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“Damn right.” Jack pulled the curtain closed and finished washing. “What’s the point in dating a totally hot guy if I can’t let people know how lucky I am?”
“Right, so lucky.”
Jack almost got out, but he needed to hurry up or they’d get charged for another day. He rinsed in record time. When he stepped out, he found Ed standing with a towel, or what passed for one in this place. Roughly drying himself, he watched Ed leave, only to come back with his clothes.
“Better hurry. Checkout is in ten minutes. If we’re late, not only are you paying for another night, you and Marcus are no doubt gonna end up with ill-fitting pale blue tuxes.”
“Not funny,” Jack said, amusement in his voice. “You have no idea how true that might be.”
Ed swiped his ass with the towel Jack had dropped. “Better get cracking, then.”
Jack grinned and practically jumped into his clothes, slipped on his sneakers, and stuffed his phone in his pocket. He took out his wallet and handed Ed five twenties to pay for the room.
Ed waved it off. “Don’t worry. I got it.”
“But it was my idea. Let me pay for half at least.”
Ed pointed toward the door. “You pay next time.”
“Hmm, okay, deal.” Jack put the bills in his pocket. He liked knowing there’d be a next time.
* * *
Jack landed the last parking spot right outside the fraternity. He leaned back against the driver’s seat and stared up and the old Victorian house. The roof shone brightly in the dazzling sun, and Jack grinned, imagining tying Harper’s bed up there. Like father, like son….
His grin faded. Wouldn’t be much longer and he’d have to say goodbye to this place.
The ghost of Ed’s kisses prickled his neck, and he closed his eyes on the memory of last night. Please don’t go with anyone else.
Ed hadn’t mentioned it again, and Jack wasn’t sure how much had been their heat talking, but… obviously that’s how Ed really felt.
Jack bumped his head back against the rest and his hand flew to his chest—
He patted around for his ring and then straightened. Fuck! Had he’d left it at the hotel? He closed his eyes and relived the frenzied rush to check out; he got up, took it off and….
Almost the same second as his realization, his phone vibrated. Jack pulled it out and answered Ed’s call. “I left my—”
“I have it,” Ed said.
A wave of relief flooded him, and he let out a laughing breath. “Good.” He started up his Jeep. “I’ll come right around and grab it.”
“Actually,” Ed said, “I’m out with my dad getting yard stuff. Can I get it back to you later? Shit, I have class tonight, and…. I could hand it to Mom and you could swing by there—”
“Um….” Jack would rather his dad’s ring didn’t pass to anyone else. Ed he trusted. He turned off the Jeep’s engine. “Can you hang on to it?”
Ed paused. “Sure. I finish work at three thirty tomorrow. I can swing by your house right after? Say four?”
“You’d… you’d come here again?” Jack watched as Darren and Harper left the house followed by Chem Ben. Ben balanced a stack of books so high his face was barely visible. Darren decided to ditch the dick and grabbed half the pile to help him. “What if someone sees you?” What if there was a repeat of the Chem Ben and company situation?
Ed’s breath crackled down the line. “I fucked up yesterday. I kinda want a repeat. But, that being said, yeah… I’m nervous.” A gentle chuckle made Jack smile. “But you know, start small, right? And dropping off your ring won’t take too long. We can go out for dinner after, if you like?”
“Sounds perfect,” Jack said, and got out of the car with a ridiculous smile stretching his face. “My place at four.”
“It’s a date.”
Chapter Eighteen
“Have fun last night?” Marcus pinched Jack’s face, moving it left and right. “He didn’t leave any marks. That’s a plus.”
Jack slapped Marcus’s hand away. “Stuff it, Marc. I let Kieran do that one time. Are you ever going to let it go?”
“After you get married, I’ll consider it.”
“That’s so wrong.” Jack tried to be mad, but not only was he still on a high, Marcus seemed in a good mood as well. Less tense. Hell, he didn’t bitch that Jack was ten minutes late and that would cut into his “browsing time.”
“Maybe, but in fairness to me, it was huge.”
“I know. I was there. I wore it for two weeks.”
“Almost three but who’s counting.” Marcus bumped their shoulders and reached for the door.
As his brother had suggested, two thirty on a Wednesday afternoon was a great time to get a tux. There were twice as many salespeople as customers. In fact, they were the only two.
