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“Not too young. Definitely not too good.” Snuggling back into my side, he grinned at me. Our eyes were level, and even that small detail pleased me. He was tall and strong, and I’d give anything to freeze time right here, never risk cutting him down or dimming the spark in his eyes. “And letting you talk is easy. I’ll try to let you lead. For once.” He gave me the naughtiest of smirks. “And I’ll try to stop thinking about the size of that hotel bed.”
“Oh, I have plans for that bed. Don’t you worry.” I returned the leer as I led the way to the lone free table in the back of the coffee shop. Right as we sat, I spotted a medium-height man in an expensive suit with a rumpled shirt, an askew tie, and a two-day beard. “I think that’s him. Man, he doesn’t look the best.”
“Maybe that’s what a career in finance does.” Knox narrowed his eyes as he studied the man more closely. “Or perhaps he’s dealing with the reminder of the past?”
“Hell. I don’t want to make things worse for him.”
“You won’t.” Knox gave my hand a quick squeeze as Worth headed in our direction.
“Monroe. Long time, no see.” Worth had broader shoulders, darker blond hair, a thicker build, and a deeper voice. But his eyes had remained the same, fathomless and haunted. My gut clenched. I might not have seen my old friend in years, but I truly didn’t want to be the source of more pain for him.
“It’s so good to see you. Sit.” I motioned at the empty chair. The good part was a stretch. Worth looked like shit, clearly didn’t want to be here, and I’d give anything for the meeting to be under different circumstances. Taking a breath, I turned toward Knox. “This is…”
I hesitated, more because I’d never used the word boyfriend about anyone before. Luckily, Knox was as social as ever, giving Worth a wide, easy smile.
“Everyone calls me Rebound. Silly name, long story.” He waved a hand. “And you look like a guy who needs the biggest cold brew this place offers and one of those cinnamon rolls in the display case.”
“Uh…” A muscle worked in Worth’s jaw. I sympathized with his overwhelm. Knox truly could be a force of nature. In this case, though, his take-charge energy was a welcome thing, and he collected our drink orders before striding off.
“That’s your guy?” Watching Knox join the long line at the front counter, Worth shifted in his chair, looking less like he was sitting on a porcupine. Like Rob, he’d known I was gay long before my family and the rest of the world. At the time, Worth confessed he was unsure about his own orientation. I hoped he’d gained some clarity about his identity over the intervening years, but those same years created a distance where I couldn’t pry.
“Yeah. I’m not sure I deserve him, but yes.” I’d longed to claim Knox, but the words still felt odd on my tongue, and I had a pang of anxiety as to what Worth might do with this confession. “We’re a new thing though. Haven’t mentioned him to Holden—”
“Wait till the wedding to tell Safe Harbor’s gossip king.” Shaking his head, Worth smiled for the first time.
I, however, gulped. Hard. “Doubt we’re headed…” I glanced over at Knox in line. My heart twisted with things I had no business wanting. “Probably not in the cards.”
“Too bad.” Worth shrugged out of his suit jacket, let it fall back on his chair. “No one’s ever looked at me like he was staring at you.”
I stifled a groan. Things were so much easier when I assumed I was the only one fighting a daily tidal wave of emotions. Knox returning my growing feelings was another complication neither of us needed. But I couldn’t dwell on that then. I needed to keep the focus on Worth.
“No one? You’ve never had…a person?”
“I’m crappy at relationships.” He shrugged, a distant look in his eyes.
“Hard same,” I said, even as I couldn’t take my eyes off Knox.
“Maybe at least one of us has changing luck.” He offered me half a smile before his face sagged again, a heaviness in his eyes I recognized from battle-hardened military personnel. Worth had seen some shit. “God, tell me something good, Monroe.”
I had to think because everything good in my life over the last month began and ended with Knox. But most of those were acutely private moments, sharp and new. I didn’t want to prick Worth with romantic musings, so I went for humor instead. “I exorcised all the peachy-pink from Aunt Henri’s house.”
“That’s something.” He didn’t even crack a smile. “Big houses. So much work. I remember. No idea why my folks loved that crappy old Victorian.”
