His friend immediately dropped his amused grin. “Oh shit. Likebiggerbigger?”
Yes. If it was up to him, yes. He didn’t say it out loud, but his body language must’ve been screaming it because William gave a low whistle.
“So it’s like that. No wonder Reggie never stood a chance.”
“I never—”
William waved him off. “Yeah, yeah, you never promised her anything, she knew the score, it was never serious. I’ve heard it all before. And maybe I finally get it. Faith’s the one who got away.”
No point in denying it anymore, to William or to himself. “She is.”
But he had her again, or at least he thought he did. All the parts of their lives were tangling together, and he loved it: work, home, meals, families. And he was damn sure not letting her down in the orgasm department this time around. She knew what she needed and communicated it forcefully. God, it was hot how forcefully she communicated what she needed.
“Oh buddy, your face right now.” William shook his head, then his expression turned serious. “Just don’t blow up my life, okay?”
That pulled him up short. “What do you mean?”
“I mean,” William said patiently, “that I quit my old job to come work for her. Please don’t fuck that up for me.”
A little tingle of unease washed over him. “I won’t.” But he leaned against the kitchen counter and forced himself to consider the worst-case scenarios. They hadn’t intended to hurt each other last time, and look what had happened. If they tried again and then broke up, would it blow back on him? On William? On her? Hell, he didn’t even know if she was willing to take that risk once she’d had some time to really think about it.
His postsex glow was fading. Fucking William. He’d just gotten her back into his life. Into his bed. And now he wanted to rewind to sixty seconds ago before William had introduced this whisper of doubt. “It’s not going to be a problem.”
“If you say so.”
The skepticism in his friend’s voice burrowed under his skin. “I said it’ll be fine.”
“I was just asking.” William raised his hands in surrender. “You’re awfully grumpy for someone who’s regularly getting laid.”
Getting laid. What an enormous understatement.
“Oh my God. I’ve never seen you like this. You’re really in it with her.”
“I am.” He wasn’t sure he’d ever been out of it. All that time he spent hating her was time spentfeelingfor her.
“So this time around, is it as good as you remembered?”
Leo wasn’t a fuck-and-tell kind of guy, but he couldn’t control the endorphins rioting through him. “Even better, man,” he said quietly. It was the truest thing he could think of and as much detail as he was willing to share.
“Seeing you with her.” William shook his head. “You’re happy in a way I’ve never seen you happy before. So yeah, figure out how to make it work.”
“I will.” Because he wanted it all. The job. Dig Greener. And Faith. He’d lost her once, and every attempt to guard himself from her again had failed. He’d just have to find a way to keep her this time.
William sighed. “If it really is like that, I guess I ought to start thinking about finding my own place.”
A good friend would tell him not to hurry, that he was welcome to stay as long as he needed. But that same good friend had plans to get Faith naked in every room in his house.
“No big rush. But I’ll help you move your three boxes of belongings into that new place soon as you’re ready,” Leo offered.
He tried to ignore Faith’s absence in his house for the rest of the afternoon as he did laundry and incorporated Savannah’s notes into his United Way campaign materials and played someMario Kartwith William. By the time the sun was setting, he couldn’t take it anymore.
“I’m going to her house.” He needed to see her again. His whole body missed her.
“Should I expect to see you back tonight?” William asked.
“Hope not.”
His friend’s guffaw followed him out the door as he got in his car to drive to Faith’s. Well, to drive a block over from Faith’s so he could hoof it to her house, cutting through backyards once he reached the house next door. Good thing these lots were massive enough that nobody bothered with fences around here.
