“Are you hungry?” Mitch asked and hit the car fob again, making sure all the doors unlocked. He slid inside the driver’s side, starting the keyless remote while looking at Cody. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“You said that,” Cody said with a big grin. “And, yeah. I’m hungry. I was too wound up to eat before I left.”
“Why were you wound up?” Mitch asked, placing the Tahoe in reverse and backing out of the tight parking spot. “Oh that’s right, the weather was bad.”
“It wasn’t that. I was trying not to chicken out,” Cody confessed, and that caused Mitch to look over at him, splitting his attention between the road and Cody. There was hesitation on Cody’s face and questions in those blue eyes. Mitch wasn’t sure he liked that and reached over and took his hand.
“Tell me why would you back out?” Mitch asked. They’d touched on this a little last night when they talked, and he knew how hard he had to pursue Cody to get them this far in the game. Cody needed to explain this further so he’d better understand what he was up against.
“I don’t really know. I worked hard to get where I am. I’ve got just about another year before I can apply for the Rangers. I need to keep myself focused,” Cody said as he turned to look out the front window.
“You keep saying things like that, but how does coming here affect you becoming a Texas Ranger?” Mitch asked, genuinely confused. He’d thought this might be Cody’s problem, but he couldn’t fully wrap his head around how dating Mitch factored into the Texas Ranger’s application process.
“You’re a deputy US marshal.” Like that answered the question. It didn’t.
“Well, I am, yes, and now you’ve confused me even more.” Mitch glanced over at Cody, who didn’t respond right away. “How does my being a deputy marshal factor into your job plans? I mean, I have helped the ranger’s when they call. I’ve done a couple of arrests internationally with one guy, but I don’t think he held any power or authority. I don’t get the problem.”
“I don’t know, it’s just…never mind,” Cody said after a minute more of silence, letting Mitch know there was more to this than just the job situation.
“No, tell me. I really want to know,” Mitch pressed. He needed to know what was going on in that pretty blond head of Cody’s.
“Not now.”
“Okay, when?” Mitch persisted.
“Just not now. Where are we eating?” Cody asked, changing the subject. So Mitch let the topic go and filed it away for later discussion. But Mitch needed that answer before Cody left this weekend. If he had to reassure Cody that he was discreet, he would.
“We can go out to just about any place around here, or there’s a nice grill at the hotel. Either’s good with me,” Mitch said, watching the signs in downtown DC, making sure he hit all the right turns.
“The grill at the hotel sounds good, if I’m dressed all right.”
“Cool. We can drop your bag off in the room and then go back downstairs to eat.” Mitch watched as Cody eased back in the seat and relaxed.
Chapter 24
A valet opened Cody’s door when they arrived at the hotel. Another greeted Mitch and took his keys after a brief conversation that Cody couldn’t hear. He watched as Mitch clicked the back hatch, handed money to the valet, and exited the driver’s seat, leaving the door open for the attendant. Cody took a moment to make sure his shirt was tucked in and straightened out the crease in his jeans as he made his way to the back of the vehicle. When he was almost there, he ran his hands across his short hair, making sure nothing was sticking up or out of place.
Mitch had beat him to the back, again grabbing his duffel bag and slinging the long strap over his shoulder before he took his hand again. Now, this was something new to Cody. He was totally out, he didn’t hide, but he also didn’t flaunt his sexuality. He never held hands with any guy. He certainly had never been kissed in public by a guy, even on the cheek.
On so many levels, everything about this weekend was already new to him. He tried hard to just go with the flow. Not be the kink in the chain. Washington, DC, was definitely more liberal than Texas, and he prayed he didn’t stick out like a sore thumb.
Interestingly enough, Mitch didn’t care at all. This seemed so natural to him. Mitch kept their pace, letting Cody go through the doors first even though Mitch led the way.
“That’s the grill. The elevators are this way,” Mitch said, heading to the main lobby of the hotel. The restaurant slash bar didn’t look overly crowded. The lobby in front of the elevators, on the other hand, was packed. Apparently a wedding party had reserved ballrooms on two floors for the reception, and the actual wedding had just ended. There was a wait as all the guests filtered to the next location, and Mitch got in line toward the back of the group before turning to face Cody. They stood almost toe to toe, and that silly little smile that showcased those two perfect dimples spread across his face.
God, that smile did it for Cody. Everything about Mitch turned him on. His cock began to plump up in his tight jeans. When he reached down to adjust himself, he hoped the move wasn’t too obvious to the people around him. Cody returned the smile, focusing on Mitch’s bottom lip.
“Look what I’m wearing,” Mitch said excitedly. Cody lifted his eyes to see a mischievous sparkle in Mitch’s gaze. It took a second for Cody to realize Mitch was unbuttoning his shirt. That confused him, and he drew his eyes away from those perfect lips and that heated gaze to watch Mitch make quick work of the shirt buttons. He executed a Superman move and flashed Cody the T-shirt underneath the button-down.