“Good. Because I didn’t plan on letting you out of this bed tonight.”
Sean held him close, his cheek resting on Tristan’s warm chest, the freneticthump-thump-thumpof his heart a soothing rhythm lulling Sean to sleep.
* * *
“Don’t you look all handsome, dressed up in a suit.” Sean tweaked Tristan’s tie. “Now you have a nice first day at work, honey, and I hope you make friends.”
Tristan glowered. “You think you’re cute, don’t you?”
Sean snickered. “Oh, come on. You’re gonna stand there, a hot and sexy G-man type, and think I’m not saying something?”
Tristan pulled him close. “Hot and sexy, huh?”
Sean nuzzled his neck. “So hot. Sooo sexy.”
Tristan squeezed his ass. “See you later.” He winked as he opened the door. “And make sure you have dinner on the table when I get home, honey.” The lock clicked behind him.
Sean cackled, his heart so happy it could burst. Was this going to last? He had no idea, but for as long as he had Tristan in his life, he was going to enjoy it.
His phone rang.
“Hey, Char.”
“Did you have fun on Saturday? My friends are all still talking about you.”
“Are you serious? It wasn’t that big a deal. I just sang some songs and twisted up balloons.” He settled on the sofa.
“You don’t get it. If it makes their kids happy, they’ll do anything. Janice, my friend who asked for your card, is already spreading the word.”
“God help me,” he muttered. “I mean…I haven’t said I’m going to do anything beyond what I told your friends. I’m not looking to move out to the Island.”
“Because of a certain someone?”
He huffed out a sigh. “Because I want to live in the city. I appreciate what you’re trying to do, and I really appreciate the work, but I’m not willing to promise more than that.”
“Did you see the pictures I sent you? Was I right?” Changing her tactic, Charlotte must’ve decided she’d get more of a reaction talking about Tristan.
“Leave it alone, please. There’s nothing to say on that front. Tristan is still looking for an apartment.”
“Hmm.”
Praying for strength, he rolled his eyes to the ceiling. “There’s no ‘hmm.’ Nothing has changed.”
What he’d learned from his mistake with Chad was to keep his personal life to himself. While Charlotte meant well, he had little desire to be treated like a child and listen to his sister’s well-meaning but ultimately lecturing advice on how to live his life.
Of course Charlotte was a mind reader as well as a relationship therapist in her spare time. “I’m not going to give you a lecture about Chad and why he was so bad for you. I can tell Tristan is different.”
“Yeah? How?” He thought so too, but wanted to hear it from someone else.
“I’m serious, Sean. From the time you arrived at the party, his main focus was on you. Every time you two were in the same room, Tristan saw no one but you. The way it should be.”
“Char—”
“Fine. You want to keep it to yourself, or not talk about it, I’ll support you. Because what I see, I like.”
He couldn’t help teasing. “Well, as long as you’re happy.”
“Stop making light of it. Tristan is a good man, and if you’re happy, I’m happy. Because that’s all I’ve ever wanted from the moment I met you and saw how bad you were hurting.”
