“Both of you.” Aunt Evelyn’s voice firmed again. “I want all my boys at my table every once in a while, not once or twice a year, and especially on the holidays.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Dakota grinned, knowing she would hear it in his voice. “Your wish is my command.”
Chapter Sixteen
BRENDEN TRUNDLED the loaded-down wheelbarrow out of the shed. He had the seedlings he’d been coaxing into luxuriant life all ready to plant in his small herb garden. It was a gorgeous day, just warm enough to be pleasant with a nice breeze going. If he spent one more hour indoors staring outside, he might go mental. Once the weather settled, Maryland late-spring days were too beautiful to spend cooped up. What was the point of being your own boss if you couldn’t rearrange your schedule sometimes?
Humming to himself, he laid out everything he needed in a neat array, opened a music playlist on his phone, and slid on his gardening gloves. A couple of hours outside would improve his mind-set.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Dakota asked in an exasperated voice. “Do you ever stop working?”
Brenden rolled his eyes as his peace shattered. “This isn’t work. This is fun.”
“You are mental, man.” Dakota came into view, Toothless cuddled to his chest. Brenden grinned at the sight. He was more of a sucker than Brenden. “Fun is watching a movie, getting laid, dancing. This is hot and sweaty work.”
“You mean sex and dancing isn’t hot and sweaty?” Brenden asked before he could stop himself.
“Good point.” To his relief, Dakota shrugged and grinned without the awkwardness Brenden expected. Dakota eyed the pile of materials as Brenden created a well for the first seedling. “Do you want any help?”
It was sweet of Dakota to offer, especially because he would consider this work. But Brenden wanted the time to himself doing something he enjoyed before he went back to his list for the day. As much as he tried to act like everything was fine, he wasn’t back to normal. Brenden was tired of pretending he wasn’t in love with Dakota. Now that he’d let all those emotions out, it was as impossible to get them back in as it was to get Minime and Toothless to move in the same direction at the same time. But he needed to find a way to do it.
“I’m good. I wanted a break from my desk and a chance to be outside.” Brenden selected a basil and nestled it into the ground, pressing the dark soil around the base.
“We should build a deck so we have a nice place to relax when we grill,” Dakota commented as he headed toward his studio. “That should be our next project. If we don’t get too caught up in prepping for September.”
Brenden stared after him. That was the kind of project that suggested Dakota was staying long-term, not heading back to his life in Baltimore when their schedules and budgets settled after the convention. The thought of Dakota staying shouldn’t make him this happy. It should make him crazy. But at the end of the day, despite his wayward emotions, they were friends first, and dammit, they were going to remain friends and all that entailed.
He put thoughts of Dakota out of his mind and went back to his project. By the time he finished his garden, put away the tools, and cleaned up, he felt better. Only once he sat down to the pile of work that awaited him in his office, his thoughts went right back to Dakota.
Brenden needed to give some serious consideration to going out on a date. For one, he needed to get out of the house and the pile of work he had. He was not really a droid. He needed human interaction and a break. Secondly, Dakota tiptoed around him like he was about to shatter. If he’d been getting some sex on the side, he was being discreet about it for once in his life. If he was holding off because he didn’t want Brenden’s feelings hurt, well, he appreciated the thought, but it was going to happen sometime. Might as well get it over with before Dakota’s hormones catapulted him into another dimension.
Only problem, Brenden’s prospects were slim. There was no one from his past who was available. Either they were happy and taken, or Brenden wouldn’t go near them again if they begged. Then there was his last guy. He had been promising. Really sweet. But Brenden hadn’t been feeling it, so the same reason for ending it still stood. He wasn’t going to string him along just because he wanted attention.
He should get out with his friends. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d hung out with them. Probably that con down in Raleigh. Before Dakota returned home. Or was it when they went out to celebrate Felipe and Trask’s engagement? Though they were more Dakota’s friends than his own. Still, he’d had fun. He’d definitely seen some of them at Morris and Theo’s shower, but Brenden’s energy hadn’t revived by then to appreciate the outing.
Dakota was right. He needed more fun. Cut loose and all that jazz. Break a rule that did not involve sleeping with his foster brother. So he would take a life lesson from Dakota, go out this weekend, and find a hookup. Satisfied he’d found a solution to his problem, Brenden turned back to his work with a clearer head.
His office door opened as Brenden went through the list of special guests for the con and pondered if it was balanced enough. He turned around in his chair and raised a brow at Dakota. “I know this is a silly question, but why don’t you ever knock?”
“I’m dreaming of the day when I barge in here to find you in a ridiculous position. Like dancing around in your underwear as you rock out to some Nine Inch Nails.” Dakota leaned against the doorjamb with a gleam in his eyes.
Brenden snorted and pulled out his phone as it dinged. “I always did have great respect for your imagination.” The teasing brought a pang with it but also a relief. Things were going back to normal if Dakota edged toward inappropriate comments again.
“So, I finished editing the next couple of episodes of the podcast.”
“Sounds like you’re ahead of the game.” Brenden frowned at the message and responded with a tart reply. Some people wanted everything. “How’d they turn out?”
“You and Tyson are geniuses. I like how this comic book controversies theme turned out. It was a good run, which got me thinking.”
That pulled Brenden’s attention away from his phone. Dakota looked at him with a thoughtful gaze, and Brenden had to stop himself from making goo-goo eyes at him. “What? About making Tyson your new plus-one? He’s not a bad choice, even if some of his views are suspect.”
“I was thinking of you. We play off each other well, always have. And it’s not like we can’t work together. We do it all the time.” Dakota scratched at the scruff on his jaw. He’d been buried in his studio the last couple of days, and it showed. He made scruffy sexy. Brenden was hopeless. He considered Dakota sexy enough without seeking more examples. “Though I was thinking of bringing Tyson back for a show on favorite childhood movies. I wanted a couple of different generations involved. It would make for a good debate.”
“Yeah, I think you’re right.” Brenden made an exasperated sound as the twit messaged him back. He texted a reply, laying out his argument while compartmentalizing Dakota’s suggestion to mull over for later. He’d want to bounce some ideas around before committing to the podcast.
Dakota snatched the phone as Brenden set it down again. “Bren, the world won’t end if you put the phone away.”
“Hey, I’ve gotten better.” Brenden tried not to be on the phone all the time, but Dakota should know this was the work shift. He grabbed it back from Dakota before he accidentally deleted a message and set it aside. He would not be his dad. He would pay attention to the people in his life. “Shoo, come back after business hours, unless you came in for con-related reasons.”
“I think we should go out,” Dakota said before Brenden could check for new messages. “Do something, before your ass embeds itself into that chair.”
“What do you know about my ass?” Brenden’s cheeks heated, and he closed his eyes with a shake of his head. He’d walked right into that one, and Dakota would not be able to resist a comeback. “Never mind, strike that comment from your thoughts.”
Dako
ta hummed under his breath with a note of remembered pleasure. “Your ass is etched into my brain in a place of honor.”
“Dakota,” Brenden warned.
“Yes?” Dakota replied with laughter in his voice.
“Shut the fuck up.” Brenden leveled him with a hard stare that had no impact.
This time Dakota did laugh. “Seriously, though, we’ve been busting balls on multiple ends. Let’s go out, have a few beers, and get silly. We could both use a little silly.”
That tempted him. Especially with this jerk on his phone trying to strong-arm him into concessions Brenden never agreed to. But Dakota deserved some teasing after the crack about his ass. “You are like buzzing of flies to me.” Brenden made a yapping motion with his hand, still looking at his phone, and caught Dakota staring at him in disbelief out of the corner of his eye. He hid a smile.
“Did you just Vigo me?” Dakota asked in an incredulous voice.
“Technically, I Janosz Poha’d you.” Brenden tossed his phone down and grinned at Dakota. “What do you have in mind?”
“I’ve been wanting to drag you out for karaoke since I moved back. When was the last time we did that?”
“Not a good idea.” Brenden pointed a finger at him. Dakota couldn’t find a note with a GPS device lashed to his vocal cords. Poor guy. He loved music of all kinds. “The last time you got onstage, you scared away the customers.”
“Come on, you owe me a song. Hell, you owe me several songs. It’s been crazy. It’s been stressful. I know I’m the last person you want to be with right now and I’m sorry for that, but when was the last time we cut loose and had fun for a night? No work, and not that damn phone. You promise me an evening out, we’ll do karaoke and beers and invite some of our friends along.”
“Don’t ever think I don’t want you around,” Brenden said, shooting Dakota a stern look. Then he shut down his laptop. He’d just been saying he needed a night out. No sense arguing about it. It would be fun. “Okay, we’ll go, but only if you promise not to sing.”
“It’s a deal. I want to invite Theo and Morris. We’ll do a postnuptial toast. Jackie too, so I can finally meet who she’s banging.” Dakota caught the raised brow Brenden gave him. “What? He needs the Dakota seal of approval. Can’t have just anyone chasing after my best gal.”
“We should include Aden and Zach. We haven’t hung out with them in a long time either.” Brenden turned to his computer with a grimace. “Even though Aden will bring Julie.”
“What’s your deal with her?” Dakota asked.
“She hurt Aden. And I don’t trust her not to do it again. Especially when med school starts and he gets slammed with all that studying.”
“Give her a chance. Not everybody walks away twice.”
Brenden stared at Dakota. It’s like they’d switched positions on their views of long-term relationships. “This coming from you?”
“I had a talk with Aunt Evelyn. I’m trying to be less jaded.” Dakota shrugged. “Besides, Julie is terrified of you.”
Brenden thought about that a second and felt a smidge guilty, but only a smidge. “I will try to temper my attitude toward her.” It was only fair to Aden. “But if she puts him in another state in the fall, I won’t be nice a third time.”
“Fair enough.” Dakota paused, a strange expression crossing his face. “Aden would do the same for you. I’ll shoot a message to the gang, see if they’re in and if we can reserve a table. You ask the brothers.” He started to leave and then poked his head back in as Brenden texted Aden and Zach. “Oh, Aunt Evelyn has said if we don’t show for Easter Sunday dinner, she will release her inner Kraken on us.”
Brenden winced, and Dakota mirrored that expression. He glanced at his calendar, surprised at how fast the season was going by, and Easter was really late this year. “I guess I know what we’re doing Sunday.”
“It’ll make her happy to have all of us there,” Dakota said, his head down over his own phone. “I think she misses having her boys at home. And none of us are inclined to give her any grandkids soon.”
Brenden gave Dakota another considering look. Since when had thoughts like that crossed Dakota’s mind? It made him question what he and Evelyn had talked about. “Aden’s her best bet, and he’s not going to have any kind of life for the next decade. If Zach or you give her a grandkid, it’ll be by accident.”
“Ha-ha, funny. That’s even less likely than you having a baby mama show up.” Dakota’s expression turned serious. “You ever think of having kids?”
“Are you high?” Brenden stared at Dakota, trying to determine if he was screwing around or if he was toked up. These were not questions Dakota asked.
Dakota shrugged, looking away from him. “Nope, just curious if that was ever among your plans or if you were so focused on your cons you didn’t dream that far ahead.”
“I can’t say I have.” Concentrating on the next goals occupied enough of his thoughts. There were vague thoughts, but Brenden always ignored them. Being a kitten daddy was as close as he’d ever come.
“Why not?” Dakota pressed.
“It’s another impossibility.” A dream Brenden had buried so deep he wasn’t even sure if it was real. Because if the thought of being settled with Dakota was a stretch, raising a family with him was beyond thought. Time to turn these crazy questions back on Dakota. “Why, you starting to think of chasing after toddlers?”
“Can you seriously see me being responsible enough for kids?” Dakota scooped up Toothless as he took advantage of the open door. “Hey, this is no-trouble territory. That means no inkblots of destruction allowed.”
Oddly enough, yeah, Brenden could picture Dakota being a dad, but he held his tongue.
“If it’s no-trouble territory, why are you still here?” Brenden asked as another message came through. “Sweet, Aden and Julie are in.”
“So’s Morris, though Theo will be late. I think that man works more than you, and that’s saying something.” Dakota brought Toothless closer to his face, and the kitten stuck a paw against Dakota’s nose. The gesture made Brenden chuckle with a bittersweet pang. How many times had Brenden tried to stop Dakota with a gesture like that? Not that he’d listened much. It proved he was a closet masochist. Now that it was gone, Brenden missed the flirting and Dakota’s attempt to steal kisses. It would make him mental if he picked it up again, but he guessed emotions weren’t supposed to make any logical sense. Not a damn lick of it.
Dakota sniffed the kitten. “You stink. Go wash your butt.” Toothless mewled, his ears pricking up, and he licked Dakota’s jaw. “Ew, don’t do that. I know where your mouth has been.”
Brenden bit his tongue before he could say something about Dakota’s own mouth being suspect. He could hold his own when it came to a war of words with Dakota, but not when it involved innuendo of any kind. Besides, it was sweet to see Dakota’s eyes soften. He nuzzled the kitten back and tucked it in the crook of his arm.
“Sucker.” Brenden grinned.
“This is all your fault.” Dakota pointed at the kitten in his arms as he stared Brenden down. “And I’m laying all damages at your doorstep when they happen. You broke the code, dude, and fell for Aden’s do-gooder heart. You made me a sucker.”
Chapter Seventeen
THE BAR scene hopped, the dark, heavy wooden tables crammed, when Brenden and Dakota arrived. Dakota scanned the room and the small stage at the back. “I’ll go see if anyone else is here and if not nab a table. Why don’t you grab us some drinks?”
“Sure.” Brenden started to walk away, and Dakota’s eyes drifted down to check out that ass he’d been teasing Brenden about when Brenden turned back around again. Dakota guiltily met his eyes. “Corona?”
“Yep.” A Corona and a side of Brenden. He almost wished their friends and family weren’t showing up, just to see what happened if the two of them got tipsy. And it was completely wrong of him to have that wish. But Brenden was extra Brendeny tonight with his snark and damned business casua
l clothes that hit all the right notes, making Dakota long to tease and flirt with him.
Dakota had been walking around half-aroused since they’d bantered innuendos earlier. He suspected that all it would take would be some hint from Brenden that it was okay to engage in a little slap and tickle and he’d be ready to go right there. He had to stop thinking of Brenden that way. He had to stop because after the last month of forced celibacy, Dakota was losing it. He couldn’t even jerk off without fantasizing about Brenden.
What he needed was a night of no-strings sex, unalloyed debauchery. That would cure him of the fever Brenden put in his blood. Dakota looked around at his prospects. They’d been to this particular joint many times, enough to gauge who was hooked up and who was seeking a hookup, who was gay and straight. He had high chances of walking out of here with someone for the night. He overheard Brenden mention he intended on doing that on a call with Aden.
Dakota grabbed a large table near the stage as it freed up and eyed the staffer as he cleaned off the glasses and wiped it down. Cute in an adorable way if you went for that. Dakota didn’t do adorable. He always felt like a corrupting influence. He scanned the other offerings seated at the tables around him. That one was too prissy, and not in a sexy Brenden kind of way. Another too out there. And that one had been a disaster from the moment Dakota first met him. One by one, Dakota eliminated all the likely candidates.
Dammit. Brenden had broken his dick for anyone else.
Every guy he examined he compared to Brenden, and they fell short. When he considered past hookups, none of them stirred his interest at all. Then he looked at his twerp of a best friend and everything inside him went—yes, that’s the one I want.
Dakota glanced at the bar where Brenden was picking up the beer for him and a mixed drink for himself. Probably an appletini or lemon drop. Only Brenden would go out for a night of letting loose and consider trendy, overpriced martinis the height of partying.
A Beautiful Disaster Page 14
