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“I like you a lot too, Nick. Just the way you are. I’m glad you’re not planning on traveling soon. But know that I would never stop you if that’s what you wanted to do.”
“But I don’t have a job.”
Martin traced a lazy line down Nick’s strong jawline.
“We’ll sort it out. Maybe your dicks will go viral, and tourists will flock to town.”
Nick burst out laughing and pushed Martin off him.
“Those aren’t dicks, asshole. They’re mushrooms.”
“Mushrooms?” Martin squinted as if he had one of the offending carvings in front of him to look at. “Wow. Okay, so maybe not a world-famous artist. Meh, that’s okay.”
“Fuck off,” Nick said without heat.
“Fuck, yes. Off, no,” Martin replied, waggling his eyebrows.
“I’ve created a monster,” Nick mock-complained. “Don’t we have work to do today?”
Martin’s cell phone interrupted them, buzzing from where he’d dropped it on the mantle along with his car keys. Rising to his feet, he crossed the room to see who was calling.
“It’s Simon,” he told Nick. “I better answer, or he’ll start going on about Sasquatch serial killers. Hello,” Martin said as he started toward the kitchen, intending to make an espresso.
“Martin! It’s Simon.”
“Yes,” Martin said dryly, “I suspected as much from the Caller ID.”
“Cool, cool. How’s it going? What are you up to today?”
It seemed like an innocent question, but there was something in his tone that had Martin’s eyes narrowing.
“The usual,” he said vaguely. “Why?”
“Road trip. Charley and I should be there in about half an hour, just dropping by.”
“What? Why?” Martin demanded, pulling the phone away from his ear and staring at it. As if that would explain why Simon was calling to tell him they were “dropping by.” He put the phone to his ear again. “Not that I’m not happy to see you, but please explain how you’redropping bywhen it’s a two-hour drive?”
“Three-day weekend, baby,” Simon crowed. “We’re having the usual June weather in January, so it’s perfect timing. It’s been two months, and I want to see how you’re doing in real life. These short and quick updates are just not doing it for me. Charley found some weird castle a little further south that he wants to check out, so we won’t stay long.”
Thank fuck for that. Martin sucked in a lungful of air as he stared at the cat clock, noting the time. He was not letting Simon come waltzing into town without telling him that he and Nick were a thing. Plus, he figured that Simon very much suspected something was going on between Nick and him, even if Martin hadn’t said as much. Simon was not so muchdropping byaschecking up.
“Before you roll in here ready to rumble,” Martin began, “I have something to tell you.”
Nick pushed past Martin into the kitchen, leaning against the counter with his arms crossed.
“I’m not rumbling,” Simon protested weakly.
“Nick and I are together,” Martin informed Simon, holding Nick’s stormy gaze with his own. “Nick is officially living here in the cabin with me.”
“Together?” Simon sputtered. “Living together? How did that happen?”
Continuing to hold the phone to his ear, Martin closed in on Nick, pressing him back against the counter.
“You’re a smart man, Simon. I think you know how.”
“But… he was so rude.”
“He had his reasons.” Martin ground his hips against Nick, who rolled his eyes and let his arms drop. “And we’ve gotten to know each other. I like Nick, a lot, just how he is.”
