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“Let’s do this interview and photoshoot together,” Ivan said. “It will help me break the ice and assign positive memories to dealing with press types.”
Cash held his gaze for a few seconds before nodding briefly. “I think that’s an excellent compromise. Would you like me to contact Roberto to confirm, or would you like to do it?”
“I’ll do it,” Ivan said. Cash retrieved his phone and started typing. “I just need his contact information—” Ivan’s phone pinged with an incoming email from Cash. He smirked and shook his head. “I’ll reach out and let him know we’re interested.”
“This is the right decision, and I’m proud of you for making it.”
“Hold your praise until I survive the interview. There’s still time for me to ruin it.”
“You’re going to be great, and it will get easier each time you field these requests. I’m telling you, Ivan, this is the beginning of something wonderful.”
Did he dare hope? He wanted to, he truly did.
“And I’m sorry for springing Rory on you like I did.”
Ivan waved it off. “I got the impression you only found out about five minutes before I did. I shouldn’t have gotten so angry. I’m sorry I yelled at you. That was disrespectful.”
Cash clapped him on the back. “Think nothing of it.” But Ivan would. He admired Cash more than anyone he knew, and he was ashamed of his reaction. “Rory could stay at the big ranch house if things feel a little tight at your place.”
Ivan thought of the flirty smile Rory had given Cash, and he hated that idea so much it soured his stomach. He needed to think on his feet and offer a believable excuse why that was such a bad idea. “Nick and Rory both instructed me to work him like I would anyone else,” Ivan said. “New crew members don’t stay in the swanky guest rooms at your place.”
Cash assessed him through cool blue eyes. “Are you sure?”
Ivan felt like Cash was asking so much more with those three words. The only certainty he knew was that Rory Snyder was going to cause a fuckton of trouble, and lord help him, Ivan didn’t want to miss a single moment of it. “Everything’s going to be fine.”
Cash held his gaze for an awkward pause, and Ivan tensed while waiting for a rebuttal, but his boss didn’t have more to add. He changed the subject to Ivan’s beloved beehives, and his tension faded on his next breath.
Everything’s going to be fine. Everything’s going to be fine.The words bounced around in his skull while Ivan continued working on the beehive after the celebration broke up. He busied himself in the barn doing anything and everything to avoid going to the old homestead until he figured Rory was asleep. Ivan was still chanting the sentiment when he finally drifted into a fitful sleep filled with dark, delicious dreams that left him achingly hard and damp with sweat. His skin felt prickly, almost like he had a fever or his flesh no longer fit his frame. Ivan knew damn well his condition had nothing to do with an illness and everything to do with the gorgeous man sleeping downstairs.
Ivan noted the time and decided he might as well get up. He tossed the covers back, careful not to disrupt his cats, and eased out of his bedroom wearing only his boxers. He had plenty of things on his agenda to attack, and he’d start with relieving the ache in his balls while the rest of the house slept. The hallway was black as pitch, but he could make the trip in his sleep. A few steps away from his destination, the door swung open. Light slashed through the darkness and a cloud of fragrant steam billowed out of the room. Ivan blinked to clear his brain, which felt as hazy as the hallway. What was Dylan doing up so early, and had he bought new shower stuff to impress Harry?
Before his brain could consider any other possibilities, Rory stepped out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist.Holy shit.He was tanned, toned, and dewy perfection. His tousled hair looked as if he’d run the towel over his head a few times before wrapping it around his waist. A droplet of water cascaded down Rory’s torso, and Ivan watched with rapt attention until the light blue terrycloth absorbed it. Everything inside him urged Ivan to drop to his knees and see if Rory’s skin looked as soft as it appeared. He wanted to jerk that towel off and—
“Hey,” Ivan said abruptly, snapping his head up to meet Rory’s gaze. “That’s my towel.”
“Oops,” Rory replied. “I saw a beige set and a blue set hanging up. They looked clean.”
Because Ivan had washed them the previous day. “Dylan’s are beige. Mine are blue. There are extras in the linen closet.”
Rory’s hands went to his waist, and before Ivan could even think to stop him, he whipped the towel off and tossed it at Ivan. The material smacked Ivan in the chest and landed on the floor. “My bad.”
Ivan told himself not to look even as his eyes devoured the gorgeous flesh on display. Rory made no attempt to cover himself. He just stood there proudly as Ivan looked his fill. Every greedy pass discovered something new. Perfectly sculpted abs, a tiny scar on his right hip. Rory was smootheverywhere. Ivan forced his gaze up to meet Rory’s. He arched a dark brow and tilted his head toward the bathroom in invitation. God, how easy it would be to close themselves inside and give in to their attraction. Somehow, Ivan found the will to shake his head, even if the words wouldn’t form on his tongue.
“Seems to me not everyone agrees,” Rory said, gesturing toward Ivan’s crotch. “You make it so hard for me to behave, even though I promised myself I would.”
Ivan looked down to see his thick erection jutting through the opening in his boxers. If he reached down to tuck it away, he feared he might start stroking it instead. Fuck, he needed to…fuck. “I’ll see you at breakfast,” Ivan said as he picked up his towel from the floor and stepped into the bathroom.
“Or you could let me watch you jerk off.”
Ivan slammed the door. “No.”
“Okay, what if I stay out here, and you just narrate your actions through the door?”
Ivan ignored him and turned on the shower. He would not give Rory the satisfaction of knowing he was jerking off, so he kept the water cold and his shower short. When he got dressed and went downstairs, Rory was nowhere in sight, but Dylan was in the kitchen doctoring a cup of coffee. Ivan took one look at his friend’s smug smile and knew he’d overheard the entire exchange. “Shut the hell up. And you owe me a hundred bucks.”
“Only because you hid in the barn until midnight,” Dylan said. “You’re both consenting adults. Live a little, buddy.” His friend patted him on the shoulder and headed out the back door.
Dylan was right. Ivan needed to let off some steam. He just absolutely refused to do it with Rory. Luckily, Ivan had that upcoming business trip to Denver where there would be plenty of men looking for hookups. He might even extend his stay to two nights for extra insurance before he returned to the ranch. All he needed to do was keep his mind busy and his hands off Rory for a week. No problem.
