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course it was him.
    The gorgeous man who had made him stop and think twice before stepping out of his personal space – the one who clearly liked to tease and infuriate and draw out any bit of chemistry, who would probably be fucking hot in bed for all the right reasons if Kevin leaned that way...
    Kevin blushed at the thought.
    “Someone's crabby this morning. Is now a bad time?”
    He's never going to let that go. Kevin sighed at the gorgeous man, but all he got was a broad grin in return. “God, that's going to follow me around all summer now,” he complained, but his mind didn't linger on the flirtatious teasing for long. “Yeah, I'm... everything's...”
    He heard his cake timer go off. Shit, shit, shit, I can't let that go any longer, my tests are all timed... Missing it by a minute would mean another test cake.
    And that was why customers weren't supposed to be here yet. Kevin scolded him by saying as much, but the hot guy didn't seem very dissuaded.
    “I'll come back, Kevin,” his would-be customer promised. When he made eye contact, Kevin couldn't look away. He knew he was supposed to, but there was something about the way those eyes flickered between his own, catching and holding them... practically commanding him to stay in place.
    Then, the other man winked.
    Oh, fuck, Kevin was too straight for this. Or am I? Kevin blushed, trying to ask for the man's name, but he was already gone.
    He hurried straight to the oven to pull out the cake, swearing under his breath as his heart raced and trying not to burn himself on the oven door or the pan.
    There was no way that had just happened.
    He'd never had that kind of reaction to a man – or anyone – and now it had happened with this guy twice in a row. Once on the dock, when his soft, large hands had wrapped around Kevin's and the warmth of skin on skin had made him catch his breath, and now his eyes alone had had that same effect.
    His hands trembled as he pushed a toothpick into the cake and pulled it out.
    Perfect. Moist. Supple...
    Like the stranger's lips.
    Oh, shit. Kevin threw away the toothpick. He leaned over the counter and folded his arms, letting his head thump down onto them. He didn't have time for this. He didn't want to want to explore this.
    None of that mattered. His desire was still there, wanted or not, and it was strong.
    For the first time, perhaps, he could understand why Troy was constantly seeking out strangers. If Troy felt that inescapable magnetic pull towards every guy he went home with... well, in his shoes, Kevin would probably wind up taking them all home.
    The thought of taking this man home was a little terrifying. What if it was just a lingering feeling, a moment that would pass as soon as clothes came off? He hadn't thought he was into dick, but neither had he thought a lot about what women had going on downstairs, either.
    Did this mean he was just a late bloomer? He was twenty-three, which seemed much too late to be discovering any kind of sexuality, but... it was undeniable that there was something about this unknown stranger.
    As he kept baking, throwing away test foods and planning according to his results exactly when he'd make which ingredients and which finished desserts for their launch, he tried to get his mind off the undoubtedly rich and interested man he kept bumping into.
    There was no way in hell he was telling Troy about him yet.

Chapter 9
Eli
    A long day spent in the sun left Eli sleepy and mellow more than anything else – except maybe great sex, but he wasn't expecting that anytime soon. He had definitely darkened a shade over the course of the day, and he was lucky he hadn't burned since he'd only worn light sunscreen on his face and neck.
    Dean wouldn't let him stay at home for the second evening in a row, though. When Eli tried to insist he'd go to bed early and rest before the parties began in earnest, Dean didn't even let him finish the sentence.
    “You're going to get dressed and march on over to