Cut & Run (Cut & Run #1)(83)
Author: Abigail Roux

Chuckling, Zane pushed off his stool and reached out to snag Ty around the waist and start pulling. “Not even once. Didn’t pay anybody, either.”

Ty huffed a laugh and let himself be pulled closer, swatting the faucet off before he was out of reach and pulling away only enough to make it seem like an effort. “Bucking the trend, then,” he drawled. “How proud you must be.”

“Mmmmm.” Zane reached out with his other arm to drag Ty closer, facing him, then slid his lips along the curve of Ty’s neck. “I got some ass,”

he admitted before scraping his teeth on Ty’s skin for a moment. Then he added, “No men.”

Ty lowered his chin until his cheek brushed against Zane’s, and he frowned and nodded. “Good,” he replied softly.

Closing his eyes, Zane inhaled Ty’s scent slowly and let himself fall under the sound of his voice. It aroused him like nothing else. “The ass? Or the no men?” he rasped, moving slightly to rub their cheeks together.

“I don’t care,” Ty breathed in answer as he turned his head and pressed his lips to Zane’s in an open-mouthed, hungry kiss.

Zane’s hand closed around the back of Ty’s neck as the other man beat him to the kiss, one he joined with just as much desire. Christ, he’d missed this, missed Ty. He’d never expected it, and he’d lied to himself about how much it had hurt to be without him, unable to understand how he’d grown so attached to this man in the space of seven hectic, awful days. His other hand tightened around Ty’s waist, hauling him up against his body.

Ty flailed briefly, trying not to grab the upper arm he had just bandaged, and he groaned softly into the kiss. He had tried not to think about their brief stint in New York together. Parts of it he still didn’t remember, and that just made it worse as he tried to force the memories out. Now, though, it all seemed to come rushing back and he let it, wrapping his arms around Zane and pulling him closer until there was no room left between them.

Ty’s soft sounds made Zane’s gut cramp with more than just passion; it was powerful enough for him to shudder. Emotion he’d packed away in a tiny little box somewhere inside broke free, and everything he’d tried to deny bubbled up. Once the kiss finally broke he dropped his head to Ty’s shoulder, turning his face into Ty’s neck, and he clutched him tightly, unwilling to let go. Not just yet. Not until the lonely ache that had been building the past four months faded.

Ty gave a little whuff of surprise when Zane clung to him, but he slowly slid his arms around him and hugged him, resting his chin against Zane’s cheek. “You okay?” he asked in a whisper.

Zane slowly nodded, waiting a few heartbeats before admitting, “I am now,” in a matching whisper. There was so much he wanted to say but didn’t dare.

Ty closed his eyes as the answer sent a shiver through him. He had been afraid of this. Terrified of this. He had known Zane had meant something more to him than just a weeklong partnership or a few wild f**ks.

He had known, given the chance, that Zane could mean quite a lot to him.

Now, it seemed that Zane returned at least a portion of that feeling. Maybe more. And Ty didn’t know how to handle it. He didn’t even know if he wanted it.

He swallowed heavily and slid his hand up Zane’s back into his hair, cradling his head as he ran his fingers through the short, messy curls.

“You need a haircut,” he murmured finally, unable to say what he really wanted.

Zane shrugged slightly, not willing to move unless Ty pushed him away. He was trying to memorize the feel of the other man’s body against his.

“And a shower,” Ty continued in a soft voice. He turned his head and pressed his nose and mouth against Zane’s cheek gently. “And some sleep, I bet.”

Zane knew he was exhausted, but he was so used to it he hardly felt it anymore. He’d been numb until he saw Ty again. Or maybe he’d lost his mind. “All of the above?” he answered. “And food?”

“Yeah,” Ty laughed as he smiled against Zane’s skin. “What do you want to eat?”

“Anything but Cuban,” Zane said immediately before grinning and gnawing a little on Ty’s shoulder.

Ty laughed again, louder this time as another shiver ran through him.

“I don’t have any Cuban in me, but I doubt I’ll taste great,” he warned as he pulled away. “How about pizza?” he suggested. “I’ll go get it while you shower.”

“I suppose,” Zane said reluctantly, meaning Ty leaving rather than the food choice.

“You don’t sulk as well as I do,” Ty informed him dispassionately as he moved away.

“I just need practice,” Zane objected, leaning forward to snag Ty’s arm before he got too far away. “How about a counter offer?”

“Depends on which counter you’re talking about,” Ty answered warily as he looked from Zane’s hand up to his eyes.

Zane tugged gently. “How about you shower with me, and then we’ll both go get pizza?” It was overt, Zane knew. An outright play for attention.

But now that he had Ty this close he didn’t want to let him out of reach. He could feel the heat spiraling between them and all he wanted to do was stoke the flames.

Ty raised an eyebrow and stepped closer with the tug. “You want me to shower with you?” he asked in amusement. “Need help reaching your back, do you?” he asked with a smirk.

“And other places,” Zane said, looking Ty up and down significantly.

“I can go next door and ask the lady neighbor for her loofah,” Ty teased gently. “Bubble bath, maybe?”

“Whatever gets you in there with me,” Zane responded earnestly.

“Subtle, Garrett,” Ty laughed softly. “Man, you really did shed the fake layer, didn’t you?” he observed.

Zane shrugged. “Somebody reminded me it was best to be myself,”

he said seriously, tugging on Ty’s arm again. “He seemed rather fond of me that way.”

“Must have been a genius you were dealing with,” Ty said cheekily as he remained a few steps away.

“Yeah, I have to admit, he was pretty smart, though I teased him otherwise,” Zane said, curling his arms back around Ty and relaxing as he moved closer. “I regretted that, later. The teasing, I mean.”

Ty frowned and leaned back so he could look into Zane’s eyes without going cross-eyed. “One of the advantages of teasing a man with a cracked head is that he doesn’t remember it after,” he offered.