AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Fucking ay!” I yelped as I jumped back, causing them both to turn in my direction and notice me.
Well there goes my career in the CIA.
“You coming to wreck my garage now, Daw?” Jonathan teased me.
Nolan’s demeanor shifted completely.
Gone was the nice, polite and professional man who was confident and caring regarding his knowledge and job. Instead, Nolan was replaced with the shy, quiet man I’d known for the last two years. The one who couldn’t even look at me most days.
“Thought maybe I’d get the renovations started early,” I said, shaking off the pain as I walked further into the garage.
“W... well, on that note,” Nolan said, getting flustered again as he averted his eyes from me, brushing off some invisible dirt. “I should be getting back... my lunch only goes until... twelve thirty,” he stammered.
Jonathan nodded. “Thanks again!” he said as he turned to head back toward the house.
I watched Nolan leave, in slow motion, caught between talking to my brother and apologizing to the man I’d second-guessed.
My lightning rod cock twitched and pointed me in the right direction though.
“Nolan, wait...” I called out, but he was already making a beeline through the garage door toward the side of the street. I hurried to catch him, surprised at how fast he was actually moving. I had to legit sprint to catch him, and when I did, I wrapped my hand around his biceps, stopping him in his tracks. He dug his heels into the grass, coming to a complete stop, almost making me smack right into him.
He looked up at me in surprise. “Dawson...”
His gaze flicked to where my hand wrapped around his arm, and I realized my fingers were gripping him rather tightly. I flexed them, letting go, as a wash of nervousness and guilt befell me.
“I just... wanted to apologize,” I said, tasting the foreign words on my tongue.
“Apologize for what?” Nolan asked, rubbing his biceps where I’d left a light indentation and a pale red mark.
“I didn’t mean to hurt you, I just—”
“It’s fine, I promise. You aren’t like the Hulk or anything, believe me,” he bit.
I wanted to rise to his bait. To fight with him, because his attitude begged for an adjustment as of late, but something told me that wasn’t what was best at the moment.
I needed to set the record straight, so I could go on with my day, my life.
Apologize, then everything can go back to normal, and everyone’s happy.
“I meant about earlier. On the phone. I was...” I swallowed, trying to find the strength to say the words. It wasn’t often I apologized to anyone for anything.
I was a hero, a good guy. Contrary to Nolan’s belief, I wasn’t an asshole. At least I wasn’t an asshole to everyone.
Just one person in particular.
“I was a dick, and I shouldn’t have bitten your head off. I know you have a job to do, it’s just—” I felt strangely flustered as the words poured out of me.
Nolan looked up at me with those same kind eyes he gave my brother, dropping his hand from his biceps. He took a small step closer, his gaze falling to my lips and then back to my eyes again.
“It’s just what, Dawson?” he asked in a calm, smooth voice. It wasn’t the same smooth and sexy phone operator voice I’d busted a nut to earlier, but it eased something inside of me.
“My brother’s all I have, and I just... I just hate not being able to fix this for him. To see him struggle because his shop was his life and now...”
“Hey...” Nolan reached out and set his hand on my arm, his touch soft and warm.
I didn’t dislike it. In fact, I wanted to feel his touch all over me, soothing all my worries.
But I figured it was just the adrenaline making me all emotional and weird.
