Page 11 of Boy Issues

Silver gave him a lopsided smile. “You’ve worked for it, so I guess you deserve a reward.”

“Oh, really!” Donovan laughed. “So that’s how it is, you like to make men work for the pleasure of your company.”

Silver rubbed his brow with thumb and forefinger as he shook his head. “You were doing so well…”

Donovan bit his lip. Now what had he said? He’d never met a guy like Silver before. Clearly, he wasn’t much for bantering. For some reason, the idea of upsetting or disappointing Silver bothered him. When it came to his family he looked forward to annoying them, but that wasn’t the case with Silver.

“Sorry.” Donovan uncrossed his arms then realized his mistake when he didn’t know what to do with his hands. He crossed them again. “Not sure what I did wrong?”

“Just relax, Donovan. Don’t try so hard.” Silver laid a gentle hand on Donovan’s wrist before drawing it away. “It’s okay to be yourself.”

Silver’s tone hadn’t been angry or mocking. It was as if he’d actually meant what he’d said and wasn’t chastising Donovan.

Weird.

Donovan’s discomfort level had hit the red zone.

“I didn’t realize… That wasn’t my intention.” Jesus. “I thought I was being myself.” He laughed shakily. “Not sure who else I’d be.”

Now he felt like a naughty child. Things were spiraling of control. Yet, he couldn’t bear the thought of giving. He finally had a chance to spend some time with Silver, and he was going to see it through, no matter what.

“That’s all right, mijo.” Silver quirked a smile. “I thought you dropped by to offer me a drink.”

Donovan laughed again, the sound still more nervous than he wished it to be. “Of course. Where are my manners?” He wondered if he could take things to the next level. At least in baby steps. Silver wasn’t the typical pushover, that much was clear. “We could ride together to a quiet bar I know of nearby.”

The place was also dark enough that he could usually find a spot to hide in the back.

Silver smirked. “That’s all right. I’ll follow you over.”

“Oh, uh, sure.” Donovan rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m headed to the Yellow Cat up on Glendale Boulevard in Silver Lake. Just in case we get separated, I mean.”

“I know where it is.” The alarm to Silver’s car beeped as he strode over to the Mustang. He turned to Donovan before climbing in. “I’ll show up. I’m a man of my word.”

Donovan sucked in a breath to protest that he didn’t doubt him one bit, but Silver was already in his vehicle and revving his engine. Not wanting Silver out of his sight, Donovan hurriedly got behind the wheel. Now all Donovan had to do was discover if he was making an excellent or terrible decision by following him.

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