Total pages in book: 53
Estimated words: 49669 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 248(@200wpm)___ 199(@250wpm)___ 166(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 49669 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 248(@200wpm)___ 199(@250wpm)___ 166(@300wpm)
Gio smiled and squeezed my hands hard. “So you’re getting your happily ever after after all,” he observed.
I laughed because it was true. Rush had said every love story was different. Different but no less magical.
“He was right,” I found myself saying aloud.
“Who? Right about what?”
I shook my head. “Rush and his take on love stories. He was right.”
Gio shook my hands enough to pull me from my reverie. “Listen to me,” he said sharply, though his eyes were bright with amusement. “No matter how many amazing orgasms that man gives you or how many perfect, sweet, amazing things he says or does, never, ever say those three little words to him. Ever! You will regret it, trust me.”
“I can’t not tell him I love him, Gio.”
“What? No, tell him that all you like. Just don’t tell him he’s right.”
I laughed.
“Oh man, you’re going to tell him, aren’t you? Okay, you’ll need a backup plan. Give me your phone.”
I handed my phone over without question. I peeked over the top of the phone to see what Gio was looking up and gasped when I saw a very familiar item.
A pair of hot pink underwear.
The same kind I’d told Gio to buy early on in his back-and-forth relationship with King.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I said.
Gio shook his head. “When he starts reminding you he was right about one thing so he must be right about everything, just give him a little peek of these. Buy one in every color—it’s more convenient that way.” Gio’s fingers clicked like wildfire over the keyboard, and before I knew it, the shopping cart was full.
“Um, Gio, hang on a second,” I said as I saw his finger hover over the instant-buy option. But my words came too late. It was over and done with before I could stop him.
I dropped my head against the phone that was still in his hands.
“What?” Gio said. “I’m pretty sure I got the right size—”
“It’s not that,” I cut in as I ran my fingers through my hair.
“Then what? What’s wrong?”
“That was Rush’s account. You just ordered him a dozen neon-colored man panties,” I said with a groan.
“Oh crap,” Gio whispered.
Before I could say anything else, a voice yelled out from the bottom of the stairs.
“Sweet pea?” Rush called.
“Um, yes… Bunny?” I responded after my eyes fell on Thumper. Gio began laughing and had to slap a hand over his mouth.
“Please tell me you selected the overnight shipping option for the items you… I… you… ordered for me… you… Me.” Rush’s stumbling words had me guessing King was close by.
Gio and I took one look at each other and dissolved into a fit of laughter. “Show King the order,” Gio called. “He might remember how long it took for that package to come. Honey, I’m talking about the package that—”
I heard Rush cough loudly.
And for a long time.
“It’s all good. I’ll figure it out!” Rush shouted.
I could faintly hear my uncle say, “What package? What did you order?”
The rest of his words were drowned out by Gio’s and my laughter.
God, it was good to be home.
EPILOGUE
RUSH
ONE YEAR LATER
Margie had been right.
It was hell trying to sleep when your other half wasn’t in bed beside you. Thankfully, I only had one more night of it, and then Christopher was all mine again until the next semester when he’d have to be on-site at Duke as part of his nurse practitioner program. After that, he’d graduate, and with any luck, the amount of time we’d have to spend apart after that would be limited to a few days here and there when I might need to travel for my own job.
It had been a busy year since Christopher had told his family the truth. Watching the love of my life break the news of his HIV status had nearly torn me apart. But my suffering had been a drop in the hat compared to what Micah, Con, King, and Gio had had to go through the night King and Gio had discovered Christopher and me going at it on the dining room table. I would never forget the sight of Con and Micah arriving at the house shortly after Gio and Christopher had come down from our bedroom. The couple had been too elated to see Christopher, to get to hold him, to even consider why they’d been invited to the house in the middle of the afternoon in the first place. Thankfully, they hadn’t brought Christopher’s sister, Rory, with them, since she’d been at a playdate.
It was only when Con and Micah had seen King and Gio sitting in the living room, their hands intertwined and their expressions grim, that they’d realized something was up. Since both men had already known who I was from when I’d taken Christopher home after the night at the club, introductions hadn’t really been necessary.