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Still, it was nice that he had something to offer. Something where he was the more experienced one, for once. Elio made everything look easy.
“I’d like that.”
Soooo… wow. James drew in a breath. That sounded like they’d contact each other after this week. “Should we exchange numbers?”
“Yes!” Elio exclaimed, like he’d just thought of it. “Definitely.” He dropped James’s hand to pull out his phone, then took James’s in exchange.
When James got it back, it said Elio De Luca, in the name lines. Below that, in the Company line, it said Daddy’s boy.
Was that what Elio was? Like… if James was a Daddy, did that make Elio a boy? Or his boy?
He had no idea what to do with that information. Except that it made his cock jump. God, he was depraved.
Elio reclaimed his hand as they walked. “You know, there’s something enticing about dating an older man.” He gave James’s shoulder a gentle bump. “You’ve got years of experience. You’ve raised two kids. You’ve negotiated a marriage and a divorce, even if it wasn’t easy. You’ve owned a house, which I’ve heard is a whole learning curve. And you have a successful career. I admire that.” Elio drew his hand up for a kiss. “I could learn a lot from you.”
Elio said it without pretense, and somehow, it didn’t come out like he was trying to butter James up. He honestly thought James had something to teach him.
No, wait. That wasn’t the most important part. He’d said dating.
Were they going to… But how would that…
They turned the next corner, where Calvin and the kids were waiting for them by a broad wooden sign. Reluctantly, James dropped Elio’s hand.
“The trail splits here,” Calvin said cheerfully. “How many more miles do you want to go?”
“Fifty,” Mikey announced.
“How far did we already walk?” Dana—aaaahhhh—Ocean asked, more reasonably.
“One-point-four miles,” Elio answered her, pointing to the sign. “That was the gold path.”
“That’s it?” Ocean asked. “I’m not hiking five more miles.”
“I am!” Mikey piped up.
“You just said your legs hurt,” Ocean reminded him, authoritatively.
Calvin stepped in. “There’s a point-seven-mile trail back to the nature center that goes by the lake. We could look for frogs!”
“Yes! That one. I’m gonna walk seven miles and see the frogs.”
Ocean opened their mouth, but James touched their shoulder just in time, shaking his head.
“But Dad,” Ocean hissed, “he thinks it’s seven miles and it’s point seven.”
“You know that because you’re going into fifth grade, and you’re being a very helpful and supportive big, uh, sibling by not mentioning that to him.”
Ocean huffed. But they actually managed to refrain from rubbing Mikey’s inferior age and knowledge in his face. For once.
“Are we in agreement?” Calvin asked. “Green loop back to the nature center?”
Elio pressed subtly against James’s side. “I was thinking of hiking a little longer. Calvin, do you mind doing the green loop with the kids?”
Looks flew through the air, mostly Calvin’s amusement with a hint of you so owe me. Hopefully Da- Ocean wasn’t picking up on any of this. Mikey was pulling apart a leaf.
“No problem,” Calvin concluded. “I think there’s even a nature program going on this afternoon. We’ll have to see when it is.”
James looked at him. “Are you sure you don’t mind?”
