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“Some of us do, Houston, but you certainly don’t.”
Cash snorted and climbed the stairs, giving Nick carte blanche to ogle his ass and toned legs. Cash had gained a lot of muscle over the years, and Nick loved the way it looked on him. “I only brought one towel.”
Nick sighed when Cash descended the external stairs to the patio and his pert ass was no longer visible. “No problem. You dry off first, and then I’ll use your towel.” He stood up from the water, pulling Cash’s attention to him. “Or I’ll just walk like this straight to the shower.”
They both walked naked as jaybirds and soaking wet to the bathroom. The water heated quickly, and Cash steered Nick inside before following him. The shower was big enough for the Denver Nuggets starting lineup, so Cash had one side of the shower, and Nick took the other. The space between them was too far and not enough at the same time. Nick longed to reach for Cash but took his words to heart. They quickly showered and toweled off before returning to bed. This time, Nick was awake to feel the bed dip from Cash’s weight. He expected Cash to remain on his side of the bed, but he spooned in behind Nick instead. Neither of them had bothered with underwear, so they were flesh to flesh. Cash’s heart pounded against Nick’s back, and Cash’s dick throbbed against his ass. It was perfection.
“I’m so glad you’re here.” Cash pressed a kiss to the back of his neck. “Now stop thinking and go to sleep, Nicky.”
“You first, Saint.”
Cash’s warm chuckle in the dark was the last thing Nick remembered.
Cash secured the last button on his chambray shirt and dropped his hands to his sides. Nick hadn’t so much as moved an inch since he’d left him in bed to shower and get dressed. Cash had woken up wrapped around Nick like a vine and would’ve rather lost a limb than untangle it from Nick’s body. A cooler head prevailed—and not the one that had kept Cash awake long after Nick fell asleep. That particular head was primed and ready to go, damn the cost. Cash recalled laying out his feelings to Nick in the hot tub and knew he’d been right. Decisions made under mental or physical duress could rarely be trusted. Cash would do everything in his power to help Nick but not at the cost of losing him. He’d guard his heart and do his best to keep things platonic while Nick rested and recovered.
Cash nearly broke his own rule moments later when he refilled Nick’s glass of water and left a bottle of Aleve on the nightstand. Leaning forward to kiss Nick on the cheek had felt as natural as breathing, but Cash stopped himself in the nick of time. Talk about sending mixed signals. He pulled the blankets up over Nick’s shoulders to guard against the morning chill. Cash straightened, resisted the urge to brush the wayward strands of hair off Nick’s forehead, and headed out of the bedroom.
His dog wasn’t anywhere to greet him when he stepped into the hallway, but the smell of baking sweet dough did. Cash smiled as he registered the aroma. The moment the calendar flipped from August to September, Harry broke out the autumnal flavors. She had a particular fondness for pumpkin anything. She’d shown real restraint the prior day by baking banana bread on September first, but Cash figured she wanted to use the overripe bananas. He didn’t think Harry would swap the summer decor for fall on a Sunday, but he’d bet money on a complete transformation by midweek.
The sound of Harry’s joyful humming reached his ears long before he arrived in the kitchen. She’d always been an upbeat little sprite, but embracing her love for Dylan had amplified her natural happiness to nearly inhuman levels. Cash’s smiles turned into laughter as he imagined her levitating off the ground when her body ran out of room to contain the joy. She wasn’t the only one who’d caught the love bug on the ranch. If Cash’s calculations were correct, Tyler and Owen would be the next people to give in and scratch the itch. Christ, he made it sound like the ranch warranted a quarantine by the CDC. He also sounded like a bitter old man whose squandered opportunities were keeping him up at night. Was that the reason for his recent insomnia?
Cash dismissed that outright. First off, it overjoyed him that the people he held dear were falling in love and building meaningful relationships. And second, he wasn’t an old man. Not by a long shot. Pining for Nick wasn’t anything new, though it seemed to have reached fever pitch lately. He’d chalked that up to not seeing his best friend for five months. Text messages and phone calls couldn’t hold a candle to being in the same room and breathing the same air. Cash just needed to give it a few days, and their relationship would be back to normal. But what if—
Cash slammed the door on that thought as he rounded the corner and entered the kitchen. Harry danced in place behind the island while drizzling glaze over dozens of muffins with coffee-cake crumble on top. Cash was glad he’d cleaned his kitchen mess at two in the morning, not that Nick’s car parked outside didn’t indicate an overnight guest. The last few times Nick had stopped by, he’d been driving his FBI-issued vehicle. They typically met in Denver when they got together, so only Rory would know the sleek import belonged to Nick. Harry looked up from her task with a smile, and he saw the curiosity in her green eyes.
“Good morning,” Cash said casually.
Harry tilted her head to the side and studied him closely. “Are you feeling okay?”
The question caught him off guard, and he fought the urge to look for a reflective surface. Had he forgotten to comb his hair after the shower in his haste to check on Nick? Was the lack of sleep etched on his face? He’d slept great once they’d returned from the hot tub but not for long enough. Broken sleep had always fucked him up.
“Whoa,” Harry said, holding up her hand. “You’re thinking way too hard over there. I only asked because you haven’t harassed me about bringing out the pumpkin spice already.”
Cash repressed a relieved sigh and laughed instead. “You didn’t give me a chance. I only wished you a good morning.”
“That’s my point,” Harry said. “You usually start off with ‘pumpkin already?’ Then we debate the appropriate flavors for the ’ber months before you concede and wish me a good morning. It’s an entire thing for us. Forgive a girl for worrying.”
“There are other fall flavors besides pumpkin,” Cash said, taking up his usual stance. “You know I love pumpkin.” He snatched a muffin off the cooling rack to prove his point. “If it were up to me, apple cider would be the prevailing flavor for September. I’d settle for pumpkin for October and November, but peppermint mocha takes over on December first.”
Harry smiled at the familiar argument. “Do you want to concede now or carry on with tradition until I wear you down?”
Cash peeled the wrapper off the pumpkin muffin as he debated his next step. He took a bite and nearly rolled his eyes back in his head. The pumpkin spice muffin alone was delicious, but the crumble and maple glaze were out of this world. He bowed to Harry and her wisdom, earning a giggle, and continued shoving the muffin into his mouth. Harry poured him a cup of coffee and retrieved the creamer from the refrigerator. He smiled when he saw it was peppermint mocha.
“It’s always the right time to enjoy the things you love,” she said.
Cash wasn’t so sure about mixing pumpkin muffins and peppermint mocha coffee, but he forgot his reticence after the first sip. He recalled Nick seeking him out for comfort and wondered if a little holiday magic was already in the air. Oh, please. I’ve been such a good boy. He took another sip of coffee to hide the smile he couldn’t suppress, though Harry resumed glazing the remaining muffins.
“You’re up and at it earlier than usual on a Sunday morning,” Cash said.
She glanced up. “I love testing out new recipes. Judging by your immediate capitulation, I’d have to say it’s a success.”
“I’d eat that year-round.”
Harry smiled at his approval. “I’m so happy you like it. I’ve already started adjusting the recipe to incorporate different ingredients. When you find a base you like, it’s easy enough to swap out the seasonal elements.” She finished drizzling the last muffin, then set the spoon inside the empty glass bowl and carried the dirty items to the sink to rinse. “You didn’t tell me we were expecting company. I would’ve freshened up one of the guest suites and stocked it with essentials.”
Cash knew she was curious about the car out front. The only overnight guests they had were the crew’s family members, and no one was scheduled to visit for a while. There was no way to hide Nick’s presence on the ranch, not that he wanted to, but Cash needed to minimize how many people knew Nick was sleeping in his bed. “That’s Nick’s car, and I didn’t know he was coming,” Cash said as casually as possible. “He arrived back from Virginia yesterday and headed straight here.” Mostly.
“Rory will be so excited to spend time with his brother,” Harry said. “Surely you gave him my suite so he can enjoy his own private oasis.” She bustled around doing busy work as she spoke. “I’ll find out what Nick likes to eat from Rory so I can make sure he gets some special treats. Find out if he has allergies.” It sounded more like Harry was verbally amending her to-do list than addressing Cash until she turned and looked at him. “How long does Nick plan to visit? I’ll make sure to stock his suite.”
