Lucky couldn’t stop smiling. “No. I was just pointing out the obvious.”
Damon’s shoulders relaxed, obviously relieved he would not be forced to eat rabbit food tonight. “You haven’t lived until you’ve eaten Hugo’s ribs and curly fries.”
Lucky’s stomach growled again, making him thankful for the loud atmosphere. “I can’t remember the last time I ate a potato in any form. Much less a fry.”
The way Damon’s expression stayed blank said a lot. He really didn’t want Lucky to know his thoughts. Damon led him to an empty table nearby. As Lucky sat, Damon pulled his chair closer, so their elbows brushed once Damon was seated. “While I applaud your discipline, there’ll be none of that tonight. Tonight is an all you can eat and get fat night.”
“I have a photo shoot this weekend.” Lucky hated to remind Damon of that fact since he seemed so excited to feed Lucky.
Damon flashed Lucky a wicked-looking smile. “Then I guess I’ll just have to help you work off all the calories before then.”
Butterflies stirred in Lucky’s stomach. He was terrified of how happy Damon made him. No one was good to him for free. Before he made an idiot of himself, and said as much, two heavy beer mugs filled with ice water clunked down on the table.
“What can I get you two to drink?”
“I’m good with the water.” Damon looked Lucky’s way. “Do you want a beer?”
Lucky shook his head. “I’m good with the water too.” After all, he was about to eat a fuck ton of carbs, apparently. The last thing he needed was to drink more calories.
The waiter nodded. “Are you two ready to order or should I give you a few minutes?”
Damon looked his way again. “What do you say? Are we doing the all you can eat thing?” There was something in Damon’s eyes—like he silently dared Lucky to be bad with him.
“Yep. Let’s do it.”
They shared a smile. A happy sigh rang through Lucky’s mind. He hadn’t known life could be like this.
The night seemed to fly as they ate and talked. Damon kept massaging Lucky’s thigh beneath the table. Lucky was aware of each and every time they touched. They had already had sex. There was no need for Damon to seduce him. That was how it felt, though. Lucky felt like Damon worked to ensnare him. Damon was hypnotizing him with his secret touches.
“I know you have the photo thing this weekend, but have you still been going to auditions? You’re a godsend at the bar, but I know you have dreams too.”
Lucky shrugged. “I’m taking a break from all that.”
Damon’s eyebrows rose. “You’re not giving up, are you?”
“No.” Even as the denial fell from his lips, Lucky wondered if he lied. “Unless I want to do porn, and I decidedly do not want to do porn, it’s kind of exhausting trying to get roles.” Talking about porn had a hint of horror rising inside him. Some might say what he had agreed to do this weekend was damn near porn. If Damon was the one who planned to take nude pics with another guy this weekend, Lucky might rip off his dick, which was weird. He didn’t think he had ever been jealous before. Another thought hit. What if Damon was the jealous type? Lucky wasn’t a small guy, but Damon was huge. He didn’t want to see Damon in a rage. Lucky found himself practically squirming in his seat.
“About my photo shoot this weekend. I should warn you. It’s... um, a bit erotic.”
Damon smiled. “Oh, really? You have my attention.”
Lucky wiped his sweating palms on his jeans and licked his lips. “I wasn’t expecting what happened this afternoon to happen and I’m super happy it did, but I don’t want to hide anything.”
“So you’re taking your clothes off for pictures. That’s no big deal. It’s just a job.”
Lucky bit his bottom lip for a second before delving deeper. “Um. Also, I won’t be alone in these pictures.” Lucky winced as the admission fell.
Damon slowly nodded. He wiped his fingers on his napkin. “I mean. It is just pictures, right?”
Lucky rushed to reassure Damon. “Of course. Kit is my friend and there’s no sexual attraction there at all. We just have to pose together. It’s not actually sexual.”
For a moment, Damon stared at him in silence. Lucky saw the moment Damon chose to wade even deeper. “So what I’m hearing is: we’re officially dating—like exclusively—and you don’t want me to misinterpret your job as cheating. Is that right?”
The air seemed to thicken and turn muggy, making sweat break out on Lucky’s skin. Until Damon said the words aloud, Lucky didn’t realize how assuming he had sounded. He immediately retreated and tried blowing off the conversation. “Sorry. When you put it that way, I guess I came off as ridiculous. This is one date. Of course, I don’t expect—”
Damon kissed him, cutting off Lucky’s insecurities before they completely humiliated him. It was a sweet kiss. A light brushing of lips across lips. Just enough to silence Lucky’s rambling.
“I appreciate you telling me,” Damon said, sounding patient. “Even though I know you do the whole modeling thing, if I had seen those pictures without context, I might have gotten the wrong idea and thought you cheated. Now I know I shouldn’t get jealous. See? We’ll be great at this exclusive thing. Look at us, already talking about things like rational adults. We’re already kicking ass at being a couple. We should enter a competition or something.”
Lucky stared at Damon, completely awestruck. “What should we conquer next?”
Damon’s mouth lifted in one corner in the world’s sexiest smirk. “You should come home with me. We haven’t tried sleeping in the same bed.”
“Is that a hill we have to climb?” Lucky asked, genuinely enjoying himself.
Looking serious, Damon nodded. “Definitely. I’ve slept alone forever, so I’m probably a selfish sleeper. It’s likely I snore, steal covers, and kick.”
Lucky couldn’t stop smiling. He loved being with Damon. Always had. “If that’s the case, I have the cure.”
“You do?” With his eyebrows raised, Damon openly pretended to wait with bated breath for Lucky’s response.
He knew Damon thought he would say something about sex—like claim they just wouldn’t sleep. That was exactly why Lucky didn’t. “Yeah. I’ll make you sleep on the couch.”
Damon’s eyes swam with laughter. “Damn. In my own house. That’s cold.”
Lucky shrugged. “Maybe I’m the one who snores and kicks. After all, no one keeps me for long. That could actually explain a lot.” Lucky chuckled at the idea.
The laughter bled from Damon’s expression. He turned serious in an instant. “I own ear plugs and I sleep like the dead. You can’t run me off that easily. I’m not one of the weak-ass rich guys you’ve been with in the past.”
At Damon’s obvious irritation, Lucky retreated. “I’m sorry.”
Damon blinked. A line appeared between his eyebrows. “Why are you apologizing?”
Lucky found himself fiddling with his napkin and then his water glass, incapable of being still. “I thought we were teasing. I didn’t mean to make you mad. We don’t have to spend the night together yet.” His shoulders fell. He didn’t know how to backpedal and make Damon smile again. Lucky always fucked up everything he touched. It was no wonder men treated him like shit. He was pretty fucking useless. The more his thoughts churned, the shallower his breathing became until Lucky balanced on the edge of hyperventilating. Damon probably wouldn’t talk to him again after tonight. Lucky wished he were better at staying silent and sticking to looking pretty. He really, really hated himself. If Damon still talked to him tomorrow, Lucky would try harder. Everything started to darken around the edges.