Page 2 of Saints Like Him

Cash pulled on his jeans but didn’t zip or button them since he’d need to tuck in his shirt. His phone alerted him that someone had entered a valid gate code. Everyone had left an hour ago to attend poker night at Harry and Dylan’s house since Ivan and Rory were still traveling back from Kansas. The delay between notifications made him curious, so he retrieved his phone from the nightstand and accessed the security camera through the app. He rewound the feed a little, and his heartbeat kicked into a gallop as he watched Nick’s sleek, black BMW pull up to the gate. The last he’d heard, Nick was still at Quantico, filling in for an instructor out on paternity leave. They’d only chatted and texted a few times since Nick had dropped Rory off at the end of March. Nick had warned him that communication would be limited while he attended meetings, took specialized training, and assumed instructing. He’d expected Nick to let him know when he returned out West, and maybe that’s what he was doing.

Instead of rolling down the window and entering a code, Nick had opened his door and clambered out. That’s when Cash noticed Nick’s left arm was in a sling. Snatching his shirt from the bed, Cash shoved his arms into the sleeves as he exited his bedroom. Patsy must’ve sensed his distress because she jumped down off the bed and followed him. Nick showing up unannounced and injured wasn’t good. Cash didn’t bother buttoning his shirt as he hurried through the house. The driveway to the ranch was long and winding, so Nick’s car still hadn’t driven into view by the time Cash and Patsy exited the front door and stepped onto the porch. It wasn’t long before the sleek sedan eased from the dense trees and made the last turn toward his home, toward him. Patsy released a series of excited barks, but Cash bade her to stay put.

He tried not to read too much into Nick’s presence, especially with an injury, but his heart wouldn’t listen. The stubborn organ always had a mind of its own whenever Nick was near. From the first moment their eyes had locked at a charity event twelve years prior, Nick had owned a piece of Cash’s soul. Their chemistry had been undeniable, but neither man had room for a relationship. Cash had targeted flailing companies that were ripe for raiding. Nick had been about to start his FBI training at Quantico for twenty weeks. Neither of them wanted to ignore the energy crackling between them, so they gave themselves one weekend to fuck it out of their systems. Three days of endless pleasure, passion, and laughter. The experiment had failed miserably because the attraction was even stronger when their paths crossed a year later at the same annual charity event.

They hadn’t gone back to Cash’s penthouse apartment in Denver that time. Maybe they feared they couldn’t replicate the intensity of their first encounter, or perhaps they feared a second round would melt the skin off their bones. If the latter were true, then what? Both of them had been madly in love with their careers, and a repeat of the passionate weekend seemed like an unwise risk. Over time, their run-ins became more frequent and intentional. Quick cups of coffee turned into long lunches, intimate dinners, and platonic weekend getaways. Nick became the most important person in Cash’s life. Which was why he tapped out a quick text to let Burke know something had come up and he needed to reschedule their dinner. Nick had sought him out, and that was the only thing that mattered.

The exhaustion weighing down Nick’s bones eased up when Cash’s sprawling home came into view after hours of uncomfortable driving. The mammoth wood, stone, glass, and iron structure was exactly the place he wanted—needed—to be after five months on the East Coast and five hours in the ER almost immediately upon his return. The man leaning against the stone porch pillar was the balm Nick’s soul needed—more home to him than any building would ever be. Cash emerged from the shadows on the front porch, leaned against a tall stone pillar, and crossed his arms over his chest. His unfastened dress shirt and jeans gave Nick a peek at toned abs and black underwear beneath the denim.

“Well, hello to you too,” Nick said to himself as he pulled up to the house and parked.

A subtle quivering started in places that had gone dormant during his battle with burnout over the past year. He’d hit professional highs that couldn’t compensate for the personal lows, and Nick only wanted to feel whole again. Heat spread low in his belly as he imagined nuzzling his face against Cash’s happy trail, just as he’d done during their three days of debauchery. Damn, that weekend felt like a million years ago instead of a dozen. And yet, it also seemed like just yesterday. Nick didn’t need to close his eyes and strain to recall the way Cash’s body had felt against his, the sounds he made when aroused, or Cash’s expression when he came apart in Nick’s arms. It was all there in the forefront of his mind—the marks he judged all others by and ultimately found them lacking. Even those memories hadn’t been enough to stir his libido back to life…until maybe now. There in his car, Nick could almost feel the heat rolling off Cash’s skin and smell his desire. For the first time in eight months, he felt the promise of something more than a dark void.

Cash straightened to his full height and trotted down the stone steps in bare feet. His faithful sidekick, Patsy, was quick on his heels. All Nick could do was stare at the gorgeous man smiling at him through the windshield. For far too long, Nick had had a gnawing emptiness riding shotgun in his soul. There was no doubt his best friend was happy to see him, but it suddenly wasn’t enough. The five-month stint was the longest they’d been apart since the first time Nick had gone to Quantico, and it brought many things into sharper focus. He didn’t just love Cash; he was in love with him.

But seeing Cash’s partial state of undress made him question his decision. Was he getting ready to go out, or was he preparing to stay in? Was he alone? Cash didn’t bring men back to the ranch, but Harry no longer lived in the house with him, and the crew was usually busy with poker or other things on Saturday evenings. Had he fucked up by showing up unannounced? Am I too late?

Cash reached the car before Nick thought to shut off the engine. He killed the sleek beast and reached across his body for the handle. Cash opened the door as soon as the locks disengaged. “This is a surprise.” The deep, gruff voice sent a shiver of excitement down his spine.

“A pleasant one I hope.” Nick plastered a smile on his face, but his voice betrayed his exhaustion. His words sounded thick like the molasses his mother had put in her gingerbread cookies, reminding him of why he’d made the trek. He’d needed the comfort of home to heal and recharge. His professionally decorated but impersonal condo just wouldn’t do. There was no warmth or Cash to be found there.

Cash’s beautiful smile faltered with concern, and Nick knew he’d heard the weariness too. “Of course I’m pleased to see you.” His gaze fell to the sling, and Nick knew Cash was seconds away from pulling him from the car and making a fuss.

Nick hadn’t latched his seat belt after opening the gate, so he swung his legs around and placed his feet on the graveled driveway. Bracing the hand of his good arm on the dashboard, Nick levered himself out of the car. Cash hadn’t stepped back, so they were nearly touching when Nick stood up. The scent of Cash’s aftershave tickled his nose, and his body heat drew Nick even closer as if an invisible rope pulled them together. The urge to hug Cash was too intense to ignore, but he needed closer contact than his sling would permit. Nick slid a hand inside Cash’s open shirt and settled his hand on the bare skin above the waistband of his jeans. Intelligent, sky-blue eyes widened, and Cash’s mouth parted in surprise. Before Nick’s brain could even process his next move, he leaned in and kissed Cash. It was just a mere brush of flesh, but it felt like someone had hooked Nick’s heart to a set of jumper cables. His chin tingled from the brief rasp of beard bristles, and the sharp lines drew Nick’s gaze to the mouth he longed to kiss again.

“Oh.” Cash’s eyelashes fluttered before he lowered his eyelids to half-mast, making it impossible to tell if he felt the spark too or if Nick’s gesture had just caught him off guard. Cash was a pro at shuttering his thoughts from others. Except for the weekend when I’d kept him naked and sated. The pink tip of Cash’s tongue appeared and made a quick swipe over his lips. An act of nervousness, or was he seeking Nick’s taste? The urge to push his luck and swoop in for another kiss was strong, but he suppressed it.

“Sorry,” Nick said. “I wanted to hug you, but my stupid banged-up shoulder is in the way.”

He withdrew his hand and practically heard electricity crackling in the air from the rasp of his fingertips against Cash’s skin. It reminded him of the cute special effects in the series Cash watched. Nick never let on that he’d seen Heartstopper in Cash’s Netflix “Watch Again” queue the last time they’d watched a movie at Nick’s place. They’d always talked about shows and movies, so Nick had been extremely curious why Cash hadn’t mentioned that one. Nick checked it out for himself a week later and was completely charmed by it. Had he ever been that young or innocent? Nick had thought of Cash when he saw a new season was out.

“Don’t apologize,” Cash said, capturing his hand before he got too far. His brow furrowed as he studied Nick’s face. “Unless you’ve put yourself and others at risk by driving with one arm in a sling or under the influence of medication.”

Grateful for the connection, Nick just shook his head. His brain felt as fuzzy as if he’d taken the muscle relaxers the ER doc had prescribed. “I refused pain meds, and I waited to get here before taking the muscle relaxers.”

“What happened, Nicky? You look like you’re about to collapse.”

“Feed me first?” Nick asked. As if on cue, his stomach growled in protest at its abuse. The last thing he’d eaten was a pack of cookies on his first flight of the day. Weather delays on the first leg had jeopardized making his connecting flight. The quick trip to Denver was fraught with turbulence, so the flight crew didn’t get out the drink cart, and Nick had passed on the snacks they’d offered. If he’d known an accident involving his Uber would land him in the ER for five hours, he’d have devoured the chips and cookies.

“Of course.” Cash took a step back so Nick could clear the car. “Is there anything you want to take inside?”

Nick reached down and pushed the button to pop the trunk before he cleared the door and closed it. Cash walked around to the back of the car, then peered around the corner at him. “Moving in?”

“I came straight from the airport.” It was mostly true. Nick had taken his luggage with him on the ambulance. He’d hired a second Uber to take him from the hospital to his condo. The driver had been kind enough to transfer the luggage from his trunk to Nick’s. “I can make do with the smaller bag for now.”

Cash ducked out of sight long enough to remove the small suitcase before closing the door. When their gazes collided, Cash didn’t bother to hide his curiosity or concern. “Did you get injured during drills?” Cash asked when he rejoined Nick. “Did a trainee take you down too hard?”

Nick’s stomach howled in protest again.

Cash threw up his free hand and dropped his gaze to Nick’s belly. “Okay. Feed you first.” He met Nick’s gaze. “Your stomach has always had a mind of its own. We have all kinds of leftovers in the refrigerator.” He placed his hand on Nick’s lower back and led him toward the porch steps. “We can start there just to shut that thing up, and I can make you something else if your beast still needs appeasing.”

Nick couldn’t help but think of a distinct moment when Cash had exerted all his energy to appease a different monster. They’d had most of their meals delivered that weekend, but Nick’s mouth watered at the memory of the breakfast Cash had made for him on their last day together. “I would love one of your omelets.”

Cash’s fingers flexed against his lower back. Had it been wise to bring up their weekend together? Cash never mentioned it and danced around the subject on the rare occasions Nick brought it up. Why did Cash treat their horny beginning like a taboo subject? They had nothing to be ashamed about, and acknowledging those debauched days wouldn’t hurt either of them. Would it? Did the memories bother Cash? Nick turned his head to study Cash’s expression and missed the first step. He stumbled forward and reached out his uninjured arm to brace himself, but Cash slid his arm around Nick’s waist to steady him. Adrenaline flooded his system, and Nick shook.

“Easy there,” Cash whispered. “I’ll always have you.”

Nick angled his body so he could lean his head on Cash’s shoulder. He closed his eyes and breathed in Cash’s woodsy scent. Christ. He smelled like a pine forest, a glass of really expensive bourbon, and a bonfire. The urge to nuzzle against the man returned with a vengeance. Nick’s heart rate returned to normal after a few deep breaths, but he didn’t budge from the comfort of Cash’s embrace. “God, I’ve missed you, Saint.” Nick was one of only a few people who knew Cash’s middle name and the only one brave enough to use it. In that moment, Nick truly understood that Cash was his savior. Perhaps he had been all along.

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