Page 14 of Cedarwood Manny

Chapter Three

The next afternoon, Nathan finished boxing up his clothes. He hadn’t expected packing to take long. He didn’t have much, but having Adrien and Kyle there made the job of boxing his possessions easier. Kyle stood on the now stripped mattress and watched Nathan.

Nathan offered a gym bag full of towels and a set of sheets. “Want to carry that, or is it too heavy?”

“I can do it.” Kyle’s eyes lit up. “I’m helpin’.” He bobbed his head and climbed off the mattress. He carried the bag across the room to where his father stood.

Adrien hefted the laundry basket of jeans and polos into his arms. “We’ll take this out to the car and be right back in.”

“Sounds good.” He waited for them to leave the apartment before he sat on the bed and exhaled.Jesus.Despite not having much to pack, he hadn’t realized he’d be able to fill his car and Adrien’s, too. He raked his fingers through his hair. Then there was Adrien. He’d spent too much time, even in the few hours he’d been at the dentist’s home and not working with Kyle, watching the sway of Adrien’s ass and longing to hold him. He couldn’t deny the heat. He made his way into the bathroom to do one more check to ensure he’d packed everything. If he wanted his deposit back, the apartment had to be in the same shape as when he’d first moved in.

“Nathan?” Adrien appeared in the bathroom door. “There you are.”

Nathan tripped over his own feet and collided, hip-first, with the sink. Instead of the curse word on his tongue, he bit back a groan. “What’s up?” he asked, through clenched teeth. The jolt of pain shot from his hip to his head, then back to his hip. “I didn’t expect you to come back so fast.”

“I can tell.” Adrien surged across the room. He moved Nathan’s shirt out of the way, exposing Nathan’s flesh. “Are you okay?” He massaged the tender spot. “It’s bruising.”

“I’m sure.” He couldn’t look down at Adrien. The man’s touch comforted him. He wanted to whimper and curl into Adrien’s caress. The pain subsided with each swipe of Adrien’s fingers. “I’ll bet you don’t realize you’re a good nurse,” Nathan managed.

“Huh?” Adrien remained close to him. He stopped caressing and met Nathan’s gaze. “What?”

The heat in Nathan’s body increased. Adrien’s breath warmed his cheeks. If Adrien leaned a bit closer, they could kiss. Nathan fumbled for his words. “You’re a good dad and you don’t know it,” he said, his voice husky. “You made sure I was okay. Step one complete and you passed with high marks.” Jesus, he wanted to kiss Adrien.

“I did?” Adrien’s eyes widened. “I guess so.” He blushed and leaned into Nathan. “Thanks.”

“Daddy?”

Adrien jerked back and his blush faded. “Kyle.”

“I want to go home,” Kyle said. He ducked under his father’s arm and appeared in the doorway. “Are we done yet?”

“Almost.” Adrien massaged his temple.

“Are you coming to our house again?” Kyle grasped Nathan’s hand. “You’re staying with us like Kelsi?”

“I am, but I have to turn in my keys first. I’ll be right behind you.” Nathan both loved and hated Kyle’s interruption. Without it, he’d have kissed Adrien, but he’d have ruined his chances to be Kyle’s manny. Now he had a moment to regroup. “Promise.”

“Yay,” Kyle shouted. He left the room and Nathan exhaled.

“That was close,” Adrien muttered. “Too close.” He brushed the back of his hand across his mouth. “Do you need anything else besides a horny dentist crowding you?”

“I’m good.”Horny dentist?He liked knowing Adrien was off-kilter, too.

“We’ll carry the last box out there to the car and all you should have is the last laundry basket,” Adrien said. “I’ll help unload once you get back to the house so it won’t take a long time.” He reached for Nathan, then pulled back before he connected. He hesitated, then left the bathroom.

Nathan stared at the spot where Adrien had stood and contemplated the last few moments. He listened for Adrien and Kyle to leave before he ventured out of the bathroom.What the hell just happened?He’d almost kissed Adrien. He’d almost crossed a line. Adrien, for all his talk of wanting to stay professional, had sure seemed to want the kiss, too.

Damn.

Nathan shook his head. If he kept thinking about what could’ve happened, he’d never get anything accomplished. He finished clearing out the apartment. Once he’d done a final walk-through and was satisfied he’d packed everything, he turned the light off and locked up. He carried the basket to his car and headed into the office to turn in his keys. A thought occurred to him. For the first time in a year, he wasn’t going to an apartment or a temporary home—he had a house and a permanent situation.Fuck yeah.

When he left the office, he headed straight for his car.

“Nate.” Rhett rushed up to him. “I went to your place, but the door’s locked.”

“I know.” He tucked his car keys into his pocket. “I don’t live there any longer.”

“You don’t?”

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