“Oh, and I’ll be near broke. Is that a problem for you?” Colt added, lifting a brow. He tried to lighten the mood.
“No. I’m not broke. Far from it, in fact,” Jace said, and now he was grinning. Colt didn’t touch him, but moved closer.
“I’m honestly exhausted, both emotionally and physically, but I haven’t wanted a drink since I left New York. You can trust that’s a first for me. You’ve been kind to me. I would’ve groveled and begged. I was all set to do anything to get you back. I can’t erase the doubt that I put between us, but I’m here, and I’ll spend the rest of my life doing what it takes to keep us together.”
“I’m trying to go with it, trying to understand,” Jace said, stepping into Colt who wrapped him in his arms and finally kissed him softly.
“Thank you. I don’t even deserve that much.” Colt took Jace’s hand and pulled him down to the beach towel, and he kept Jace right there in the circle of his arms through the entire meal.
***
“What made you grow your hair out?” Colt asked, leaning against the doorframe of the bathroom. He watched as Jace primped for their big date night.
“You don’t like it?” Jace asked, looking directly at Colt through the small mirror above the sink. Jace left his hair down, flipping the ends under with a hairdryer, but now, as Colt asked the question, he started brushing the strands back, digging in the drawers for the leather strap he used as a tie-back.
“Hey, I didn’t say that. I like it fine. You’re fuckin’ hot as hell. I just wondered, that’s all. When I watched the cheerleading competition, I kept pausing the screen, looking at you now and then back at the picture of you in college. I like both looks.” Colt immediately back pedaled, moving into the bathroom as Jace worked his hair from his face. Jace went from painstakingly styling it to pulling his hair into a tight ponytail.
“Wear it down. What are you doing putting it up? I wasn’t saying I didn’t like it. Seriously stop, I like it down. I like to play with the ends,” Colt said, placing his hand on top of Jace’s, stopping him before he could complete his task.
“Are you sure?” Jace asked, and Colt grinned at how easily Jace tried to please him. How had he ever let this go?
“Of course, I’m sure. It was just a question over a part in your life I missed. I have lots of questions. Another one is why didn’t you come to the season opener with your cheerleaders? I was so disappointed you weren’t there.” Colt handed the brush back to Jace and took the leather strap from his hand, dropping it back in the drawer and closing it with a decidedly hard shove. End of issue.
“You know why I wasn’t there,” Jace said, brushing his hair back in place. He bypassed Colt still standing next to him and walked into the bedroom. Jace was wearing new blue jeans and a violet purple button down, untucked with the sleeves rolled up. He stood at the dresser, adding a string of island shells around his neck and a braided leather strap around his wrist. He dug through his shoes to find anything appropriate for dancing.
“I don’t know why you didn’t come, except for maybe you didn’t wanna see me,” Colt said, waiting now. He was ready to leave fifteen minutes ago.
“I didn’t. I wouldn’t have been able to stand seeing you and not being able to do anything about it,” Jace said, sliding his feet into a pair of sandals. They weren’t really dancing shoes, but it was all he had. As he worked the strap onto the back of his heel, Colt's arms slid around him from behind, and he kissed his neck.
“I wanted you there so you could see me and fall hopelessly back in love with me, to confess your life was shit without me, and I planned to do the same,” Colt whispered against his skin.
“It’s probably what I would have done and exactly why I didn’t go.” Jace stood, turning his head for a kiss. Colt’s lips found his, and Jace pressed back into Colt’s hold.
“We could always stay in tonight. I think you’re way too hot to share. Some island guy might try and steal you away from me,” Colt whispered and ground his cock into Jace’s ass. Jace turned in Colt’s arms, allowing him the opportunity to slide his hands down to Jace’s ass. Shifting his hips, he brought their jean covered erections together and wiggled his eyebrows.
“Dinner out was your idea to celebrate your ex-almost wife agreeing to your terms, but if we stay here, we should finish painting…” Jace didn’t have time to finish the sentence. Colt had him by the hand, pulling him from the bedroom.
“Dinner out it is!” Jace laughed as Colt hurriedly tugged him from the house to his rental in less than a minute. They had painted half the house today, and out of all the repairs, it was absolutely the worst thing he’d done yet.
***
Hours later, the dance floor was packed, but neither paid any attention. This moment only existed for the two of them. “You were made for me, Jace Montgomery.”
Colt held Jace in the tight circle of his embrace. So far the night was turning out pretty perfect. For dinner, they enjoyed a large salad and grilled vegetables. Colt hadn’t ordered any meat with his meal, hoping to impress Jace, and he was surprisingly stuffed. It made him feel much better about Jace’s long term health, even though Jace scoffed a little at his too fatty—per Jace and definitely not Colt’s perspective—Caesar dressing. Colt responded very clearly that a man could only give so much.
It hadn’t taken long for Colt to lure Jace out on the dance floor. These weren’t baby steps at all. Instead, Colt again pushed away his lifelong need to hide and stepped way out of his comfort zone by dancing intimately with a man. Once Jace agreed to dance with him, Colt immediately drew their bodies together. Jace grinned at him, and slid right in, meshing them together. For every bold move Colt made, Jace made another. These moments were incredibly freeing to Colt’s soul, allowing him bolder moves as the night progressed.