Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 87067 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 435(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87067 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 435(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
Shit, the last thing he needed was to actually cry in front of his parents. He couldn’t remember the last time he had—but he had a feeling he might once Cole was gone.
Belinda walked up to him and touched his arm, her blue eyes full of concern. “I think you should ask him to stay.”
“I did, Mom.” But Cole still hadn’t answered. “He has a whole life in Ohio. What would make him want to give that up and move to a ranch in the middle of Texas?”
“I don’t know…maybe you?” Belinda grinned at him. “I’ve seen the way that man looks at you, and I expect you’ll get the answer you’re looking for.”
He finished making the marinade. “Steaks in the fridge?”
Jesse pulled them out and helped JB get them into the savory liquid. “Your mom’s right. What can it hurt? Ask him again. You’re in love with the man, aren’t you?”
JB didn’t answer that. Of course he was. They clicked in a way he’d never experienced—not even with Noah. His hands shook a little, and he hurriedly walked to the sink to wash them again so his parents wouldn’t notice.
He knew they wanted him to be happy. Hell, he wanted to be happy. And what would make that happen was having Cole. Maybe it couldn’t hurt to ask again. Talk it out with him. He could be a charming, persuasive guy when he set his mind to it.
With that idea in mind, he turned to his parents. “I’m going to ask him again.”
Belinda’s smile was blinding. “You go get him, son.”
JB strode out of the house and crossed to the guest house. He stopped at the door and rubbed his suddenly sweaty palms on his jeans. This was ridiculous. Worse than asking freaking Billy Conway for that stupid kiss.
Taking a deep breath, he walked inside but didn’t see Cole at the computer—which was still all set up. Definitely a good sign to see all that shiny tech gear sitting on the desk in the den.
He went down the short hallway to find Cole looking out of the window in the guest room. He wore jeans and a red T-shirt that had quickly become one of JB’s favorites during the time Cole had been living with him. The color wasn’t bad on him, but they might have stretched the collar out a little in one of their attempts to get each other undressed.
JB took a few steps toward him. Cole turned to him, and there was something in his expression that made JB wonder if his leaving was hurting him as well.
JB cleared his throat. “Noah and the others say they’re leaving tomorrow. We thought we’d have a big cookout tonight, show them a Texas welcome.”
“That sounds great. They’d love that. Are you making your marinade?”
“Already done.” He glanced at the bed, expecting to see Cole’s suitcase, his damn nerves wreaking havoc in his chest. But the bed was empty. “Do you need to do some laundry or something to get ready to leave?”
Cole silently stared at him for several long moments; then he took a step toward JB. “Nah, I did it all yesterday, so I’m good.”
“I noticed you haven’t started packing.”
Again, those blue eyes pierced into him. “What if I didn’t?”
“Pack?” JB swallowed the lump that had gathered in his throat. “What do you mean?” It was on the tip of his tongue to ask him to stay again, but he couldn’t get the words out. His heart started beating faster with Cole’s question, and it felt like it might punch right through his chest.
“I talked to Rowe about working remotely.”
“You mean stay longer?” JB held his breath. “For how long?”
Cole tilted his head. “Would that be okay with you?”
“Fuck, yes.” Then the words finally came. “I’ve told you that before. If I had my way, we’d go to Cincinnati with your friends tomorrow, get all your things, and move you here.”
Cole smiled. “Are you saying you’d like me to stay forever?”
“Are you saying you would?”
Cole took the last steps to him and reached up to cup his face. “I’m saying I’m in love with you, and I can’t leave. Not if you want me to stay, too.”
JB’s knees trembled, and he clasped Cole’s waist as joy sent a spike of pure sunlight shining through him. “Damn, Cole, I love you more than I thought it was possible to love. Yes, of course I want you to stay. Could you really work from here?”
Cole nodded and stroked a thumb over JB’s bottom lip. “I may have to fine-tune your Internet, and I have a feeling I’ll be having a lot of Zoom meetings in my future—”
“I’ll be sure to walk through the house more often in nothing but some heart boxers to keep them entertained,” JB promised.
Cole smirked and continued, because the man was utterly unfazed by JB’s weirdness. “But anything I can do there, I can do from here. And Rowe understood.” Cole rolled his eyes, his smirk turning into something more like a fond smile. “He griped a little about the Ward Security dating service, but he got it once I explained how I felt.”