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“Like we had?” Nick asked before he could stop himself. Have. That invisible pull had never gone away, never frayed. If anything, it had grown stronger with time. The timing was never right. The closer they became the more they had to lose if they tried something that didn’t work. So they pretended the sizzling chemistry wasn’t there.
Cash’s nostrils flared, and Nick thought he was going to dance around the question as he’d done in the past. “Yes, Nicky. If I’m going to settle down, I want the kind of chemistry we shared.”
“Maybe we imagined the whole thing,” Nick said. “I’ve never…” Found it with anyone else. Nick tried to think of a different way to finish the sentence without making things weird between them.
“Me either,” Cash said before he could find one. He plated the omelet, retrieved a fork, and set it in front of Nick. “Would you like toast, a bagel, or an English muffin?”
“No, but thank you. This looks perfect.”
“How about something to drink?” Cash asked. “I have fresh-squeezed orange juice.” He almost sounded desperate to steer the conversation away, but suddenly Nick was just as eager to stay on topic.
“OJ sounds great,” Nick replied, letting his friend think he’d won. Once Cash headed to the refrigerator, he struck again. “I think you’ve ruined me for other men.”
Cash’s breath caught in his throat, and the juice carafe nearly slipped through his fingers. Nick had said he’d refused pain meds and hadn’t taken his muscle relaxers yet, but had he ingested something else to loosen his lips? First there was the hello kiss, the surrender of…something when Nick rested his head against Cash’s shoulder, and then the references to their weekend of sex. Cash’s heart leaped to a faster tempo and wild assumptions while his brain applied the brakes. Nick was clearly going through it—whatever it may be. His injury was obvious, though he didn’t yet know the source, but Cash sensed a stronger disturbance beneath the surface. Nick hadn’t looked so good when he’d dropped Rory off at the ranch at the end of March. He’d been thinner than Cash had seen him and tense enough to snap in half if pressed too hard. His color had been off and his hair had looked unkempt. The Nick in his kitchen looked a far cry better, even with an injury. He’d gained most of his weight back, his color was back to normal, and he’d reverted to a typical tidy haircut. The sandy brown strands had picked up some golden highlights over the summer months. Nick was at least partially on the mend, but his dark-wash-denim eyes still looked haunted. Cash knew from experience that deeper wounds took much longer to heal. His chest swelled with pride that Nick had chosen him to be his safe landing.
“You have nothing to say to that?” Nick asked.
Cash realized he’d been staring mutely into the refrigerator for too long. His discomfort couldn’t be more obvious but not for the reasons Nick probably thought. Cash needed the chilled air to cool his blood after the rimming references. And yeah, talking about the weekend probably took on a different meaning for Cash than it did Nick, so he tried to avoid the topic. What good would come from constantly reminding himself of the one time in his life he’d truly let himself belong to another person? And not just any person. His best friend, who’d made it clear he wasn’t interested in settling down anytime soon. If ever. But Cash wasn’t normally one to back away from a challenge, so he stepped back from the refrigerator with the OJ carafe in hand and turned to face Nick with a smile on his face.
“I’m flattered you could think so,” Cash said.
Nick snapped his head up and narrowed his eyes. Cash was surprised to see Nick had devoured three-fourths of the omelet already. Just how long had he hidden in the refrigerator?
Cash poured him a glass of juice. “You said ‘you think.’”
Nick set his fork down and reached for his drink. Their fingers brushed during the pass off, and Cash’s skin tingled from the brief contact. Nick’s nostrils flared, and the hand holding the glass shook as he lifted it to his mouth. So he’d felt it too. Those tiny reactions emboldened Cash even more than the kiss had. He promised he’d act on the tiniest hint that Nick returned his attraction.
“My reaction would’ve been different if you’d said you know I’ve ruined you for other men.” Because Nick had done the same for him.
Nick set his glass on the island, and his gorgeous lips glistened. Cash remembered a time where he’d licked the juice off them. Same stool but different location. Cash would unfortunately not be dropping to his knees to blow Nick’s dick and mind. They had a lot to discuss if they—
Cash stopped himself right there. No good would come from getting his hopes up with Nick when his friend was obviously injured and wrestling with something. “Eat,” he said, nudging Nick’s plate closer. “Do you want something else? Harry made some banana bread. She tucked an extra loaf away for me.”
Nick picked up his fork and lifted his gaze. “You’d share your banana bread with me?”
“I’d share everything I have with you, and I think you know it.”
Nick arched a brow, and a wry smile tugged at his lips before he said, “I’m flattered you could think so.”
Cash covered his heart with both hands. “You mock me after I offer you some of my banana bread?”
“Well,” Nick said as he lifted his fork to his mouth, “you only think I know of your devotion and generosity. My reaction would’ve been different if you said I was certain of it.”
Cash snorted and shook his head. They were either on the cusp of flirting or up to their ankles in it. It had been so long for Cash that he wasn’t quite sure. Needing a moment to gather himself before he made a mistake, Cash headed over to the pantry to retrieve his jar of Nutella and his stashed banana bread. Nick had polished off his omelet and the glass of orange juice by the time he returned. Next to his empty plate sat a bottle of prescription pills. “Need more orange juice for those?”
“Nah. Already took a dose.” Spying the bread and Nutella, Nick added. “Maybe a glass of milk with dessert.”
“You got it.”
Cash sliced two thick slabs of bread from the loaf and popped them in the microwave for thirty seconds to warm up. He poured two glasses of milk and placed them on the counter before spreading a thick layer of Nutella on top of the warm bread.
“That smells almost good enough to make me forget what we were talking about,” Nick said. He tilted his head to the side, squinted, and pursed his lips theatrically. “Oh yeah. You dodged my remark about how you single-handedly ruined other men for me.”
If Nick didn’t let it go, Cash would need to keep the kitchen island between them to hide his erection. “I’ll make you a deal.”
“You have my full attention.” Nick bit into the bread and let out the sluttiest moan Cash had ever heard. Son of a bitch. Nick sure had his dick’s attention. Maybe Cash’s mask slipped a little because Nick grinned wickedly. “Sound familiar?”
Cash would’ve recognized that moan anywhere. He’d heard it in his dreams and fantasies enough to have it permanently etched into his brain. “Yeah, I heard something similar coming through Ivan’s closed office door when I swung by to discuss ranch plans. He wasn’t alone.” Cash added a wink to emphasize his meaning.
