Page 77 of A Simple Mistake
Jack had been rolling putty between his palms.He set it aside, stood, and stepped so close to Gareth, their chests touched.“We may get sidetracked by disasters now and then, but I’ll always make time for you.”
Gareth’s shiver was all sorts of sexy.
“Then come and take a break,” he said, voice rough, wrapping his arms around Jack.
“Yeah?What’s this break entail?”Jack wanted to push Gareth against the nearest wall and kiss him silly before going to his knees.They hadn’t done that in the shower last night, and having the house to themselves gave him ideas.But the smell of heavy-duty cleaner, damp plaster, and putty reminded him now was not the time.Or at the very least, the half-finished hallway was not the place for that kind of entertainment.
“Me, showing you something,” Gareth said with a smirk, and Jack had to backtrack to remember the question.“There’s food, too, if you want it.”
“Of course I want.”He answered by rote, unsure whether food or Gareth dominated his desires, and followed his man up the stairs.
Gareth led him not to their bedroom, but to his study where a tray of sushi and sashimi and his latest sake set dominated the centre of Gareth’s desk, alongside dishes of wasabi, ginger, and soy sauce.
“I never cooked you a proper birthday dinner when you deserve that and more,” Gareth said and waved Jack into a chair.
Jack sat, confused by the sudden colour in Gareth’s cheeks.What could be embarrassing about fabulous food?He perused the feast, looked up… and started laughing.“Bare feet,” he snorted, intrigued to see himself mid-practice, but far more interested in Gareth’s reactions.“Bare feet every time.Are we in fetish territory yet?”
“No.”Gareth poured sake for them both and handed Jack a cup.“Happy birthday.I’ve had fantasies of bending you over my desk, but since Conrad could bring the boys back at any moment, we’ll have to stick to lunch.”
The Brave Kind of Broken
“Imadeyoucoffee.”Nico stood in the open door as if he’d never set foot inside Jack’s den.He held Jack’s largest coffee mug and the aroma wafting into the room told Jack what it held.
“Much appreciated.”Stepping away from a hunt to work on something around the house was as natural to Jack as ferreting around online while paint or plaster dried.He’d spent the Sunday morning painting the back hallway before wandering upstairs to check on the search he’d started after quizzing Daniel about feeling watched.
They all tiptoed around each other as if invisible hazards littered their paths, but at least Daniel and Nico were home, and Daniel’s nightmares had taken a step back and let him sleep for a few hours in a row.
Jack laced his hands together and stretched his arms towards the ceiling, groaning in relief when his spine cracked.Despite the ergonomic setup he’d taken so much time over, sitting for hours in one position wasn’t doing his back or neck any favours.
Nico handed the mug over as soon as Jack had straightened his back out and Jack inhaled the fragrant steam and took a first careful sip while Nico curled into a corner of the sofa.
“Are you okay?”Jack asked as he set his mug down.
“I don’t know.You said I needed to get used to doing lots of jobs in parallel, but my head’s still all in a tangle.”
“With everything going on right now, I’m not surprised.Let’s see.What’s tangled?”
“Mrs McTavish,” Nico counted subjects off on his fingers.“Manville.The break-in.Daniel.Aidan saying that we don’t need to bring proof, just evidence of a problem, and that a hunch or bad feeling is evidence enough.It goes on and on.”
“Thatisa lot.”
“Right?I can’t work on all these things at once.How do I know what’s important?”
“Who screams loudest?”Jack pulled a face to show Nico it was meant as a joke, even though it often wasn’t.He sipped coffee to give himself thinking time and Nico didn’t interrupt.“Tell me about Daniel.I noticed you’re a bit cagey with each other.Are you arguing?”
Nico shook his head.“I went with him to Aidan’s, and I kept his secret.Mostly.But he doesn’t want me to watch out for him,” he said, sounding lost.“Even when I can see he’s scared.”
“Ah.”Jack pushed out of his chair and settled himself beside Nico on the couch.It said much about Nico’s state of mind that he curled into Jack as soon as Jack wrapped an arm around him.“Daniel is protecting you,” he said.
“What?”Nico tried to straighten, tried to argue, but Jack held him firm.
“Let me explain, okay?I assume you’ve told him you want to hunt with me?”
Nico nodded.
“Daniel knows better than anyone what that means, and he’s afraid what it will do to you.He didn’t tell Gareth about feeling watched, because he didn’t want to worry him.How do you think he’ll feel about you deliberately putting yourself in harm’s way?”
“But it’s important.And you won’t let me go anywhere dangerous.”
