Page 84 of Captivated

And it was morning.

He moved his head in increments, afraid of disturbing Nate’s sleep. He lay beneath the sheet, snuggled against Zeeb’s side, his hand on Zeeb’s stomach, his head on Zeeb’s chest.

Would you look at that.

Somehow in his sleep, Nate had sought out Zeeb, and Zeeb had put his arm around him, pulling him close. Nate’s face was almost serene, caught in a world where no nightmares pursued him, no trace of the confusion and pain from the night before.

Fuck, he’s beautiful.Not a word Zeeb generally applied to a guy, but hell, it was the only one that did Nate justice.

When he realized he was holding his breath, he knew he had to do something, even though it pained him to wake Nate from his undisturbed slumber.

He gave Nate a gentle nudge. “Hey.”

Nate stirred and stretched. He gave a sleepy smile. “Hey.” Then he widened his eyes and sat up, more alert. “Oh.”

Zeeb sat up too, keeping his hands to himself, even though his fingers itched to brush the hair back from Nate’s forehead. “I guess both of us were pretty wiped out. I slept the whole night through.” A thing he hadn’t done in a while.

Nate took a breath. “Me too.”

He seemed different in the morning light. Softer, somehow. His eyes were less guarded, his edges not quite as sharp. And the wary expression Zeeb was so used to seeing had been replaced by curiosity.

Like maybe, just maybe, he wasn’t bracing for impact anymore.

There was a vulnerability to him, something that made Zeeb’s chest ache. He wanted to hold Nate the way he’d done the previous evening, to surround him with strength.

To let Nate know he wasn’t alone.

Zeeb could’ve stayed on that bed for hours, the sunlight pouring in through the small window, warming his skin, but he knew that wasn’t an option. He got up and scraped his fingers through his hair. “I don’t know about you, but I need coffee.” A buzz came from below, and he cocked his head. “Whose phone is that—yours or mine?” He hurried down the stairs to where the two phones sat on the coffee table, and glanced at them. “It’s yours.”

A moment later, Nate followed, still in his boxers, clutching his jeans. Zeeb waited until Nate had squirmed into them before handing over the phone, then retreated into the kitchen area to deal with the coffeepot.

“It’s from my dad,” Nate announced. He opened the front door and stepped out onto the porch.

Zeeb filled the reservoir, then pulled the coffee from the cabinet and spooned it into the filter paper. He braced his arms against the countertop, head bowed, aware of Nate’s voice outside but not trying to listen, because Nate had clearly wanted a little privacy.

What he couldn’t shake was the feeling of contentment he’d experienced upon waking to find Nate in his arms. It had felt…

Good.

“You’re sure you’re okay?”

Nate couldn’t miss the note of concern. “I’m fine. I actually slept all night.”

He had a feeling that had been due to his unexpected bedmate.

“Oh, that’s good. Have you spoken with anyone at the ranch about what happened? I only gave Robert the bare facts.”

Nate glanced toward the door. He could hear Zeeb moving about inside.

“I told Zeeb about the camp, about Mark… I didn’t go into much detail either, but…” He paused. “I had another nightmare last night. Zeeb… helped me get some sleep.” When Dad fell silent, Nate frowned. “Are you still there?”

“Yes, yes, I’m here. And I’m glad you trusted Zeeb enough to share with him. I said he was a good man, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, you did.”

And last night he was a rock to cling to.

“So what are your plans for today?”

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