I’d tried not to flirt with Carter, but that was as difficult as not breathing and inhaling his scent when he brushed past me. I liked spending time with him, and winding down over dinner was the highlight of my day. The last few nights I’d hung around after dinner too. One night we’d made a halfhearted attempt at watching a movie. Just thirty minutes in and we were chatting about everything from childhood memories to whether humans would one day live on Mars. It had been midnight before I’d left. Crazy since I’d returned six hours later to start work, but that was just how it was.
There was no doubt that I spent most of my time at his house. While I worked a lot of hours, more than I probably would have on another job, I also spent most of my free time with Carter too. The little voice inside my head would chant “Danger” to me every now and then, but every time I brushed it aside. I was in control. Or at least that was what I told said voice.
Initially I’d felt guilty as hell about Davis and Libby. I’d gone from spending virtually all my free time with the two of them to dropping by every other day, sometimes just three times a week. I still spoke to or texted Davis every day, but the guilt rode me hard.
About three weeks or so earlier Davis had sat me down with a beer and a stern expression. I’d been freaked out initially as it was clear something serious had been on his mind. Apparently the serious talk was an intervention of sorts. At first, I’d laughed it off and lovingly told him to fuck off—until I’d realized how serious he was.
“Tanner, fuck, man. I love you like a brother, and I’ll never be able to repay you for everything you’ve done for Libby and me. Damn, you saved us both.”
I scoffed. He was being ridiculously OTT.
Davis shook his head. “Don’t, I’m serious. When you stepped in, and hell… moved your whole life to support me—” He swallowed hard, emotion swirling in his eyes. I shifted uncomfortably. He was my brother in every way but blood, but fuck, I hated getting emotional. “—you showed me I could do this. I couldn’t manage, be a dad. I was a fucking mess and had no one.”
I made to interrupt, but he shook his head.
“I know I had you, but damn, the thought of asking you for help… yet you were there for me, still are. I love you, man. Seriously. But fuck, I need you to go and get a fucking life.”
His grin contrasted with the seriousness of his words. Laughter burst from my chest, leaving me coughing with how quickly it had ripped from me.
“Seriously? You’re telling me to fuck off and get out of your hair?”
He nodded, his grin wide, eyes serious, and not a shadow of uncertainty or jest evident. “Yeah. Don’t get me wrong, I still want you to be here. Fuck, just the thought of Libby growing up and having to handle all the jerks who’ll be after her by myself is making me get gray fucking hairs already. I’ll need you for that.
“It’s just… it seems like life’s settling down for you. Work’s going well, then there’s Carter.” He waggled his brows, and I shook my head.
“What’s Carter have to do with anything?” Davis hadn’t even met him, but then why would he have?Carter’s a client,I reminded myself.
Davis rolled his eyes so dramatically I thought he’d give himself an injury. “I can’t believe you’re still fooling yourself. I’ve never seen you this hung up on a guy and you haven’t even kissed the dude.” He paused. “Hold on, have you had some and not told me, you dirty fucker?”
“No.” I laughed, shaking my head. “Nothing’s happened.”
“But you want it to happen.” His response was 100 percent statement and 110 percent accurate.
I sighed. “Heck-yeah. He’s so fucking hot, and sexy, and he’s so goddamn smart and sweet and witty.” I stopped when Davis’s expression turned almost comical. His eyebrows popped up so high they virtually touched his hairline. It was teamed with a goofy grin. “What?” I sighed.
“I’m picturing little love hearts forming in your eyes. It’s… strangely cute and… totally fucking weird.” His laughter then died down. “Just get over whatever shit’s holding you back and preventing you from seeing where this thing with Carter may lead, and don’t worry about Libby and me. She knows her uncle Tanner loves her and will break bones for her, but get a life.” It was my turn for my eyebrows to shoot up. “I’m serious. Ineedyou to have a life, find your own happiness.”
I closed my eyes, not quite sure how to process everything he’d said to me. I knew, deep in my gut, every word he spoke was true; it didn’t stop me worrying about him though.
“Hey,” I called down, letting Carter know the general direction I was in.
A murmured “Hey” was almost indiscernible. I paused. Something was wrong for sure. Every single day without fail, Carter would stride my way, a sexy-as-fuck smile on his face, greeting me like I’d just solved world peace or something. Each and every time, I’d always have to calm my breathing and prevent the hitch escaping when I drank him in after not seeing him for the day. It was bad. Fuck, Ihadit bad.
I placed down my saw and propped the plank against the wall. The pull to check on him was strong. There was no way to ignore it. I found him in the kitchen, a glass of wine in his hand and him topping it up. While leaning against the doorframe, I watched him gulp down the whole glass before he placed both the bottle and the glass on the worktop. He placed his hands flat down on the surface and lowered his head.
I’d never seen him like this. Ever. While I’d not known Carter all that long, after the hours we’d spent together, I was sure I knew him better than most of my friends, with the exception of Davis, and more than any boyfriend I’d had. I didn’t spare a thought to that, not quite sure what that said about me and my past relationships. But Carter, I knew him.
“Hey,” I greeted again, my voice low in an attempt to soothe and not startle. “You want to talk about it?”
He shook his head, not turning to look at me.
He was hurting, that much was obvious. There was only one other way I could think of to deal with it, short of offering him a blow job, which I’d foolishly promised myself I wouldn’t do. “Want something harder?” I clamped my mouth shut. I wasn’t quite sure if it was only me who would possibly misconstrue those words, considering my ailment—as surely that was what it was—of always thinking with my dick when Carter was around. Keeping my mouth shut, I waited for some sort of response from him. His silence was unsettling; even more so was that he didn’t snort at my words.
“I mean, you know, a shot of the hard stuff.” I grimaced, pleased he couldn’t see my heating face. Every time I said the word hard, I immediately thought of our cocks. “A whiskey or something? Bar?” I released a long breath as quietly as possible, waiting for him to answer.
Slowly, he turned, a smirk playing on his gorgeous mouth. With a small head tilt, his smirk grew to a smile. He then nodded. “Sure. That sounds good.”
I gulped, trying not to think how fucking adorable he looked. I shook my head and glanced down at my clothes. I was dusty, with fragments of wood shavings on me from the day’s work. “So, I’d best change, huh?”
