“Fresh fish?” Sawyer asked. “Speaking of, where’s the best spot to throw a line in? Any luck off the pier?”
Fray’s grin became wicked. “Nah. Out of the bay and up the river.”
What the hell, Fray?
Thankfully Sawyer didn’t see the daggers Ciaran was eyeballing Fray with.
“Really best to go overnight, though,” Fray added, nodding wisely. “There’s a hut you can camp in.”
Ciaran was now seriously going to kill his best friend. What the actual fuck?
Sawyer looked between them. “A hut?”
“Yeah,” Fray added. “You’d be best to go with one of us, though.”
Ciaran had to swallow the hiss that threatened to escape him.
“Ciaran’s the expert,” Fray added, as if this was his entire plan all along. “He’ll take you.”
Sawyer’s gaze went to Ciaran’s, and he swore he saw a flash of surprise and excitement in his eyes. Maybe a dash of fear.... “Oh, I don’t want to be any trouble.”
“Nonsense,” Fray said. “Tobin’s not back yet, so he can’t get any orders shipped off. He’s totally free.”
Yep. Ciaran was going to kill him.
Or maybe thank him. He wasn’t sure which yet.
Sawyer was still looking at Ciaran, waiting for some kind of answer. When Ciaran still hadn’t found the right thing to say, Sawyer’s face fell. “It’s fine,” he said. “I can go fishing anywhere along the bay. On the other side of the pier, perhaps. Away from the boats. Not that there’s many boats?—”
“I’ll take you,” Ciaran said before he could lose the nerve or second-guess himself. Or let common sense prevail.
This is a bad, bad idea....
“Just let me make some calls,” he added, shaking his head at himself. “See when Tobin will be back.”
Sawyer’s eyebrows almost met his hairline. “Oh.”
Then so help Ciaran, Sawyer’s cheeks flushed pink. Ciaran had to grip the counter between them to stop himself from clearing the counter, wrapping Sawyer up in his arms, and kissing him.
Then, of course, to make it all so much worse, Sawyer smiled directly at him. Smiledforhim. “Okay. Sounds good. Let me know when it suits. I’m good to go pretty much whenever.”
Ciaran stood there as Sawyer walked out, only exhaling when he was gone. His hearts were hammering—that damn smile, that god-fucking-damn smile—and Ciaran finally drew his eyes over to Fray.
Fray was grinning at him. “You are so fucking welcome.”
Chapter
Eleven
SAWYER
Sawyer was confused.
Actually, Sawyer was a lot of things. Confused, excited, wary, nervous, and a little turned on. But mostly he was confused.
Sawyer could read people easily enough.... Well, people other than Ciaran Brenner.
Fraser—or Fray, as he was called—was clearly trying to push Sawyer and Ciaran into some alone time. He absolutely threw Ciaran under the bus, and Sawyer didn’t miss the way Ciaran was death-staring at Fray.
