave him a curious look before stepping inside.

“Holy shit.” I didn’t get far—the setup in front of me stopped me in my tracks.

The lights were low, curtains pulled fully open to let in the city view, while music played faintly in the background. Balloons in every shade of blue—my favorite color—were strung together to make an arch over the window, with a few others left loose to dangle near the ceiling. A smaller, more intimate table than the one in our dining room had been brought in, complete with crisp white linen, tapered candles, and roses. In the kitchen, a chef was busy at the stove, cooking something I couldn’t see but that immediately had my stomach growling.

“Travis…” As the door clicked shut, he came to stand beside me, and I stared at him with wide eyes. “What have you done?”

He lifted a shoulder and shoved his hands in his pockets. “You said you didn’t want a party.”

I was unable to form words due to the shock flooding through my veins. Spending the day at the brewery was already outside of Travis’s comfort zone, but this? This was romance. And he didn’t do romance.

“Is this…okay?” For the first time maybe ever, he sounded a bit unsure.

I looked back at the incredible scene before us and ran a hand over my hair. This was the last thing I’d expected, and it made something in my chest tighten. “It’s incredible.”

“Yeah?”

I turned back to him and reached for his face, then brushed a kiss across his pouty mouth as he pulled me in flush against him. My mind raced, matching the rapid pace of my heart as I sank into the warm heat of his mouth, our tongues leisurely tangling and tasting.

“Best birthday ever,” I said, just before the chef cleared her throat.

“Dinner will be ready in five. Can I get you both drinks?”

“We can get—” I started.

“That would be great, thank you.”

As she headed off to grab them, Travis caught the look I was giving him and shook his head.

“It’s already taken care of. Just enjoy it. You know how to do that, right?”

“How not to lift a finger? Nope, I suppose you’ll have to show me.”

“Smartass.” He pulled out my chair and motioned for me to sit.

“You did not just pull out my chair.”