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“Don’t fucking feel sorry for me,” he snapped, and then he pushed the second glass towards me. “Go back to being a dick.”
I chuckled and said, “You got it…you drunken asshole.”
A smile tugged at the edge of his mouth. “Prick,” he muttered and then he took another drink.
“Food’s in the microwave,” I said.
“Not hungry.”
“It wasn’t an offer,” I responded. Nathan’s eyes went dark. God, he’d be such a hot piece of ass in bed. I just knew he’d give as good as he got. The image of fighting him for control in my huge bed had me growing hard just like that, and I went to sit down at the kitchen table so I could hide my predicament.
Nathan went to examine the contents of the plate I’d prepared for him and then began the process of heating it up. He didn’t ask where the silverware was and instead, began searching through my drawers. I supposed it was his way of rebelling, so I held my tongue and focused on him. He still looked tired, but he was moving easily. He’d unwrapped his hand and he was definitely favoring it, but I didn’t see any signs of fresh blood. I should have berated him for getting the stitches wet, but I held my tongue. I’d save the comment for when he needed a reason to get pissed at me.
My eyes fell to his ass when I realized what it was about him that looked so different. He was wearing jeans. Not particularly loose ones, either. The man looked damn good in dress pants, but the casual look was working for him too. His hair looked deliciously rumpled and the gray T-shirt he was wearing stretched tight across his chest.
I took another swig of my drink as I watched Nathan grab the plate from the microwave and carry it, the silverware, and his drink over to the table to sit across from me. When I’d built the house, I knew I’d have no need for a big dining area, so the table only seated four people and I’d removed two of the chairs altogether and slid the table up against the window. On the occasions that Everett would join me for dinner, we often ate in the living room in front of the TV. I hadn’t given much thought about how close I’d be to Nathan at the table. As it was, if I moved my foot just a little, I’d be able to reach his beneath the table. I was surprised our knees weren’t knocking, considering we were both so tall.
I watched him pick at the food at first, and then slowly start to dig into it with a little more gusto. I generally ate pretty light fare, but I’d purposely made something a little higher in the fat department since Nathan looked like he could use all the calories he could get.
“It’s good,” he murmured between bites. “Thank you.”
I didn’t comment. His eyes lifted to mine and I saw a little bit of pesto sauce on his lower lip. I was half-tempted to reach out and wipe it away, but his own tongue beat me to it and I felt my dick tighten even more in my pants. Thank God I’d had the foresight to wear jeans after I’d finished my workout this afternoon and showered while Nathan had been sleeping.
As the silence grew between us, Nathan seemed to get more and more tense. His eyes kept shifting to mine, and finally he put his fork down and sat back. “Can you just tell me something embarrassing so I can pretend we’re on even ground again?” he asked. “Even though I know we never really will be.”
I hid my smile at that. I knew he was smarting over what I’d heard in the shower. I leaned back and studied him for a moment and said, “Rabbits.”
“Rabbits?” he asked, shaking his head in confusion.
“I’m fucking terrified of rabbits,” I admitted.
“Shut up,” he muttered in irritation. He reached for his fork.
“God’s honest truth,” I said as I raised my hand. “Scout’s honor,” I said.
“Were you even a Boy Scout?” he asked.
“I was. So you know I have to respect the Boy Scout pledge.”
His lips quirked up before he said, “Rabbits.”
I nodded.
“Why?”
“My brother had a rabbit when we were kids. It was a mean little shit…used to bite me all the time. Anyway, Pierce made me watch this scary movie once about giant rabbits that ate people.”
“How old were you?”
“Six or seven, I guess.”
“And your brother? How old was he?”
“Fourteen.” Even the brief mention of Pierce had my stomach cramping, but I pushed the sensation aside and focused on the man in front of me. “So that night after I went to bed, I couldn’t sleep, of course, because that movie had scared the hell out of me. So I’m lying there, debating whether or not I should get up and go ask Pierce if I can sleep with him, when I see this shadow on my wall. I’d left a light on in the bathroom,” I added. “The shadow was of this big-ass rabbit and it was moving towards my bed. I started screaming and then Pierce is there, standing in the doorway, laughing his ass off with his goddamn rabbit in hand.”
