He snorted, shook his head, and opened up the door, reaching for Ryder’s hand, and he got a warm press of fingers and palm for his trouble.
“I will support you one hundred percent.” Race gave him a tired smile and offered Ryder a jerk of the chin. “I know I’ve been sleeping for hours, but I think I’m gonna go back and nap a little more. I just can’t seem to get my brain into functional mode.”
Ryder squeezed his hand and nodded at Race. “It’s sucky to be tranqed, man. Your body just doesn’t want to wake up, and your brain thinks it’s being sucked dry.”
“I see you know this feeling.” Race chuckled. “I love you, bro.”
“I love you too.” Nolan waited for Race to wander back into the bedroom before he towed Ryder off to the big suite, because he didn’t want to get interrupted again.
The urge had faded some, but it was still there, deep and quiet, and he knew it wouldn’t take any time to make it bloom into a full flame again.
Ryder’s soft chuffing followed him. He wasn’t laughing; he was just loving and interested. Nolan could tell the difference.
Once they got the door closed on the bedroom, Ryder pulled him in, letting him lean. “Are you okay?”
He shook his head, then shrugged. “Yeah, yeah, he wants me to take it easy. To slow down with you.”
“That’s probably smart.”
“Shut up.” He pinched Ryder’s nipple. “You’re supposed to say no, I don’t want you to go. Stay here because I am staying here.”
“Well, I didn’t want to be an asshole.”
“I already know you aren’t an asshole.” He kissed Ryder’s cheek. “He’s just worried about me.”
“He’s a brother, so he’s allowed, I guess.”
“Still, I’m not interested in fighting about it or discussing it or anything. I just want to breathe. In here. With you. With the door locked.”
Ryder chuffed at him. “Is that all?”
He pinched again, more gentle this time. “No. I also want nakedness and covers and snuggling. Lots of snuggling.”
“Is that what we’re calling it now? ‘Snuggling’?” Ryder gave a bright glancing grin and Nolan reached out to give out another titty twister.
“Oh no.” Ryder caught his wrist. “No, no, no. No more of that unless it’s for fun.”
“Ithink it’s fun.” Nolan grinned right back, loving how open and happy Ryder was. His ex had never smiled, had never treated him like he was anything but a possession.
How could he not know?
Ryder was the most perfect bear ever, and this was not a rebound thing. In order for there to be a rebound, one had to have been invested in the relationship they were in before.
Race would figure that out. He knew Race understood that these brothers were safe and important in their lives. He just didn’t know how deep Nolan was in already.
He started working on Ryder’s clothes, not really sure he wanted to get busy anymore because that was a little bit gone as far as the mood was concerned. But he definitely wanted skin on skin and to get into that big bed.
Ryder reached up to stroke his bottom lip with the pad of his thumb. “You know the bed is reinforced, and so is the floor. We could always just get our bear on and have a nap together.”
His heart thumped because that was the perfect answer. “I’d love that. Not that I wouldn’t have sexy times with you, because I would any day, but Race sort of took the wind out of my sails.”
“I know, mate, and that’s fine. I would never force you to do anything or push you even to do something you’re not willing to do.”
“I believe you.” Nolan started stripping off clothes because snuggling in bear form sounded great. At some point they would have to discuss what to do if Herschel showed up now that the cameras had absolutely determined this was where Nolan was, and he knew Race and Rye’s brothers would have to be in on that discussion because it affected all of them right now.
He just wanted to hide.
“Come on. Let’s just get fuzzy.”
