Page 36 of Mine to Keep
I just shake my head. Nope, not getting into that. “Nah. It was a work trip. Had to escort an older woman around a wine tasting. I did try a bottle of three-thousand-dollar wine.”
Talon’s eyes bug out. “Three thousand dollars? For one bottle?” I nod. “That’s a little insane.”
Javier shrugs. “Papa gets those expensive bottles all the time as gifts. He never drinks them, but they’re always over two grand.”
“I don’t think there’s wine good enough for that much money,” Talon says.
I shrug. “You’d be surprised. I probably won’t buy a bottle, but I wouldn’t turn it down if offered.”
We ordered our food and when our server came back, we dug in while we talked.
Around a mouthful of food, Talon asks, “What next? Can we come back tomorrow?”
Javier hands him a napkin without looking up from his own plate as Talon takes the pickle from Javier’s burger. It’s a little eerie just how well they know each other. “We could always do all we want today and go somewhere else tomorrow. There’s a vineyard close by, we can see if there’s a bottle of wine for three grand.” He winks at me.
The two of them discuss what other things we can do while they’re here when the door of the pub opens. A couple—a shorter, stocky man with slicked back dark brown hair, and a leggy woman with bright red hair—steps inside, looking like someone kicked their puppy.
Just as I look away, the woman glances at me, then does a double take. It takes all my effort not to turn back and wonder if I know her, but instincts tell me to pretend I didn’t notice her reaction.
From the corner of my eye, I see the woman discreetly tap the man and incline her head imperceptibly in my direction, but I can’t it. Both Talon and Javier have their backs to the door, so they don’t see the couple.
Alarm bells ring in my head, though I try to tamp it down. Given my line of work, it’s only natural to assume anyone that stares at me too long has plans to kill me.
Fuck, I really need to retire.
Though I try to ignore it, the feeling of restlessness and paranoia tries to claw its way out of my chest. Stealthily, I look at the couple through a mirror mounted on the wall—it’s angled in a way where I can see them but they can’t see me—and notice they’re no longer looking in my direction. The woman has a menu in her hand, and the man with her is smiling as he pretends to snatch it from her.
Okay, so Iambeing paranoid. I could have been someone they thought they knew, a case of mistaken identity.
Lack of sleep is probably still a concern, even though I got more than enough sleep last night. I still have the feeling that something is lurking in the shadows, waiting for me to drop my guard and take me out.
Javier sighs, pulling me out of my morbid thoughts. “I’m stuffed. And now I need a nap. How do people vacation with jet lag?”
I smile at him, hoping it looks genuine. “They sleep on the flight.”
“We couldn’t,” Talon says, covering his mouth with a yawn. “I was too excited and talked Javier’s ear off.”
He looks over at his best friend with an apologetic expression. Javier leans over and kisses him quickly, making him smile. “It’s all good. We’ll sleep as much as we want when we get back home. I don’t have to work until August, and you don’t start school until September.”
Talon gives him another kiss, then stretches his arms over his head. “Can we go back to Siloq? I think a nap sounds good.”
I stand and pull cash from my pocket. “Of course. Let me get you two to bed.”
Talon hugs me around the waist. “Such a gentleman.”
With a chuckle, I say, “I don’t know about all that.”
They thread their fingers through mine, making my heart rate kick up. These two men are extraordinary. I don’t know what it is about them that has me so captivated, but I want to keep them. It’s dangerous—fucking risky as fuck—but I don’t care. It’s only been a day, but they’re mine.
I wrap my arms around their shoulders, loving the grins on their faces. “Do you two want to stay in tomorrow or taste some wine?”
Javier sighs and leans into me. “I think we need one more day of sleep. What do you think, Talon?”
His head lolls against my chest. “Sleep. Rest. Room service.”
I kiss the top of his head. “Sleep, rest, room service. No problem.”
Talon sighs, kissing my hand. “You’re the best, you know that?”
