Serg pursed his lips and nodded. “Is that a firm no?”
“It is. Just as it has been the last half dozen times I’ve said it. I’d appreciate it if you would respect that.” Bull leaned back in the chair and crossed his arms, putting some distance between them and shutting down the conversation.
Serg straightened and smiled. “Can’t blame a guy for trying. Besides…” He reached out and tugged at a few random strands of Bull’s longer-than-usual hair. “You really do need a haircut. But I’m not cutting it all off. You’ve got great hair.”
He shifted in the chair as a vision of Ben flashed in his mind.
The distraction hadn’t gone unnoticed.
A slow smile curled Serg’s lips. “Were you thinking of me playing with your hair just now?”
“No,” he said slowly and clearly.
The corner of Serg’s mouth twitched upward. “I’ll trim it short but leave enough at the top for a good grip. Does that work?”
And there were Ben’s virtual fingers again, more confident this time…digging into his hair, pulling at the strands. Bull willed his sudden hard-on to lessen. “Yes,” he finally said, clearing his throat, his voice far hoarser than usual.
“I guess I do have a hard no after all.” Those watchful blue eyes assessed him. Funny how Bull could revel in one man’s stare yet cringe under another’s. A rush of heat flooded Bull’s cheeks as visions of Ben writhing beneath him filled his mind.
“I’ll get started on Rachel and leave you alone with that little movie playing in your head,” Serg said with a devilish grin as he twirled his index finger in the air. “Don’t worry. I’ll prettify you for your special Valentine.”
Bull cleared his throat and looked away. There was something about Ben that sparked an inferno in his body. The way those green eyes watched him, tracing every inch of him as if trying to memorize every detail for safekeeping. The way he bit his lip when he thought too hard or debated on how honest he should be. That hint of red that colored his cheeks got Bull every… Damn. Time. Everything about Ben ticked off another checkbox Bull had built in his mind over the years. Sure, Ben was sexy as hell with his lean muscles, and it was even more appealing that he didn’t have a clue about it. But it was Ben’s honesty, selflessness, and kindness that drew Bull in and kept him under a spell.
He didn’t have a clue where their relationship would lead, but he wouldn’t stop the what-if images cycling through his mind with endless possibilities.
Bull stared at his reflection. He reached up, tempted to run his fingers through his hair, a habit he needed to break now that his hair was shorter than it had been for the last few months. The sides and back were trimmed short, in line with his usual style. But the top was longer and swept to the side—not lengthy enough to hang low on his forehead, but enough to require the miracle of a hair dryer and product to keep his natural curl out and the style in place. Between the new cut and the close shave, he had to admit, he looked polished. Even though Serg had given him instructions and some hair crap to use that hadn’t itched, he likely wouldn’t be able to match this same look. He couldn’t resist showing it off before screwing it up. Grabbing his phone, he shot off a quick text before he second-guessed himself.
Busy?
Ben’s reply was immediate. Are you still working?
Yeah. Got a little break.
So you texted me? :)
He bit back a smile. Telling Ben how often he had come to mind likely wouldn’t be a good reply and might freak him out. Client is a longtime friend. She tricked me into getting a haircut.
I wanna see!
He was spared using his subpar selfie skills when his phone rang. He pressed the button, answering the video call. And there was Ben, staring back at him with a huge grin beaming across his face. Ben turned his head side to side and pointed to the screen, urging Bull to do the same. Bull faced one side and then the other, smiling as a bubble of dorky giddiness surfaced. It was silly as hell, but he didn’t care.
Ben fumbled with his phone, trying to sign while holding it. After a quick scowl, he held an index finger to the corner of his mouth and swept it out and up to