Cody burst out laughing, then whispered back. “Me too with TJ.”
“Even now?”
Cody smiled wistfully. “I always wanted him. From the moment I met TJ, I knew I had to make him mine, but I was young and still figuring my life out. Then I went off the rails.” Cody looked at Orsen. “Even now he’s the only one who I want to be with.”
“I don’t know about Santino. He’s the only one I’ve looked at and liked.” Orsen shrugged, wet his lips. “Ambrose wanted me to be some rent boy. I think that’s what you call it, where he’d have men pay for me. I would see them and cringe, then run away. It was worth it, even if it meant Ambrose would hit me.”
“That’s good, isn’t it? He’s the one who makes your heart beat a little faster.” Cody waggled his eyebrows. “And your dick a bit harder.”
“More than a bit,” Orsen mumbled. “I really like him.”
“He likes you too, but he needs time as well. He is older than you and he will want you to live life.”
“He said that, so I told him I’m not the same as other people. I want to be safe and loved.” Orsen ducked his head, his fingers moving over the table. “It sounds silly now.”
“No, it doesn’t. I get it. You want stability and someone who will love you and keep you safe from harm. I have that with TJ, and I’m only a couple of years older than you. These men of ours need to forget numbers where we’re concerned. We’ve lived a lot in our lives already.”
“That’s what I want. I want to meet people and make friends, but in my own time when I’m ready, and I want something with Santino. He makes me smile when I think about him.”
“Good, and tell him. Repeatedly. These men can be a little slow on the uptake.”
“We might take our time getting used to changes, but we do, eventually.” TJ opened the fridge door and pulled out a tray of mini cakes. “More food needed. Orsen. My advice? After dealing with Cody, who is confident and knows what he wants, you have to stand firm with Santino and not back down even if you think you should. If you want to have a relationship with him, you need to make him see it, too. He’ll see your age, your experiences and believe you should go out and be swinging from the chandeliers.” TJ turned to Cody. “Did you ever do that?”
Cody pulled a face, shrugged. “Maybe? Who knows? I did a lot when I was younger.” A huge grin spread over his face. “There’s a place in the city that has rooms with chandeliers.”
TJ’s face went blank. “I have a bad back?”
Cody burst out laughing, stood, and hugged TJ. “Love you and I can rub it better later, if you want.”
TJ’s eyes flickered to Orsen, then he nudged Cody to one side. As he walked outside, he glanced back at Cody. “I want.”
Orsen gasped, then giggled, and saw Cody adjusting himself, and looked away. “You get to have that too.” Orsen looked up at Cody. “He gets me all the fucking time, and I love it.”
“I want that too,” Orsen whispered.
“Yeah? Then we need to get your man, don’t we?” Cody held the back door open. “Let’s enjoy the party and then we can put our heads together and think.”
“Will he like it?” Orsen followed Cody outside, gave Charlie a stroke then squinted his eyes in the sunlight. Shading them, he walked over to the table and groaned when he saw the mini-sized cakes. Charlie sat next to the table, tongue falling out the side of his mouth as his tail wagged.
Cody nudged him. “Who will tell him?” He arched an eyebrow and pointed to a carrot cake. “They are delicious. Try one. It’s your party, after all.” He quickly looked around, then dropped a mini cake on the ground. It was gone a second later.
Orsen smiled, watching Charlie lick his lips. “I think I like you.”
“Yeah? I like you too, Orsen, and you’re welcome here anytime. Just knock first. Loudly. We might be busy.”
“Cody.”
“TJ.”
Sighing, TJ shook his head, then kissed his man. “Your turn to hold Macy. Crompton’s grumbling.” Cody kissed TJ back, his hand sliding over his ass, then he grinned at Orsen and went over to Crompton.
“What should I do about him?” TJ murmured, a soft look on his face as he watched Cody pick Macy up.
Orsen smiled and picked up his piece of cake. Cody and TJ’s relationship was what he wanted, and maybe Santino would give it to him.
Chapter Ten
Closing the front door behind him and letting Charlie off the leash, Santino dropped his bag to the floor and walked into the kitchen. Opening the fridge, he stared at the empty shelves, remembering he’d cleared all perishable items out before leaving for the city. “Damn.” Opening the back door for Charlie, he picked up one of the takeout menus and placed his order before going back to the door and picking up his bag. He dumped the contents by the washer, then went to his bedroom to strip. He’d come back a day early to see Orsen but had been stuck in traffic for two hours longer than normal, and now he needed a shower. Orsen was coming over soon and Santino wanted to smell less like a sweaty gym rat.
