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“I guess that makes sense. Can’t be easy to manage a bunch of bitter people who feel they should be the boss not you.”
“That’s it. But I don’t think his dad expected it was his time. Anyway, it was a problem for the family. Kent’s grandparents funded his college fund, so that wasn’t a problem, but . . . his parents didn’t plan for his dad to be laid off at fifty-three.”
“Who does?”
“Right, but according to Kent, they planned to catch up on their savings after Kent finished school.”
“Wow. That’s rough. No savings and no way to catch up.” Nico only half understood. His family were savers. Probably because the bakery didn’t earn the same each month or year.
“It got worse. His dad started drinking, which didn’t help him find a job. And he regretted picking the safety of a corporate job over doing other things.”
“I get that.” But as he told Kent, that didn’t give him the right to be an asshat to Luke.
“Well, my ‘boring goals’ are going to leave me in the same boat one day.”
The fucker actually told Luke that? Talk about assholery. “There are so many things wrong with that.”
“Maybe, but it’s true. I want a steady job. I like to be organized, have a routine. I’m, ah, kinda boring.”
“No, you’re smart. Having a plan to get what you want isn’t stupid. Thinking you can skip doing the hard work today and catch up later is stupid. And that’s what his father did. It might even be why he got laid off in the first place.”
“That’s not fair.”
“Yes, it is.” Nico sat up as if that would make his arguments more compelling. “My parents always save first. If they couldn’t afford a vacation or a new car without sacrificing their savings, they did without or found other ways. They didn’t spend now and plan to catch up later.
“It’s the same with the bakery. They don’t skip maintenance when it needs to be done to do it sometime in the future. I don’t know what happened to his dad’s job, but he had the power to control the other part and didn’t. Do not second-guess your plans because of something Kent said. Because, sooner or later, he will realize you are right and he is wrong.”
Luke sat up and crushed Nico into a warm, skin-filled hug that shattered shivers through him. “Thanks, Nico. I mean, I know you’re right, but hearing it from someone else really helps.”
Nico let himself hold on tightly for a few more seconds and then flopped back onto his soft pillow. “And one more thing. Boring? Fuck that. You’re fun.”
Warmth soaked around Nico. Cozier than the blankets usually were. He snuggled into it—
Nico blinked through the haze of sleep, not sure he wasn’t dreaming. The heat blazing against his back and stomach shifted, intensified. Nico caught his breath, heartrate ramping up. He felt each individual finger splayed against his stomach sizzling shivers into him.
Luke was wrapped around him.
Luke had crossed the Rubicon and invaded Rome.
And judging how far into the middle of the mattress Nico had rolled, Rome had welcomed the incursion.
Nico shut his eyes. Just one more moment absorbing how good this feels. One moment imagining this was real.
Hot breath trickled over his nape, and Luke murmured, sleepily rutting his hard length against Nico’s ass cheek.
Nico’s dick jumped and he gritted his teeth against the aching arousal swamping his body. Moment over.
“Luke?” He squeezed the hand on his abs, gently prying Luke’s fingers from him. “I need to get up.”
“Huh?” Nico waited for the sleepy haze to pass. Three, two— “What? Oh, crap!”
Luke snatched his arm back and pulled away. Nico rolled over, barely suppressing a grin.
“Shit! I’m sorry. Did I . . .?” Luke gestured pointedly. Intimately.
“You were a perfect gentleman.” He waggled his eyebrows. “As much of a gentleman as you can be while holding someone.”
“Oh, man. I’m so sorry. I don’t remember how it happened.” He closed his eyes and flexed his fingers.
“Chill. It’s fine. I mean, unless you’re upset you touched me?”
“What? No! I mean, I’m sorry I did that without your permission, but I’m not sorry, I mean, yes, I am, but not because I was . . . Ugh!” He took a deep breath and said, “I’m not weirded out touching you. I just feel like I crossed a line.”
“If I said it felt nice waking up that way, would that make it better or worse?”
“Was it?”
Nico laughed. “No way. You can’t answer me with a question.”
“Fine, if you’re not mad, then I feel better.”
“Then feel better.” He tossed the sheet back. “I’m not mad. Well, other than at myself for agreeing to work Sunday at eight.”
“Oh, right. First day on the job. I thought you weren’t going to work weekends?”
“I’m not supposed to, but someone has a sick kid and they asked if I’d fill in.” He stretched for a second before he remembered he was rock-hard and showing. As he turned toward the dresser, he didn’t miss Luke watching.
