Page 49 of Sparring Partners
“I’m not prepared to let him hear about us through the grapevine. It doesn’t sit well with me. I need to tell him how things lie. If he finds out, in the pub, in the shop, or wherever, about us, how do you think he’s going to feel?”
Stupid. Belittled. Embarrassed. A laughing stock. He’d been there, done that, and had got the fucking T-shirt. He’d got over it. Jonathan would get over it. But the man didn’t deserve to feel like he’d been made a fool of. As much as the sight of the guy dragged him back to a past he never wanted to revisit, Jonathan had never been a part of that particular shit storm.
“Do you want me to come with you?”
“No! Where Jonathan’s concerned, you’re like a dog straining at the leash. I don’t want you ripping him apart when he’s done nothing to deserve it. I’m going to go and see him.”
“Because it’s the right thing to do?”
“Exactly so.”
Adrian nodded. It was the right thing to do, of course it was. Didn’t mean he had to like it, though. “I’m sorry. I’ve been acting like a wanker. Again.”
“Hmm.” Luca’s eyes narrowed and darkened, as he edged closer, bringing his lips to Adrian’s ear. “Yes, Adrian Hardy, you hit the nail on the head. You’re a wanker and a dick. You’re bad tempered. You’re insanely and irrationally jealous, which is kind of hot in a perverse way. Oh, you’re also incredibly rude. And arrogant. You’re?—”
“Getting way out of line,” Adrian growled as he pushed Luca down onto his back.
“Then maybe you should teach me a lesson.” Luca stared up at him, his eyes black pools ringed with the thinnest of blue, as he bit down on his lower lip.
“Maybe you should shut the fuck up and take your punishment.” Straddling Luca in one quick move, Adrian’s eyes fell closed, all thoughts of Jonathan swept away as he claimed Luca’s hot, wet mouth.
CHAPTERTWENTY-FOUR
Luca tugged at his shirt cuffs, licking his lips as he waited for the door to open. He felt guilty, there were no two ways about it. Jonathan had been away. In London for work, then abroad for — something. Away from Love’s Harbour, out of sight, out of mind. Short, bland texts had been sent in response to Jonathan’s. It was no way to treat the friend he claimed so vehemently the man was.
A friend. Luca’s fingers found his cuffs again, before twisting the cufflinks. Jonathan was a friend and he hoped he would remain one, whatever Adrian might think about it. And now here he was, to make the blurred line between friendship and anything else solid and uncrossable. It was the right thing to do, the principled thing, even if it did tie his guts into knots. He rang the bell again. Maybe Jonathan wasn’t home? Half relieved, half disappointed, Luca turned to leave just as the door flung open.
Jonathan beamed at him from the doorway. “Luca! I was hoping you’d call round. Come in.”
Acid gurgled in Luca’s stomach as he followed him through to the kitchen at the back of the house.
He’d faced much worse things in his life, but ever since he’d got Jonathan’s text to say he was home, which he’d answered with only a thumbs up, he’d been a bag of nerves. The bright welcome would soon fade once he’d told Jonathan why he was calling.
“I’m so glad to be home, I really have been away for far too long.” Jonathan smiled and stepped in close. Luca moved back to deflect the kiss that was aimed for his cheek, but which today would be too much. Jonathan stopped, his brow furrowing for a moment before the smile was back in place, a smile that did nothing to mask the question in his eyes.
The acid in Luca’s stomach felt like it was dissolving his intestines. Fucking hell, how had he ever thought this was going to be an easy, civilised conversation?
“I’ll get some coffee on. I’ve just finished an infernal conference call with the London office that’s taken all morning. Honestly, I amthat closeto stepping back. This damn consultancy role takes up more of my time than when I owned the bloody business. I’m back in London for three days out of seven. This wasn’t how my so called consultancy was supposed to pan out. I was going to call you?—”
“No coffee for me, Jonathan. I can’t stay too long.” Luca jumped in when Jonathan drew a breath.
“Oh, that’s a shame. It’s almost lunch time, and I was hoping you’d stay…” He leant back against the kitchen counter. “Is there anything the matter? Because I’m getting the distinct impression this isn’t merely a social call.”
Luca’s stomach lurched.You can say that again…But what he had to say couldn’t not be said, for his own sake, for Adrian’s, but most of all for Jonathan’s.
“Look, just come and sit down for a moment. Please. There’s something I need to tell you.” Luca looked at the table, but Jonathan didn’t move from the coffee machine on the counter.
“You need to tell me something? Something I’m not going to be happy about, perhaps?” Jonathan crossed his arms over his chest.
He’s guessed, he knows why I’m here…Shouldn’t that make what he was about to say easier rather than harder?
“I’m sorry. This wasn’t something I was prepared to say over the phone, and it was something you needed to hear from me, not somebody else.”
Luca sucked in a long breath. God alone knew, he’d had so many break ups over the years, but they never got any easier. And this was a break up, of a sort, because Jonathan’s tight lips and the pain in his eyes told him everything that just made him feel worse.
“Somebody. Else. They’re the two key words, aren’t they?”
“Jonathan, please come and sit down.”
