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Cole reached for him, stilling his movements and Bryce flushed, colour rising in his cheeks as he shot Cole a shy grin. He just about melted into a puddle, his heart slamming against his ribs at the sight of Bryce’s smile.
“Tell us,” Cole encouraged, his voice cracking.
Bryce fanned his face and started unbuttoning his shirt, shrugging it off when it was undone, the pretty pink flush extending down to his chest. “I was doing my degree hoping it’d be my backup career if I didn’t get a professional contract. If I did get one, I was planning on flipping houses after I retired. But then I realized I don’t need to wait.”
Bryce licked his lips and Cole’s gut twisted. How could he be jealous of Bryce’s tongue getting to touch those pouty lips? He flicked his gaze to Ava and knew he wasn’t being ridiculous. Want flared in her eyes, her breath quickening as she watched him bite down. Cole wanted both of them with a fierceness that was terrifying.
“I’ll get the bonus as soon as I sign on the dotted line. That gives me enough for a deposit and renovations on what would probably be a half-decent first home.”
Ava nodded and gave him an encouraging smile.
Bryce pressed his lips in a flat line before continuing slowly, “It wasn’t until I met the two of you that I realized I’ll never be able to do it, though. I can’t do the actual work. I’m not a tradie. I can’t build things, and I’m not a project manager either. I can’t line everything up so I can flip it quickly. I’m good at design elements. Fabric and colours, textures that sort of thing.”
“I can help you with project managing it, Bryce.”
“And I can do whatever work you wanted to get it looking how you want it,” Cole offered.
“Good, because I can’t flip houses by myself. It won’t work. I need people I can trust who I want to build a business and a life with for the long term.” He went quiet, his gaze bouncing between Cole and Ava. Bryce worried his thumbnail with his teeth and waited, but Cole didn’t know what to think. He was stuck. Completely lost for words. The professional contract had flawed him. Bryce’s signing bonus exploding his mind.
This? This was life changing.
“Say something,” Bryce begged in a whisper.
“You want to buy a house and renovate it? With us?” Ava asked slowly, her brows furrowed as if she was confused.
Bryce nodded and Cole opened his mouth to clarify but wasn’t actually sure what Bryce meant. He was speaking as if it was more than just his house.
“Yeah, but I don’t want to hire you.”
Cole responded with a nod and a smile. He wouldn’t expect anything different. There was no way he would let Bryce pay him to do work on his house.
Bryce continued, adding, “I don’t want to be your boss. I want to work as equal partners.”
Wait, what?
“I’ll supply the initial cash investment. You supply the knowhow.” He lifted Ava’s hand to his lips, pressed a lingering kiss there, and turned to Cole. “And you supply the manpower. We’ll be a triple threat.”
“Bryce, I…” Ava hesitated, then looked to Cole, worrying her lip and giving him a minute shrug and shake of her head.
Cole asked, “What are you suggesting, Bryce? Spell it out for us.”
He looked between them, his eyes widening, clueing in on their confusion. “A business between the three of us. Equal partners. We decide unanimously on what projects we do. I’ll tell you what look we should go for and you two tell me if it’s possible. Then, Ava, you project manage it. Cole, you could work on site back on the tools, creating the looks we decide on. No supervision of idiots, no stressing about owners who don’t understand the process. Equal split of the profits.”
Cole swallowed. It sounded too good to be true. He wished every day that he could turn back time and undo his decision to take the promotion. He wanted the days of creating things without all the angst and frustration of supervising people that he didn’t even enjoy working with. Going into business with Ava and Bryce could be amazing. It could also backfire spectacularly. They hadn’t been together long, barely any time at all. What if they got sick of him?
A cold dread settled in his stomach, and he couldn’t help voice the fears as they piled on top of him. “What if you want out? What if we don’t work? If we break up? You’ll want to leave sooner or later. I don’t want to tie you down.”
Bryce’s face fell. “I won’t, Cole. I’ve never been more certain of anything than I am of you and Ava. Not even playing.” He took Cole’s trembling hand in his and brushed his thumbs over Cole’s rough knuckles. “Hey,” Bryce murmured, and Cole lifted his chin.
He waited for Cole to meet his stare, but it took him far longer than he was proud of to work up the courage to meet Bryce’s gaze. The sincerity Bryce was staring at him with undid him. He gripped Bryce’s hand harder, needing every bit of his strength he was prepared to impart.
With his free hand, Bryce cupped his face, drawing him closer until their lips hovered a hair’s breadth apart. Cole forced his eyes to stay open, not wanting to miss a moment between them. “I love you, Cole. I’m not walking away, and I’m absolutely not gonna push you away.” Bryce’s smile was small but earnest.
Cole opened his mouth to respond, but once again he was speechless. It was as if he’d been caught up in a tornado, lifting him and spinning him around and around until he didn’t know which way was up. But right there in the centre of it all, in the eye of the storm waiting for him to come down were Bryce and Ava.
Bryce turned away, but his hand tightened on Cole’s, keeping him close. Bryce left him with no doubt that he was still right there, still in this conversation as much as Cole was.
When Bryce turned his attention to Ava, his smile was warm and filled with adoration. “I love you too, Ava.” Bryce laughed, his face lighting up with joy. “I’m in love with both of you and I want it all. Everything. I wanna live, work, and play together.”
