“I’m sure I’ve got a t-shirtthat’s shrunk in the wash somewhere. But they won’t mind.”
The grin that spread acrossQuinn’sface deserved to be framed and hung in the Louvre.
My fingers tangled in hishair as I pulled him close for a kiss. He tasted sweeter than ever, happinessrolling off him in waves.
“They’re two of the bestpeople you’re ever likely to know,” I promised, excited to introduce Quinn topart of what I thought of as my family—myrealfamily, thefamily I’dbuilt for myself.
The family Quinn was, Ihoped, the newest addition to.
“This is the first day of mynew life,” Quinn said. “Gotta make the most of it.”
“You will.” I grabbed hishand, linking our fingers together. “We’ll all help you.”
Quinn was one of us now. He’d never have tobe alone again.
TWENTY-SEVEN
QUINN
“What do you think ofSacramento, then?” Fox asked, passing me a cup of coffee.
I sat back on the parkbench, taking in the coffee cart Fox had been standing at, the shade of thetrees, the sound of children laughing.
I hadn’t expected it tobe like this.
The warmth of Fox’s body beside mewas the best part of all. I shifted closer, letting our arms brush against eachother.
“It’s making a good firstimpression,” I said, sipping my coffee.
It was borderlineundrinkable, but I planned on drinking it anyway. This was my first day outsidesince I’dleft Los Angeles in a hurry.
Fox had been so patient withme. Like always.
“Not regretting running awaywith me, then?”
“Never,” I said.
Getting on Fox’s bike andleaving all my problems behind me had been one of the best, most freeing daysof my life.
The practically non-stop sexand cuddling since then had been pretty great, too. Fox would go back to workeventually, but he’d promised me another week of us-time before he took on anotherjob.
My stomach swooped as Ireached out to hold his hand. The moment my fingers curled around his, warm,solid, and familiar, I knew I’d made a good decision.
I could have Fox now. He wasall mine.
“You don’t have to,” Foxmurmured, stroking the side of my hand with his thumb.
“Iwantto,” I said, forcingdown a wave of nervousness as a stranger glanced at us. They didn’t look twice.
This was okay. I didn’t have to hidewho I was anymore.
“You’re very brave, you knowthat?”
A blush crept up my neck. “I’m not.”
“Yes you are,” Fox insisted.“First you dropped everything and moved to LA to chase your dreams. Then you pouncedon me a day after we’d met. Knocked your uncle over the head with a vase. Ranaway with me after the dust settled, not knowing what you were runningto. And now for thefirst time in your life, you’re holding hands with another man in a public park.In broad daylight.”
“Most of those things werebecause ofyou.”
