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Lee chuckled and moved his gaze toward his husband and the man who meant more to me than I could even acknowledge in the private recesses of my mind.

“What I’m about to say is not a commentary on how you live your life. But before Ollie, you would have hit on Lewis to make Kaid jealous and thought nothing of it. And I believe this is the first time since we’ve become friends, where your focus is on one specific person and you aren’t your typical outrageous, flirty self. But everything you are makes you Connor and a great friend and I have to say I’m happy for you. You found your one.”

I was spluttering and couldn’t get my words past my lips as I stared at Lee with such astonishment. The man laughed at me.

“Come on, it shouldn’t be such a surprise,” Lee said, exasperated.

When I found my voice, I growled, “What?”

Instead of answering, he glanced at Spencer and Ollie, who were laughing together while leaning shoulder to shoulder, already fast friends. An unfamiliar sensation kicked against my chest and I realized my heart was pounding in my chest as I watched the pure happiness pouring from Ollie.

“I kissed him.”

Lee shook his head and asked, “Tonight?”

“No, about two weeks ago. You know what surprised the fuck out of me?” I asked.

He raised his eyebrow in question.

“It rocked my world while it hasn’t had the same effect on him. We’re great friends and he jokes with me, he hangs when we watch movies and I enjoy being with him while he’s writing, but he acts like nothing has changed between us. He has no clue he upended my entire world.”

“Fucking hell, Connor, are you blind? Do you not see how he stares at you?”

He waited for me to respond before he continued.

“No, huh? Well, it’s like you hung the moon and are responsible for the stars in the sky. I know the kiss affected him. And before you start, it has nothing to do with you being a movie star. For several months after Spencer and I admitted our attraction to each other, Spencer kept telling himself I wasn’t as interested in him because of my stoic personality. But I learned I needed to open myself up and tell him everything in my heart, because all things unsaid leaves room for interpretation and with us humans, we always see the negative in ourselves before we’re convinced of the truth.”

I nodded and said, “It doesn’t help that he knows all about my past, because my loving and intrusive family keep telling him all about my conquests. And come to think of it, he gets upset whenever it’s brought up. Hell, thinking about Ollie withanother man, knowing he’s a virgin in all aspects of the word, well, it makes me manic.”

Lee chuckled. “Ah, man. Are you telling me you were his first kiss?”

I froze as the realization hit me. “Holy fuck, yes. I’m both panicky and proud all at once.”

Lee shook his head, giving me a smile as we moved to the dining room for dinner. Lewis made a luscious white cheddar macaroni with brie and spiced bread crumbs for a starter, then the main course; braised short ribs and the creamiest mashed potatoes I’d ever tasted, with roasted carrots and Brussels sprouts in a wine reduction, and for dessert, a delicate carrot cake with lemon and vanilla frosting.

Before long, I was in a food coma and enjoying the company of great people.

***

“Hey,sweetness, we should turn one of Ollie’s romances into a movie,” Spencer said during a lull in conversation.

Ollie turned a bright red and waved his hands around like he swallowed something spicy as he shook his head back and forth.

“You haven’t even read any of my books… wait, have you?”

Spencer laughed and nodded. “Of course I have, especially since Con keeps bragging about how talented you are. We’re finishing up with filming next week on a screenplay I wrote and then I think we should get together and talk.”

“Oh, whoa. You wrote a screenplay, and it’s going to be a movie?” He waited until Spencer nodded, a blush of pride on his face, before Ollie exclaimed, “That’s fantastic! Congratulations!”

Lee smiled while Spencer giggled at the praise. As we all laughed, Spencer turned to his husband and said, “Can we adopt him and spoil him? He’s so adorable!”

As I growled at the uncomfortable subject for Ollie, my protectiveness flaring, he laughed.

“I’m sort of on my own for the first time in my life and I enjoy it, but if I need advice, I promise I’ll seek you two out.”

“Good, you guys can keep Ollie company when I go on location next week.” It wasn’t a secret because I’ve been talking about the possibility every night at dinner. An epic action-adventure where I would be part of a larger cast, so I’d be gone a shorter time than if I was the headliner.

I was studying Ollie’s face and noticed the flash of sadness in his gorgeous eyes before he recovered.