Page 126 of Cold as Ice

“Oh, they intend to ride my success all the way to the bank.Sir.” Elliott added that last bit on with an especially impudent smile.

The noise Mal made in his throat resembled a strangled gasp.

Maybe he could also workMalup enough during this convo to ensure the regular outcome, too. Two birds, one stone, right?

Anthony stared at him, like he was somehow attempting to solve the mysteries of the universe. Or maybe just the mysteries of Elliott’s brain.

It was, in his humble opinion, way too easy to convince the McCoy men he was just a pretty face.

“I . . .” Anthony let out a deep breath. “You’re having me on, aren’t you?”

“Damnit, how’d you guess?” Elliott shot him another of the smiles that had never failed to loosen up his son.

Mal muttered something under his breath that might’ve been,because you’re a shitty liar.

But Anthony actuallygoddamned smiled.It was a small smile, more the upturning of a corner of his mouth, but there it was. And Elliott had done that.

“Because my son would never fall for a complete imbecile,” he said, and there was an unmistakable hint of fondness in his voice now and in his eyes, as they looked at Mal.

“That’s fair,” Elliott said.

“And you said you’d be on your best behavior,” Mal said, elbowing him.

Elliott just laughed. “I decided to shake things up a bit.”

“It was just the right amount of shaking up. I’m sorry, I do get too serious sometimes. It’s hard for me to relax. At work, it feels like every decision is life and death and I carry that with me, too often. I gave that tendency to Malcolm, too, unfortunately and I’m glad to see he’s got you, to, as you put it, shake things up for him.”

“I’m not,” Mal muttered under his breath. And Elliott knew he’d be in for it later—but only in the best, totally sexiest way.

“Yeah, you are,” Elliott said happily. “You totally are.” He kissed Mal noisily on the cheek and while Elliott couldn’t say the rest of the meal wascomfortable,necessarily, it lacked the awkward chilliness of the first part.

And when the time came to go, Anthony picking up the check, Elliott was happy to see that their hug was a trifle longer than the first, and when Mal pulled away, he wasnearlysmiling.

It wasn’t nearly enough, but it was something.

“Before you start in on the inevitable lecture, let’s get to your apartment first, so I can at least listen to it while staring at your naked body,” Elliott said, the moment they were out of Mal’s father’s hearing.

Mal sighed. He’d known something like this might happen—but to his astonishment it had actuallyhelped.

Maybe Elliott knew him—and therefore his father—a little too well.

“Oh, come on, Imostlybehaved,” Elliott teased.

“Mostly,” Mal said darkly, because that was less complicated than confessing the truth.

Thank you for getting both of us out of our own heads—and our own asses. Thank you for being a fucking beacon ofsparkling light even when I’m not. I hope you never, ever stop being you.

“You enjoyed it. I saw your smile.” Elliott nudged him, and there was more of that undeniable sparkle, dusted over Mal, like hedeservedit.

“I . . .I did. I . . .I kind of dread him showing up. And you made it better. Easier.”

“Alotbetter. Aloteasier,” Elliott retorted fondly.

It was hard to deny. “Yeah,” Mal agreed.

Elliott looked even more delighted. “So no lecture? I was looking forward to it.”

“You were not. You were looking forward to getting me naked,” Mal faux-grumbled—because how could he be annoyed that Elliott continued to want him with the same burning intensity that Mal felt?

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