Page 67 of On Thin Ice

“Who says there’s a problem?” Finn asked.

“You saidyou’dlike it to be a date, but it’s not. Why isn’t it?”

“Dad, not everything’s a problem that you can fix.”

“Maybe not, but tell me anyway.”

Finn sighed. “He thinks he’s too old for me.”

There was a long drawn-out silence. Then, “How old is too old?”

“He’s uh . . .mid-thirties?”

“Well, I like him already,” Morgan said, and Finn had to bite his lip so he didn’t laugh. So that Morgan wouldn’t interrogate him about why that was so fucking hilarious.

“Why?”

“Because he’s notthatold, but he’s conscious of it. Doesn’t want to take advantage of you. Thoughtful. Makes me like him. If he’s putting you above getting off.”

“Dad.”

“Just saying.” Morgan didn’t sound regretful at all. “Sounds like a great guy, honestly. You should tell him how you feel.”

“I . . .” Well. He hadn’t because he’d been sure it was a bad idea. But now that he was no longer so convinced. . .now that he was thinking of what he really wanted, of just giving up the fight and going for it . . .

“With yourwords, Finn,” his dad said dryly.

“I’m pretty sure he’s aware.”

“Well, he cares about you, doesn’t he?”

Finn let out a huff of annoyance. “I don’t know why you’re askingmethat.”

“I think it’d take a strong man to know how you feel and care about you, in return, and do nothing.”

“Yeah, he’s a fucking boy scout,” Finn muttered.

“You know how to drive just about anyone ’round the bend, Finn.”

“That your way of saying wear the suit?”

Morgan’s attention sharpened. “Which suit?”

“The one I had made in London last year.” The one that fit him like a fucking glove, that made his shoulders broad and his hips narrow and hugged his thighs and ass like it had been made for them—which it had.

“You woke up today and chose murder, huh?” Morgan sounded delighted by this. “Youarea Reynolds.”

“That’s what my passport says, anyway,” Finn said. Normally a comment like that would fill him with bitterness, but not today.

Today, he was shockingly, ridiculously pleased that his father approved of his methods. Even if they were underhand. Frankly,moreprobably because theywereunderhand.

“You got this,” Morgan said encouragingly. “You want him? Don’t let him get away.”

Someday, if this actually all worked out . . .

If by some fucking miracle, he and Jacob figured their shit out,andif they got in deep enough that there was no way around finally telling Morgan, and if he didn’t immediately commit murder . . .

Well, that was a lot ofifs, but if they ever got to that place, Finn was going to remind Morgan of this conversation.

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