“Yeah, we’ll see if you’re still saying that in the morning when you get hard from seeing me walk funny from taking your monster cock all night,” Luke quipped. God, when had sex beenfunbefore?
Luke stretched,cataloging the pleasant aches that reminded him of the night before. The bed beside him was empty but still warm, and he could hear Noah moving around downstairs. It would be so easy to get used to this—waking up in Noah’s bed, sharing quiet morning moments before the world intruded.
Too easy.
Luke forced himself up, knowing they needed to get moving before everyone arrived unless he wanted to field uncomfortable questions from his friends. It was unlikely he’d fool anyone if he said he and Noah were just friends, but he’d rather not face an interrogation in front of Noah’s ex-wife and son.
He found Noah in the kitchen, hair still damp from his shower, wearing one of Luke’s old T-shirts he’d left here earlier in the week. The sight hit Luke like a physical blow—domestic and intimate in a way that made his chest tight. “Nice shirt. Is that your way of saying you need to come over to my place to use the washer and dryer?”
“Morning.” Noah handed him coffee without looking, already knowing how he took it. “And possibly. By the way, Keaton’s here early. He’s checking the roof access from the outside.”
Shit.
“Of course he is.” Luke accepted the cup, careful not to let their fingers brush. He needed space, needed to get his head straight before?—
The front door burst open, Eli’s voice carrying through the house. “Dad! Mr. Luke! We’re home!”
Luke jerked away from Noah as Eli bounded into the kitchen, Jenna following at a more sedate pace. Her knowing look took in Luke’s presence, Noah’s borrowed shirt, the intimate tableau they presented.
“Well,” she said mildly, “this is cozy.”
“Mr. Luke!” Eli launched himself at Luke, who caught him automatically. A pit formed in Luke’s stomach at the realization he’d sailed right past his dad into Luke’s arms. “Did you fix my room? Did you find any treasure? Mom says old houses sometimes have secret passages!”
Luke’s arms tightened around the boy, even as panic clawed at his throat. This was exactly what Noah was afraid of—Eli’s easy acceptance, his unguarded affection, the way he fit into their lives like he belonged there.
“Still working on it, buddy.” Luke set Eli down carefully, noting how the boy immediately moved to show Noah something from his backpack. The casual familiarity of it all—father and son reuniting while Luke watched from the periphery—madesomething in his chest ache. “It wouldn’t have been any fun if I found cool stuff while you were gone, though, right?”
“I s’pose,” he muttered over his shoulder before telling Noah all about the fun he’d had with Jenna and her parents.
“Luke!” Keaton’s voice carried from outside. “Need your eyes on something up here!”
It was really saying something that he’d rather face Keaton’s inquisition than stick around as the third—fourth?—wheel in the kitchen. Jenna and Noah probably needed time to talk, and his place wasn’t anywhere in the middle of that.
“Duty calls.” Luke escaped to the porch, ignoring Jenna’s raised eyebrow and Noah’s concerned glance. The morning air felt cool against his heated skin as he climbed the ladder to where Keaton waited.
“So,” Keaton said once Luke reached him, “want to tell me what’s going on?”
“Just checking the roof damage.” Luke busied himself examining shingles, pretending he couldn’t feel Keaton’s knowing gaze.
“Right. And it has nothing to do with you wearing yesterday’s clothes or the way Noah now looks at you like you hung the moon?” Keaton laughed when Luke flipped him off. “I’m just saying, if you don’t want everyone knowing the two of you are bumping uglies, maybe him wearing one of your shirts isn’t the best idea.”
Luke’s hands stilled on the roofing materials. “Don’t. Seriously. I know you think it’s funny, but don’t fuck this up for me.”
“Luke.” Keaton’s voice gentled. “I’ve known you since we were kids. I’ve seen you run from every possibility of something real. But this? Your sisters are going to lose their minds when they realize the playboy is ready to start playing house.”
“It’s not—” Luke stopped, frustrated. Because it was different. Everything about Noah and Eli was different. “I can’t mess this up, Keaton. There’s a kid involved, and he doesn’t know I’m anything more than the fix-it guy who’s had dinner here a couple of times and is maybe friends with his dad.”
“Yeah, a kid who already adores you.” Keaton gestured toward the yard, where Eli was showing Noah his zoo souvenirs. “And a man who looks at you like you’re everything he never knew he wanted. So what are you really afraid of?”
Before Luke could answer, more vehicles pulled up. Finn emerged from his sensible sedan, followed by Megan’s husband Drew in his pickup truck loaded with materials. The cavalry had arrived, ready to help put this house—and maybe these lives—back together.
The following hours passed in a blur of activity. Luke directed repairs, assigned tasks, and tried to maintain some semblance of professional distance. But he kept finding his attention drawn to Noah and Eli, how they moved through the chaos together, naturally including Luke in their conversations, the easy affection between them that seemed to have space for one more.
“Uncle Luke!” Eli called from where he was “helping” Drew measure trim. “Emma and Livy said you buy pizza when you’re working on their house. Can we have pizza for lunch?”
Luke’s breath caught.Uncle Luke. The title slipped out naturally like Eli had just been waiting for permission to use it. Across the room, Noah’s eyes met his, soft with something Luke wasn’t ready to name. God, that just complicated things even further. He knew Eli had likely picked it up while hanging out with his nieces, but was that the role he saw Luke filling in his life?
“Sure, buddy.” Luke’s voice came out rough. “Whatever you want.”
