Page 33 of Starfish and Coffee
Matt turned around as if sensing being watched. “Hey.”
“Hey.” Alex placed both hands on the door frame to the kitchen, unable to stop himself from staring. “I see you’ve been industrious this morning.”
Matt shrugged. “I couldn’t sleep, and I knew Frank got in at five. Figured I’d give us a head start today.”
“That’s some shit, isn’t it?” Frank said from behind him.
Alex jumped, caught totally off guard. He forgot other people worked in this restaurant. He had eyes only for Matt.
“What?” he asked, still trying to get his bearings.
“Tarrington pulling his own weight.” Frank gestured into the kitchen. “Who knew?”
“I knew,” Matt said sharply, reminding them he was standing right there.
“Yeah, I guess I deserved the attitude,” Frank said with a laugh as he hit Alex’s shoulder. “When are you gonna start showing up an hour early off the clock to do prep?”
Alex snorted. “Never.”
“I’ll remember that the next time you want a raise, Hunter,” Frank called as he walked back to the front of the house.
Matt grinned at him. “I guess I’m getting a raise before you.”
“Probably.” Alex shook his head and laughed. “It’d figure.”
Matt was here. He wasn’t freaking out, and nothing was weird between them. Alex breathed a heavy sigh of relief, not realizing until just then how desperately he wanted it all to be okay. He walked over to the sink, using the excuse of the bandannas on the shelf over the sink to lean into Matt. All nerves forgotten, he suddenly just needed to get close. Alex bent down, inhaling the scent of expensive aftershave off Matt as he buried his face in the curve of his neck just like he’d imagined. Matt stiffened in front of him, his hands stilling their work on the dishes.
Alex tilted his head and breathed against Matt’s ear. “I didn’t think you’d show up.”
“I usually finish what I start,” Matt countered with a catch in his voice.
Alex smiled, still completely unwilling to give up being so near him. “I noticed.”
“You’re being pretty fucking obvious,” Matt reminded him. “I didn’t think PDA was your thing.”
The fact that Alex needed Matt to rein him in showed how far gone he was. Between the two of them, Matt was more inclined to spoiled indulgences. Pulling away almost hurt as Alex stepped back and worked at tying his bandanna on.
“Maybe you ought to quit now. I dunno if I can last another week around you without outting both of us.” He eyed Matt in those designer jeans that hugged his ass perfectly. “Fuck the money and your pride. Not like you need more of either.”
“Actually, I was thinking of staying on until the spring. I don’t have anything better to do.”
“You’re gonna work at Frank’s all winter? Are you crazy?”
Matt shrugged. “I just thought it’d make things more convenient.”
Alex just stood there in shock for one long moment. Itwouldmake things more convenient if the two of them wanted to really pursue this. He’d expected to come to work to an empty kitchen. Instead he was facing an entire winter with Matt. It was a bizarre change of pace for him, considering all the other guys he’d fucked were weekend flings at most.
“You want to expand the experimental phase?”
Matt gave him a look. “That’s your label, not mine.”
“I don’t understand.” Alex frowned. “You’d work in this shit place all winter—for me? Why?”
“It’s not that difficult to comprehend.” Matt gave an incredulous laugh as he lowered his voice and leaned into Alex. “Being with you gets my dick hard, Lex. Why wouldn’t I want more?”
Something about the nickname punched Alex in the gut as he remembered hearing it last night when he was buried deep in Matt. It hazed his thinking and left him looking at a usually complex world through rose-colored glasses. It all seemed very simple the way Matt explained it. If it felt good, go for it. Maybe Alex had been making all this more complicated than it needed to be.
Matt and Alex had zero in common with the exception of their dicks. A future together was almost completely impossible, but that wasn’t what this was about. It was more sex and need than anything romantic. An overwhelming attraction that was hard to deny, and why on earth would Alex want to? Fucking Matt last night had been, hands down, the hottest thing Alex had ever done in his life.
