Page 49 of Steady Stroke
“Oh baby, that won’t happen.” Lincoln’s blue eyes glinted with wicked intent. “Trust me on that.”
He shivered. “I do.”
“You wanna play some more after we eat?” He winked. “Music.”
“Definitely.”
They polished off two slices of pizza each and washed them down with iced tea. Aunt Beatrice settled in as an impromptu audience member while he and Lincoln went through Simon & Garfunkel’s greatest hits, then shifted into Billy Joel. They played until Emmett’s unpracticed voice started to give out, and then they called it a day.
“Do you want to stay for dinner?” Aunt Beatrice asked while Lincoln packed his QChord away.
“I would but I’m getting really tired.” Lincoln pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Headache?” Emmett asked.
“Small one. I don’t think it will be a migraine, but I should get home and take a pill just in case.”
Disappointment settled heavily in his gut. “Okay.” He hated that their time together was ending. “What time do you want to meet at the club tomorrow?”
“Around noon?”
“Sounds good.”
He reluctantly walked Lincoln to the door. Aunt Beatrice had made herself scarce, so Emmett wasn’t too embarrassed to kiss Lincoln good-bye. A simple kiss that turned hungry and hard, and lasted far longer than he’d intended.
Lincoln nipped at his lower lip. “Good night.”
“Night.”
He stayed there until Lincoln disappeared from view, then shut the door against the evening heat.
Determination settled in his bones. Emmett took the stairs two at a time and planted himself in front of Adrian’s closed bedroom door. He knocked. Hard.
The door flew open. Adrian glared at him. “What?”
Emmett did something brand-new and bullied his way into Adrian’s bedroom. He ignored the slightly stale smell of old beer and feet, and he shut the door behind him.
“The fuck, dude?” Adrian said.
“What is your problem with Lincoln?”
“Get out of my room.”
“Not until you answer me. He said he’s never met you before today, but you acted weird when you first came home, and then you were downright rude in the kitchen. Why?”
Adrian’s anger fractured a tiny bit—enough for a flicker of sadness to creep through. “Leave it alone, okay? I don’t hate the guy. I just don’t think you should be around him.”
“I like him. A lot. He treats me better than anyone I’ve ever met. Why on earth shouldn’t I be around him?”
“I don’t . . .” His cousin floundered. “Look, you’re just coming out, and he’s . . . available. And older. I don’t want you to get hurt if things go south.”
That was the closest thing to supportive that Adrian had been toward him in forever, and it confused the crap out of Emmett. “Why do you care all of the sudden? You’ve basically ignored me since last summer. What’s it to you who I decide to date?”
Adrian stared at him, more of that anger melting away, leaving . . . fatigue? “You really blacked that whole night out, didn’t you? Complete blank.”
Emmett’s gut churned. “What night?” Vague memories of waking up so hungover he couldn’t get out of bed all day snuck back into the far recesses of his brain. “August?”
“Yeah, August.”
