29
“There. That’s perfect.”
Joe surveyed his handiwork with satisfaction. The table was set, the candles were lit, and in the kitchen, a big pot of jambalaya simmered in a crock pot. He’d already made cornbread to go with it, and all he had to do was pop it back in the oven to warm it. Beer, wine, and iced tea were available, and for dessert he’d picked up a positively sinful chocolate cake from a bakery in the French Quarter. Now all he needed was for Finn and Drew to get home, and they could celebrate the first night in their new home.
There had been a lot of changes in the last six months, but they were good ones, for the most part. Joe had started therapy with a psychologist associated with Hercules Security, and talking about his problems honestly to someone was helping him deal with both his past trauma and his more recent ones. It hadn’t been easy, but Joe had forced himself to go to every appointment and be as open as he could. The work had definitely helped him make peace with a lot of the things he’d been through, to put them behind him and move on.
It had also helped to have the support of both Finn and Drew. Either or both of them had always been there after the therapy sessions to help Joe decompress, and Joe had learned quickly that having two lovers for support and comfort really was better than just one. In fact, it hadn’t taken long for the three of them to all end up having sex together, and while there had been moments of doubt and jealousy, things had ended up working out and settling into a relationship that was both warm and comfortable for all of them. Drew and Finn had been careful to move at Joe’s pace, but they’d never made him feel that they were impatient with his naturally cautious approach to things, and the result, he thought, had been worth the wait.
The biggest change, however, had been when Herc had approached the three of them about leaving field work behind and starting up a branch of Hercules Security in New Orleans. With the enormous numbers of tourists and conventioneers that rolled into town on a regular basis, as well as the work available in the rest of the southeastern states, having a satellite office to coordinate things with the main office in Raleigh was not only logical, it had become necessary. It hadn’t taken much to convince them to do it, either. Drew and Joe were more than ready to leave field work behind to handle administration, and Finn’s caretaker tendencies and charm made him a natural to handle clients and agents alike. So they’d left Raleigh behind, and with the money of the three of them pooled together, they had been able to afford to build a house on a lovely piece of land outside the city, surrounded with live oaks dripping with Spanish moss. Everything about the house was scaled for three large men, including a huge bathtub and shower in the master bedroom, and a custom-made bed that would hold all three of them. There were also separate, smaller bedrooms, so that they each had their own space and privacy when needed. They’d gone to settlement that very morning, the house being in all their names, and afterward Finn and Drew had gone into the office to deal with business while Joe had come home to finish the last of the unpacking and make dinner. He’d also had an errand to run, though he hadn’t mentioned that to the others—it was a surprise that he hoped they would welcome.
The front door opened, and the sound of Drew’s deep voice followed by Finn’s hearty laughter drifted down the hall, punctuated by their footsteps on the hardwood floor.
“Honey, we’re home!” Finn called out.
“Something smells awful good,” Drew added.
“Come on back to the kitchen!” Joe called out as he picked up a towel to wipe his hands. He couldn’t help the wide smile that curved his lips, and his heartbeat sped up in anticipation.
“Dinner’s almost ready!”
“What about dessert?” Finn asked as he entered the kitchen and made a beeline for Joe. “Got anything hot and sweet for us?” He grinned playfully and slid his arms around Joe’s waist.
Joe enveloped Finn in a bear hug. “That’s second dessert.” He kissed Finn’s smiling lips, then lifted his head to leer at Drew. “First dessert is chocolate.”
Drew came up behind and sandwiched Joe between the two of them, stretching out his arms so he could reach Finn as well as Joe in the embrace. “I don’t know about you guys, but I’m tempted to skip straight tosecond dessert,” he said, nuzzling the back of Joe’s neck.
With a happy hum, Joe leaned into the nuzzling. He’d quickly come to enjoy being in the middle of Finn and Drew, to feel himself enveloped in their warmth and strength. There had been more than one night when he’d come back from therapy completely raw and aching, and the two of them hadn’t hesitated to sandwich him in a supportive, comforting embrace.
“I could be persuaded, since the food can wait.” He raised a brow at Finn. “What’s your vote?”
“You know what they say. Life’s short. Eat dessert first.” Finn leaned in and nibbled Joe’s earlobe.
Chuckling, Joe slid his hands down to Finn’s ass and squeezed it. “All right! Second dessert first, since we do have something to celebrate. Maybe a couple of somethings, actually.”
Finn wriggled happily against Joe’s hands. “New house… and what else?”
Joe turned to look over his shoulder at Drew. “Why don’t we adjourn to the bedroom? I have something to ask you both.”
Drew’s eyebrows climbed almost to his hairline, but he didn’t ask any questions, only nodded. “Sure, let’s go.”
“Nothing’s wrong, is it?” Finn asked, a flash of concern in his eyes.
“No, not at all!” Joe hastened to reassure Finn, smiling and shaking his head. “It’s a surprise.” He glanced back at Drew again. “One I hope you both will like.”
“If it involves you and the bedroom, I’m sure we will.” Drew’s answering smile was wicked, and he rocked his hips against Joe’s ass.
“Definitely,” Finn said, relief suffusing his expression.
Laughing, Joe pressed back against Drew’s crotch, wriggled, and then released Finn. “Okay, let’s head to the bedroom.”
Once they were in the big master suite, Joe directed Finn and Drew to sit down on the bed. He crossed to the dresser and picked up a long, flat black box. Holding his breath, he took his place between the two of them. His heart hammered in anticipation, but he thought—hoped—that this was something they would both be happy about.
“Since we’ve started a new life here together, I wanted to do something to begin it in a special way.” He looked at Finn, gazing into his familiar, beloved green eyes. “I love you, Finn. You’re my first love, my joy, and my light. You know that, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I know, you big smooshball,” Finn said, but his eyes were warm with affection, and he slid his arm around Joe’s waist and squeezed him tight.
“Good.” Joe leaned in to kiss Finn on the forehead. “I wanted to make sure.” He turned his gaze to Drew, taking a moment to admire the strength he always saw in Drew, the steady, unwavering support. “Drew, it’s probably taken me far too long to say this, but I love you, too. I was a jealous idiot for far too long, and you have the patience of a saint. I fell in love with your determination, your compassion, your commitment. You’ve become my rock, my shelter, and my source of strength when my own seems lost. Thank you.”
