“They could get back some of his money.”
“He’s mortgaged to the hilt and owes gambling debts. He was moving up on Oliver’s suspect list.”
“Oh.” Fynn sagged deeper into Nolan’s hold.Nice strong arms.“Well, then, not worth their time.”
“Speaking of worth our time.” Nolan bent toward Fynn and kissed him.
Fynn wanted to get lost in the kiss, but hours and hours in the police station waiting room after they were done with him, with greasy takeout, bad coffee, and nothing to do except browse the internet on Sheridan’s phone, had set his mind racing. He pulled away. “What happens next?”
Nolan tilted his head. “I’m voting for a shower and bed, in that order.”
“Well, yes, but… we caught the kidnappers. Does that mean your contract is over?”Are you going to leave?
“No. We contracted as a bodyguard service, with month-to-month renewal. Solving the case was supposed to be the cops’ job. It’s up to you and Micah whether to renew the contract, but I would say…” Nolan shifted around so they faced each other. “Whether it’s Stone Security or someone else, you should keep protection around for a while. Today’s story’s already leaking.”
“Like Micah’s boat.” Fynn should’ve felt worse about the bullet hole in the hull, but it’d happened in a good cause, and after the “don’t touch him” glare Micah had given Nolan—as if I was his virgin daughter— Fynn had taken mild satisfaction in Micah’s expression as the boat sank lower and lower during the tow back to the harbor. Anyhow, it was Micah’s fault, because when the kidnappers asked if he knew who was following them, he’d identified his own boat. Which had made them turn around to see who was in it. “It’s like he wanted me to get caught.”
“Micah? I think he was scared and trying to cooperate to save his life.”
“I know. He’s just stupid.” Although that was unfair. Fynn might’ve been equally inept if he’d been the one duct-taped. He bounced to his feet. “If we keep paying you, you’ll stay?” He paced to the wall and whirled to peer at Nolan through the annoying blurry glasses.What’s that look on his face?
Nolan stood and came to Fynn. “You’re not paying me. I took myself off the payroll a week ago. You’re paying Stone Security for Charlie and the rest, but only one thing decides if I stay or go, and it’s not the contract.”
Fynn’s breath came short. He quipped, “The perks?” but then shook his head. He didn’t want to joke right now. “Me?”
“You.” Nolan reached out and ran his thumb along Fynn’s cheekbone and then down across his lower lip. “I’ve fallen for you in a big way, and it scares the shit out of me. I’ve never needed anyone before, and now I get antsy if I haven’t seen you for a few hours. Every time my mind’s free, I start thinking about you. So if you want me to stay, say so.”
“I want.” The words came out with almost no sound behind them. Fynn cleared his throat. “I’ve always been a loner and I don’t know how to be anything else. I’m not sure if I’ll be an awful boyfriend. I might be. I probably have bad habits I’m not even aware of because it’s hard to notice those things in yourself, and if I snore, it’d be while I’m asleep—”
“Shh.” Nolan touched Fynn’s lips again. “I’ve been living in your back pocket since Micah hired us. Nothing you’ve done could scare me away. I’m probably the worse relationship bet. I’ve been a loner longer.”
“Then maybe we’re supposed to stop being loners together.” Fynn winced. “That sounded more romantic in my head.”
“I don’t need romantic. I want you, with all the quirky things you say, and the way you look at me, and your mouth—”
Fynn employed his mouth in a hard kiss on Nolan’s lips. “Will you move in with me? This apartment’s kind of small.”
“I could be happy here,” Nolan said. “With you. But if the media run with the kidnapping story and you end up in the public eye, you may want to move somewhere more secure.”
“Stupid media.” Except Fynn realized the idea of moving didn’t annoy him the way it used to. Yeah, it’d be a pain in the ass to change his routines, to find a new grocery store he liked, to know how to navigate to the kitchen and turn on the coffee maker half-asleep without his glasses. With Nolan, though, a new place would feel like home right away. Maybe he could buy a bigger TV so they could watch movies together in more comfort. “And a bigger couch.”
“Definitely a bigger couch. I like your bed, though. It fits both of us.” Nolan’s blue eyes shone.
“We could shower and then confirm that hypothesis.” Fynn winced again but Nolan smiled and reached for his hand.
“Good plan.”
Nolan led them to the bathroom and started the shower. The space felt small with a guy Nolan’s size in it, but Fynn didn’t mind. The strains of the day were hitting him. Having Nolan there to grab his elbow when he tripped and catch his glasses when he tried to take off his shirt and forgot these were the larger ones was… perfect, was what it was.
When they were naked, he took hold of Nolan’s wrists to keep him from getting under the water, andlookedat him. Fynn had never seen Nolan without clothes. He’dimaginedthe man naked more often than he wanted to admit, but he hadn’t pictured the width of Nolan’s thighs, or the way the hair on his chest swept downward in soft amber swirls across his belly to merge with the trimmed curls around…That. Okay, didn’t quite imagine that.He’d figured Nolan would be well-endowed, to fit the rest of his size, but he was also uncut. His balls hung low and furry below that gorgeous cock which began to fill, the head emerging from the foreskin—
Fynn whipped his gaze back up.
Nolan grinned at him. “I like that you’re looking at me. I love finally looking at you. But I still feel yucky about lake water on my skin. Can we shower first?”
“Sure. Absolutely.” Fynn whipped the curtain aside and stepped into the tub.
Nolan pulled the curtain away on the far end and stepped in, enclosing them again. “If I’m between you and the showerhead, you’re staying dry.”
