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Ash shook his head. There was no need to thank him. Cass was the amazing man here. Every single moment they’d spent together, Cass had been there, present and thoughtful and kind, always anticipating what Ash needed, always making Ash feel special and important, like he cared.

He was easily the sweetest, kindest, most understanding person Ash had ever met. And he was funny and smart, and god, he was handsome, too.

Everything, really. He was everything.

Ash closed his eyes and ducked his chin. “We should probably go inside? I hope Bri was good for your parents.”

“I’m sure she was a perfect angel.”

They unloaded the suitcases into the garage (Cass promised he’d take care of them tomorrow), and then Cass carried the cooler in one hand and held Ash’s hand with his other as they headed up the walkway to the front door. The light was on in the living room, dimmed by the curtains covering the front windows, but the porch was brightly lit, and when they paused at the door, Cass set down the cooler and turned to face Ash fully. In the light, Ash could clearly see every emotion dancing across Cass’s face—joy and adoration, hope and happiness. His optimism and positivity were beautiful things that somehow gave Ash strength.

Ash smiled softly and lifted both hands to frame Cass’s face. The roughness of the thin stubble from Cass’s beard was suddenly arousing as hell, although Ash had barely noticed it earlier. He swallowed hard and watched as his fingers ran across Cass’s skin. Then he bit at his lower lip and raised his eyes to meet Cass’s.

Everything he was feeling was reflected there.

He released a shuddering breath and cleared his throat. “Thank you again for tonight. It was amazing.”

Cass nodded in agreement, and they silently came together in another kiss that deepened briefly. He smiled into it, which made Cass smile, and then they kissed one more time. When they finally separated, they didn’t go far. Cass leaned forward slightly so their foreheads touched, and his hands settled low on Ash’s back, at that spot just below his waist. Ash closed his eyes and sighed.

For a fleeting second, he wondered if maybe the night didn’t have to end quite yet. He imagined Cass taking his hand, leading them silently into Cass’s room, closing the door behind them. Then he imagined Cass’s fingers inching up under his sweater, teasing along his skin. He imagined Cass gently lowering him onto the bed, settling on top of him, kissing his lips and then tracing a path down his throat. All while Cass’s hands—

A warm breath brushed against his cheek. “Mmm, ready to go in?”

Ash almost laughed. “Not really,” he admitted, lifting his chin. Cass’s amused eyes stared back at him.

“Not really?”

Ash dropped his gaze to where his hands rested on Cass’s chest, and that whole imagined scenario replayed in his mind, only this time, it was him leading them into the bedroom, him sneaking his fingers under Cass’s clothes, him crawling on top of Cass and kissing a trail along the smooth, hot skin of Cass’s neck.

He sucked in a breath and watched as his hands dipped lower to settle on Cass’s stomach. The thick material of Cass’s sweater prevented the closeness his body was nearly screaming for.

And maybe that was a good thing.

He wasn’t ready for that type of intimacy yet, anyway. Was he?

Cass swallowed hard, and his hands pressed gently but firmly into Ash’s lower back, bringing their hips closer together. “Ash . . .”

He closed his eyes and shook his head. No. No, he definitely wasn’t ready for that yet.

“Yeah, we should go inside now,” he said quietly, and even though he believed his words, he could hear the reluctance in his voice. He shook his head again. “Sorry.”

“What? No, no, no. Hey, look at me.” Cass’s hand touched his cheek, and Ash frowned but lifted his chin to see Cass’s kind eyes smiling softly at him. “I had the best time tonight. The whole day, actually. It was all perfect. And this, too”—Cass’s thumb traced Ash’s cheekbone—“is just perfect.” He tipped his head forward again to rest against Ash’s. “Please believe me when I say that while I’d be happy for, uh, more . . . I really have no expectations in terms of any type of timeline regarding, uh, intimacy. Honestly.” With a quiet, almost self-deprecating laugh, he said, “I’m a very patient man, and the last thing I expected tonight was to take you to bed . . .”

His last words trailed off like he was almost uncomfortable saying them, and that made everything Ash was thinking and feeling seem a little less awkward. Still, his cheeks heated up as he bit his lip and then said, “I was thinking about it, though.” He quickly shook his head. “I’m not—I’m definitely not ready yet. But I . . . sorta wish I was, you know?”

Cass closed his eyes like maybe he wished Ash was, too, but when he looked at Ash again, all Ash saw was understanding, kindness, and hope. Cass leaned in and barely grazed Ash’s lips in a teasing, soft kiss as his hand slid down Ash’s shoulder to his elbow. “I can wait,” Cass said.

The conviction in his voice made it clear Ash could believe him.

Cass tipped his head toward the house, gave Ash one more smile, and then picked up the cooler, pulled his keys out of his pocket, and unlocked the door. He motioned Ash in ahead of him, and as Ash stepped into the entryway, warm air welcomed him. His eyes were immediately drawn into the living room, and his stomach dropped.

Cass’s dad was sitting on the couch with Bri sprawled out on top of him, her head resting on his shoulder and her eyes closed in sleep. Ollie the Octopus sat on the cushion next to them.

Robert lifted his free hand and gave Ash a small wave. “Welcome back,” he said quietly.

Ash grimaced and started over into the living room, a lead weight settling in his gut. “I’m so, so sorry, did she keep you up? She’s usually so good at just sleeping, and I didn’t think—”

Robert shook his head. “Nah, she was great. She woke up about an hour ago and was worried that you were gone. We read a book”—he motioned to the coffee table in front of him, where one of Bri’s board books sat—“and she fell right back to sleep. To tell you the truth, I was pretty darn comfortable out here myself, and I didn’t want to get up and try to put her back in the crib.”