Page 21 of Just Screwing Around

He had a box of goodies in one hand and coffee in the other. Just seeing him brought a smile to my face. He nodded at Derek, but once his eyes landed on me, they didn’t stray. I watched the way the long lines of his body moved, sculpted and honed from the hard work he did. Once he reached me, he put his boxes on the ground and pulled me to his chest.

“I wanted to talk to you about this tonight, but I guess now’s as good a time as any,” I said, breathing in the scent of him.

He laughed and I could feel the vibration through my chest. “I think I need to talk to Derek first.” He pulled away and walked towards my brother. Derek’s posture immediately stiffened, and I crossed my fingers that this would go better than every interaction they’d had over the last twenty years.

“I owe you a long overdue apology. One that doesn’t involve the wordsget over it.” Nick said.

Derek stood with his arms crossed over his chest for a long pause before his posture loosened. “I suppose I owe you the same.”

“I’m sorry I broke our pact way back then, and I’m more sorry that we kept it going for so long.”

“We did kind of fuck ourselves over if you think about it.”

I resisted the urge to throw my hands in the air, although that would be better than throttling the life out of both of them.

Nick rubbed at the back of his neck and his eyes darted to me before going back to Nick. “I, uh, I’ve been working on that townhouse complex that’s going in by the University. The deadline is pretty tight. If you have any guys who are looking for some work, I’d be happy to take them on. I shouldn’t have bid on it to begin with. Not with the size of my crew and the deadline they had.”

Derek ran a hand over his jaw. “We just finished up a big project and the materials won’t be in for the next one until late next week. I could let the guys know to give you a call.”

I wanted to scream,Was that so fucking hard?

I wouldn’t kid myself into thinking that twenty years of a pointless feud would end with a few words, but the fact that they were both willing to at least fake it to keep me happy was enough for now.

They both gave each other a manly nod and then Derek gestured over his shoulder. “I should get back to it then.”

Nick gave him a small wave and then turned his attention back to me. “So, falling for me, huh?”

I was sure I’d be blushing if he didn’t have such a huge smile on his face. He wrapped his arms around me and, like always, his hands went straight to my ass. “Can you really blame me? I mean, look at you.”

“I have looked at me. I’m a forty-year-old man, who doesn’t want kids and has been fighting with the same guy for two decades. I’m stubborn. I work too many hours and, until you moved in, all my dish towels had holes in them.”

I snorted a laugh against his chest.

“You’re starting a new business. You’re not afraid to try something new or laugh at yourself. You’re friendly and sweet and I just…Are you sure this is what you want?” His tone lost its usual teasing. When his eyes searched mine, I could see the insecurity there.

“Nick, the only way I’ve gotten through these last six weeks is because of you. We helped each other, leaned on each other and besides, you are very, very hot.”

He gave me a half smile. “And the kid thing? I know that is a deal breaker for a lot of people.”

“I’m almost forty and just starting my career. I’m renting a room and swimming in debt. In terms of life’s milestones, I am basically a twenty-year-old except that I use eye cream and I know what I want. It isn’t kids. It’s you.”

Things were still a mess. The truce between Derek and Nick may or may not last. I was up to my eyeballs in debt and looking at working some long hours. Nick’s townhouse project would take a miracle to pull off. Despite it all, I pulled his face to mine and kissed him long and deep. Whatever came our way I knew we’d figure it out. We made each other’s lives easier. We were partners against everything that came our way. It had taken us a long time to find each other and now that we had, nothing would tear us apart.

Epilogue - One Year Later

Nick

I will never get used to being woken up hours before the sun is even considering rising. This morning I don’t mind for two reasons. One, it is the one-year anniversary of the opening of Oh, Beans! and I had a present for Charlotte. Two, rather than being woken by an alarm clock I was coaxed from sleep by Charlotte’s very warm mouth wrapped around my dick.

Groggily, I spread my legs wider and threw the blankets off to give her better access. In the dark, I could just make out the shape of the woman I loved kneeling between my thighs. I grabbed her under the arms and pulled her up to kiss her. Morning breath and all, who cared? “Someone’s excited for her big day.”

“More than one someone,” she said, giving my half hard dick a slow tug. “Just thought we could work off some of my anxious energy before I get my ass to the bakery.”

“I’d love some time with your ass before then.” I rolled us so she was pinned beneath me and moved my lips to her neck, enjoying her sugar sweet smell and the little noises she made as I rutted against her. She was already naked, which was my favorite thing for her to wear, despite all the lace and silk she still tortured me with.

She hummed. “I love what you’re working toward, but I have to leave in like fifteen minutes. I’m looking for a little lessslow seductionand a little moreanimal in heat.”

This woman.

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