...“Ah, I see…” And he did see the obvious facts written clear as crystal on the wall. Ethan was an attractive, successful man. To assume that he hadn’t dated at all before Avery was plain ridiculous, according to the rational little voice on his right shoulder. Unfortunately the green-eyed hellion on the left was tempted to drop kick the other asshole on the right.

Avery inhaled deeply, then let it go hard enough to stir the surface of the wine in his glass. “Well, I can’t cook…”

Ethan’s grin curved knowingly, making it obvious he was not fooled for a minute. The wooden legs of his chair scraped on the cobblestones as he shifted his chair around to Avery’s side, leaning in enough for their voices not to carry. “Is that your oh-so-slick way of telling me you’re jealous of all the men in my life, Avery?”

Avery blushed again. “I…” Don’t do it, the right shoulder puritan warned. Stay stoic, mysterious. You don’t want to look desperate by telling him know you’ve wanted to brand your name on his ass since day one.

“Avery, I’m waiting” Ethan murmured, long calloused fingers curling around Avery’s slim wrist like a living cuff, sending another mental image involving the posts on his bed and Sarah’s gag gift from his thirtieth birthday party two years ago slamming through Avery’s brain in full frontal color, straight down to his dick. So much for playing it cool.

“I don’t have any claim on you now, Ethan, much less on what you did or with who before we met.” There. That sounded cool, collected. Bully for him.

Ethan leaned in a little more, his breath as warm on Avery’s jaw as the thumb that was drawing maddeningly slow circles on the sensitive skin on the inside of Avery’s wrist. “Do you want to?” He smiled. “I didn’t kiss you when you came in because I know you’re shy, but if you want me to make it explicitly clear that you’re with me, prepare your tonsils.”

His laugh turned into a hiss as Avery’s heart skipped at the promise, his nervously jiggling knee making up-close-and-personal contact with the underside of the table hard enough to tip over his water glass.

He lunged forward to make a grab for it, his chair dipping precariously to one side as he overcompensated. Ethan reached out at the same time, making an executive decision Avery was grateful for when he heard the glass shatter on the patio and didn’t feel the pieces of it embedded in his forehead. The strong chest under his cheek vibrated as Ethan pulled Avery closer.

The man’s slow chuckle should have embarrassed him, but instead it was like a balm to the soul. Such a nerd, and he still likes you!

“You need a damn keeper.” Ethan’s thumb scraped the stubble along Avery’s jaw. He helped the smaller man up, but instead of settling Avery back on his own chair, Ethan tugged on his hand to invite him onto his lap, those big hands stroking down his back to his ass, lingering for a moment before moving back up with a slow, confident touch that sent little tongues of heat racing down Avery’s spine.

“Is that your official application for the job?” Avery murmured, nuzzling along Ethan’s jaw and nipping just under his ear lobe. Ethan’s cock immediately stiffened against the curve of Avery’s ass, but instead of pulling away like the gentleman he’d been with every step of the planning so far, those big hands rested on either side of Avery’s hips and helped guide him back till they found the perfect fit, and left no doubt that Ethan’s outward calm was being very carefully crafted.

Score one for the left!

“Baby, as of right now, you’re not even going to get the chance to place the ad. Consider the position filled.” Ethan’s teeth nipped lightly down the length of Avery’s neck, the wispy hairs of his goatee creating little tentacles of sensation along his skin.

The whimper that escaped Avery when he felt the brief, damp caress of the other man’s tongue against the sensitive curve of his ear would have embarrassed him if he'd had any brain function left, but all the blood had rushed from head to dick, leaving him lightheaded and pliant beneath Ethan’s hands.

It took a moment for him to catch up with the program long enough to realize that those strong hands had lifted him back onto his chair, one keeping him there by resting on his knee.