I could come over for a bit before, though?
Oliver relaxed.
Get over here and get naked.
The only reply that came after that was a thumbs-up emoji.
Oliver flopped down on the couch. This would be good. He was surprisingly calm, in fact. Nick would come over, with his dark eyes and strong body, and there would be some casual fooling around. A great way to cap off a moderately successful night.
In his hand, the phone pinged. He expected another text from Nick. Instead, the little red circle had popped up, indicating he had a new email. When he swiped into the app, his heart skipped.
From: Cooper Parnell.
The subject line saidHey.
Oliver stared at it as his skin heated.
Cooper.
They hadn’t talked in over nine months. Not since the day Oliver moved his stuff out of their condo. Their plans, everything they had worked for—the shop, the freedom—all in flames, because Cooper had been too scared to let go. Oliver had been left holding the match with no way to save himself. They’d planned to quit their lives and move on to something new—together—and instead, Oliver was moving on alone.
Cooper stood in the hall—looking not nearly guilty enough by half—and wished him well, as Oliver flipped him off.
“I loved you so much. I did this for you.” His chest felt like it was going to burst, with too many feelings warring for precedence.
“I’m sorry, Ollie.”
That was the last time they’d spoken to each other.
Oliver deleted the email without reading it. Fuck him. Whatever it said, he didn’t want to hear.
He had Nick to look forward to.
8
Nick had the weirdest feeling of déjà vu as he walked up Oliver’s front steps. He was almost as nervous as the last time, even though, in the broadest sense at least, this time he knew what was going to happen.
He was still intimidated, too, as he stood at the door. Oliver’s shiny black SUV was parked in the driveway. A Porsche. Who needed a Porsche SUV? Was off-roading in Europe more sophisticated than in the US? Behind the gleaming black vehicle, Nick’s car was ready for scrap.
The front door swung open, and whatever Nick’s concerns were, Oliver was a perfect-looking man. If he was interested in getting naked with Nick, then Nick really would have to be a loser to turn him down.
“Hey!” Oliver’s eyes twinkled as he smiled. Where every single one of Nick’s muscles were tense, like he might still make a break for the car in a minute, everything about Oliver appeared loose. His arms hung at his sides, and his grin was easy.
“Hi.” Even Nick’s voice was strangled in his throat. Oliver stepped aside, and Nick crossed into the house.
“How are you doing?” Oliver asked as he closed the door.
“Fine. Quiet day at home. Nothing special. You?” Nick had to fight not to twitch or scratch at his scalp nervously.
“Great. I had a great night. There was a workshop at the store. My brother was an asshole at first, but . . .” Oliver’s grin spread. “Sorry. Nothing personal, right?”
“Nothing personal.”
“Do you want a drink?” Oliver led him up the hall. “Sparkling water again? Or I’ve got this new recipe I’m trying out for the store. You could be my guinea pig. It’s an immune system booster. It’s got hibiscus and . . .” He paused and bit his lip with a grin. Heat smouldered behind Nick’s ears and spread down the back of his neck in response. “Is that still personal? You’re here and I’m still working.”
“It’s . . .” Nick glanced around the immaculate house. The more Oliver kept talking, the more being here seemed like a bad idea. Nick wasn’t cut out for this. Small talk without disclosing anything personal? He was screwed, and not in the way he’d been promised. “We need a code word.”
Oliver’s blue eyes danced. “A code word?”
