Page 53 of Loving a Warrior

“Then no.”

“I’m in bed right now, naked…hard. You sure?”

“I’m totally sure.” Matt had never been less sure of anything in his entire life. “Gotta study.”

“Too bad. Well, how about this. How ’bout I wait a little while to jerk off, in case you change your mind?”

“Jesus, Shane,” Matt growled, although he was fighting a sudden urge to laugh. “You’re shameless.”

“And horny.”

The door lock whirred as Trey punched in the code to open it. As he breezed in, carrying two large pizzas, Matt said briskly, “Well, sorry, can’t help you with that. Bye.”

He hung up, and a few seconds later his phone chimed with an incoming text.

Night, Soup.

Night—Matt paused for only a moment before typing—clown.

* * *

Shane gazed around his kitchen in satisfaction. The pot roast was in the oven and smelled amazing, the table was meticulously set. He’d even bought a cake and had the bakery pipe the words Math Whiz on it. Any excuse to celebrate, although Matt passing the physics test really was a big deal.

He tapped his chin thoughtfully. The cheap grocery store flowers might be too much, though. Grabbing the vase from the center of the dining room table, Shane carried it into the living room and stuck it casually on top of a bookshelf. Smirking at himself for being such a sap, he returned to the kitchen, where his phone was buzzing on the counter.

“I’m not gonna be able to come over tonight.” Matt’s voice throbbed with disappointment.

Shane clenched his fingers around the phone as that same disappointment swept over him. “Really? Why?”

“Last-minute dive practical. Like, I need to be prepping my equipment now. Sorry, I gotta go. I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”

Fuck. Shane muttered a goodbye and hung up, resisting the childish urge to throw his phone against the wall. As he tossed it to the counter, it vibrated with an incoming text, so he snatched it back up eagerly. Maybe Matt had another suggestion for getting together…

Have you called Derek yet?

Now Shane really had to fight not to smash his phone on the ground.

“No, I haven’t called Derek yet!” he yelled as if Alexis could hear him. “I kinda need every spare minute for the guy I’m trying to score with, okay?”

As if mocking him, the oven timer dinged. Grumbling, Shane grabbed his oven mitts and pulled the pot roast out, a mouthwatering smell filling the kitchen. He did understand Matt’s insane schedule, that the dive phase he was in meant exercises and practicals day and night.

Yeah, he understood. He got it. But dammit, he’d been really looking forward to seeing him. Shane banged around stashing the plates and silverware away, at last slumping against the counter to stare balefully at the cake.

Christ, you really are a sap.

The kitchen finally put to rights, Shane stretched out in his recliner with a beer to watch a movie. He fell asleep halfway through it, jerking awake at the sound of a car door slamming outside. A quick check of his phone revealed it was three in the morning, and also that there was no word from Matt.

Heaving a sigh, he got up to put his almost-empty beer bottle in the sink, then went to the front door to make sure the porch light was off. Peering out, he could see there was a truck parked at the curb. Huh. That looked a lot like Matt’s truck—wait, it was Matt’s truck!

Shane yanked the door open and strode out onto the porch. What the hell?

“Matt…?”

“Hey.” That one word sounded so wrung-out, so exhausted, that Shane immediately dragged one of the other chairs over to where Matt was sitting deep in the shadows.

“What’s wrong?”

When Matt didn’t reply, Shane leaned back in his chair, ankle resting on one knee, waiting him out.