And Sawyer knew, of course. He could feel everything Ciaran was feeling, and the look of apology on his face just about tore Ciaran apart.
“Hey,” Hendrix said, stepping forward. “We got this. We’re all part of this family. You go do what you need to and leave this to us.”
Ciaran felt so fucking bad. “Fray....”
Fray tried to smile. “It’s okay, Ciar. It’s fine. I get it. And I’ve been saying I need to get over him, right? That starts right now.”
Ciaran put his hand around Fray’s neck again. “Love you, brother. Stay at my place tonight. Don’t be alone.”
He nodded. “Okay.”
Sawyer made a disgruntled sound, and when Ciaran and Fray both looked over at him, he winced, and Ciaran could feel his jealousy. “Sorry. Trying to rein it in.”
But it made Fray laugh, and he strode over to Sawyer and gave him a big hug. “Don’t be jealous. I can hug you too.”
Sawyer gave him a playful shove, but it made Ciaran so happy to see them both smile. Well, until Fray put his arm around Sawyer for no other reason than to piss Ciaran off.
“Okay, that’s enough,” Ciaran said. He looked at the others. “Please take him now.”
Fray laughed, and they all dropped down to the dry dock, and a few moments later, soft splashes signalled that Ciaran and Sawyer were finally alone.
“Did you want to go with them?” he asked. “I can go lock myself in the jail cell. Actually, that’s a good idea. I can’t go in the water that way.”
Ciaran chuckled. “You’re not doing that. Come on, let’s go home.” He put his arm around Sawyer’s shoulder and led him out, away from the water. “You feel okay?”
Sawyer nodded, but there was a residual sadness between them.
“It won’t always be like this,” Sawyer murmured. “We’ll adjust. But I am sorry.”
“I know,” Ciaran said. And hedidknow.
“Fray will be okay,” Sawyer added.
Ciaran nodded. “And Tobin.... I don’t know what he was thinking. He’s fighting some inner battle, and I should have talked to him before now.”
“Tomorrow,” Sawyer offered. He tightened his arms around Ciaran, and damn if it wasn’t everything he needed right then. “We’ll stay at your place tonight,” he said, steering them toward the back of the antiques store. “And hang out with Fray when he gets back.”
Ciaran sighed and kissed the side of Sawyer’s head. “I fucking love you.”
“I think you should prove it,” Sawyer said. “While we’re alone.”
Ciaran held the door for him, and Sawyer walked in, smirking, inviting. “They could be gone a while.”
“Good.”
Ciaran laughed, kissing Sawyer as they walked into the kitchen. Ciaran’s hands went to Sawyer’s sides, to his back, down to his arse, and they both grunted when they bumped into the kitchen counter, not breaking the kiss even to smile or laugh.
“Take me to bed,” Sawyer whispered. “And do very indecent things to me.”
Ciaran growled with desire, and he had just turned Sawyer around so they could walk to his room with Ciaran’s hands cupping Sawyer’s arse when Sawyer stopped.
“Oh,” he said, surprised. “Hello.”
Ciaran looked over his shoulder to see the damn cat sitting there in the middle of the floor watching them.
“Yeah, I don’t think so,” Ciaran said, scooping the cat up and putting him outside and closing the back door.
Salem sat there for a moment,annoyed and miffed. He could hear Ciaran and Sawyer laughing as they fumbled down the hall, trying to walk and kiss and undress each other all at once and not managing any task successfully.
