The table absolutely loved him, and Cody found him pretty adorable. Of course, he had from the first moment he saw him. If the world weren’t so fuzzy right now, he might have stopped and thought about what was going on, but he was having too much fun watching Julian have a good time.
At least until he rolled snake eyes.
Julian booed at the dice before stepping away from the table with his bounty. He gazed down at his winnings and then up at Cody with eyes so big they reminded him of a child’s on Christmas morning. “That was actually fun.”
Cody couldn’t help the smile that stretched wide across his lips. For some reason, seeing Julian having fun made his night, which wasn’t like him at all. He’d grown accustomed to meeting a hottie at a bar and immediately getting naked. Hanging out was quite a departure from his usual MO, and it actually felt damn good. Who knew you could have so much fun with your clothes on?
Then there was Julian’s smile, which did more than light up the room. It brightened his entire face, and he seemed at least ten pounds lighter than when Cody first sat down at his table. Julian was clearly having as much fun as Cody was, and it made Cody feel accomplished, as if he’d done some good in someone else’s life.
He hadn’t felt that way since—
“Why the frown?” Julian asked as they stood in the cashier line to turn his chips into cold, hard cash. “Are you not having fun?”
Cody shook the ghost of boyfriend past from his memories and forced his lips into the smile he’d previously been wearing. “I am.”
Julian studied him for a few moments before a wicked grin slid across his features. “Truth or dare? And I want you to pick truth again.”
Cody had created a monster. Even though he knew the question, he matched the smile that beamed up at him. “Truth.”
“Why were you frowning?”
He really didn’t want to admit why. His past was a subject he didn’t enjoy discussing. The only person he had ever talked to about his failed attempt at a relationship had been Sam. Not even Mando or Brett knew the whole story. But rules were rules. “I was just thinking of my ex.”
“Oh.” Julian faced forward, and the light in his eyes flickered. He stepped up to the cashier, gave her his chips, and collected his reward.
A few minutes later, they left the casino and strolled down the Strip. The hot, dry air made the night even more oppressive than the silence that descended upon them, and Cody didn’t like it. They had been having so much fun before he went and ruined it by thinking of the one person who always seemed to have the power to turn his smile upside down.
If Cody were a betting man, and he was, odds were two to one that Julian would say good night and go back to his hotel room.
“I’m sorry about that,” Julian said as they worked their way through the pods of tourists clogging the sidewalk. “I shouldn’t have asked that question. It was too personal.”
It was personal, but it was way past time for Phillip Garcia to have any effect on Cody whatsoever. “No worries.” He took a deep breath, and when he exhaled, he forced away the bad juju Phillip’s specter had brought to the evening. “But we definitely need to lighten the mood.”
Julian nodded. “So what’s next?”
“Depends on you.” Cody glanced down at Julian, and the smile that had taken up residence upon his lips for most of the evening sprang back to life.
“Me? What do you mean?”
“Truth or dare?”
Julian mulled over his options, glancing around the Strip in obvious search of what trouble a dare might get him into, which around here was a whole hell of a lot. That was why Cody was surprised by Julian’s answer.
“Dare.”
“Wow! You took a dare without me asking you to.”
Julian glared at him. “You better give me my dare before I change my mind.”
Cody wasn’t going to let him let off the hook that easy. Luckily, he had a plan for where to go next, and either truth or dare would have gotten them there. “I dare you to grab….”
Julian stopped in the middle of the sidewalk with one eyebrow arched high across his forehead.
“…a bite to eat with me.”
His eyebrows returned to their usual position, and he grinned. “Now that I can do. I am hungry.”
Cody was too, but for more than what any restaurant might be serving. “Great. I know just the place.”
THIRTY minutes and one cab ride later, Julian found himself sitting in a diner across from Cody. He still couldn’t quite understand how tonight even happened. When Cody first sat at his table, he never imagined they’d be hanging out hours later, much less sharing a meal, but after Cody revealed that his outlook on love and relationships matched up with Julian’s, he’d been intrigued. He’d never met someone like him before, and that was worthy of one drink.
Of course, they’d long since waved good-bye to that first drink.
It didn’t hurt that Cody was easy on the eyes. He was ruggedly handsome, yet there was a fragility about him that defied his broad shoulders and nicely shaped arms. He’d clearly suffered through a painful past. That was yet another thing they had in common.
“Truth or dare?”
Cody’s question brought his attention back to the table and to the sparkling blue eyes that glimmered like the ocean on a bright, sunny day. “Nope.” Julian wagged a finger at him as the waitress returned with the hamburgers and fries they’d ordered a few minutes ago. “It’s my turn.”
“Fine,” Cody replied in mock irritation. “Mine was going to be better, but whatever. And before you even ask, I choose dare.”
Well, crap. Julian had a question all picked out. He had no clue what to dare Cody to do. “I dare you to speak with an English accent while we eat.”
Cody shot him a blank stare. “Lame.”
“That didn’t sound like an English accent to me.” He took a bite of his burger.
“Yes, well, your dare is utter rubbish.”
Julian almost choked on his food. He hadn’t heard a worse English intonation in his life. “That was just awful.”
Cody snatched a fry from his plate and popped it in his mouth. “How dare you insult me as I eat my chips!”
“It’s the British who should be insulted.”
“Listen, mate—”
“Australians say ‘mate,’ not the British.”
“Oh bloody ’ell,” Cody replied, switching to Cockney now. “You think you’re so clever, don’t you? Well, let’s see ’ow you like these apples. It’s time for quick-fire Truth or Dare.”
Julian paused midbite. “What the hell is that?”
“We ask a series of questions that must be answered quickly and honestly.”
“That’s just truth. Where’s the ‘or dare’?”
“Are you gonna be a git or are we gonna play?”
Julian rolled his eyes as if he were in junior high. “Okay. Go.”
“What’s your full name?”
“Julian Romero Canales. What do you do for a living?”
“I’m a waiter, but I’m also an author. What do you do for a living?”
“I’m a senator. Have you published anything I might have read?”
Cody hesitated as if he wasn’t sure he’d heard Julian right. “Unfortunately, no. All I have is a box full of rejection letters. Are you for real a senator?”
“For real. What genre do you write?”
“Whatever strikes my fancy. Horror, sci-fi, historical. I’ve even dabbled in romance. And when you say ‘senator,’ do you mean like in Washington, DC?”
“Yes. Like in Washington, DC. How long have you been trying to get published?”
“Ever since I dropped out of grad school. How long have you been a senator?”
“I’m in the last year of my first term, hoping to get reelected. Why do you think you haven’t been published?”
“Because every single publisher I’ve sent my manuscripts to hasn’t liked what I’ve written. I still can’t bel
ieve you’re a fucking senator. How the hell is that even possible?”
“I ran and was elected. But why have the publishers not liked your manuscripts? They had to have given you some comments.”
“I’ve gotten the usual responses that my book doesn’t fit their imprint or that the manuscript is too complicated. The one that really stung was that my book had no heart. What the hell does that even mean?”
“It means you’re probably not making your characters real enough for the editor to fall in love with them.”
Cody sat up straight. “Hey, that wasn’t my question.”
“But it was a question,” Julian replied before sneaking a fry off Cody’s plate.
Cody took a bite from his burger and chewed on his food and the comment at the same time. “You really think so?”
Julian shrugged. “Just a guess. I’d have to actually read it to know for sure.”
“Would you? Read it, I mean?”
“Sure,” he replied before he realized what he was committing to.
“Wow. Really?”
Julian couldn’t say no now, but what surprised him even more was that he didn’t want to. He really did want to read the manuscript and help Cody if he could. But why? His plate was past full. Not only did he have a bill to get through the Senate, but he also stood knee-deep in a reelection campaign against Spencer Baldwin, a conservative asswipe who’d stop at nothing to take his place. “Really.”
The smile that greeted him made Julian’s head spin even more than the alcohol they had previously consumed. Fortunately, the burger and fries had helped soak up some of the excess. He was starting to feel a bit more like himself. Thank God. His grandmother would certainly approve.
“I appreciate it.” Cody motioned for the waitress. “I’ll even buy you a beer.”
Julian waved off the offer. “I think I’ve had enough.”
“Truth or dare?” Cody asked. “And I want you to pick dare.”
The last thing Julian needed was to consume yet another alcoholic beverage, but one glance at Cody’s big smile pushed him to do yet one more thing he didn’t want to do. “Fine. Order the beer, but if I get sick, I’m gonna blame you.”
It was Cody’s turn to dismiss his words. “Liquor before beer and you’re in the clear.”
“Is that bit of philosophy left over from your drunken fraternity parties?”
“It’s never steered me wrong before,” Cody replied with another big, beaming smile that made Julian want to take off his clothes and bathe underneath its light.
“Let’s just hope tonight won’t be the first time.”
ONE beer turned into three before Cody escorted Julian out of the diner and into the cab that brought them back to the Strip. Cody didn’t want this night to end, but since they were strolling back to the Venetian, it looked like their Truth or Dare adventure was winding down.
It was probably for the best. Those last few beers over burgers hadn’t been the wisest choice. He didn’t feel sick or anything, at least not yet, but the alcohol had slowed the rolling stone he typically was down to a snail’s pace. He’d actually gotten to know Julian and, as a result, saw him differently than before.
He was no longer some random hot guy Cody wanted to bed. Okay, that wasn’t entirely true. Would he still slip between the sheets if Julian even brought up the idea? Oh hell yeah! He was drunk, not stupid. But the dynamic between them had changed. In just a few short hours, Julian had gone from stranger to something he couldn’t quite place.
Whenever that had happened to him before, Cody made sure to cut bait and run. Instead of doing that, he stayed where he was, matching his footfalls to Julian’s.
“I don’t think dessert was the smartest choice back there.” Julian held his stomach and stuck out his tongue.
Cody chuckled. “I told you not to, but you just had to have a scoop of mint chocolate chip.”
“It’s my favorite. But it won’t be if I see it again tomorrow morning.”
That was an image Cody didn’t need. “Can I ask you something?”
“More Truth or Dare?”
“No.” He wanted to ask a serious question, but he didn’t want Julian to feel obligated to answer if he didn’t want to.
Julian’s nod showed he understood that. “What is it?”
“I know why I don’t believe in love anymore. But why don’t you?”
They walked on in silence for a block. As they strolled through an intersection that marked their second block of zero conversation, Cody figured his question would go unanswered.
“I’ve seen what love can do to good people,” Julian finally admitted with a sigh. “It seems to start out great, but it never ends well.”
That had been Cody’s experience too. It had happened to him, and it had happened to his mother countless times. In fact, he measured his childhood by his mother’s many divorces and the devastation they brought to both their lives. “For something that’s supposed to be so great, it sure does suck a lot, doesn’t it?”
“I couldn’t agree more. That’s why I never want to be in love. Would I like to find someone to share my life with? Sure. But it would have to be with the understanding that love was off the table.”
Cody couldn’t wrap his head around the notion. “How is that even possible?”
“I’ll answer that by asking you a question.”
“Okay. Shoot.”
“Back at the bar, you said there were certain parts of marriage you’d enjoy.”
That got Cody’s attention. His cock, which had been passed out drunk just moments before, suddenly opened its sleepy eye and stretched. “I like where this is going.”
Julian gently rammed his shoulder into Cody’s arm. Normally he would’ve been able to brush it off, but for such a small guy, Julian packed more muscle than Cody had realized. That combined with the night of excessive alcohol caused Cody to lose his balance and crash through a pack of tourists. He stumbled into a thigh-high wall separating the foot traffic from a bed of flowers and trees and fell sideways into the hard-packed dirt with a low grunt.
“Oh my God!” Julian leaned over the wall. “Are you okay?”
Cody lay there for a few moments, contemplating the question. Only his pride had been wounded, which was no big deal. His pride took a beating daily. But he was most definitely not okay. He felt off, and it had more to do with Julian than with the alcohol. “I think I’ll live.” He grabbed hold of Julian’s outstretched hand.
After Julian pulled Cody to a sitting position on the wall, Julian began a visual inspection, checking him for scrapes or bruises. It was probably the cutest thing he’d ever seen. Not even his mother had fussed over him that much when he was a kid and had taken a tumble off his bike.
“Well, you’re not bleeding.” Julian sat on the stone wall next to him. “I’m really sorry about that. Guess I don’t know my own strength.”
He clearly didn’t, but Cody found it kind of hot. “I guess that serves me right for bringing up sex, huh?”
“Maybe a little.” Julian leaned against him and grinned. “Hopefully you’ve learned your lesson.”
Cody swept his gaze over the tanned skin of Julian’s cheekbones and down his jawline, where just a hint of dark stubble had cropped up. He followed the curve of his chin up to Julian’s pursed lips before settling on his eyes. They were big and beautiful, which only verified what he’d always believed about brown eyes. Blue eyes were nice to look at, but brown eyes such as Julian’s pulled you into them. They were warm and comforting, wrapping around him like an embrace. “Yeah. Probably not.”
EVEN underneath the harsh glow of the Strip, Julian could see the flush that spread across Cody’s fair skin. That combined with his ragged breathing and lingering gaze told Julian that Cody was obviously attracted to him as much as Cody now entranced Julian.
They hadn’t gotten off to a good start, but that hadn’t been Cody’s fault. The blame for that rested solely on Julian’s shoulders. After he loosened up, h
e realized they had a sexual chemistry that couldn’t be denied. Even more importantly, he’d gotten to know a lot about Cody in the past few hours thanks to their game of Truth or Dare.
He was a man with a plan. He dreamed of being an author and worked part-time as a waiter for the money he needed to get by. When he wasn’t waiting tables, he spent hours on his manuscripts, working to get them published. Sure, he was having some difficulty, but that was easily remedied. All Cody needed was the right inspiration and a little assistance on crafting a novel that publishers would be fighting for.
And even though Cody had faced countless rejections, he hadn’t let that stop him from pursuing his dream. Julian admired that because he possessed that persistence in spades. He wouldn’t have gotten elected otherwise.
Cody was a sexy, determined, ambitious, independent man, which gave rise to an enterprising idea.
“How about we get back to your question?” Julian asked.
“What question?”
“The one about spending your life with someone without falling in love.”
“Oh, right.” Cody tore his gaze from where it had been resting on Julian’s lips and faced the street. “So what about it?”
“Besides sex, what parts of marriage would you enjoy if love wasn’t involved?”
Cody stared out into the sidewalk at the families and happy couples that past them. His blue eyes sparkled like diamonds. “I guess I’d love to spend my life with someone, to have that person by my side through all the good and the bad, someone who I could count on, lean on, and who would be my best friend. That part of marriage would be pretty damn awesome.”
Julian agreed, but that was usually what love ended up ruining. “That’s what I was talking about earlier. It would be great to have a connection like that with another human being, and that’s what I’ve wanted for a long time. A partner, someone to share my life with. I’d be faithful to that partner, respect him, never lie or intentionally hurt him, and I would have the utmost affection for him for the rest of my life.”
Suddenly Yours Page 4