Page 148 of Tech Bros

“I doubt it. His two favorite things will be there. You and food.”

Isaac slides an arm around my waist and tucks me into his side. “Sounds like you’ll have to get creative.” His hand gives my ass a subtle squeeze. “One of his other favorite things.”

I roll my eyes as I fight the urge to cling to him. “Was that supposed to be romantic?”

“Just a point of fact.”

“I thought the point was to spend timetogether.”

“I don’t want him taking over the food. I want to do this for you guys.”

“Then I’ll see what I can do.”

Deacon and I have chemistry and good sex for sure, but whatever it is I see when he and Isaac are making out—it’s not there yet between me and Deacon. I figure I just need to give it time. Not everyone’s connection is instantaneous. Hunter and I were a slow burn, too.

I want Deacon like crazy, so I haven’t mentioned my concerns to him, but I can tell he’s not in love with me. Not the way he loves Isaac. Our dynamic is more—adventurous? Meaning I play the slut, and he plays the guy training my ass to take two dicks. We have yet to fuck in missionary.

“Wait.” Isaac pulls slightly away to look down at me. “Are you saying you’re so in love with me now you don’t even notice Deacon anymore?”

I laugh, but I also blush like an idiot in front of the butcher counter in the ridiculously expensive grocery store. “Hard not to notice him when he’s got his tongue down your throat.”

“Ohh…she’s got claws.”

I hug him. “Shut up.”

He presses several kisses to my neck as the steaks get wrapped. “Say it,” he says.

“You’re a psycho.”

“Translation, I love you, Isaac. Right?”

I let go of him and try not to let my smile break my face. He grabs the steaks, puts them in the basket he’s holding, then grabs my hand to lead me back to the produce section where he exchanges his red-leaf lettuce for Brussels sprouts, individually selecting each and every one. When I see Millie near the apples, I duck myself into Isaac’s side with no explanation, and he just holds me there.

If she can afford to shop here, she sure the fuck doesn’t need my help paying her vet bills, and I add it to my list of defenses in case she and I wind up in civil court over Manon’s litter.

Knowing she’s out and about, though, I’m able to take Apollo on a walk when we get back to the apartment without having to worry about her cornering me in the stairwell. As I’m heading back into the building, I run into Deacon going up the steps to the front door.

“Hey,” I say to him as he scratches Apollo beneath his chin.

“Hi. You’re home early. You hungry?”

“Isaac’s cooking. We got steaks.”

Deacon frowns, looking up at our apartment window. “Whose idea was that?”

“His,” I say.

Still with a troubled look on his face, he opens the door to the building and gestures me inside. “Do you like steak?”

“Sure.”

“I could have made that for you,” he says.

“He wanted to do it. I didn’t ask him to.”

Deacon stops on the staircase and faces me. “I don’t get it.”

I shrug. “I think he likes to cook, too.”