“To know what I was up against, sweetness. What could make you tell me no. What had you scared.”
Watching him carefully, I close the small distance between us, taking his face in my hands. “I love you, Theo Donahue, and nothing you can say can make me just walk away. This isn’t just you alone fighting something. You have us, all of us.”
“I can’t ask you to do that. It’s too much. Too much risk.”
“That’s what partners do. It’s what you do for the ones you love. Give me a week to convince you.” I lift his chin, sliding my hand over my favorite face in the world. Damn, I missed Theo. “You did it for me. Tonight, with Summit House. Don’t think I don’t know.”
“Deny knows I am here. In Bear Valley. He was having drinks with Jack, Perrin, Bish, and Quinn, and Lucien Moretti at Black Diamond.”
“This same guy?”
Theo nods. “I was going to find a way to warn Jack. He needs to know, and Lucien does too. I don’t think it’s connected to Nico, but I don’t know. Deny is bad news no matter what. But if rumors move around town about what happened tonight, he’s going to hear them.”
“Doesn’t matter, sugar. We are going to get this whole thing sorted. It may mean Nico comes here for a little visit. Is that going to be okay with you?”
“Nico is coming to Bear Valley?” Theo’s beautiful eyes go wide and a mix of terrified and shocked.
“This shit ends now. I want the man in front of me. No more running. No more hiding. We will talk to Jack. Tomorrow. Don’t worry, sweetness. We have the FBI and Lucien Moretti on our side. If he wants money, I have plenty. If he wants to keep you from your calling, we will have words.”
“You aren’t mad? I lied to you, Matt.”
“And I understand why. I should have pushed when I saw those bruises, and that’s on me to make up for, Theo.”
Theo buries his head in my neck. His small chest rising and falling, he clings to me for a long while.
Then small, sweet kisses begin on my neck.
“I don’t deserve you, Matt. I swear I don’t.” Theo whispers against my skin, and it feels like promises.
“I swear you do.” I run a hand down his spine, knowing he craves the closeness, the intimacy of his body against mine. He might be tired or emotionally exhausted, but when he squirms, hooking his thighs around my hips so he’s straddling me, there is no denying what he wants.
Theo’s lips melt against mine, all powdered-donut sweet and full of a belated welcome home.
“What do you want, sweetness? You want to christen your new place? Or you just want me to hold you? I’m good with whichever.”
Theo pushes up, his hard, aroused body meeting mine as he sinks his hands in my hair. “Want you in my sheets.”
I lift him up, carrying him the short distance to the bed. I kiss him deep and long, slowly getting him naked in between kisses. “Tell me someone left lube here.”
Theo pulls out a new bottle, pressing it into my hand while still kissing me almost out of my mind. He then passes me a condom, and I break the kiss, placing it back on the bedside table. Deep brown eyes blink with confusion. “Do you not want . . . I mean do you not like, or—”
I kiss his nose. “Sugar, I look forward to sliding into your body and giving you every centimeter of me you can take.” His body arches at the words. He wants that too. “But when I do, I don’t want any barriers between us. I got tested since I was last with someone, but I don’t have the results with me to show you.”
“I trust you.”
“And I trust you. But this isn’t about trust. This is about safety. About you knowing that you are safe with me and that I’ll prove it to you.” His cock responds, and I know this is the right call for us. “Now, you are going to put your hands on that headboard and leave them there. I believe I need to reward you for saving the day.”
We make out like new lovers. Agreeing to begin something new with someone is magical. An automatic bending of the universe occurs when two people accept they could be hurt for the chance at love. And I feel it.
I make my way down his body, but not as leisurely as I normally would. Theo has to be exhausted. The high stress of a kitchen is not for the faint of heart. Neither was the strength of those sobs.
He really was going to leave.
“I would have chased you, sweetness.” I whisper the words across his skin. “I wouldn’t have just let you leave. I want you to know that.”
“You mean that?”
I leave my eyes hook on his, drinking deep. “Let me show you how much I mean it.”
