Page 75 of Stick By Me

“Good.” His gaze caught on a waiter, who stopped at our table.

We ordered some calzones and lemonade for me, while Leo ordered a Diet Coke.

“Got to keep my girlish figure somehow.” Leo chuckled, unrolling his silverware from his napkin.

“By getting a diet drink to go with your calzone?” Admiring him, I gave him my best grin. “Whatever floats your boat.” I leaned in close. “I love your body, Leo.”

“Good, because I have news.” He straightened his shoulders. “My test came back and I’m negative.” Lifting his chin, he said, “For everything.”

“Fuck…” As heat flashed my skin, my cock shot straight up my zipper to the waistband of my jeans, and I adjusted myself.

“Made you hard?” He snickered, glancing at my crotch.

“Yeah. Maybe you should have told me when we had some time to do something about it.” I glanced around us and pressed on my aching boner. Would there be any time to see him before I left for the game? I chewed the side of my lip. “Maybe we could?—”

“No, we’re waiting until you get back from your Lake Placid game. I want this to be something special.” He snatched my hand and kissed the back of it.

“Yeah, sure.” Except I might die of horniness by then.

The waiter set down our food and drinks. “Enjoy your meal.” He walked off.

I bit into my calzone, the pepperoni salty and the cheese fully melted and stretching off my bite.

Leo watched me, his gaze transfixed, his lips parting. “I think I need to see you eat calzone more often.” He blinked. “Or maybe I’m just sex starved and have been thinking about going bareback with you too much.” He sucked his Coke from a straw.

“Leo, we are going to be so dirty when I get back.” I drank some of my lemonade, then ate more calzone. I might have to look up some new positions for us. My dick pulsed. Shit, we had to talk about something else. “So, how was work today?”

Leo wiped some sauce off the corner of his mouth with a napkin. “Great. You know, usually I have a shit ton of meetings to go to, but today a few of them got cancelled. Everyone’s getting the flu. Guess the season is already here.” He bit into his food.

“Yeah.” I couldn’t imagine a desk job. I hope it never came to that for me. I ate more of my meal.

“Have you heard from your dad?” Leo sipped his soda, narrowing his eyes at me.

“No, not yet.” Why the hell was everyone always asking me about Dad? I huffed a snort. “Jonah is convinced something nefarious is going on.”

“Well, could there be?” He set his food on his plate and wiped his fingers off.

“I don’t know what. I think Dad’s just being a stubborn asshole because I told him off.” I shrugged. “I’m playing the best hockey of my life since we’ve stopped talking. What do I care at this point?” I ate the last of my food.

“Archer.” Leo wound his arm over my shoulders and pulled me close. “I hope that’s all it is.” He kissed my cheek, then set his forehead on the side of my hair. “As long as you’re not bothered by it, I won’t be either.”

“Uh, Leo?” A man with red hair and a plaid skirt with combat boots strolled to us, holding a drink in his hand.

I peered at the man. Shit, he looked familiar. The singer from Knot Me. Axel’s band. Oh no…

“Oh, fuck.” Leo’s wide eyes stared at the man. “Devin. Um, I can explain.” With a broken chuckle, he sat back in his seat and scrubbed his face.

As the corner of Devin’s lips tugged up, he cocked his headand held out his palm to us. “Nothing to explain.” He dropped into the chair next to Leo and opposite me, Leo’s gaze chasing him. Looking Leo straight in the eye, Devin said, “You’re not straight.” His lips curled into a full-on smile.

“I…I’m not, actually.” Leo hung his head and puffed out a breath. “You know Archer.” He pointed at me for a beat.

“I do.” Devin held out his hand and I shook it. With a grin, Devin said, “It’s good to see you again.”

“Yeah, same.” I studied Leo. How was he going to handle this? I should let him take the lead.

“So, you two are dating?” Devin wagged a finger between us. “Axel hasn’t said anything about it.”

“That’s because Axel doesn’t know.” Leo rolled his lips, then shifted to face Devin. “I’m not out to him or my family. It’s a complicated situation.”

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