Page 43 of Bean

“All?” Creek’s eyes narrowed. “You mean more than two? You’ve had sex with more than one guy at a time?”

Nash crossed his arms and shot Creek a look that would’ve made most men piss their pants. “As if I would ever tell you.”

“Why the fuck not? You know everything that’s happening in our lives. Hell, we’re making a sex list for Bean together,” Creek protested.

“Yup, and the fact that I’m even discussing sex positions with you is a goddamn miracle, so shut up and count your blessings.”

Hmm, a threesome. Should that go on my list? For some reason, it didn’t appeal to me at all. I didn’t want to share Jarek with anyone else. I wanted him all to myself—which probably also violated some friends-with-benefits rules, but whatever. For now, he was mine.

CHAPTER TWELVE

JAREK

The townhouse had seemed like a good idea at the time. It had been cheap, which was great for my budget. It was a project, which was great for keeping me busy. And it was near the water, which was great for my soul.

But now, as the molehill turned into a mountain nearly the size of Everest with its to-do list and ever-increasing budget, I was starting to wonder if maybe it was a mistake.

“Well?”

I turned at the sound of Andrei’s voice. He stood in what would eventually be the archway between the living room and the kitchen. Right now, it was a rectangle of two-by-fours with busted drywall on either side.

“Whatever you need to do, do it.I don’t want to get out of this totally house-poor, but I also want it finished,” I confessed.

“Consider it done.And if it’s any consolation, we’re moving much faster now that you’ve stepped back.”

I wasn’t sure if I should be offended or not.I knew I wasn’t the most fit or talented with my hands, but did I really need to be? Ah, fuck it. I was embracing who I was—both physically and mentally.I was a good man, a decent lover, and a person worthy of love.

I wasn’t sure I was ready tobewith anyone, but I had my thing with Bean, and that meant something.For the first time in a long time, I didn’t feel so alone.

Andrei crossed the room and laid a hand on my shoulder. “Do me a favor.”

“Mm?”

“Relax. Take a breath. Go get a drink. You’re wound so fucking tight, man. I hate seeing you like this.”

He was right.I rolled my shoulders back and let out a sigh.“Yeah, I should get out of here.”Besides, I actually did have plans.

“You gonna hang out with Ivy tonight?”He looked a little too eager, and I almost laughed.

I doubted Andrei would actually understand this, but she was the last person on my mind. I had a text from Bean asking when I was free again, and now that I was done giving Andrei the current list of approvals for his work orders, I could answer honestly that I was free tonight.

“I think she’s got a dinner thing with someone this evening,” I told him, trying to remember what she’d told me before I left the office.

His face fell, and I realized what I’d said.

“Hey, no, I don’t think it’s adate.Just some business meeting for funding.You want me to call her? We could all meet up tomorrow for drinks.”

He looked intrigued, but after a long beat, he shook his head. “Nah. I have a mountain of paperwork. Raincheck?”

He was adorably flustered when he was trying to avoid what he wanted.“Sounds good. Just let me know when you’re free.”

I grabbed my things and headed for the door, glancing behind me as Andrei locked up. I hated leaving the place, but there were still at least two months before it would be ready for me to live in, and that was driving me up the wall. I was so readyfor a place to call home after Gio torched our life. He hadn’t only set fire to our past and future. He’d turned parts of my present to ash.

And I hated the feeling like I was floating in limbo.

The drive back to my place was slow. It was rush hour traffic and a heavy fog was rolling in under the bridge. By the time I got to my street, the visibility was low, and my wipers were working overtime. Luckily, I wasn’t too far down the block, and I managed to pull into my driveway without running someone down or denting the garbage cans lining the street.

I was exhausted by the time I got inside, so I immediately hopped in the shower. The warm water helped unknot my muscles, and as I began to relax, I closed my eyes and pictured Bean. His dark hair and eyes to match, the little shy smile he got on his face, the pliant way he fell apart under my hands.