Page 43 of Lustful Nights

Lennox:Don’t forget game night tomorrow. It’s going to be at Jensen’s. I’ll send his address later.

Tristan:Oooh, game night at the boyfriend’s.

Bash:How official. Swoon.

Preston:Does that mean you guys are going steady?

Declan:Can he bring some hotties with him?

Tristan:Do you ever not think about hooking up?

Declan:*gasps* There are times when you don’t think about that? Ew!

Bash:I’m also down for some hottie friends to show up.

Lennox:Nope, no hottie friends. The only friend I know of is my brother Nick, and ewwww gross.

Bash:Nick is definitely a hottie.

Lennox:La la la la! Changing the subject.

Cole:Do we need to bring anything?

Lennox:There’s finally someone normal in this group!

Lennox:Bring a dish. And drinks! See you all tomorrow.

18

JENSEN

The past weekhas gone by at a snail’s pace. While I’ve spent every night wrapped around Lennox, he’s had school during the day while I had work. Then, some evenings, he would work at Peaches, so each night I made sure to be sitting in a booth watching him. This meant I was up late too many days this week when I had to get up early the next morning. I don’t know how Lennox does the late nights plus rising early. But he does it easily, with a smile on his face.

I pick up my phone, noting there are still no texts or calls from Nick. I’ve tried to reach out at least once a day and he’s ignored every attempt. And it fucking hurts. Nick and I have never gone this long without talking. Lennox hasn’t said much about it, but I know it’s killing him too. He thinks I don’t see the way he’ll casually check his phone, his body deflating when he realizes there’s no messages from Nick.

There’s nothing else for us to do except sit and wait. I keep hoping Nick will reach out, but I hate seeing Lennox so down, which means I’ll probably be seeing him face-to-face sooner than he wants. My phone rings, and I pick it off the table, smilingwhen I see a picture of Lennox lying on my chest showing on my screen.

“Hey sweetheart,” I answer as I put the phone up to my ear.

“Oh my god, Jensen.” Lennox is breathing heavily, my heart pounding wildly, scared about what’s going on.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, sitting up in my seat. My head swivels to where my shoes are sitting on the floor by the front door. How long would it take for me to put them on and rush after him?

“I don’t know whether to get red or white wine,” he says, my eyes closing in relief. “I like white, but I know Tristan likes red. But red is so yuck. But I’m supposed to be a delightful host, which means I have to buy things I know my guests would want. Why is this such a hard decision?”

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I sigh. “You’re freaking out over wine?”

“Well, duh. I need to make a good decision. This is the first time we’re hosting together. And things must be perfect. Are you sure you’re okay with us doing it at your house? I can totally change it and tell everyone to go to my apartment. That’s fine, if that’s what you want.”

“Lennox,” I cut him off, then wait for him to catch up with me, trying to get his attention. “Breathe. Everything is going to be okay. Whichever wine you choose will be okay. And no, I don’t mind you doing it at my house. I actually really love that it’s where you wanted to have it. So, again, breathe. Grab both a bottle of white and one of red, then come home to me.”

“Okay, yes. Both wines are a great option, ’cause that will just give us even more to drink.” He squeals loudly before adding, “All right, I’ve got the wine. I’m going to go get some meat and cheese and I’ll be right there.”

The phone clicks off and I chuckle, putting it back down on the table. Lennox has been talking about this night nonstop, trying to plan everything down to the last detail. I’m nervous buteager to get to know his friends better. Of course, I wish Nick could have been here, but I can only hope he joins in a future one. While waiting for Lennox, I set up the grill in the backyard. It’s not too cold today, just a slight breeze, so I decided to grill some burgers for tonight. After setting up the barbecue, I head back inside, grabbing my phone and finding the brownie recipe I saved earlier.

I can grill in my sleep. I do at least once a week. But baking? That’s something I’m still not the best at. But I want to make some desserts for Lennox and his friends. Blowing out a breath, I grab a couple of bowls from the cabinet and place them on the table. Checking the ingredient list, I then find each item in my pantry. I follow each step in the recipe, being sure to double-and sometimes even triple-check each part before I move on. I’m putting the tray of brownies in the oven as Lennox walks into the kitchen.

“You’re baking?” he asks, reaching over the counter to push at the bowl of leftover brownie mix. “And you’re making brownies? I can’t wait to taste them.”

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