“Thank you. For telling me the truth. Or, well, for not lying when Angelo already spilled it.”
He laughed, and the sound was warm and genuine. “You’re welcome. Just don’t tell anyone, okay?”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
We stood there on the porch as the sun finished setting, the valley growing dark around us. And for the first time since this whole mess started, I felt like maybe we were going to figure this out after all.
Chapter 17
Nick
There was still lots of Evelyn’s casserole left over from the night before, so there was no reason to cook. Dinner passed in silence for the most part. But it was a comfortable silence, not the tension-filled quiet like it had been before. It was almost like a veil had lifted between Dante and I. Honesty had paved the way for comfort. All it took was another point of view to show me the way.
But there was a new tension in the air, a sort ofhungerthat I could taste. There was a magnetism between us, invisible but always at work. And I knew, deep down in my gut, that I wouldn’t be able to resist it forever. In fact, with every passing moment, I felt myself being drawn closer to him.
After we finished eating, I helped Dante to his feet. His ribs were healing well, but he still moved carefully, wincing when he twisted wrong. I found myself standing closer than necessary, my hand lingering on his arm longer than it needed to.
“You okay?” I asked, my voice coming out rougher than I’d intended.
“Yeah.” His dark eyes met mine, and I saw that same hunger reflected there. “Better than okay, actually.”
I should’ve stepped back. Should’ve put some distance between us. But instead, I found my hand sliding from his arm to his waist, fingers splaying against his hip.
“Nick,” he breathed, and the way he said my name sent heat pooling low in my belly.
“We should probably get to bed,” I said, but I wasn’t moving away. If anything, I was leaning closer. “Another early day tomorrow.”
“Probably.” His hand came up to rest on my chest, right over my hammering heart. “Lead the way.”
Reluctantly, I headed for the bedroom, Dante trailing behind me. I made sure he had a glass of water and his medication on the bedside table before excusing myself for a quick shower. I didn’t want to crawl into bed still covered in sweat and dirt from a long days work. However, I didn’t spend a lot of time under the hot spray. To be honest, I was too eager to get back to Dante.
I walked out in just my towel, water still dripping from my hair. Dante’s eyes were on me again, his gaze raking over my body as he took me in. I couldn’t deny that it thrilled me. My face and chest flushed with heat every time I caught him staring. And my cock was far from soft.
I dried off quickly, pulling on a pair of clean boxer briefs as quickly as I could. My heart was pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears. This was it. Whatever was happening between us, we were crossing another line tonight. I could feel it.
When I turned around, Dante was already in bed, shirtless, the white bandage around his ribs stark against his tanned skin. He’d propped himself up against the pillows, and his eyes tracked my every movement as I crossed the room from the closet.
“You know,” he said, his voice low, “you don’t have to wear those if you don’t want to.”
I paused at the edge of the bed, my hand going to the waistband of my boxers. “What?”
“I always sleep naked,” he continued, and I could see the heat in his eyes intensifying while he tried to play it cool. “It’s more comfortable. But I’ve been wearing clothes because I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
My mouth went dry. The image of Dante naked beside me every night, his body warm and bare under the sheets, sent a rush of desire through me so intense it almost made me dizzy.
“I...” I swallowed hard. “I usually sleep naked too, actually. Before all this.”
“Yeah?” His lips curved into a slow smile. “Then why don’t you?”
It was a challenge. An invitation. And I found myself wanting to accept it more than I’d wanted anything in a long time.
“Okay,” I heard myself say. “If you’re sure.”
“I’m sure.” He shifted slightly, wincing as the movement pulled at his ribs. “Very sure.”
I hooked my thumbs in the waistband of my boxers, my heart racing. This felt different from that night when I’d touched him, when we’d gotten each other off in the dark. This felt deliberate. Intentional. Like we were both acknowledging what we wanted instead of pretending it was an accident.
I pushed the fabric down and stepped out of it, standing there completely bare in the lamplight. Dante’s eyes roamed over me, taking in every inch, and I felt my cock start to harden once more under his gaze.
