Then finally,finally, he had time to turn to Fynn. Nolan meant to grab his man in a hug, maybe kiss him, but what came out of his mouth was, “What were youdoingswimming over here? I left you safe on the other boat.”
“I saw the guy you’d shot trying to get up again behind your back. What did you expect me to do?”
“Yell? Say something? Not fucking swim over here and jump into the mix with guns and knives?”
“I didn’t want to jog your elbow. You were dealing with the other guy.”
“So you figured you’d wrestle a kidnapper who had a gun?”
“He didn’t have that gun when I got in the water. Anyhow, you’d already shot him. I may not be a fighter, but I can handle a guy who’s bleeding to death.”
You almost didn’t.Though to be fair, Fynn had looked like he was winning. Nolan wanted to shake him and impress on him that he was never, ever to do anything like that again, but a slump of Fynn’s shoulders gave him pause.He deserves better.“That took guts,” he admitted. “You probably saved my life. Getting caught between two assailants is a bad, bad spot to be. I underestimated shot-fucker.”
Fynn choked and his shoulders straightened. “Is that what you call him? Shot-fucker?”
“Sure.” Nolan gestured at the two men. “Shot-fucker, and not-shot-fucker.”
“What if you’d had to shoot the other guy?” Fynn cocked his head, eyes brightening.
“Shot-first-fucker and shot-second-fucker?” Nolan felt a smile tug at his lips.
“Hah.” Fynn pushed to his feet and took a step toward Nolan.
Nolan opened his arms. “C’mere.”
Fynn took another step. “I’m soaking wet.”
“Do I look like I care? So am I.” He shivered again, half wetness and lake air, half a realization of how close they’d come to disaster. Fynn had been so damned strong for a civilian, but he still looked shaky. “I need a hug.” Not something he’d admit to anyone else in the world, but maybe something Fynn should hear.
Fynn lunged at him, and Nolan yanked him close, wrapping Fynn up in his arms, rocking them side to side. “Fuck,” he breathed against Fynn’s lake-wet hair. “I lost a year of my life when I saw you fighting that guy.”
“I losttenwhen I saw him trying to shoot you.”
“Fair.” Nolan closed his eyes and reveled in the wiry, safe, soggy, perfect feel of Fynn up against him. “Thank you.”
“You did it first.”
“My job.”
Fynn brushed his lips under Nolan’s jaw and that simple touch sent a shudder through Nolan. “Just your job?”
“Not even close.” Nolan eased his frantic grip enough for them to see each other. “Yeah, my job is to protect people and I do, but you’re so much more than a job to me. Even Micah matters extra because he’s your brother and you love him.”
Fynn peered at Micah over Nolan’s shoulder. “Love might be an exaggeration.”
Nolan couldn’t resist kissing Fynn’s narrow, elegant nose. “Sure, you’d chase after armed kidnappers for anyone.”
“Maybe I didn’t want to pay ten million dollars.”
“Your company has insurance.”
Fynn chuckled and shifted his gaze back to meet Nolan’s eyes. “Okay, maybe he’s all right as a brother, but there’s only one guy I want hugging me right now.”
Nolan’s breath hitched. An ache built under his ribs.Me too.What he managed to say was, “Yeah? Someone I know?”
“He’s this strong, tall, smart, protective bodyguard who listens patiently when I go off on my latest fixation and holds me tight to ward off my nightmares.”
“Sounds familiar.”
