Page 82 of Men of Fort Dale: The Complete Series

Christian followed him, again not sure what to say.

There was clearly more going on between them than a casual dinner, yet neither was willing to say it aloud.

If it was clearly one situation over the other, Christian would know exactly how to act or at least have a better idea.

As it was, he wasn’t sure if he should be treating him as General Winter, his superior and a man due a great deal of respect and deference, or as David, a good-looking man whose green eyes sent a pang of longing through him whenever David looked at him.

“Would you prefer to eat here or on the back deck?” General Winter asked him.

“Didn’t you say the sun was blinding at this time of day?”

“I did, but it’s later now.”

Christian smiled. “Then lead the way.”

Dinner proved to be better than he’d expected.

Christian was no expert, but he knew good fish when he tasted it and when it was cooked properly.

The fish had been rich, cut through with citrus and just a hint of spice to catch the back of the throat.

The greens had been refreshing, with a slight zing of some vinaigrette.

The wine David had pulled out of the cellar had been fantastic and complimented the dish perfectly with its rich, fruity flavors and complex sweetness.

And to go with the meal had been a magnificent sunset.

By the time they’d come outside, the brightest colors had faded, allowing them to see perfectly.

As they ate their meal, Christian savoring every bite, the bright orange and vibrant red had given way to deep purple and the faintest trace of a mellow blue.

One by one, the stars peeked out, reflecting off the ocean a few dozen yards away, and the fireflies had come out in full force.

All perfect, and all before he could even address the company.

David chuckled. “So, you managed to sneak all those boys into the basement, and your foster parents never realized?”

Christian shrugged. “They were, uh, not the most attentive people. Okay, fine, Alice, the mom, had to take sleeping meds to get through the night, and her husband, uh, Andrew, was a bit of a drinker. If you didn’t make an entire herd of elephants go through the house, you could pretty much do whatever you wanted after eleven at night.

So yeah, the other two foster kids and I dragged some guys back to the house. ”

“I can only imagine what sort of trouble you got up to unsupervised,” David said with a twinkle in his eyes.

Christian held a hand to his chest in mock affront. “Me? I was a perfect angel. I enjoyed long, philosophical conversations with them, discussing current events. No misbehaving or excessive making out ever happened.”

David smirked. “I know things change with every generation, but I have a feeling teenage late-night parties haven’t changed that much.”

“Probably not,” Christian said with a laugh.

David eyed his glass. “More wine?”

Christian eyed his already empty glass and gave it some thought. “I don’t know if I should, or I’ll have to be wheeled out of here.”

“Goes right to your head, eh?”

“Something like that.”

“A good thing I have guest rooms then.”

Christian hesitated. “Are you inviting me to stay the night?”

David cocked his head slowly. “I’m saying you are welcome to.”

Was that the same as being invited, or just a simple courtesy?

Christian knew which one he wanted it to be, and he knew damn well he did want more wine.

The two of them were finally getting to where they didn’t have to skip and swerve around every conversation, feeling as if they had to keep it going in one specific direction.

Maybe it was the wine, but if that were the case, Christian would happily accept more.

“Pretty sure we polished off the bottle already,” Christian pointed out.

“And I’m sure I have a few more bottles like it. I rarely dive into my wine supply. Having good company over to indulge sounds like a wonderful excuse,” he said.

Christian watched General Winter for a moment, who was quickly becoming David in his mind.

The older man was watching him in return, a wary hope in his eyes as the alcohol worked to bring down the layer of emotional barriers he kept up through his everyday life.

David had undone the top button of his shirt, and Christian could see the sparse hair he knew peppered his chest. It reminded him of what he’d accidentally seen in that video, and he felt his gut tighten.

There was no way to be sure, but Christian knew accepting the general’s offer was to accept another invitation.

The one they’d been working their way up to for who knew how long, and Christian wasn’t even sure he could trace how long, even if he tried.

They had both been playing with fire from the moment they agreed to be alone in a casual environment, with no chance of anyone coming across them.

Now was the moment where Christian had to choose, just as David did by offering, if he would stay or go.

Christian smiled. “No need to let a good opportunity pass, right?”