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.“You drink”—he exaggerated a disgusted face— “soy milk!”“Doesnt matter.Drinking from the jug is gross.”“You had younger brothers and sisters, didnt you?” Lucky replaced the milk, leaning against the refrigerator door until it closed.“Whats that got to do with anything?”“Answer the question and Ill tell you.”Several emotions flitted across Bos face, most probably coming equipped with a promise to beat the shit out of Lucky.Finally, resignation won out.“Yes, a brother.”“Uh-huh, knew it.”“Why do you say that?”“The oldest always turns bossy.”About to make closer acquaintance with whatever Bo cooked, a familiar burble reminded Lucky of the coffeemaker, with a nearly full pot sitting on the counter.“I told you not to buy coffee,” he accused, more than a little grateful Bo hadnt listened.“If you dont want it, dont drink it.” Nose in the air, Bo turned his back, attending a pan full of eggs on the stove.A peek into Bos cup showed the thin green brew hed ordered at Starbucks.Ewww…how did he drink that stuff? And why make coffee if he didnt even like it? Choosing not to question—for now—Lucky rummaged through the cabinets, locating a suitable mug, emblazoned with red letters, “I dont do mornings.” Amen.Without moving his eyes from whatever he was doing, Bo slid the sugar bowl across the counter.“I still say youd be better off using stevia.”Lucky let the comment pass unchallenged, determined to arm himself with a good rebuttal later via the Internet.“Good morning to you too,” he said, sarcasm momentarily deserting him in the presence of caffeine gratitude.“I made you an omelet.” Bo turned around, a perfectly shaped, golden-brown half-moon lying on the plate in his hands.He breathed deeply, letting out his breath in a slow, steady rush.When he spoke again hed apparently calmed.“Pour a little of the sauce from last night over it if you like your eggs with salsa.The saucell be even better.Uh, you didnt throw the mushrooms out, did you? I meant to use some for the eggs but didnt see any in the fridge.”“I didnt throw them out,” was all Lucky would confess.Hed make damned sure to pick some more up his next trip to the store.Fungus never tasted so good.They probably would have made an appetizing addition to the omelet; though, in his opinion, eggs should come in shells and not in cartons.“Sit, eat,” Bo instructed, shedding his apron.“I gotta go shower.”Only then did Lucky notice Bos less than fresh appearance: jogging shorts, a stained T-shirt sweat-plastered to his pecs, depicting a nervous cow and the caption “Eat More Vegetables!” Running shoes completed the outfit.“Ummm…I got a few miles in this morning while you were asleep,” he stammered apologetically, as though hed done something wrong.“If you want to come with me some morning, I… I wouldnt mind.” Not waiting to for a reply, Bo fled the room.Hes trying to be friends? After the shit Ive been giving him? Now why the hell would anyone in their right mind be nice to me?After a “same shit, different day” and another sleepless night, when Lucky dragged himself out of bed and toward the promise of sustenance the next morning, a glass of milk sat waiting for him on the counter.* * * “Mind if I watch the game?” Lucky tore his gaze from his laptop, wrenching an earbud from one ear.“Cant you see Im working here?”“Oh, sorry.I asked if you minded if I turned the TV on.Im tired of staring at cars and want to unwind before bed.”“I said Im working.” Lucky stretched his legs out, resting his heels on the coffee table.Bo shot him a disdainful glare but didnt say the words Luckyd bet good money that he wanted to.Cmon out to play, boy, I know you got it in you.A few moments passed, Bos anger kicking up a notch.“Its eight oclock.I find it hard to believe youre still working at this hour.”Lucky hid a grin.Bo was more entertaining to mess with than Walter.“Yet, here I am.”“Youre on a laptop, we have Wi-Fi.Why dont you take it to your room?”“Because I like the couch.” He wriggled to get more comfortable, dead center of a horrid floral sofa not nearly roomy enough to begin with.Perching on the edge of a cushion, as far away from Lucky as he could get and still be in the same time zone, Bo swallowed hard.Pride must have gone down, for he dropped his voice considerably.“Ive worked my ass off to be nice to you; wont you at least try to meet me halfway?”“Now why would I want to go and do a fool thing like that for?”Bo threw both hands into the air.“I give up!”Luckyleered.“I do like easy men.” The flippant remark earned him a swat on the shoulder.“All I want to do is sit back and relax for a bit, watch the Seminoles play.Is a compromise too much to ask?”If Bo had opened his mouth and spit nails it wouldnt have surprised Lucky a bit.“Whats the magic word?”“What?”“You heard me.Whats the magic word?”“What am I, seven?”“Um…I was hoping for seven and a half, at least.Inches, that is.”Bo bolted off the couch.“Now see here, you perverted son of a bitch!”Damnthe bastard was beautiful when he was angry.“Okay.”“Okay? Okay what?”“Okay, you can watch your game.” Lucky popped his earbud back in, restarting a back episode of his favorite addiction, South Bend Springs, in time for the results of the paternity test for Lilas baby.The episode ended on a cliffhanger; Lucky punched up the next installment.At some point he registered a warm body in close proximity, but when the snores began to drown out his show, he finally hit pause and tore his gaze away from a cat fight involving two soap divas.Bo propped between the couch arm and Lucky, head thrown back, dead to the world.Asleep he appeared peaceful, every trace of animosity gone from his face.He was kind of cute, in a boy-next-door way.In different circumstances, a handsome face, awesome cooking skills, and that whole “nice” thing might have been enough to sway Lucky to be a little nicer himself.But hed promised to teach Bo the job, not sit around bonfires roasting marshmallows and singing “Kum Ba Yah.” Still, he wanted Newbies enticing bubble-butt in his bed in the worst way.Once, only once, then Ill walk away.As Lucky watched, Bos head sagged a bit toward the front.Having your head bob like a chickens couldnt be comfortable.Rotating his neck in his sleep, his chin dropped dangerously close to Luckys shoulder.Lucky might have moved over, he didnt rightly recall, but the next minute that slack face mashed against his chest.Bo sighed, nuzzling in.What the hell?So close he could make out a light splash of freckles across a slightly crooked nose, Lucky decided that if this was all the sleeping together that theyd get to do, hed take it.Wrapping an arm around the slumbering man, Lucky pulled him closer [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]