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Jesse’s entire body tingled with nerves and desire.

Lake moaned as he strained closer to Jesse.

As much as he hated it, Jesse pulled slowly away.

Lake’s eyes were glassy, and his face flushed.

Jesse smiled down at his boy. “I could kiss you forever.”

“Yes, that, let’s do that.” Lake’s voice was husky with need.

“Don’t we have a picnic to get to?” Jesse teased.

“Now you want to eat?”

“You went to a lot of trouble for me,” Jesse reminded him.

Lake nodded. “It wasn’t easy. I had to call in the whole crew.”

Jesse helped Lake sit up. They were both sporting erections, but Jesse really did want to see what all his boy had done. “The crew?”

“I don’t even know what your favorite food is,” Lake said. “Or if you have any hobbies. I needed help.”

“And you found it?”

“Dom and Remi asked around here. The security team, table dealers, slot technicians. Anyone who was on shift. Several of them said that you eat at the Italian restaurant several times a week.”

Wow, Lake had really gone to a lot of trouble for him. Just for him. “Italian is my favorite. It’s filling.”

Lake beamed. “Awesome! And the waitress knew your favorite dish and even had vegan options.”

“Very smart thinking,” Jesse praised.

“Eric had the basket, and the blanket was Ezra’s idea.”

Jesse nodded.

“And Dane and Brandon grabbed some of the other stuff from the store.”

“That’s amazing,” Jesse said. Now he knew what it felt like when he showered the boys with his gifts. Saying thank you just wasn’t enough. He understood that now.

“Here.” Lake grabbed the backpack and dropped it on Jesse’s legs. “We have company.”

“We do?” Jesse asked. It was probably a good thing that they hadn’t gotten naked then.

Lake nudged the backpack.

Following the unspoken instruction, Jesse unzipped the bag and grinned. This was the kind of company that he didn’t mind. He pulled Zeb and Al out of their hidden spot. Jesse set both stuffed friends on the edge of the blanket as Lake picked up the basket.

Lake opened the top of the basket, folding both ends out. Reaching in, Lake drew out a bouquet of tulips and handed them to Jesse. “For you.”

Jesse accepted the flowers. “Thank you, baby.”

“Thank you for the flowers you sent to me. They were so colorful and bright. I loved them!”

“They reminded me of your smile,” Jesse confessed.

“I didn’t write you a note,” Lake said. “I thought about it but what I wanted to say I needed to do in person.”