Manipulate (Deliver 6)

Family was a concept most of them had never experienced. At least, not in a positive way.

Someday, they might find partners, get married, and move out. Until then, all they needed was one another.

At the end of the corridor, he stepped into the master suite and found Ricky exiting the walk-in closet. Ricky’s shirtless chest glowed with a deep natural tan, enunciating the definition in his pecs and abs.

Martin averted his gaze. “What was the skank’s name tonight?”

“Is that what you think of me? That only a skank would hook up with me?”

“No.” A vein of possessiveness ran through him, hardening his jaw.

“You know what I find interesting?” Ricky toed off his shoes and kicked them in the direction of the closet. “You support me in every aspect of my life. You’re always there for me, always listening and offering advice on anything… Except when it comes to this. I can’t mention dates, relationships, nothing related to sex without you looking at me like I’m disgusting and undeserving of someone’s company.”

“That’s not it at all.” Guilt hardened his stomach. “No one is good enough for you.”

Ricky’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and he clutched his nape, glowering at the floor between them. “Right.” He let out a hollow laugh and pivoted toward the en suite. “Now you’re just being a dick.”

“It’s the truth.” He followed Ricky into the bathroom, simmering with irritation. “As if you don’t know the effect you have on people. Women flock to you, with your ridiculously ripped physique and suave smile.”

The broad muscles of Ricky’s back went rigid as he turned on the water in the shower.

“You’re fun to be around. Smart and easygoing.” And painfully good-looking. Martin gripped the edge of the vanity, taking in the sharp angles of Ricky’s jawline. “You put so much damn heart into everything you do it makes the rest of us look bad. I don’t say it enough, and God knows I’m an asshole on my best day, but I respect the hell out of you. You deserve more than a one-night stand.”

Ricky grunted and slowly turned to face him. “You should’ve led with that.”

“Probably.” He rested his hands on his hips, his head down, but his eyes remained locked on Ricky’s.

“I don’t keep anything from you.” Ricky unzipped his jeans and shoved them off. “Ask me again.” He reached into the shower stall and adjusted the water temperature. “Ask me where I went tonight.”

Steam curled around them, saturating the air and making it difficult to breathe.

The question sat on Martin’s tongue, trapped behind teeth and dread.

“Ask me who I was with.” Ricky pushed off his briefs and leaned toward him, all nude flesh and chiseled muscle.

No tan lines. Not on Ricardo Saldivar. The gorgeous bastard had been born with skin the color of sand on a beach after it rained.

And some stranger’s hands had explored every inch of that flawless landscape tonight.

“Who was she?” He tried to cover the rasp in his voice with a jovial remark. “I bet she was hot.”

“He. Not she.”

Shards of ice hit his gut, and his nostrils widened with a harsh inhale. He felt like he was going to puke. Or break something.

“Why do you look so fucking repulsed whenever I tell you I was with a man?” Ricky narrowed his eyes. “You think I should only date women?”

“Yes.”

“Jesus fucking Christ.” Ricky glared at him, utterly unabashed about having this conversation in the nude. “Are you really that homophobic?”

He gestured at the shower. “You’re wasting hot water.”

“Don’t give a fuck. Talk to me.”

“What do you want me to say?” His pulse hammered in his throat.

“I have sex with men. Tell me why that bothers you.”

He leaned his hip against the vanity for support and constructed a truthful response, without revealing the whole truth. “If you fall in love with a woman, you’ll still need someone to shoot hoops, talk about sports cars, and drink beer with. There’s a place for your best friend in that equation.”

“Sexist much? Women can do all those things.”

“Not your type. You like your women feminine and your men masculine.”

“True.”

He could give Ricky everything he ever needed—friendship, protection, loyalty, and love.

Everything except sex.

“If you get hung up on a dude…” He crossed his arms over his chest and kept his tone even. “Not sure where I fit into that. The guy in your bed would be the guy you’re hanging out with. He would become your best friend, and I can’t stomach the thought of being replaced.”

“Do you know how selfish that sounds? What about my happiness?”

“Fuck your happiness.” He exhaled a grunt. “Because you know what? Yeah, I am selfish. I don’t want to lose you, and what kind of friend would I be if I didn’t fight to keep you in my life?”

“Okay, well… First off, I’m not falling in love with anyone.” Ricky cocked his head. “And do you really believe I would let a lover—man or woman—wreck our friendship? Your reasoning is ludicrous.”