“Better,” Nate said. He propped a hip against the back edge of one of the couches. “Okay. Tell me why you didn’t want anyone to know.”
“I . . .” Ramsey hesitated for so long Nate actually wondered if he wasn’t going to tell him, after all. “I did think about it, before everyone came here for the first time. Even considered how I’d do it. Like casually, like it wasn’t a big deal.”
“It’s a big deal,” Nate interrupted.
“That I own it? Or that I didn’t tell anyone?” Ramsey said it so matter-of-factly, but the cracks in his composure were obvious now, once he’d begun to recognize them.
“Both?” Nate ran a hand through his hair. “We alllikeyou, Ramsey. You know?”
“Come on,” Ramsey teased, “you didn’t like me at all, at first.”
This was so blatantly untrue, Nate didn’t even know where to begin, but he knew he should say something to reassure Ramsey.
“At first? I actually liked you way too fucking much.”
Ramsey’s mouth dropped open in surprise—and Nate didn’t think very much surprised him.
“I did,” Nate repeated firmly. “The night we met, I liked you so fucking much. I liked you so much I nearly didn’t have sex with you because I wasn’t sure I could deal with you leaving after and never getting your phone number. Never getting to see you again.”
“But youdidhave sex with me.” Ramsey had adopted that teasing, flirtatious tone again. The one he seemed to think would distract Nate enough that he’d throw everything else out the window. Historically, it was probably crazy effective. Nate felt himself wavering, despite absolutely knowing better.
“I did,” Nate said, and then added bluntly, “and then you freaked out.”
Ramsey sighed. “I miss when just me saying the wordsexwas enough to distract you.”
“How do you know it isn’t?” Nate was thinking of last night, already, images of Ramsey on his knees in front of him, the way his blue eyes had gone fuzzy and soft when he’d come.
“If it was, I could tell,” Ramsey complained.
It was time for Nate to confess some of his own truths. “It distracts me, okay? But don’t—”
“I wouldn’t.” Ramsey grinned.
Nate couldn’t help the commiserating smile he gave him. “You absolutely would.”
“Okay, I absolutely would.” Ramsey’s dimple emerged. Adorable and sexy, at the same distracting time. And Ramsey had thought he wasn’t distracting. He was themostdistracting.
“But you won’t,” Nate continued, shooting Ramsey a stern-ish look, “because you won’t get to hear how much I liked you.”
“You said you did. But then you didn’t like me at all, when we met again.”
“Not true,” Nate confessed gently. “I liked you even more. I liked you so much that I couldn’t deal with the fact that you’d let me make such a fool of myself.”
“But you didn’t.”
“I didn’t know that though. I didn’tbelievethat I hadn’t.” He hesitated. “And now I’m remembering what else you said. First you told me you were in town to research a bar. Buying into a bar. That wasthisbar, wasn’t it?” At this point Nate wasn’t going to let himself feel stupid. He justwasn’t. But it was hard to push those feelings away. The voice that screamed at him that this whole fucking time, Ramsey had been lying to him when he should be telling the truth and telling the truth when he was supposed to be making shit up.
“Yeah,” Ramsey said, and of course he didn’t even look sheepish at havingthatdiscovered.
If Nate was sane, he shouldn’t have ever trusted Ramsey. Nothing Ramsey had ever done would make him feel like he’d made the right choice in taking him at face value.
But then Nate remembered a half-whispered confession.I was so fucking happy. And you were the first person I wanted to tell. That’s not bullshit.Ramsey insisting that he didn’t have to deal with his Jordan-sized responsibilities alone. Ramsey suggesting he call Deacon and get advice, if he wouldn’t accept it from Ramsey himself. Ramsey letting himself into his condo, into the heart of his life, so he could make his favorite pre-game meal for Nate. Staying the night, even though he’d never done it before.
But Nate wasn’t sane. Dawson was right, and Nate was actually insane. Insanely in love with Ramsey.
“Don’t be mad, okay?” Ramsey tacked on, and Nate looked closer. While he’d been having his enormous realization—though it wasn’t really that enormous, was it, because it hadbeen building for a long time now—little cracks in Ramsey’s composure had begun to show.
Ramseyreallycared if Nate was upset.
