“I can’t think of anything I’d enjoy more at the moment,” Soren deadpanned.
Later that afternoon, Soren chopped veggies in Toby’s kitchen and clicked the volume button on his phone a couple of times. Jimmy Buffett couldn’t compete with the bassline of Toby’s death metal du jour, though.
He grinned thinking about Toby in his room pounding the hell out of his heavy bag. Maybe it was problematic. Maybe a normal guy would’ve worried about Toby having disappeared in there right after they’d gotten back from Soren signing a lease on an apartment.
He frowned. Maybe heshouldbe concerned.
Nah. Considering they were both about as far from normal as it got, Soren figured he shouldn’t use standard relationship barometers, especially since he wasn’t even sure what the fuck those were in the first place. Toby probably knew. He was also probably as clueless about how to apply them as Soren was.
Once he finished with the vegetables, he headed down the hallway with a quick pause at the front door for a package that had been dropped off.
Soren hesitated outside Toby’s rage room, then knocked twice before trying the knob. Unlocked. That was different, too. That increasingly familiar warm feeling spread inside him as he poked his head into the room.
Toby glanced over his shoulder and immediately reached for a remote, turning the music down.
“I’m gonna put the steaks on the grill in a second, along with some veggies,” Soren said. “You think you’ll be finished up in about a half hour or should I wait? Also, I’ve got a trusted friend of mine looking on location info for the old patient you want to do next. He’s gonna get back to me. I figured we could go over that info together and make a plan?”
Soren waited. Sometimes, it took Toby a second to come back to the present.
The rabbit-in-headlights look disappeared from Toby’s eyes, and then he nodded, albeit distractedly. “Sure. I’ll be about another half hour here and…” He shook his head before another one of those slow blooming smiles caught hold of the corners of his mouth.
Soren watched it spread. “You’re thinking about how weird it is to talk about grilling steaks and murder all in one breath, aren’t you?”
“I’m thinking about how much I like it, to be honest.”
“Good.” Soren grinned and then inclined his chin toward the wraps Toby had on his hands. “You ever hit someone in the face for real? I mean aside from Rocky? That was sexy as hell, by the way.”
“No. I’ve fantasized about it plenty, though.”
“Take those wraps off.” Soren stepped deeper into the room and shut the door behind him. “You know, I’m starting to really like those skeptical glances you give me. They’re kinda a turn on.”
Toby’s lips quirked. “Many things are a turn on for you.”
“Fact.”
After a beat, Toby began unwrapping his hands. “Why am I doing this?”
“Because you’re gonna hit me in the face.”
Toby barked out a laugh. “I can’t do that.”
“Of course, you can. You should know what the real thing feels like.”
“This is ridiculous.”
“Stop thinking and just do it. I’ll be fine. You know how people joke about being hit in the head with a two by four before? Well, I actually have, and it fucking hurt. This is nothing.Go for it.” Soren gestured impatiently.
After a long, drawn out pause, Toby stepped forward in a blur of motion.
Pain exploded at Soren’s jaw and seared across his cheek. He hissed out a curse as his hand flew up, rubbing his jaw, though he only seemed to succeed at spreading the pain. “Goddamn, you’ve got a solid swing.”
Toby had gone wide-eyed. His mouth opened and shut a few times before he grit his teeth and inhaled slowly with a shake of his head. “I don’t like that. I don’t like…” He inhaled slowly again. “I don’t like causing you pain.” He tapped his jaw. “Do it to me back.”
Soren chuckled. “No way.”
“Shouldn’t I know what it feels like to be hit?”
Soren’s laughter ebbed, and after another considering glance at Toby’s steely eyes, sent his fist flying toward his face, shifting at the last second so that the blow glanced off the other man’s jaw. It was still enough to snap his head back and make him wince.
