Page 31 of Curious

Then there was the fact that she’d turned Owen down all this time because of him. Somewhere, some part of him must have known that, but Jeremy was still surprised. Even when it seemed like an impossible crush, she’d silently been on his side. What would she say if she knew what Owen had asked for on his birthday? That he was the one Jeremy was hiding from her?

He hadn’t kept the secret just because Owen told him to. He wasn’t that far gone. He’d kept it because he was still pretty sure that other shoe was going to drop at any minute, and he didn’t want her pity when Owen moved on, found the perfect woman for the Finn family to embrace and forgot all about that one short episode when he couldn’t get enough of seeing Jeremy on his knees.

He looked around his house and sighed. This was a family home. The real estate agent had said as much. Sure, he’d turned one bedroom into a workout space and another into his office, but it was still too big to live in alone. He’d never thought so before. He’d relished the space, his room to breathe. His aunt’s place had been the size of his bedroom closet. This house…well, it reminded him a little of the sprawling Finn homestead.

Now it all seemed excessive. It wasn’t like he ever planned on having children, and not just because it was difficult to imagine finding someone he could spend the rest of his life with. His parents had screwed up his head by demanding a refund when their child didn’t work the way they wanted him to. That was their legacy to him, and he didn’t want to take the chance of passing it on.

He sighed. “Maybe I should get a dog.”

Sliding open the patio door, he headed down the balcony stairs toward the water, thankful most of his neighbors were the holiday kind. The sun had gone down an hour ago, so even if they were visiting, they wouldn’t be able to see much. He stripped as he walked out onto the dock and dived in without hesitation when he reached the edge.

The lake was the only place he ever felt at peace. It was the reason he’d bought this house. The water lapped against him in a soothing caress as he pushed himself a little deeper, a little farther out. Nothing could touch him here. Not his memories or his doubts. Not his fears about his feelings. He held his breath and let the water wash it away.

When the need for air forced him to break the surface, he felt the same small measure of release he always did. He started to backstroke lazily in the direction of the dock once more, tensing when he heard a splash behind him.

“This is exactly what I needed,” Owen groaned. Jeremy turned in time to see him duck his head briefly under the water, the dim light from the dock glinting off his blond hair. “Damn, I love you for living by the lake. It’s been one hell of a day.”

Jeremy stayed where he was, his arms and legs easily keeping him afloat. “Oh yeah?”

Owen wiped one wet hand over his face before swimming closer. “Yeah. First, a few of the boys had issues with their paychecks, then our client decided that today was the day he was coming to inspect our progress with his wife—a woman who couldn’t seem to understand why she had to wear a hardhat that would ruin her recent trip to the salon. And then, as you know, there was Scott…”

Shit. “What about him?”

“I heard he followed you to your truck and you seemed to be having a heated discussion,” Owen admitted. “Unfortunately the jackass skipped out early and I didn’t get the chance to interrogate him about it. Anything you want to tell me?”

Jeremy shook his head. “Nope.”

“You know you’re going to have to sooner or later.”

“Just the usual bullshit.” He wasn’t going to touch this topic. He didn’t want to risk mentioning Tasha’s secret fling. “You know him.”

Owen sighed. “Unfortunately. You know, I think he wants me to fire him? I don’t get him, I really don’t. He has the perfect girl, nepotism on his side at work, and my father and I bailing him out of all his small brushes with the law so Jen doesn’t have to have her wedding in prison. Even you. He must have said something to get Mr. Still Waters to lose his temper. You’d think he’d be grateful we’re so patient.”

Jeremy studied Owen thoughtfully. “Stephen thinks you should stop bailing him out. So do I. He isn’t grateful. He’s resentful. He can’t live up to any of you and he knows it. And if you ask me, I don’t think Jen’s entirely happy with the idea of spending the rest of her life stuck with him either, though she’ll never admit it.”

“I know it.” Owen slapped the water with the palm of his hand. “Why the hell doesn’t she call it off?”

“She’s got a soft spot for wounded animals and broken toys.” Jeremy watched the water glisten on his lover’s shoulders, distracted by the way the light hit his skin. He wanted to draw that too. He sighed at himself in disgust, speaking without thinking. “There’s also the Finn factor.”

“The Finn factor?”

“Your family of success stories.” Jeremy shrugged. “It’s hard to measure up to. Your father started with nothing to build the family bar that’s now a neighborhood institution. Your mother writes a successful series of children’s books because she refused to let her dyslexia be a handicap. Your oldest brother Stephen became a damn fine state senator despite his rebellious youth, and his twin Seamus is raising four brilliant and well-loved children as a single parent, half of whom aren’t biologically his. And then there is you. The All American quarterback who earned a full scholarship and started his own thriving business before his degree had time to get framed for the wall.”

Owen splashed him. “Bah. We’re lucky. A little more Irish than other people.”

Jeremy smiled and pushed the water around with his hand before continuing. “Jen’s Irish too. She’s also the only girl in the family and the baby at that. I imagine she thinks she should have it all figured out by now, the way everyone else did at her age. But she doesn’t. The only project she’s ever had is good old Scott, with his rough childhood and his broken wings, and she doesn’t want to admit it’s a failure. That girl might be the smartest of the lot of you, but she’s a stubborn Finn. She won’t admit to being wrong without a fight.”

Owen shook his head, his expression rueful. “I’m going to need you to write all that down so I can give this speech to Mom. Better yet, you do it. She listens to you.”

Jeremy chuckled. “Jen is who you should be talking to. Her stubborn ways might get her into trouble if you don’t.”

Especially if Tasha turned her head by introducing her to the club. He really wished he hadn’t promised not to tell Owen about that.

“What about you?” Owen asked, swimming around him with an enigmatic smile. “If you won’t tell me what you and Scott talked about, tell me about the rest of your day. How was your afternoon?”

“Busy,” Jeremy said, looking away from that knowing gaze. “I only just stopped working.”

“I figured.” He moved closer and reached up to touch Jeremy’s cheek. “You have ink on your face.”

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