And then, when Jules started flailing, Daddy held onto him even tighter, and kept kissing him.
And finally, with Santiago still grinning ear-to-ear and my heart so full it felt like it was too big for even The Luxe’s massive ballroom to contain, Jules started to calm down and actually kiss Daddy back.
Aggressively.
And then, after even longer, I could tell he was kissing him back softer, melting against Daddy’s big, strong chest, and finally accepting the truth.
Daddy wanted us.Reallywanted us. And it didn’t matter how fast it had all happened, he’d meant what he’d said last night.
He’d find a way, and he had.
We were going to be permanent.
We were going to beforever.
“Kiss me, too,” I said the minute they finally came up for air, shamelessly wiggling between them and pulling Daddy’s lips down to mine. I kept one hand wrapped around Jules’ neck, and as soon as I’d gotten my fill of Daddy, I turned and pulled Jules in for a kiss, too.
“He’s keeping us,” I said to Jules, smiling hard once I’d gotten what I wanted.
Jules rolled his eyes, but I could see how hardhewas tryingnotto smile. “Please, honey. We’re not a pair of heels. He doesn’t get to ‘keep’ us. He’s lucky if we decide to keephimaround.”
That was definitely Jules-speak for how very, desperately happy he was to hear it… and also how very, desperately worried he still was to believe it.
“Well, he can keepme,” I said, happy to keep reassuring Jules for as long as it took, until Daddy came back. Then I turned to Daddy. “Please keep me?”
“Always, beautiful,” he promised. “And I hope you and Jules will keep me, too. I know I’m springing this on the both of you out of the blue, and it may take a while to square things with my old firm—”
“And it will definitely take some time to deal with immigration,” Santiago threw in, shaking his head. “Believe me, it took twice as long as I’d hoped when I came over.”
Daddy nodded, his grip on me tightening.
He wasn’t actually worried that we wouldn’t wait, was he?
“So, what,” Jules said, drumming his talons on Daddy’s chest. “Isaac and I are just supposed to sit aroundwaitingfor you? Is that what you’re saying?”
I frowned at him.
Hard.
If Daddy was worried, it wasn’t nice at all for Jules to tease him like that. Except, no. That wasn’t what Jules was trying to do.Hewas just worried—stillworried, probablyalwaysworried—that Daddy didn’t mean it. Or that he’d change his mind. Or maybe, that he’d decide it was all too much hassle to make such a big change, what with immigration and… and all of it.
Oh.
Maybe itwastoo much of a hassle.
“Yes, that’s what I’m asking, Jules,” Daddy said, covering Jules’ hand and holding it against his chest to keep it still, right over Daddy’s heart. “That’s what I’m hoping. I’d like you to wait, and trust that I’ll come back to you, because you two mean everything to me.”
“Already?” Jules asked skeptically.
Daddy smiled. “Yes. Already.”
I held my breath. I believed him. Iwantedto. And I’d wait for him as long as it took.
But I needed Jules to believe and want and wait, too, because like Daddy had said last night, it was thethreeof us that worked. Not two, no matter which two.
Because Jules had been right, too.
I’d always loved Jules, and I’d known he loved me, but we wouldn’t have worked without Daddy. Not that way. Not as boyfriends. No matter how much we both might have wanted to.
