Total pages in book: 119
Estimated words: 114284 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 571(@200wpm)___ 457(@250wpm)___ 381(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114284 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 571(@200wpm)___ 457(@250wpm)___ 381(@300wpm)
If my suspicions were correct, Ty and Lane wouldn’t be very open. Aside from their relationship with Macklin and me, I had a feeling it would be a long time before they ventured into the scenes of group play. They just didn’t seem interested in that sort of thing.
Macklin and I, however, were on the same page for once and very much looking forward to exploring something—down the road—with his friends Jack and Franklin. Partly because of what type of play they were into, partly because they shared a casual dynamic with my brother. But we were in no rush. First and foremost, Macklin and I wanted to reconnect with Dean as family. Then we’d see what playtime we could get into together.
Funny how fears turned into possibilities when the commitment was strong.
About ten minutes later, I pulled in outside of Lane’s building, and he unbuckled his seat belt and thanked me again for picking him up.
“My pleasure, sweet boy. Are you seeing Ty later?”
“Yes, Sir.” He leaned in as I did the same, and I got myself a sweet kiss. “It’s gonna be a quadruple T night!”
My brows rose, and I chuckled at his adorable enthusiasm.
He ticked them off on his fingers. “Ty, Terra, Tank, teriyaki chicken. He’s spending the night, and we’re gonna cook dinner together. Tank’s gonna try out his new sleepover terrarium that I’ve prepared for him.”
I smiled and shook my head, loving every detail of how those two got closer and closer.
“Well, y’all enjoy your evening. Give Ty a kiss from me.”
“Will do, Sir.” He leaned in and smooched my cheek before he opened the door. “Spank Macklin’s cute ass from me.”
That could be arranged.
When I arrived at Macklin’s that evening, he was cooking up a storm.
Hopefully, I wouldn’t be using the spare key he’d given me much longer. I was moving back in to my condo soon—our condo, the place we’d shared for so long. And I wanted him to come back home with me. Macklin and I belonged in Georgetown, with Dean next door.
Speaking of, I had about twenty minutes till my brother got here.
“Hi, Master. I missed you like crazy today.”
I came up behind him and pressed a kiss to his neck. Fuck, whatever that was on the stove smelled fantastic. Some fancy stir-fry of some sort.
“I missed you too. That looks wonderful.”
He hummed and tilted his head back for a kiss, and I was all too happy to give one.
“I think you’ll like it. I wanted it to be healthy for Dean, but some butter won’t kill him.”
I chuckled and leaned against the counter instead. He was busy applying glaze to the chicken that he soon returned to the oven after sprinkling sesame seeds on top.
My darling chef. I loved to watch him work. It was the best time to surprise him too, when he didn’t see it coming. That was why I’d ultimately decided against fanfare. We could hopefully celebrate with a nice dinner out soon.
“So I bought a couple tickets today,” I mentioned. I brought out my phone and loosened my tie.
“Oh yeah?” He glanced over at me, curious.
I went to my email so he could see the confirmation on the screen. “What do you think about this?”
He stepped closer to look at the screen, and he knitted his brows together. “Vegas?”
Yes, baby.
We needed a do-over.
His posture changed. He stood a little straighter, except something weighed him down. A trickle of apprehension seeped into his eyes, mingling with hope and something else. Maybe memories of the last time we’d been there. Not a trip we liked to think back on.
“When I asked you to marry me, I was desperate.” I closed the distance between us and gathered his hands in mine. “We were so broken.”
He swallowed and dropped his gaze.
None of that. I lifted his chin and kissed him gently. “I’ll never regret marrying you, Macklin, but I wish we’d done it for the right reasons.”
“Me too,” he whispered.
“That’s why—” I cleared my throat and retrieved the two rings from my pocket. “When I take you to Vegas in a few months, we won’t get drunk and hit the poker tables.” Fuck, I was a little nervous. My heart started beating faster. “I won’t sit there with a stomach full of pain and worry, and I won’t turn to you and say, ‘Marry me if I win this hand.’”
I showed him the rings, and a breath gusted out from him.
“I’ll take you to your favorite restaurant instead.” I lifted his hand and slipped his ring back where it belonged, and when his eyes filled with unshed tears, I had to swallow a sudden onslaught of emotion. “We’ll go out dancing. Maybe see a show.”
He let out a breathy chuckle and sniffled. “I’d like that.”
I smiled and kissed the spot where the ring sat. “And I’ll ask if you’ll do me the honor of joining me in front of our friends and family so we can renew our vows.”