“How much older is Ford than you?”
“I’m forty-four, Ford is forty-six. He really let those two years go to his head. He took the big brother title and ran with it. But he was really more of a father to me than my real dad ever was.” Brian quirked up one side of his mouth. Sway noted the fondness that softened Brian’s rough features when he talked of Ford. Even Dana painted his boyfriend as an all-around GI Joe hero, always going on about Ford’s heroics when they went after a bounty.
“There’d been a time when I was diehard against ever speaking a word again.” Brian looked as if he was struggling with communicating this and Sway suddenly felt bad for pressing into sensitive territory.
He took Brian’s hand in both of his after he set his water back down and battled to keep going. Sway appreciated what he’d been fortunate to receive. Talking about that time in Brian’s life couldn’t have been easy for him. Sway didn’t know a lot about military men and what they experienced when they left to defend America and he had even less knowledge about the tribulations they dealt with when they returned. One thing was certain—Sway always had an insurmountable amount of respect for servicemen and women. Sway swallowed roughly. “Thank you for telling me.”
Brian let him stroke the inside of his heavy palm for a few more seconds before lifting them again. “I may not be an open book, but I’m not dishonest. I want you to be comfortable around me.”
“I am comfortable.” Sway frowned slightly, wondering where that had come from.
“I don’t want you to be afraid of me.”
“W-what? I’m not. I just want us to be patient with each other. Take this at an easy pace.”
“My quietness usually runs men off.”
“Then they weren’t real men,” Sway growled back quickly. The thought that men had mistreated Brian hit him in his gut and triggered a hostile reaction. Defend him.
Brian hid his smile behind licking his firm lips.
“And I’m not running because you speak in a unique way.” Sway took a slow sip of his tea and licked the drop that lingered on his bottom lip before continuing. “A lot can be said in silence.”
Brian nodded, all while watching Sway with a mix of perplexity and amazement. “True, it can. Silence was how I survived in here.” Brian tapped his temple. “But, when I’d endured, and it was time to speak again… my brain never got the instruction. Not yet anyway.”
If Sway was understanding this correctly, Brian had gotten out of the military almost six years ago—and he hadn’t spoken one single word since.
Jesus Christ. Are you sure you know what you’re doing, Sway?
When he looked back at Brian, all doubt fled.
Brian reversed their hands and took Sway’s slim fingers in his own. The touch, the connection felt wonderful, even the minuscule amount of skin he stroked sent chills up his arm. At first, he just held him, then he rubbed his fingers delicately over Sway’s wrist, down his palm to the tips of his fingers. Sway’s long, golden-brown-colored lashes fluttered over his doe eyes. Dammit, he’s gorgeous. He’d have done anything to take Sway to his house and lay him down on his bed so he could treat him like he deserved. Like a prince.
“Ya’ know. It sounds like we both have things going on and I do think we should take things slow. It’s not your mutism Brian that—”
“Here you go. Two bowls of mini ramen. Enjoy.” The bubbly waitress placed Brian’s own black soup bowl with a matching duck spoon in front of him and neatly tucked her colorfully tatted arms behind her. “Your entrees will be up soon.”
“Thank you.” Sway smiled.
Brian nodded and picked up the short, thick-handled spoon. It got buried in his wide palm, trying to steady the tiny bit of broth it collected. He managed to get the small swallow in his mouth. It was warm and well-seasoned. He tried to get a little more on the spoon the next time, but it wasn’t cooperating. Finally, Brian put the baby spoon down and picked up his bowl with one hand and turned it up to his mouth. When he put it down, half the liquid and most of the noodles were long gone.
“I’m gonna assume you’re not a fan of chopsticks either,” Sway laughed.
Brian quirked one brow and set his thin sticks to the side in answer and used his fork to dig into his noodles. Brian ate so fast, Sway hardly had time to finish three bites when Brian was pushing his bowl away and motioning that he wanted another. Dana may have undershot when he said Brian liked to eat.
“This place is good. Nice pick, beautiful.”
Sway blushed at the compliment. Brian was done with his food as he watched Sway eat his dumplings. Watching him devour his food was weirdly erotic. He found he had to turn away more than once when Sway chased a drizzle of that sweet sauce along his bottom lip. Or the way he absently wiped at the sparse, dark blond hairs on his chin. Brian was beginning to think there was nothing Sway didn’t do that turned him on. Even the way Sway ate his dinner made Brian want to splay himself out on the table naked, dump some of that garlic ginger sauce—that Sway seemed to be enjoying so much—all over himself, so he could be devoured just as enthusiastically.