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“Naturally.”
“Are you going to tell me what it is?”
Taking a chance, he reached across the table, gathering Kai’s hand in his own, and stroked his thumb across the knuckles. “Nope, but if you come into the club on Friday, I’ll make it for you.”
Kai arched an eyebrow, but his lips quirked on one side into a playful smile. “Okay. Sure. Why not?” Easing his hand out of Bas’ grasp, he settled it in his lap. “I should get back.”
Unsure of how to read the mixed signals, Bas decided to focus only on the positive. For all intents and purposes, Kai had agreed to a second date, and even though he would be working, he’d do what he could to make it special.
Leaning to the side, he pulled his wallet from his back pocket and shifted through the bills until he found a fiver. Slipping it under the saltshaker to secure it to the table, he rose to his feet and smiled.
“Come on.” He tilted his head to the side. “I’ll walk you home.”
Kai used the red cloth napkin to brush powdered sugar from his shirt and fingers before joining him. “Do you live close by?”
“A few blocks from here.” He didn’t offer more, and Kai didn’t press. “How’s your ankle?”
“It’s still sore, but better. At least I can put weight on it now.” He led him across the street to the walkway by the water. “This is one of my favorite places in the whole city. Sometimes, I sit out on my balcony and just watch the people down here.” Leaning sideways, he bumped against his arm. “Do you have a favorite place?”
“I guess I’ve never thought about it.” Other than Sintury and his crappy one-bedroom apartment, he didn’t get out much. “I like watching the Rangers play. Does that count?”
“Definitely not.” Kai’s lips turned down at the corners, and he shook his head. “You’re a baseball fan? I don’t think we can be friends anymore.”
“What do you have against baseball?”
“I don’t know.” His button nose crinkled, and he jerked his shoulders in a manner that suggested a shrug, just with more attitude. “I think it’s boring.”
“Sacrilege!” Pressing his right palm over his heart, he used his left to give Kai a gentle push. “You’re right. We really can’t be friends anymore.” Honestly, he didn’t much care for baseball, either, but it was something he could do alone without receiving pitying looks. “Begone, heathen!”
Kai laughed, a rich, genuine laugh straight from the belly, and the pure joy in the sound made Bas laugh as well. He loved finding these hidden layers of the guy’s personality, and it always made him feel special when Kai let him see them.
People, in general, he understood. For the most part, they all wanted the same things, and he considered himself a fairly decent judge of character. In his line of work, he had to be. With Kai, though, he never did what Bas expected. Just when he thought he had the man figured out, he always did something to surprise him.
The more he learned, the more he wanted to know, and somehow, he had the feeling he’d only begun to scratch the surface.
five
“Honey, I’m home!”
Rolling his eyes, Kai saved the progress on his latest project and pushed away from the desk. Bas had been by almost every day for the past three weeks. Even when he had ditched their “date” at the club without explanation, Bas kept showing up.
“Melissa, what did I tell you about bringing home strays?”
“I didn’t,” his sister protested around a fit of giggles. “He just followed me here.”
Ignoring them both, Bas crossed the room in three long strides to place a kiss on Kai’s cheek. “What’s the story, Morning Glory?”
“What’s the word, Mockingbird?”
“God, you two are terrible.” Bouncing up on her toes, Melissa placed a quick peck on Bas’ cheek, then turned to give Kai the same treatment. “I like you better when he’s around, so I guess we can keep him.” Then she sashayed out of the room, humming off-key under her breath as she went.
“Ignore her. She’s an idiot.”
“I don’t know. I kind of agree with her. We are terrible.”
“The worst.” Hell, it even nauseated him when he thought too hard about it. “I meant the part about keeping you. We’re not.”
Bas puffed his lower lip out in an exaggerated pout. “But…I’m useful. I can lift all the heavy stuff.” Raising both arms, he curled his fists inward to flex his muscles, seriously testing the elasticity of his gray T-shirt. “Granted, I’m not good for much else, but if you have a couch that needs moving, I’m your guy.”
