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“No, but I’ll give it my best shot.” Nick reached into the bag and pulled out two containers. “Let me guess. One is three layers of decadent chocolate cake and the other is white chocolate and raspberry cheesecake.”
Cash winked, and Nick opened the containers. He chuckled when Nick handed the cheesecake to Cash and kept the cake for himself. “That’s not the way it happened,” Cash said.
Nick sighed and swapped boxes with him. They each took a bite of their dessert before swapping back. Cash had practically salivated when he’d seen the chocolate layer cake on the menu but was immediately jealous of Nick’s cheesecake when it arrived. Nick had eye-fucked his dessert enough to make Cash blush. After a bite, Cash had asked if he wanted to switch.
“Thought you’d never ask,” Nick had said as he slid his plate toward Cash.
What had followed was foreplay with food. Cash hadn’t been able to tear his gaze away from Nick’s lips whenever he brought the fork to his mouth. He had hoped his throaty purrs called to something wild and primitive in Nick. And, Christ, had he answered.
Twelve years later, Nick’s smug smile said he knew exactly where Cash’s thoughts had gone.
Pointing his fork at Cash, Nick said, “That expression right there is what gave me the courage to proposition you.”
Cash snorted and nearly sent his bite of cheesecake down the wrong pipe. “You got out ‘Do you wanna’ before I said, ‘Thought you’d never ask.’ Later, I realized how presumptuous I was. You could’ve been about to ask if I wanted to join you for an after-dinner drink.”
Nick’s lips twitched. “A fine bourbon was on my mind.”
Cash narrowed his eyes as he tried to figure out if Nick was joking.
Nick set his box down to kiss Cash hard on the mouth. “Get out of here with your doubts. The only shot I wanted was a ride on your cock.” He winked and picked up his dessert to resume eating. “Luckily, I got several.”
“As did I.” Cash canted his head. Nick was the most relaxed he’d seen him…since the beginning. “Want to hear a secret?”
Nick arched a brow but said nothing because his mouth was full of chocolate cake.
“I strained my hamstring that weekend. Had to ice that son of a bitch down for a solid week after you left.”
Nick swallowed his bite and grinned. “I noticed an occasional minor hitch in your step and chalked it up to a different type of overuse.”
“Yeah, that too,” Cash agreed.
They only made it through half their dessert before putting the leftovers in the refrigerator and cleaning up the mess. Once they restored order, Cash turned on the sound system through his phone and dimmed the lights.
“There’s something I’ve always wanted to do with you,” Cash said. When “The Only Exception” by Paramore began to play, Cash extended his hand. Nick accepted it and stepped into the circle of Cash’s arms. “I remember this song playing at the benefit, and I wanted to dance with you so badly. I didn’t have the courage to ask.” He offered Nick a wry smile. “But right now, I don’t need to worry about keeping an appropriate distance so a room full of people won’t know how much I want you.”
Nick sighed and rested his forehead against Cash’s shoulder. After a few rotations, he turned his head and nuzzled his nose against Cash’s neck. “So this is what it’s like to date you, Saint.”
Cash’s heart pounded in his chest as he debated a reply. A simple yes or the truth? He wasn’t exactly sure which he’d decided until the words tumbled from his lips. “No, Nicky, this is what it’s like to be loved by me.”
Nick jerked his head up so fast he nearly clipped Cash’s chin. His heart pumped at about three times its normal speed. He hadn’t felt this winded since completing the Bureau’s PFT. The FBI didn’t just put someone through a background check before letting a person attend their academy. They put candidates through four hellish physical tests that left Nick sucking wind and fighting off the urge to puke. Nick’s response to Cash’s remark triggered a similar reaction, though for a vastly different reason. Could a man like Cash truly love him?
Sensing Nick’s distress, Cash smiled and kissed him gently. “You don’t need to say anything back. I just need you to know a few things before we stray any farther from the friendship path we agreed on.”
Nick stopped suddenly, forcing Cash to do so too. “Saint, we’ve already waded too far into the weeds. I couldn’t find that old trail if I wanted to, and I don’t,” he said emphatically. “And if you’re going to spill secrets tonight, I will too.” Nick took a deep breath and said, “I only attended the charity event the second year because I knew you were going to be there.”
Cash tipped his head to the side and studied Nick through narrowed eyes. “How did you know?”
“I asked,” Nick replied. “It took me the better part of a year to work up the courage to approach you again.”
“You spent four months at Quantico,” Cash reminded him.
“Where I jerked off to memories of us. I spent the following six trying to convince myself that we really weren’t as great together as I remembered.”
Cash traced the curve of Nick’s scruffy jaw. He hadn’t shaved since arriving at the ranch, and he liked the rasp of Cash’s finger over his stubble. Maybe he’d try growing a beard. “And the last two months before the benefit?”
Nick turned his head and nipped Cash’s finger as it neared his mouth. “I worked up the courage to seek you out. Spoiler alert: I didn’t have friendship on my mind. I wanted a neutral location rather than showing up at your apartment or office and risking rejection.”
“Did you finagle another invitation to the benefit to see me?” Cash asked.
