Torch (Unbreakable Bonds 3)

“So…friends?”

Noah nodded. “Definitely.”

Ian unlocked his car but felt the need to warn his new friend again. “Be careful. I love Rowe dearly and want more than anything for him to find happiness and love again. If that’s with you, I’ll be thrilled. But he may still need time or be confused. I don’t know what happened between you two in the past, but he’s different now. Mel’s death made him different. I can tell you have a nice, big heart. So, keep it safe.”Chapter 13Noah sat in the driver’s seat of the rental, his hands loosening and tightening on the steering wheel as he stared at the garage door in front of the car. He’d been sitting in the driveway in the dark and cold for over ten minutes, Ian’s words of warning repeating over and over in his head. Ian was right. He knew Ian was right. He’d already decided earlier or he never would have gone out with Ian. He needed to give Rowe space and give him time to heal. No matter what he felt for Rowe, he’d always be his friend first and that’s what Rowe really needed. Not more questions and complications.

But that fucking kiss. And that look Rowe had directed at him across the table after their rib dinner. It was like Rowe had wanted to eat him alive, and Noah would have welcomed it. Even now, forty-eight hours later, he could still feel Rowe’s lips against his, questing tongue pushing and sliding along his. And had that been a sharp bite of teeth shorting out his brain?

A low growl rumbled from Noah as he shifted in the driver’s seat. He reached down and adjusted himself. He was getting hard just thinking about it. Rubbing his hand roughly along his face, Noah sucked in a deep breath, trying to grab control of the desire that was racing like liquid fire through his veins. He could pull himself together and be the friend that Rowe needed.

Not letting his mind spend another second dwelling on the hard muscles that wrapped around every inch of the other man’s body, Noah surged out of the car and into the house, where he found Rowe sprawled across the couch, his narrowed eyes already trained on the front door as if he’d been waiting for Noah to stroll in.

“Evening,” Noah said stiffly. He knelt down and scratched each of the dogs that had come to greet him, taking the second to quickly survey the room. The TV was on, but it was turned to what looked like an infomercial for a high-power blender. Beer cans littered the coffee table, so it was a safe bet that Rowe had been drinking since his departure.

“Did you fuck him?” Rowe asked, his tone unemotionally flat.

Noah flinched at the words. He clenched his teeth and exhaled through his nose, trying to keep his head. Rowe was drunk and…well, he didn’t know what else. If he didn’t know better, he’d say that Rowe was jealous, but that would just make things a hell of a lot more complicated.

“Ian and I went to a Thai place. Great food.” Noah forced a casual tone. “He’s a nice guy. Killer sense of humor.”

Rowe sat up, both his feet landing on the floor with a heavy thump. He shifted to the edge of the cushion, narrowing his eyes on Noah. “Did. You. Fuck. Him?” he slowly repeated, carefully enunciating each word as if the hours out of Rowe’s sight had made him mentally deficient.

Something in Noah snapped. “What the hell do you care what we did?” He shrugged out of his jacket and tossed it into an empty chair. “From what I can tell, Ian’s a grown man with a good head on his shoulders. He’s allowed to have sex with whomever he wants. It’s none of your goddamn business!” The dogs scattered as soon as he started shouting, running for cover in the kitchen.

Rowe shoved to his feet and Noah was relieved to see that he didn’t sway. Maybe he wasn’t as far gone as he’d first guessed. But that knowledge didn’t do much to calm his temper.

“Ian’s my friend—”

“And what the hell am I?” Noah threw up his hands. “Huh? What am I to you, Rowe?

“It’s not the same.”

Noah’s flinch came harder that time—like Rowe had physically hit him.

Rowe briefly closed his eyes and Noah could see the muscles clenching in his jaw as he gritted out his next words. “He’s been through shit.”

“Yeah, we all have.” Noah immediately held up his hand when Rowe’s face flushed and his mouth opened like he was about to tear into Noah with a blistering swell of rage. “And Ian has a right to go out and have a good time with whomever the fuck he wants without a keeper. He doesn’t need you monitoring his sex life.”