“What color?” I ask huskily.
“Navy. Is this a thing for you?” he whispers.
I peer up at him and shrugs.
A smirk lines his lips. “Anytime you want to place dress up, just let me know.”
“I might take you up on that, Mr. Spencer.” I press my thighs together to dull the ache in my core and slickening panties. He’s what Jas and I refer to as sex on a stick.
He leans in. His lips brush my ear, and I shiver. “The question is what will you dress up as?”
“Uhura, from Star Trek.”
“Just call me Spock.”
“You know who I was talking about?” I ask, thrilled.
He winks. “I got a little geek in me.”
“Is this where I ask if you’d like a little more?”
“Don’t steal my lines, woman,” he chides playfully. With the walls down I see more of who he truly is. I like it. I want to learn more.
“Tell me about your life. I know you have a brother.”
“My immediate family is small. Just my brother, since my father passed. It was recent, and I’m still working my way through that.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry.”
His face ripples with a number of muddied emotions I can’t place my finger on. “We didn’t see eye to eye in the end. He wasn’t the best person, and it took me a long time to see him for what he was.”
“Of course it did. He’s family, and we have a hard time seeing their flaws for what they are,” I reply, thinking of my own father.
He smiles. “In this instance, I should’ve though.” His mood dims.
“Tell me about your brother,” I say, quickly distracting him.
We spend the rest of the evening getting to know each other better. As the sun sinks into the horizon, turning the ocean into a living oil painting, I can’t help but be grateful for the changes coming in my life.
***
Shayne
“How’s L.A., man?” Echo asks.
“It’s all right. I’m learning a lot. I’m kind of excited to get back and get things going. Did Stone pick someone to do the research?”
“Yeah, he’s got Tinley on it.”
“Shocker,” I say dryly.
“You noticed their thing, too?”
“Wait, they have a thing? Did he actually make a move?” I ask, sitting up on my couch.
“If he did I can’t tell. It’s painful, man. The tension between them is palpable.”
“Funny how he’s always talking about continuing the legacy with families, but he’s never been in a hardcore relationship that I remember.”