On a Roll by Beth Bolden (free ebook novel .txt) 📗

“I guess we’re gonna have to keep it in our pants on the lot now,” Sean said with a dimpled grin. “There won’t be any more dark corners to make out in.”

“It’s alright,” Gabriel said, putting an arm around Sean’s shoulders and tugging him closer. “I’m perfectly happy to make out in your bed. Or on your couch. Or in your kitchen.”

Sean smiled. “Yeah, I bet you are,” he teased.

“Hey, as long as the making out is part of it, I’m satisfied,” Gabriel said. Which was the honest-to-God truth. He didn’t want or need more, just Sean pressed up against him, loving every moment.

“I could use a little more satisfaction right now,” Sean said, wiggling a bit.

“You’re incorrigible,” Gabe said, but suddenly he wished they could go back to that dark corner and he could get Sean off, without anyone else knowing.

But with Lennox and his people skulking around, Sean was probably right; those days were over.

“I guess we should enjoy the music,” Sean said mournfully. “You want to grab a beer?”

“You closed for the evening?” Gabriel wondered.

Sean nodded. “Everyone’s here for the band. And the beer.”

“I left Ren holding down the fort,” Gabe admitted, “but you’re probably right. We can close down. Alexis always stays open late, and so does Tony.”

“The blessing of having employees,” Sean said.

“You could get one,” Gabriel said. He knew Sean sold enough that he could afford it.

Sean shot him a look. “And put them where exactly?”

“I’m not sure, but it’s something to think about. You can’t do everything, forever,” Gabriel said.

Sean didn’t argue, just gave a thoughtful hmmm to Gabriel’s suggestion.

“I’m gonna tell Ren to close up,” Gabe said, pulling out his phone, and shooting Ren a quick text. He looked up, and Sean was staring at him, expectantly. “You wanna go grab a beer and a dance?” he asked casually, like his heart wasn’t in his goddamn throat. Because sharing a drink and definitely sharing a dance wasn’t what hookups did. But they hadn’t been doing what hookups did for awhile now. Honestly, Gabe wasn’t sure they’d ever done what hookups did.

But Sean didn’t argue or look conflicted at all. He just grinned, brightly. “That sounds great,” he said. “The music sounds great tonight.”

Gabriel didn’t say that it wouldn’t have mattered if the music sounded like a toddler pounding on a toy drum set, he would’ve still wanted to dance with Sean.

“Yeah,” he agreed, hand sliding down Sean’s back, resting right in the small of his back, feeling the heat of his skin through the thin fabric of his t-shirt. They wandered over to where Tony was pulling beers.

“Hey,” Tony said glancing up at them. “It’s a great night, isn’t it?”

“It is,” Gabriel agreed. “I’m glad we do this.”

“I’m glad we’re still doing this,” Sean added.

Tony grabbed them two beers. “It’s gonna take more than a little bit of bullshit to scare us away.”

“The glitter looks great,” Sean enthused. “Honestly, I love what you did with it. It never would have occurred to me to turn it into a celebration.”

Tony’s smile was soft and sweet. The kind of look that Gabriel would never have imagined he’d wear, once upon a time. “That’s all Lucas,” he said. “He didn’t want us to be ashamed.”

With Sean’s skin only a thin layer of cotton away from his hand and the wonder and awe of his feelings cresting through him, Gabriel thought to himself that he’d never been less ashamed in his life.

If he thought Sean wouldn’t panic and freak out, he’d tell him how he felt. He wouldn’t waste a single moment; he’d tell him tonight.

“And we’re not,” Sean said, sounding just as certain as he’d ever been about anything.

“How’s the new menu item coming along?” Tony asked casually, changing the subject. “Ren mentioned you guys were working on it.”

“It’s going good,” Gabriel said. “It’s not what I expected it would be, but I think . . .” He glanced over at Sean, who was still smiling. “I think it’s better because it’s not what anyone would expect.”

“I think so too,” Sean agreed.

“You two seem to be on the same page recently . . .”

But that was all Tony got out before Sean interrupted him. “Tony, we said we’d take care of it, and we are.”

Gabriel was surprised at the vehemence in Sean’s voice. He hadn’t expected that at all. Tony clearly hadn’t either.

“Uh, okay,” Tony said. “I wasn’t saying . . .”

“Yeah, you were,” Sean said, again not letting Tony finish. “You wanted to remind us that we still need to come to an agreement over who’s going to keep the name. I know. I think about it every day, okay? I know Gabriel does, too.”

He didn’t. Not really. He thought about it every once in awhile, the ugly thought intruding in the happiness he’d found, and every time it showed up, he pushed it away, because he didn’t know how to deal with it.

He’d never known how to deal with it.

But he was not going to be stupid enough to say that, especially not now.

“Alright,” Tony said, his expression smoothing into a charming smile. “I trust you guys.”

“You should,” Sean retorted.

“Hey,” Gabe said, fingertips brushing against his back. “Come on, let’s have that dance, okay?”

“Yes,” Sean said, and his smile was back. Brighter than ever. “Let’s do that.”

They set their beers on a nearby table, and Gabriel was pleasantly surprised when Sean was the one to take him by the hand and tug him onto the makeshift dance floor.

The band that Tony had found for the night was a little more honky-tonk than they usually got, but Gabriel found himself really enjoying it, and the lead singer’s rainbow cowboy boots.

The song wasn’t particularly up-tempo, but slow enough that it felt right for Gabriel to wind his arms around Sean’s waist and pull him close, moving along to the beat. They’d been slightly more circumspect around the lot—ever since the first night, when they’d barely been able to keep their hands off