Aftermath

by Bailey Bradford

  Rogelio led them to a table set in the back corner. They were more secluded than if they’d been seated elsewhere, and Carter appreciated the privacy. “Thank you,” he said, taking his seat.

  Rogelio winked at him. “It isn’t always easy in this town for men like us to have a romantic date.”

  There was no point in denying that he and Eddie were on a date. Rogelio wasn’t likely to bash them, though Carter did understand the need for discretion in Odessa. As much as he’d like to be able to touch Eddie and kiss him if the mood struck, they couldn’t be as free in public as straight couples could.

  Eddie murmured a thank you to Rogelio.

  “Mathias will be your waiter this evening. Can I start you off with one of our wines?” Rogelio handed them a thin drink menu, followed by the larger meal ones.

  Carter and Eddie took them.

  Carter deferred to Eddie. “Would you like to order, or…”

  Eddie grinned. “I’d really like a beer, to tell the truth.”

  “Same,” Carter agreed. “What do you have on tap?”

  Rogelio took the wine listings back. “We have the usual line up—Bud, Bud Light, Miller and so on, or we have an excellent local brew, Dare’s Pale Ale. It’s been getting rave reviews. Dare’s also has a stout that I would highly recommend.”

  “I’ll try the stout,” Eddie said.

  Carter preferred a lighter beer. “The Pale Ale, please.”

  “Very good, sirs. Mathias will be right over with them.” Rogelio left them.

  “It’s good to see you again,” Eddie murmured, his gaze burning through Carter’s nervousness. “It might seem too soon to say but the truth is, I’ve missed you.”

  That confession eradicated the rest of Carter’s unease. “It’s not too soon. I feel the same way.”

  Eddie shifted in his seat, leaning back and resting his folded hands on the table. “I wasn’t sure. You seemed kind of uptight when I got here.”

  “I was afraid you’d change your mind.” Carter rolled his eyes and groaned. “And now you know how insecure I am. Sorry. I swear I’m not usually so immature.”

  Eddie chuckled and surprised Carter by reaching across the table to hold his hand. “I worried you’d realize I’m just not good enough for you, so let’s both admit we have faults and let it go. You’re here, I’m here, and for what it’s worth, I can tell you I never once thought of not showing up. You’ve been on my mind every day since I saw you two weeks ago.”

  “Oh.” Carter was so pleased he figured he was beaming. “Same. I… This starting a new relationship thing is complicated.”

  “It’ll be worth it.” Eddie released his hand and sat back just as a waiter approached.

  “Good evening, gentlemen. I’m Mathias and I’ll be your waiter tonight.” He set their beers on the table while he started naming off the specials, spending a solid minute extolling the virtues of the aged steaks that cost a ridiculous amount of money.

  Carter’s mouth watered. He was going to splurge since he’d been anticipating this date for two weeks. “Thank you. We’d like a few minutes to examine the menu.”

  After Mathias left them, Carter perused his options. “I think I’ll have the aged steak. How about you? No pressure, of course. I just want to try it once in my life at least.” And since they were going Dutch on the bill, he didn’t feel bad about ordering it, either.

  Eddie hummed and didn’t answer right off the bat.

  Carter liked the way he took his time and didn’t seem to feel rushed. He thought Eddie was enjoying their date so far.

  “I’ve had it before,” Eddie finally said. “Not here, but at this place in Indiana. It was really good, too. So I’m hung up on ordering it or the surf and turf.”

  Carter gave an exaggerated glance around them, then whispered, “You have to wonder about the surf part of that since we’re practically in the desert.”

  Eddie chuckled and closed the menu. “True enough, but I’m feeling daring tonight.”

  “Daring enough to risk the chance of botulism?” Carter asked, arching a brow at him.

  Eddie arched one right back. “I doubt that’d be a possibility here.”

  “Probably not.” Carter had only been teasing, and Eddie’s expression let him know he was aware of it. “I’ve really been looking forward to seeing you again. It feels kind of weird being out like this after what we’ve done.”

  Eddie’s smoldering expression had Carter’s dick firming up fully. “What we’ve done has led us to understand we want something more. Although, I intend to be doing more of, well…you.”

  The cheesy line should have been laughable, but Eddie said it with so much sincerity that Carter considered forgoing their date to head back to his place instead.

  “We know we’re more than compatible in bed,” Eddie continued, after a glance around. “That’s a huge thing in a relationship and so far, what time we’ve spent talking shows that we do well there, too.”

  Carter didn’t want to be a downer, but he knew how it always started in relationships. Everyone was on their best behavior, trying to win the other person over and once they did…people changed. He’d done it himself, back when he’d been younger. Of course, he and Eddie were both older, so maybe they were more comfortable in their own skin so far. Plus, they’d met at a club and immediately hooked up with a third man to have sex with. Perhaps they didn’t have to pretend to be better than they were.

  But Carter did wonder something. “How old are you?” He would have put Eddie in his mid-thirties. “Sorry if that’s rude to ask.”

  Eddie waved the apology off. “It’s not rude. Anything having to do with me is open for the inquisition.” He winked. “I’m thirty-four. You?”

  Carter’s stomach went a little jittery from that wink. On all levels, Eddie just did it for him. “Thirty-one. Just had a birthday on the twelfth of last month.”

  “Oh really?” Eddie asked, amusement lighting up his features. “Well, I think you should get a belated birthday spa—” He cut himself off when Mathias suddenly appeared. “I’ll have the surf and turf and another beer with it, along with a glass of water.”

  They’d been so tied up in each other that neither of them had noticed the waiter approaching. From the amusement clearly showing on Mathias’ face, Carter thought the waiter might have heard enough of what Eddie had been saying to catch on about the spanking. Not that Mathias knew it was more than a joke, Carter reassured himself. Only Carter and Eddie knew he liked things rough.

  “The aged steak, loaded baked potato and green beans, thank you.” Carter handed over his menu. “I’ll probably need another beer by then too and a small glass of water.”

  After Mathias left, Carter and Eddie resumed their conversation. It was a pleasant meal and the underlying sexual tension kept Carter’s cock half-hard the whole time.

  “What’s your dream vacation?” Eddie asked him at one point.

  Carter didn’t have to think about it. “It’d take months to do it right, but I want to hike the Appalachian Trail.” He chuckled and peeled part of the label off his beer bottle. “I’d have to be financially secure enough to take a leave of absence—or retire altogether—so I don’t see it happening for a long time. That sucks, too, because I would prefer to hike it while I’m young and healthy, but with the economy and all, I might never get to do it.”

  Eddie nodded. “I know what you mean. I’ve always wanted to hike it, too, and Everest—that’s on my bucket list.”

  “That’s mountain climbing,” Carter pointed out. “Quite different and more dangerous than hiking a trail.”

  “I think more people die while hiking than while mountain climbing,” Eddie argued. “That could be because more people hike, sure, but we’ve had several die from heart attacks alone. Then there’s falls, exposure, animals and snakes…” He shrugged. “I will admit that Everest is deadlier still, and it’s a pipe dream anyway. I don’t have much experience with real climbing, either. Not more than rock wal
ls at the gym.”

  Carter tried not to shiver. “I know it’s stupid, but the heights thing gets to me. Hiking is different. I don’t really like trails that are on mountain ledges, though I can handle them. The idea of climbing up a mountain, that makes my skin crawl. You’re a braver man than I am.”

  “Or a more foolish one,” Eddie tucked his napkin under his plate. “Who knows? If I did actually try climbing a mountain, I might hate it. There are lots of things a guy can fantasize about doing that wouldn’t be so great in reality.”

  “Yeah, I’ve heard that before.” Carter sipped the last of his beer then set the bottle on the table. “This Dare’s beer is pretty good. It’s a local brewery, like Rogelio said. I wonder if they do tours—or if it’s made in some guy’s bathroom.”

  “In the bathroom?” Eddie asked, frowning as he picked up his beer. “Why the bathroom?”

  Carter chuckled at a fond memory. “I had a friend back in college, he made his own beer for a while. He didn’t have all the equipment he needed, so he’d scrub down the bathtub and pour the ingredients in there. The whole apartment smelled like beer. It was crazy, but not too bad until he made the batch that exploded.”

  Eddie’s eyes went wide. “In the bathtub?”

  “No,” Carter said. “No…in the bottles. It was, er… Well, we didn’t get our deposit back from the apartment when we moved out, even though we fixed the wall and ceiling. At least the damage was only to our place.”

  “Man, tell me this friend of yours didn’t go into the beer industry,” Eddie mused.

  “Actually, he was studying law. I’m not sure what ever happened to him.” Carter didn’t want to bring a depressing topic up, and admitting that his former friend had severed their friendship over Carter’s coming out would likely do that. “He’s probably still making explosive beer.”

  This time they saw Mathias coming over to their table. “Would you like to see the dessert menu?” Mathias asked. “Another beer?”

  Carter gave the barest shake of his head.

  “No thanks,” Eddie answered. “Dinner was excellent and we’re both pretty full. Do you know anything about the company that makes this beer? It’s damned good stuff.”

  Mathias preened a little as he picked up Eddie’s empty bottle. “All I know is that it’s awesome beer. The Pale Ale is my favorite, actually. I’m not man enough for the stout.” He grinned and set the bottle back down. “I think the restaurant owner is friends with the guy who makes the beer. Or maybe they’re friends now because of it. I’m sorry I’m not being very helpful, but I’d bet you can Google it and find out anything you’d want to know.”

  “Of course, Google knows all,” Carter agreed. “I would seriously be lost without it.” He’d look the microbrewery up and see if they did tours. It’d be an interesting date for them to have.

  “If you’ve got the bill ready, I can give you my card,” Eddie said.

  “And mine,” Carter added. He raised a hip so he could remove his wallet from his back pocket. “Here you go,” he said to Mathias a moment later, while handing over his credit card.

  “This was a nice splurge.” Eddie ran the toe of one shoe along the side of Carter’s ankle. “It won’t be the highlight of this date, however. I want to take you home and fuck you until you scream.”

  Carter wanted that too, so badly that he had difficulty swallowing around the lust that welled in him. “Me too,” he rasped, pressing a palm over his erection. “You’re staying with me this weekend, right?”

  “I am,” Eddie agreed. “That was the plan and I sure as hell am not going to alter it.”

  “Oh good.” Carter didn’t know why he was so worried that their budding relationship was going to fall apart. Had he worried so much over previous ones? He didn’t think so. Eddie had already come to mean more to him in the short time they’d known each other than had most of Carter’s exes. Part of that might have been because Eddie knew and accepted a fact that those exes hadn’t been able to.

  Carter wanted a polyamorous relationship, an exclusive one wherein he and his partners loved each other and were faithful. That concept had been horrific to any of his exes he’d broached it with, but Eddie was different.

  And he gave Carter hope.

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  About the Author

  A native Texan, Bailey spends her days spinning stories around in her head, which has contributed to more than one incident of tripping over her own feet. Evenings are reserved for pounding away at the keyboard, as are early morning hours. Sleep? Doesn’t happen much. Writing is too much fun, and there are too many characters bouncing about, tapping on Bailey’s brain demanding to be let out.

  Caffeine and chocolate are permanent fixtures in Bailey’s office and are never far from hand at any given time. Removing either of those necessities from Bailey’s presence can result in what is known as A Very, Very Scary Bailey and is not advised under any circumstances.

  Email: itsbaileybradford@yahoo.com

  Bailey loves to hear from readers. You can find her contact information, website and author biography at http://www.pride-publishing.com.

  Also by Bailey Bradford

  Breaking the Devil

  Dark Nights and Headlights

  Texas and Tarantulas

  Belt Buckles and Cowboy Boots

  Southwestern Shifters: Rescued

  Southwestern Shifters: Relentless

  Southwestern Shifters: Reckless

  Southwestern Shifters: Rendered

  Southwestern Shifters: Resilience

  Southwestern Shifters: Reverence

  Southwestern Shifters: Revolution

  Southwestern Shifters: Revenge

  Southwestern Shifters: Reluctance

  Southwestern Shifters: Renounced

  Southern Spirits: A Subtle Breeze

  Southern Spirits: When the Dead Speak

  Southern Spirits: All of the Voices

  Southern Spirits: Wait Until Dawn

  Southern Spirits: Aftermath

  Southern Spirits What Remains

  Southern Spirits: Ascension

  Southern Spirits: Whirlwind

  Love in Xxchange: Rory’s Last Chance

  Love in Xxchange: Miles To Go

  Love in Xxchange: Bend

  Love in Xxchange: What Matters Most

  Love in Xxchange: Ex’s and O’s

  Love in Xxchange: A Bit of Me

  Love in Xxchange: A Bit of You

  Love in Xxchange: In My Arms Tonight

  Love in Xxchange: Where There’s a Will

  Love in Xxchange: My Heart to Keep

  Leopard’s Spots: Levi

  Leopard’s Spots: Oscar

  Leopard’s Spots: Timothy

  Leopard’s Spots: Isaiah

  Leopard’s Spots: Gilbert

  Leopard’s Spots: Esau

  Leopard’s Spots: Sullivan

  Leopard’s Spots: Wesley

  Leopard’s Spots: Nischal

  Leopard’s Spots: Justice

  Leopard’s Spots: Sabin

  Leopard’s Spots: Cliff

  Mossy Glenn Ranch: Chaps and Hope

  Mossy Glenn Ranch: Ropes and Dreams

  Mossy Glenn Ranch: Saddles and Memories

  Mossy Glenn Ranch: Fences and Freedom

  Mossy Glenn Ranch: Riding and Regrets

  Mossy Glenn Ranch: Broncs and Bullies

  Mossy Glenn Ranch: Hay and Heartbreak

  Spotless: Hide

  Spotless: Hunt

  Spotless: Home

  Spotless: Heart

  Coyote’s Call: Off Course

  Coyote’s Call: In from the Cold

  Valen’s Pack: Run with the Moon

  Valen’s Pack: Exodus

  The Vamp for Me: My Life Without Garlic

  The Vamp for Me: Don’t Stake My Life on It

  Yes, Forever: Part One

  Yes, Forever: Part Two

  Yes, Forever: Part Three

  Yes, Forever:
Part Four

  Yes, Forever: Part Five

  What’s his Passion?: Unexpected Places

  What’s his Passion?: Unexpected Moments