Checking It Twice

chapter Seven


“We’re running low on quinoa.”

Kevin paused in the process of stripping off his chef jacket and glanced at Martin, his assistant. “Check near the rice bins. Someone keeps re-shelving it there.”

A moment later, Martin’s affirmative reply filtered from the pantry. Kevin stowed his jacket on the hook outside the utility room and switched it out with his wool winter coat before exiting into the short hallway. Bypassing the banquet and dining rooms, he entered the bar and spotted Nick already occupying one of the stools, his standard Jack and Coke resting on a coaster in front of him.

The sight of his best friend brought back a parade of memories. Some bittersweet, others more painful. Amongst them—and loudest of all—was the new and completely addictive memory of Jana’s ecstatic cries during their phone-sex session, when fantasy Nick had been going down on her. The mental picture was so vividly real it sent a shock wave through Kevin, momentarily rooting him in place. In direct opposition to his frozen stance, intense heat blasted him as he replayed Jana’s words for the millionth time. I want you to touch me while he’s licking me.

It’d taken every ounce of his control not to jump in his car and break all known traffic laws getting to her house so he could give her a dozen more orgasms in person. Instead, he’d resorted to taking a freezing cold shower. Not that it’d done any good. He’d ultimately ended up jacking off. Six f*cking times. His poor cock was probably secretly terrified of his hand now.

The tormenting part was he couldn’t stop thinking about him, Jana and Nick together. Even as he set his feet in motion and strode toward Nick, the image of Jana gasping and coming between them ran like an X-rated clip in his mind.

Nick glanced his way and cocked an eyebrow as Kevin halted beside him. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“You had a weird look on your face just now.” Nick propped an elbow on the edge of the bar, his expression concerned. “Are you mad about yesterday?”

The last thing he wanted to do was rehash any of this while his nosy coworkers were within earshot. “Do you mind if we go somewhere else?” He gestured toward the nearly full Jack and Coke when Nick automatically rose from his seat. “You can finish that first.”

“I’ll get another at the next place.” Nick abandoned the stool and indicated for Kevin to proceed ahead of him. Once outside, he led the way to his rental car. “Any particular destination in mind?”

“There’s a new bar and grill about five blocks from here.” Kevin hesitated, his fingers on the door handle. “Want me to drive?”

“No. This is a nice change of pace.” Nick shrugged in response to Kevin’s frown. “I don’t get to do a lot of driving in Chicago.”

With that settled, he climbed into the passenger seat and waited for Nick to start up the engine. A few seconds later, they left the Dockside behind and joined the heavy traffic congesting Jefferson Avenue. Nick adjusted the volume on the radio before sliding him a sidelong glance. “Congrats on the five-star rating with Metro Cuisine, by the way. Not that I’m surprised. You always were a mad genius in the kitchen.”

So that was how Nick had tracked him down. “Thanks.” He cleared his throat. “Contrary to what you probably think, I wasn’t hiding from you all these years.”

“No, but you didn’t exactly call to let me know if you were alive or dead, did you?”

“How would I have been able to call you if I was dead?”

Nick’s lips twitched. “Yeah, that might have been tough.”

Kevin stared out the windshield. “You’re right, though. I’m not going to make excuses. I’m an a*shole.”

“For five years, I talked myself out of looking for you because I was pissed and stubborn. Guess that makes me an a*shole too.”

“We’re quite the f*cking pair, eh?”

“We always have been.” Nick’s voice held an unmistakable note of melancholy. “I’ve missed you. Missed this.”

“What? Arguing and admitting we’re a*sholes?”

A grunt fell from Nick. “You know what I mean.”

“Yeah, I do.” Leaning his head on the padded neck rest, he eyed the bright display of Christmas lights bedecking the exteriors of the buildings lining either side of the road. Rubbing his jaw, he shifted his focus to Nick. “I’ve missed you too.”

Obvious relief relaxed the tension furrowing Nick’s brow. “Let’s not let angry words get between us again, okay?”

He nodded. A companionable silence descended on them for the remainder of the short drive to the River Lodge Grill. After parking, they made their way into the rustically themed restaurant. The place was surprisingly quiet for a busy weeknight this close to the holiday. In little time at all, a waitress with a broad, friendly smile approached and led them to an available booth near the back.

Nick eyed the moose head hanging on the wall. “He better not steal my waffle fries.”

Giggling, the young waitress passed Nick a flirtatious smile along with a menu. Once she’d taken their drink orders, she moved on to the next table.

Cracking open his own menu, Kevin shook his head. “Still have a way with the ladies, I see.” Realizing what he’d just said, he shifted on the bench seat and hunched his shoulders, trying without much success to shield his no-doubt-flushed face from Nick’s view. He didn’t need to glance up to detect the heat of Nick’s gaze drilling into him.

“We need to talk about what happened with Jana.”

He automatically stiffened. Unfortunately, a good portion of that reflex was centered below his belt. Even when he realized that Nick was referring to the scene at her store, not the phone sex, his arousal didn’t immediately dissipate. The damage was already done, so his damn cock wasn’t about to give him a break. You better behave yourself, or I’m letting my hand go to town again. Jesus, he was mentally conversing with his dick. He was more warped than even he’d suspected.

Reluctantly lifting his focus from the menu, he met the solemness in Nick’s eyes. “There isn’t anything to talk about.”

“You love her.”

“So do you.”

As always, Nick had the balls to continue staring him down, even when faced with such a damning accusation. “You saw an awful lot, considering the short time you were standing there watching us.”

Yeah, he had. The way Nick touched Jana, kissed her, it’d been clear there was more to it than lust. He’d seen Nick with plenty of women, and not once had Nick looked at them the way he did Jana.

“My feelings aren’t the ones in question here.” Nick’s gaze pinned Kevin in place. “It’s you she wants.”

No. Not just me. His cock hardened even more as he recalled her intense response to the fantasy of Nick f*cking her. Willing away his stubborn erection and the phantom of Jana’s sexy cries ringing in his ears, he cleared his throat and slid a desperate glance toward the waitress, praying with everything inside him that she’d stop chatting with the neighboring table and go get his much-needed whiskey sour.

“I told Jana about your voyeurism.”

“I know.”

“It slipped out before I realized you hadn’t—” Words back piling in his mouth, Nick blinked. “Wait. What do you mean you know?”

“She told me. I called her last night, and…” We had phone sex and she came like crazy while you f*cked her and I watched. His cock thickened behind the fly of his trousers.

“And what?”

“Nothing. I apologized for being an a*shole. Seems I’ve been doing that a lot lately.”

Nick’s hawklike gaze sharpened on him. “No, there’s more to it than that. Something you’re not telling me.”

“We talked. That’s all.”

Dropping his arm from the back of the bench seat, Nick leaned forward. “Liar. I’ve seen that expression on your face too many times not to recognize it for what it is.” His mouth crooking at one corner, Nick lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “You’re turned on right now. And unless you’ve switched teams without telling me, I doubt I’m the cause.”

Kevin scratched the back of his neck, earning a frown from Nick.

“Holy shit, are you batting for the other team now?”

“No.”

“Then what’s got you so uncomfortable?” Nick persisted. When he was after something, he could be a damn pit bull.

“Nothing. Drop it.”

“Now you’re getting defensive. Which means I’m right. Clearly something came up during your conversation with Jana.”

Oh yeah. Something definitely came up. My damn cock. “You’re stabbing in the dark here.” He peered around frantically for the waitress. “Where’s our damn drinks?”

“Shit, whatever it was, it must have been good.” Nick’s fingers drummed on the tabletop. “Was it something to do with the voyeurism?”

Kevin slid Nick a peeved look. “Jesus. Would you keep your voice down?”

“No one heard me. And you’re evading the subject. You might as well spit it out, otherwise I’m going to hound you all night.”

Sonofabitch. Exhaling heavily, he scrubbed a hand through his hair, stalling. When he glanced warily at Nick, he caught his patient stare. Might as well get this f*cking over with. “Don’t jump to conclusions about what I’m going to tell you. All right?”

“Damn. It must be really good.”

“You’re a pain in the ass.” Grumbling, he shuffled his feet and eyed the closest table. Fortunately it was a safe enough distance away. It’d be unlikely they’d hear anything. “I might have had phone sex with Jana.”

Nick was quiet for a moment before a wide smile tipped his mouth. “Hallef*ckinglujah.” Still grinning obnoxiously, Nick cocked an eyebrow. “Although, if you’re questioning whether you did have phone sex with her, it makes me wonder how long it’s been since you’ve gotten any action.”

“None of your damn business, you nosy f*cker.” There was no way in hell he’d let it slip that last night hadn’t been the first time he’d played a part in making Jana come. If Nick knew about the episode on the couch, he’d take it as glaring evidence that Kevin’s willpower where Jana was concerned teetered on a fraying thread. That kind of information in Nick’s hands? Shit. The nefarious lengths Nick was capable of employing made Jana’s seductive ploys look like child’s play.

Nick chuckled. “Don’t feel bad. It’s been a dry spell for me too.”

It was Kevin’s turn to blink. Nick…celibate? Deliberate or not, the concept was insane. “That’s hard to believe.”

“Work’s been keeping me too busy to have much of a personal life. Plus, the only woman who’s stirred the ole blood lives three hundred miles from me and happens to be in love with my best friend.” Nick’s expression turned challenging. “So when are you going to come to your damn senses and do something about it?”

“I’m not going to put her through the heartache of a screwed-up relationship with me. I care about Jana way too much to do that to her.”

Nick sighed. “What Heather said five years ago was a crock of shit. You’re as capable of sustaining a normal relationship as the next guy.”

They’d had this same conversation before, right before he’d walked away from Nick and Heather. Just like then, it was hard for him to share Nick’s faith in him. “All of this is irrelevant anyway.” He steepled his fingers in front of him and took a deep, fortifying breath. “I’m moving to Las Vegas after the holidays.”

A deathly quiet enveloped the table. Unable to take the silence anymore, he lifted his gaze to Nick’s. The shock—and yes, anger—riding his best friend’s features was impossible to miss.

“What do you mean you’re moving to Vegas?”

“I accepted a job offer from the Cinders.”

Nick’s eyebrows slashed low. “Are you sure that’s the only reason you’re moving out there?”

“Yeah. Why else would I?”

“I can think of two. Jana. And your dad.” A heavy note of accusation edged Nick’s tone.

“My dad has nothing to do with this.” F*cking liar. Still, he damn well wouldn’t confess to the guilt that motivated his decision.

“No?” Nick’s stare was far too assessing and invasive. “Mighty convenient that your pops just happens to be part owner of the Cinders. No doubt that coveted five-star rating you’re toting is looking pretty damn enticing to that a*shole.”

The hollowness in Kevin’s stomach wouldn’t let him forget that he’d had similar thoughts regarding his dad’s motives for the uncharacteristic pulling of strings where his son was concerned. “You’re making more of this than there is.”

“Only because I know you. And how you’ve been punishing yourself all this time. That cold son of a bitch took his pound of flesh twelve years ago when he kicked you out on the street. You don’t owe him anything more.”

Kevin stared at his fingertips. “Some would say he was more than justified in his actions.”

The upholstered bench creaked as Nick abruptly leaned forward, his eyes blazing with anger. “You are not to blame for what happened with that bitch Madis—” Apparently remembering his promise regarding that particular name, Nick snapped his lips into a fierce line.

It was yet another thing he and Nick disagreed on. Yeah, he certainly wasn’t willing to shoulder all of the guilt for the part he’d played in destroying his dad and Madison’s marriage, but he also couldn’t play the innocent party. “I told you, my decision to take the Cinders job has nothing to do with my dad. So drop it.”

“Fine. Then what about Jana? Don’t even try to tell me you’re not running scared because of your feelings for her.”

“It’s business. Nothing more.” But even as he voiced that statement, he had a hard time believing his own words.