Zane laughed and patted Roach’s back. “I’d like to remind you he probably sleeps with three dudes every single day. I’m not even gonna go into the risks of the other things he’s putting in his body.”
Roach grunted in response. Of course. Wanted to have his cake and eat it. But Zane itched to know whether the little hooker was Roach’s only sexual outlet or if there was more guys he needed to cut off Roach’s dick.
“Out with it,” Zane said in a low voice, his hand rolling over the inner side of Roach’s thigh. The sense of control over Roach made him feel so powerful the air in his lungs was flecked with gold. “Who else is there? Do you always rubber up?”
Roach stuffed more waffle into his mouth and glanced at him, sparking with anger. “You think I’m the local Casanova or something? There’s no one,” he grumbled in a low voice.
Zane frowned, taken aback. “No? No girlfriends? No other mouths hungry for your spunk?”
Was he getting turned on thinking back to the flavor of Roach’s cum? Yes. Yes, he fucking was, and he refused to be ashamed of it.
Roach finally looked up, rubbing his short beard. “Listen. I told you I don’t have that much experience. What I meant was that other than some stuff I did when I was a teenager, I haven’t been with a man. Gale is the only one. And you, I guess,” he mumbled the last bit.
Oh. Ohhh.
No wonder he’d been so desperate to get Zane’s number after he’d blown him. And the fact that Roach was so desperate for his attention made Zane even more into him, despite it normally being such a turn-off.
Their connection—this goddamn curse—was messing with his brain, and while he already knew as much, he couldn’t help staring at Roach’s frowning profile without thinking he was the hottest piece of biker ass ever.
And Zane didn’t like denying himself things he wanted, whether they were healthy or not. Maybe he had more in common with Gale than he’d be willing to admit?
“You’re gonna get some education then. Until we get rid of this problem, I mean,” he said and smiled at the waitress, who approached with the bill.
Roach pulled out his wallet. “I’m guessing I’m still paying for this terrible date?”
Zane shrugged. “You were the one to ask me out.”
“That’s what I thought.”
Roach put the money on the table, but Zane didn’t want to seem completely ungrateful, so he’d leave the tip. He opened his wallet, stalling when he realized he wasn’t sure what their lunch had cost. His hand hovered over the bills while the server waited. He couldn’t see the images on the notes well while they were tightly packed in his wallet, and if he pulled all of them out to inspect, everyone would take him for a freak, so he bit the bullet and placed two on top of what Roach had already offered.
“Thank you.”
Her smile brightened as if she were a princess awoken from a hundred year slumber by a handsome prince’s kiss. “No, thank you. Have a great day, boys.”
When she left, Roach stared at him with a stiff set to his mouth. “Why did I just pay for lunch if you have a hundred bucks to burn on tips?”
Heat shot into Zane’s head. He clutched the edge of the table, but it was too late. He couldn’t take back what he’d done, and if he’d already lost so much on this misguided display of philanthropy, then he might barely have anything left.
“I was feeling generous,” he said, refusing to acknowledge what happened as a problem. If Roach found out he had issues with basic math, he’d get the upper hand and stomp all over him.
“You are unbelievable. I’ll remember this when it comes to paying your half of rent,” Roach said, shaking his head with a vile smirk.
Zane didn’t have any money for rent. He’d just given it away to a lovely woman who’d refilled his water twice. What the fuck was he to do?
“Maybe I should be your ex’s pimp? Should pay the bills.”
“Get off his case. What is wrong with you? So he was a bit rude, but he’s a nice guy, who’s had a tough life and has literally just been assaulted, so stop making jabs at him.”
Zane’s brain was working overtime. If he’d have to pay rent, how was he to send money to his folks? He couldn’t afford that!
“Why do you care? Was your mommy a hooker too?”
The slap came out of nowhere but was so hard Zane’s head bounced against the wall of the booth. It must have hurt Roach too, but he was already getting up, and this time, the people sitting nearby hooted and whistled.
Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shitstains on new underwear.
“Wait!” Zane uttered but was already following Roach to the door. The unwanted attention prickled all over his back.