Page 96 of Stealing Home

Dom looked sheepish. “I might have told her about that coffee table you built for that client.”

“And showed me a few pictures on the internet.” Gavin chuckled as Rosa squeezed his forearms. “You did good.”

“Thank you.”

“I wasn’t talking about the table.” Her gaze moved pointedly toward Dom before returning to Gavin. “But that was beautiful too.”

Heat climbed up the back of Gavin’s neck. Dom made a strangled sound beside him while Evan suddenly became very interested in studying the photographs on the wall. CJ didn’t bother hiding his amusement.

Before anyone could respond, she picked up the menus and tucked them under one arm. “You don’t need these. I already know what everyone is eating.”

She swept back toward the kitchen without waiting for an answer, stopping twice along the way to greet other customers. Gavin followed the others to the table, still feeling the warmth of her welcome. Dom waited until they were seated before leaning closer.

“I haven’t been talking about you that much,” he murmured.

“Liar.” Gavin looked at him. Beneath the table, Dom pressed his knee against Gavin’s and left it there. Gavin smiled as he reached for his water. “I don’t mind.”

The conversation flowed easily while they waited to see what Rosa was bringing them. A server dropped off a basket of garlic knots, and CJ grabbed one before they were put down.

“You couldn’t wait two seconds?” Evan asked.

“I could have.” CJ tore the knot in half. “I chose not to.”

Dom reached for the basket and grabbed two of the knots, handing one to Gavin. Across the table, Evan watched them with a smile he made no effort to hide.

“What?” Dom asked.

“I was thinking about how Rosa welcomed Gavin.” Evan shrugged.

Gavin glanced toward the kitchen. Rosa directed two servers with a scowl threatening enough to make them both move faster. “What about it?”

“She hugged you,” Evan said. “That means you passed the first test.”

“There are more?”

CJ nodded. “Several.”

“The first time CJ came here with me,” Evan said, “Rosa asked him what his intentions were before he’d taken off his coat.”

“What did you tell her?” Gavin asked.

“The truth. That I wasn’t planning to hurt Evan.”

Evan leaned closer. “Rosa pointed toward the kitchen and told him she owned a meat grinder.”

Dom laughed just as he took a drink of water and promptly choked when his swallow went down the wrong pipe, jerking forward and coughing hard enough to rattle the table. Gavin moved before he had time to think, taking the glass from Dom’s hand and setting it out of reach. He wrapped one hand around Dom’s wrist while the other settled between his shoulder blades.

“Breathe,” Gavin said calmly.

Dom waved him off. “I’m fine,” he croaked.

Gavin kept rubbing slow circles between his shoulders until Dom’s breathing evened out. Evan pushed a clean napkin across the table, and Dom took it, his face red from coughing and embarrassment.

“You okay?” Gavin asked quietly.

Dom nodded and cleared his throat. “Yes.”

Gavin studied him for another second before easing his hand away from Dom’s back. His fingers remained curled around Dom’s wrist, pressed over the steady beat of his pulse. Across the table, CJ watched them with blatant curiosity.