He’d told himself last night after he’d jerked off in the shower to the memory of Stone that he would steer clear of the man. As soon as he’d seen his truck parked in the diner’s lot, he should’ve pulled back onto the road. Ventured elsewhere.
Instead, he’d asked Stevie if she was hungry and pulled right in, not bothering to tell her that was Stone’s truck they’d parked next to.
Yeah, it was safe to say he was attracted to trouble.
“Reilly tells me you’re a landscape architect,” Stone said, looking at him once more.
Nico nodded, wondering whether or not he’d solicited that information from his sister or if she merely offered it. Or whythatmight possibly matter. Who cared if he asked around about him? So what? That weird swelling in his chest was probably nothing more than pre-indigestion. If it wasn’t a thing, well, it should be.
“I am,” Nico confirmed. “Stevie runs everything.”
Once again, Stone looked at Stevie, but Nico couldn’t read his expression. He looked somewhat forlorn. As though he’d spent all these years pining for the woman he’d left behind. Nico wouldn’t blame him if he had. Stevie was one of those people who was impossible not to think about. Very much like Stone.
At least for Nico, anyway.
The waitress delivered two cups of coffee in paper cups with lids, a small bowl with sugar packets, and another with little cups of cream before darting off.
Stone was still looking at Stevie. “You go that route, too? Landscape architect.”
When Stevie didn’t answer, Nico did for her. “She’s a botanist.”
“The study of … plant biology, right?”
Stevie nodded, continuing to spin the napkin-wrapped silverware on the table.
“But we both get our hands dirty,” Nico said. “We’re not above workin’ hard.”
Stone’s shoulders relaxed, and he leaned back, his fingers sliding on the side of his coffee cup. “Why should you be?”
Leave it to Stone to make him look like a defensive asshole. He wasn’t sure how to respond to that. He swore the other day he’d seen a hint of distaste in Stone’s gaze when he thought he was a landscaper. Which he was. Technically, he wore many hats when it came to business. As did Stevie.
“What about you?” Nico doctored his coffee, adding sugar. “You workin’?”
“Not at the moment.”
“Plans?”
Stone’s gaze shifted to the table, and he fidgeted with his coffee mug. “Thought I had some. Up in the air right now.”
“You gonna hit the road?”
Stone tilted his head. “That’s the second time you asked me that. You tryin’ to get me outta here?”
“No.”
Aaandhe might’ve saidthata little too quickly.
“You want me to stay?” Stone grinned, glancing between the two of them, and Nico felt that damn smirk on the head of his fucking dick. Damn, the man was potent.
“I didn’t say that.”
Stone’s shoulders tensed. “Is there somethin’ you’dliketo say?”
Nico lifted his coffee cup to his lips and locked eyes with Stone. There were a lot of things he’d like to say to this man. Most of which he hadn’t even thought about until the other day when he saw Stone for the first time after a decade and a half. Okay, fine. Maybe he’d reflected back on them a few times in the last fifteen years. But only briefly. Definitely not often.
Dammit.What the fuck am I doin’ here?
“Here you go,” the waitress said, depositing the to-go bag in front of Nico.
