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“What do you mean?”

“Are you interested in pursuing a relationship with him, or are you just wanting to have sex with him? It’s really important in this situation to be clear up front about what you’re looking for. To avoid hurting either of you.”

“I…” Lake hadn’t really thought about that. Did he want todateGrady? His immediate reaction was a resoundingyes,no hesitation.That would mean he was allowed to kiss and touch and have sex with him whenever he wanted, right? And no one else could. Grady would be for him alone, with no one else allowed to touch. And they could go places together. And it would be a given that they would have plans together. And he could sleep at Grady’s house any night he wanted. And text him all the time.

His heart skipped a beat.

They had been doing all of those things already.

“I think we’re… already dating?” That sounded… nice. Better than nice. It didn’t cause panic in him; it made him feel warm inside, and he couldn’t control the smile that brightened his face.

Zach snorted. “I’m not even surprised. You’re not really a casual sex kind of guy.”

“I could be!” Lake protested. If hewantedto have only a physical relationship with someone, he totally could. If he wanted. It was just that he didn’t, that was all.

Felix shook his head, his lips curled in fake mourning. “Sorry, Lake, but no. You always need a connection with a person before you’re interested in sleeping with them.”

“I’ve slept with people on the first date.”

“When you’ve had aconnectionwith the person. Sometimes that connection doesn’t take six years to develop, genius,” Zach said. “Sociological studies show that—”

“No,” Lake said. “Shut up. Don’t want statistics. I deal with them at work enough as it is.”

Zach huffed but said, “Look, since he’s a guy, it probably took your body a bit longer to realise that you wanted to bone him.”

“Maybe,” Lake murmured. Is that what had happened? His mind had known he had a connection from the start, but it had taken his body a bit longer to catch up?

It seemed plausible, he guessed. The gender thing might have tripped him for a millisecond.

“Doesheknow you want to date him? Or are already dating?” Felix amended.

“Doubt it.” Lake hadn’t given him any reason to think that. Even the sex thing wouldn’t be a giant neon sign that said, “Wine and dine me, lover,” because sometimes sex was just sex. Maybe not with him—which he kind of knew about himself, though he’d never really thought about it much in depth—but lots of people had casual sex that didn’t go anywhere. Was that what Grady thought this would be? Lake wasn’t sure he liked that idea.

“Dinner’s ready!” Avery called out.

Lake scrambled off the dog bed, Ares hot on his heels. He’d been smelling that roast pork since he’d entered the house, andhe was readyto eat.

The topics turned to more generic ones as they ate; Avery’s shop and the fact he was still finding glitter hearts from his Valentine’s Day decorations, even though he’d cleaned the place from top to bottom that day; the Black Hawk that Lake wasstilladamant had an issue that no one could see—it wasnotjust in his head—and trying to convince Lake that he wanted one of the malamute puppies. It wasn’t that he didn’t want a dog. He did. It was just that it belonged with the whole marriage-and-kids vision he had of the future, not the right now. And he didn’t know what the whole Grady thing meant for his vision either.

Lake let out a loud sigh and leaned back, patting the bulge in his stomach. “Food baby, acquired.” The look Avery gave him was full of judgement, but Lake was too satiated to care. He wondered what Grady had for dinner. He should text him. He pulled out his phone and sent him a text.

“Stop feeding your peas to the dog,” Zach said to Avery dryly.

“Did you see me do it?” Avery asked innocently.

“… No. But I know—”

“If you didn’t see it, did it really happen?”

“Felix!” Zach sputtered.

“Don’t drag me into this,” was all Felix said.

Lake just chuckled as Ares moved under the table and nudged his wet nose against Lake’s side. Lake scratched his head. “Sorry, buddy, I’m a good boy, and I eat all my dinner.”

“Excuse me!” Avery said, his mouth dropping open. “That isnottrue.”

“Do you see any food left on my plate?”