Mitch thoughtof Finn’s worn weatherboard house that had been declared a proceed from crime, along with everything in it. As a result, Finn owned nothing. He’d lost his only surviving close family member, his job, and his home. He’d paid a heavy price.
“So what does that mean for you, Mitch? What are you going to do?”
He shook his head clear of thoughts of Finn. “I don’t have to be back until the SupremeCourt trial, so I’m taking some extended time off. After that, who knows?”
A moment later, his phone pinged with an incoming text. He smiled as he read the message.
So happy :) Can’t wait to see you.
“Got to go, guys,” Mitch said as he stood, suddenly impatient to hit the road. He gave Shelley another hug and congratulated Ross once again.
“Don’t be a stranger,” Ross said.
“I’ll miss you.”Even though he was eager to get out of town, he knew he’d miss spending time with his partner. “You’ll keep an eye on Pete?”
“Of course. He’s due out of rehab in a fortnight. I’ll give you an update then.”
“Thanks.” Mitch nodded.
He turned his thoughts from his ex to his future as he left the pub, typing a reply message.
Leaving now. See u soon. Xx
FINN’S FACEbroke into a broad grin.“Thank God you made it. I thought you’d never get here.” Fuck, he was glad to see Mitch. Messaging and phone calls weren’t the same. You’d think he’d be used to the distance, especially since they’d spent time apart when Mitch had been recovering from his injuries.
Mitch dropped his bag on the floor and wrapped Finn tightly in his arms. Finn buried his face into Mitch’s neck, inhaling the scenthe’d missed over the past two weeks. Mitch’s hold was strong and tender at the same time, and Finn allowed himself to melt into his arms. It didn’t matter that their future was uncertain. All that mattered was this moment.
“Fuck, I’ve missed you,” Mitch murmured against his ear. “So bloody much.”
“Me too.”
“I won’t leave you again.”
Yes. Oh God, that’s all I want.
Finn tilted his head, andMitch brought his mouth down in a hot kiss. He tightened his hold, pulling Finn to him while he kissed him desperately.
Later they lay on the bed, Mitch’s arm under Finn’s neck and their legs tangled. Cool air chilled his damp body, so Finn tugged up the sheet and doona, drawing them up to ward off the cold. He wished he’d lit the fire in the bedroom, not just the one in the living room, buthe had been planning for a dinner, not a passionate tumble. He laughed to himself.I really should know better.
He traced circles on Mitch’s chest, playing with the dark hair, loving the ache in his body, the feeling of being totally sated. This was exactly where he wanted to be.
“Mitch?”
“Mmm….” Mitch’s voice had that sleepy quality of someone only half awake.
“You haven’t told me what happenedtoday.” Finn knew the concern was evident in his voice, and he hated raising the topic, but he had to know. He needed the reassurance that everything was going to be all right.
Mitch moved, hauling himself up until he was sitting propped against the headboard. He drew Finn with him.
“It’s going to be okay, Finn. Everything went well, just as I told you it would.”
“You didn’t lose your job?You weren’t suspended?” Finn had worried himself sick at the potential cloud over Mitch’s career.
“Not even close. But I told you that wasn’t going to happen.”
“I was sure I was going to fuck up your career. That they’d find out about us and you’d be reprimanded in some way.”
“Finn, listen to me. They weren’t going to find out about us because no one was going to tell them. Plus the operationwasn’tcompromised. It may not have gone down the way I thought it would, but all in all, we got the result we wanted. Both of us.”
