Page 36 of Watch Me

Now that I’d done a lot more than just look at him, I wanted more. Walking out of his house hurt. But I wantedto show Fin I could be mature. That I wasn’t the kid he remembered anymore.

“Morning,” Rel greeted me with a yawn, leaning on the doorway into the kitchen in only a pair of loose boxer shorts to watch me cooking eggs. And I was back to thinking about Fin. “Did you go to work after patrolling yesterday?”

Shit. He didn’t know about my new…whatever I had with Fin. Did I lie? No, I never lied to Rel. Plus, Rowen and Cameron already knew. My best friend deserved to know as well. And I could use a sounding board.

“I went home with Fin,” I answered and held my breath.

Rel was quiet for long enough that I looked up. He was always the smart one, exuding maturity and keeping me grounded. I cared about his opinion.

“For?” Rel asked without judgement.

“Um, for sex?”

“Are you not sure if you had sex?” Rel laughed.

“No, we definitely had sex. Hot, sweaty sex withhis big-”

“Ah! No.” Rel closed his eyes and held his hands up. “I do not need to hear about you and Uncle Clark. Please tell me you don’t call him that in bed?”

“I thought you said you didn’t want to hear about it?” I teased back with a laugh and turned the heat off on the eggs. “I made enough for you, too.”

“Thanks. And you’re right, I don’t want to know.” Ricky grabbed the plates and silverware for me. “But I’m still curious.”

“About?”

“Was this the first time? Is it something that will happen again? Hell, I didn’t even know he swung that way.”

We sat down at the table before I answered his questions, because I didn’t fully know what to say. “It wasn’t the first time. Well, it was the first time we hooked up on purpose instead of spontaneously. And my first time bottoming.”

“Alright,” Rel choked on his eggs and stood to grab a glass of milk. “Good for you?”

“It was good,” I smirked and could tell we’d reached the line of almost too much information. Rel was a switch, and he had helped me buy some of my sex toys.

“And you want it to happen again.”

It wasn’t a question. Rel knew me and how I’d been drooling over the alpha since we were teens. He was who I told about my crush and when I started questioning my sexuality in High School. I was who he told he sometimes felt more feminine. I used they or she for Rel depending on what he wore. Boxers were my hint it was a masculine day. He had more masculine days than not, but I was cool with whatever Rel chose. I knew he’d support me right back.

“We’re meeting up for lunch to talk about it, today,” I explained, thinking of the text I woke up to asking me to meet him at the marina at noon.

“Good,” Rel nodded, finishing off his eggs. “I’m all healed up so I’m going back on shift today.”

“Glad to hear it.” I’d never been too worried, and if he felt ready to work at the firehouse, I wasn’t going to argue. I wanted to ask about Kono taking him home, but figuredmy own relationship status was enough for me at one time.

After showering and prepping, just in case, I threw on shorts and a tank top over a fresh pair of panties and rode to the marina. The sun was hot on my skin, and I wondered if Fin planned for us to go for a walk or something. That seemed rather public for the talk we had planned.

“Ricky!” Fin walked up from the dock instead of the parking lot, smiling wide and waving. I was surprised when he greeted me with a hug and kiss to my cheek. “You made it.”

Didn’t Fin know I’d go wherever he asked me too? If he didn’t, I was going to make that clear today. “Of course. What do you have planned?”

Fin surprised me again when he threaded his fingers through mine and tugged me toward the dock. He went from hiding his sexuality and attraction to me to a very public display of affection a lot quicker than I ever would have expected. My heart leapt at the implication and I gave him a sideways smile as we passed the marina and kept going.

“We’re borrowing Rowen’s boat and spending the afternoon on the lake,” Fin said as we rounded the corner to Rowen’s lakeside building where he fixed boats as a mechanic. “I already packed lunch.”

“So this is a date?” I asked without thinking. Instead of denying it, Fin lifted my hand to kiss my knuckles.

“Our first real date,” he confirmed and my pulse raced at his words. I’d never been on a date with a man, and I suspected he hadn’t either.

My grumpy lover was being sweet as hell, and I was here for it. “I like the sound of that.”