When Ian came back to the table, he still wore his restaurant-owner expression, which was a mix of acute concentration and worry, with some anger this time. He shocked the hell out of Hollis when he plopped down in his lap and wrapped one arm around his neck.
He thought Ian would tone this down in front of his friends, but he didn’t hesitate to cuddle or hug, and Hollis wasn’t the only one benefiting either. Apparently, this man he was crazy about was a very tactile creature who was completely unafraid to show his affection with any of his friends.
Not that Hollis would complain. Ever. He’d accepted that his lap was the best spot for the man—especially when he was naked. He ran his hand down Ian’s back, then delved under the vest at his waist. With just one finger. He’d been right. Those sexy hipbones were right over the sexy belt.
“My pastry chef quit,” Ian announced, shoulders slumping as he tightened his arm around Hollis’s neck.
“The one who makes that cannoli?” Noah asked, frowning. “That bites.”
“She’s opening a shop, so you’ll still be able to get them. I’m going to call and see if I can work something out to keep some of her creations at Rialto.” Ian threaded his fingers in Hollis’s hair, almost absentmindedly.
Once again, Hollis felt the sharp stare of Lucas Vallois and he met that gaze and lifted one eyebrow that clearly said he was just going to have to deal with the situation. The smirk he got in return held more amusement than anything else.
“So,” Ian suddenly announced as he turned in Hollis’s lap to better face the entire group. “This Gala. I know there’s some secret infiltration plan already in the works, but I want in on it more than usual.”
He hadn’t phrased it as a question and in fact, there was a distinct ring of authority in his tone that had Hollis glad his lap wasn’t visible. He knew Ian felt the disturbance underneath him when his hand squeezed his thigh.
“Sure,” Rowe nodded, giving his partner a glance.
Noah grinned and leaned back in his chair, rubbing his hands together with glee. “Oh, this is gonna be fun.”
Hollis knew he should walk out of the room and not listen in. He knew he shouldn’t play any part in whatever crazy plan they were going to concoct. Mostly he knew it was time to say goodbye to his job because there was no way he would stay back. Not at this point.
“Also,” Ian said into the quiet room. “I think it’s time we discuss what Jagger told me on the phone.”
All humor left Rowe’s expression and he closed his eyes. “No, now this is not gonna be fun.”
“What?” Snow demanded.
“He told me that you guys bought me from him.”
The silence that hit the table raised the hair on Hollis’s arms. He waited to see who would respond first and nearly jumped when Snow abruptly stood and pointed a finger at Ian.
“No,” he said, his voice low and vibrating with anger. “You aren’t going to make this a thing. We did exactly what we needed to then, and we are not pulling that out to rehash it. And the whole thing didn’t even go as planned.”
“Because Gratton got wind of the purchase and ran off with me.” Ian stood up, too. “I remember that part very clearly now, Snow.”
Snow’s mouth opened and closed, then opened again, but Lucas stood and slammed his hands on the table.
“No, Ash is right. We’re not going to discuss this.”
“Maybe I want to discuss it!” Ian yelled.
Okay, maybe he was more than a little turned on to see his boyfriend go head-to-head with the arrogant property mogul.
“Fuck.” Rowe sighed and pushed to his feet as well so he could pull Ian close. “We didn’t want you to know that.”
“It’s not really surprising.” Ian lifted his chin, keeping his voice even, but Hollis could see the confused shame and regret in his too-bright eyes and flushed cheeks. “You spoke his language. Profit. Who paid? Lucas?”
“We all did,” Snow said sharply, sounding as if he was biting off each word. “Me, Lucas, and Rowe all paid.”
Ian lifted an eyebrow. “I bet I was expensive. You weren’t as cash rich as you are now, so how?”
“I took out a loan,” Rowe replied with a shrug.
“Sold shares of my new company,” Lucas added.
Snow remained silent, the muscles in his jaw flexing. He wasn’t going to answer, and Hollis suddenly didn’t want to know what the surgeon had done to get Ian free. He was just grateful that he had.
“Look,” Rowe said, pulling him back around to face him. “We didn’t want you to know because we didn’t want you to feel you owed us. You don’t.”
“Oh, I think I do.”
“No!” Rowe snapped. “You don’t owe us a thing. You gave us something that means more than money ever could. We were friends, Lucas, Snow and me, and we were close, but Ian, you made us a family. A real family. When I said you’re like a brother, I meant it. I got why Lucas and Snow were so adamant about getting you out of there the minute we met.”