Page 136 of The Long Game

Jack arched a dubious eyebrow. “For real? How much?”

Ten minutes later, Garrick’s truck was the first in a caravan of vehicles headed toward Jack’s place. Barnaby and Travis were in the second car so Barnaby could get right into Jack’s bedroom and “pack up” certain areas, like his bedside table, before anyone else could. He’d promised not to look while doing it. And bringing up the rear of the parade of ridiculous people Jack loved was Jack’s own truck, driven by Rhian, and loaded with empty boxes and furniture blankets.

Jack’s mother sat on the couch with Fiona and a bottle, happily humming while the baby wolfed down the bottle Savannah had heated up. Hannah sat beside Jack’s mom and Savannah, stroking Fiona’s foot and looking a little terrified.

Which, Jack figured, made two of them. Well, three of them, since Jack had heard Grady request Rhian send along all his parenting book recommendations in a quiet but panicky voice.

They had this, though. A little fear seemed appropriate in the face of a baby due in mere months, but Jack was confident they could do whatever would need to be done. That they could love these three kids and a baby and each other. He was determined this family would thrive.

Grady bumped his hip against Jack’s, and Jack immediately reached for his hand.

“You sure you’re ready to move in today?”

“I wouldn’t have given Garrick my keys if I wasn’t.”

“He kind of railroaded you into it,” Grady observed.

Jack grinned, feeling mighty smug. “I didn’t have to make that bet.”

“You didn’t, did you?” There was a beat of silence, then Grady’s smile widened. “Did you just double-dog-dare your friend into packing up your shit and moving it?”

“I did,” Jack said with an incredulous but joyous laugh. “And hefellfor it.”

26

Grady navigated the boxes stacked against the walls and along the side of the island, making his way from what Colton had dubbed “the kids’ wing” to his own grown-up bedroom on the other side of the house. He knew for a fact that Garrick didn’t need the one hundred dollars he’d bet Jack, but he’d earned it, successfully moving everything Jack owned, including the contents of his storage unit in the basement of his building, to Grady’s new apartment.

Totheirnew apartment.

Hell, to Colton, Sam, Hannah, and the baby’s new apartment.

It was hard to fathom that, a few weeks ago, he’d been living alone in a boring bachelor pad, his only decoration his free weights.

He wondered where those had ended up as he couldn’t remember seeing them. Shrugging, he made a mental note to look for them the next day. He was in no position to move them, let alone decide where they should go. Jack would probably know where they were and where they should be.

With a last detour to turn off all the lights but the one over the sink in case anyone needed a glass of water in the middle of the night, he slipped through the door to his—their—bedroom.

He expected Jack to be curled up in bed, possibly even asleep after the long day, but he was standing in the middle of the room, wearing only a tight, white undershirt and pair of dark blue underwear that gave new meaning to the wordbriefs.

Grady’s dick thought he was still fifteen, the shift in the flow of blood from his brain to his cock so fast he felt lightheaded.

Thank god Alexei and Mike had put up the blinds and Jack had closed them. It created an intimate space of low light and textile walls, and the neighbors didn’t get a free show. With them up, this room would be a fishbowl, even with only the light of the one small bedside lamp Jack had left on.

Jack shifted on his bare feet nervously. “I want to show you something.”

Grady waggled his eyebrows. “I thought I’d seen it all—not that I’m complaining about another opportunity to do a thorough study.”

Jack huffed, his blush visible even in the low light. “Not that…” He seemed to reconsider his words, then huffed again. “Okay,that, but there’s more to it than you’ve seen.”

Grady was thoroughly intrigued. “It still stands that you can show me anything, Jack. Tell me anything. I want to listen. I want to hear it.”

Jack shook his head. “You say the most terrifying things.”

“Good terrifying, I hope?” Grady asked, trying not to cringe.

Jack laughed. “Yes, good terrifying. Who knew that was possible?”

Not Grady, but he was relieved to hear it was. He didn’twantto scare Jack, but if telling him how much he meant to Grady, how much he loved him, did that, then he could only hope Jack would get used to it over time.

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