Page 65 of Tooth and Nail

Ari nodded, then looked down at his menu.

Eoghan watched him for a few moments before perusing the menu and then glancing up when their waitress walked over. He smiled at her as he closed his menu.

“Are you ready to order?”

He glanced across the table at Ari. “I am. Are you?”

Ari nodded and then looked up at her. “I’d love the Hawaiian burger, all the trimmings please.”

“French fries?”

“Thin cut if you have them?”

“Of course.”

He shut his menu and smiled. “That would work fine then. Thank you.” He handed it to her, and she looked at Eoghan.

“For you, sir?”

“You’re still serving breakfast, right?”

“All day, sir.”

“Is it fresh?”

She smiled widely. “Yes, we’re known for our breakfast.”

Eoghan nodded. “Okay, let me have two eggs over easy with corned beef hash, hashbrowns, and biscuits and gravy.”

She smiled. “Good choice. You’ll love our biscuits. We bake everything fresh and only cook it to order.”

“Good,” Eoghan said. “I’m looking forward to it.” He handed off his menu and she walked away. He glanced at Ari who was smiling behind the cup he held up, shaking his head. “What?”

His partner took a sip and lowered the cup. “You are quite the flirt.”

Eoghan snorted. “Women don’t hold my interest in the least, Ari. I hope you know that.”

Ari chuckled. “So you say. You might just have to prove it to me, Eoghan Sapphire.”

Eoghan grinned widely and leaned forward, waiting for Ari to lean toward him also. “You know…as soon as my belly’s full and my energy level is where it needs to be and we’ve found a room for the night, I’m going to have no problem proving that to you, Ari Brown.”

Ari’s eyes widened in surprise but the twinkle in them didn’t fool Eoghan. The man was intrigued.

Very intrigued indeed.

Chapter Seventeen

“Hurry up.”

Eoghan’s entire body was tingling as he fumbled with the key card to their hotel room. With Ari’s tall body like a furnace at his back, he was having a hard time keeping his cool as he inserted it, waiting for the green light to blink, and the door lock to disengage. Every time he tried the card, it blinked red.

He growled in frustration, feeling arousal pulsing through his body. Ever since his flirtation with Ari at the café, he’d been obsessed with getting their late lunch over and done with, so that they could get to their hotel. He still wasn’t sure what was going to happen, and he definitely wasn’t sure changing their status as platonic partners was a good idea. But…sweet Jesus…the way the man smelled and the warmth of his big body pressing close as he fumbled with the key card, wasn’t helping him decide.

“For fuck’s sake, Eoghan, give me the card.” Before he could object, Ari’s long arm was reaching around him, and his fingers were plucking the card out of his hand. He deftly worked the card, waited for it to blink green, and chuckled against the back of Eoghan’s neck when it cooperated immediately, as if waiting for the touch of a master.

“Very funny,” Eoghan said, as they pushed into the room. They both dropped their duffels just inside the door and before he even had a chance to pivot, Ari had him in his arms, twirling him and pressing him up against the closed door. He clearly had a thing for pinning Eoghan against doors but at the moment, the very last thing he was going to argue about waswho was taking charge of this encounter. All Eoghan wanted to do was stop thinking about what a bad idea it was to fuck his partner and see how quickly he could rid them both of the clothes standing between them.

He let out a little“oof!”as his back hit the hard surface behind him and then, Ari’s mouth was on his. Opening him up. Sliding his delicious tongue against his own. He tasted of the peppermint he’d popped into his mouth after the satisfying meal they’d just consumed. His spicy sandalwood and citrus scent surrounded Eoghan as he slid his arms around Ari’s middle and skimmed his palms down to squeeze his firm bubble butt. The man had a gorgeous ass and Eoghan had thought about almost nothing other than touching it since they’d left the restaurant hand in hand.

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