I snatch the bill from the table a half-second after the waiter drops it off, leaving Dacen’s hand there hovering where he’d been about to pick it up. I pull enough cash from my wallet to cover the bill and the tip and lay it down.
“I was going to pay, Ryne.”
“I got it, and you can shut your stubborn ass up about it. There’s no point in arguing.”
He takes a drink and then gives me a wicked grin. “Yes, sir.”
* * *
When we get backto Dacen’s house he turns to me as he reaches for the truck door. “You’re coming in, right?”
I beckon to him with one finger and he moves toward me with his brows raised. My lips meet his halfway and my fingers slide up the back of his neck, firmly gripping the base of his head. I claim his mouth with mine, alternating between deep, rough kisses, and softly sucking on his bottom lip and stroking his tongue with mine. He whines a little when I pull back for air so I plant one more kiss on him and smirk.
“Yeah.”
His chest heaves as he sucks in air, and he plops his head back against the seat. “Okay good,” he rasps out. “But I need a minute to chill or things might get awkward inside.”
My eyes flicker over to the front door and I bite back a grin. “Pretty sure they’re already awkward. Your dad’s on the front porch swing.”
Dacen scoffs. “Yeah, right.”
I gesture but keep my hand down low so his dad doesn’t see. “I don’t lie, Dacen. Especially not to you. Look for yourself.”
He peers over and groans. “Wonderful.”
We hop out of the truck and head up the sidewalk to the porch. Mr. Becker greets us as we approach the steps.
“Hi, boys.” There’s an amused lilt in his tone.
“Hi, Mr. Becker.”
“Hey, Dad.”
“Your mom’s in the kitchen, you better swing through on your way inside.”
“Okay.” As Dacen shuts the door behind us, he turns toward me. “I’ve basically died now, in case you were wondering because my dad saw us.”
There’s nobody around in the entryway so I lean in and whisper in his ear. “It’s not the end of the world, D. It’s not like we were fucking or anything.” His cheeks flush and I have to fight hard to keep my mouth and hands to myself. We leave our shoes on the rug and make our way into the kitchen. Mrs. Becker stands next to the counter, looking over a bunch of cookies cooling on top of wax paper. My attention perks up because they look like chocolate chip. She turns toward us and smiles.
“Hi, boys.”
Dacen gives his mom a hug and I wave to her. “It smells good in here, Mom. Did you bake those?” Dacen gestures toward the cookies.
His mom’s eyebrows furrow. “Yes, sweetie. Did you think the magic cookie elves summoned them onto the counter or something?”
“No,” Dacen laughs. “I’m just impressed is all, they look great.”
“They’re Grandma’s recipe. I know you and your brothers don’t think much of my baking, but at least I can manage to bake some chocolate chip cookies, sweetie.” She turns back toward the counter, but not before I catch a glimpse of her frown. From the look on Dacen’s face, he saw it, too. He looks flustered and opens his mouth but no words come out.
I step forward. “Are those cool enough to eat, Mrs. Becker?” The hopeful look on my face when she turns around makes her smile.
“I think so. Would you like one, Ryne?”
I nod. “Chocolate chip cookies are my fav. I have been known to inhale an entire batch of them before. No lie. No shame.”
Mrs. Becker laughs and uses a spatula to slip a cookie onto a napkin for me, then hands it over. I take a bite and genuinely have to fight to hold back my moan. “Oh my God, Mrs. Becker,” I mumble around a mouthful of food. “Will you please marry me so I can eat these cookies every day for the rest of my life?” She laughs and her eyes light up from my praise. Dacen stares at me, wide-eyed, and he looks happy again which is what matters. I demolish the cookie in no time and hold out my empty napkin toward her, silently begging for more. This time she plates some up for the both of us and hands it to me. “These are all for me, right?” I joke as I carry the plate over to the table.
Dacen grabs a cookie and walks to the fridge. “Dream on, Ryne. Half of those are mine.”
