31. Lee

CHAPTER 31

LEE

All Lee thought about on the return flight was how he'd screwed up and how he wished he had the guys waiting for him at home. He needed a hug that wasn't a bro-hug or a "shake-it-off-it's-only-one-game" side-arm thing from his teammates.

He'd forgotten how good it was to come home to his mom and aunt after a tough outing. They'd barely let him wallow before attempting to cheer him up. Auntie Beth would hand him a spiked hot chocolate or some other bizarre drink, and his mom would bring over a grazing plate of meats, cheeses, and dried fruit. Sometimes it was cookie dough ice cream. It wasn't healthy, but it always worked.

Missing his mom and aunt doubled when he turned off the airplane mode on his phone to a message from them. They knew he'd be upset and the cheerful video of them drinking wine and throwing popcorn at the television at the end of the game and finishing with them wishing him a good night brought a hint of a smile to his face and thawed the cold dread in his chest.

On the drive home from the airport, he thought about all the various chat threads he'd read through while on the plane. Drew and him, Mac and him, all three of them together. The ridiculous memes, the crazy patron stories, the elation when Drew landed the internship, and the fear for Mac's sister, followed by the cute pics of Katy and Officer Daniels. Ever since she filed the restraining order and Carey Daniels started picking Katy up from work, they hadn't seen hide nor hair of the ex. Though the crisis was averted, an underlying foreboding remained, keeping them all vigilant.

Since he'd met them, Drew and Mac had teased Lee about his "job," cheered for his accomplishments, and sympathized with his failures. They'd become such an integral part of his life in such a short time. It was hard to believe it had only been two months since they'd met in the diner.

His worry about whether or not he would remain focused on his performance on the field if he had not just one boyfriend but two lay heavy on his mind. He'd started and stopped and erased half a dozen messages to them already, but as he stepped out of his car, he'd decided he had enough of them keeping their distance. They needed to talk about what happened and how they would proceed going forward because not having them around this week had been torture.

In his apartment lot, he leaned against his car, opened up their three-way thread, and sent:

We need to talk. When can I see you?

Drew:

Soon

Tomorrow?

Lee didn't want to leave it another minute, but it was late, and Mac probably had to be up early tomorrow for work. He didn't have to report until one for game review and a light workout.

Mac:

Soon

Lee frowned. It seemed like he wouldn't get much more out of them. Maybe they wanted to coordinate without him first… Hefting his bag, he headed toward his apartment. In the elevator, he sent:

I don't want to lose you guys.

Drew:

You won't. We're ready to talk.

Lee sighed, a rush of relief loosening the tight curl he'd harbored in his gut. He hadn't realized how much he feared them walking away. The elevator doors opened, he stepped out, and froze at the sight of Drew and Mac standing by his door.

"Thank fuck." Lee strode toward them, dropped his bag, and wrapped them in his arms. "I'm sorry I skipped out on you guys last week. I let my fear of failure get the best of me."

Drew touched Lee's jaw. "Let's go inside." Mac smiled at Lee, then went to grab his bag while he got the door open.

In the apartment, Lee's nerves flared. For the past week, Mac and Drew had certainly talked to each other, seen each other. They wouldn't let what happened affect their friendship. Based on Drew's succinct message—You won't—they didn't want to let Lee slip away, either.

Mac closed the door behind him and stashed Lee's overnight bag in the bedroom before joining them in the living room area. Drew pushed Lee to sit in the middle of the couch while they sat side by side on the coffee table in front of him.

"Tough game today," Drew said.

Lee nodded. "Yeah. Missing that tackle. Shouldn't have happened."

"I think you're being too hard on yourself. I watched the replay. He was fast and got lucky. It's the nature of the game."

"Maybe," Lee muttered.

"I watched the whole game, too. You played well. We're proud of you."

"You did?" Considering Mac didn't normally watch any sports, Lee was impressed.

"Yeah." Mac shrugged. "My boyfriend was playing. I kinda had to."

Mac's bright smile filled Lee with tentative joy, but he wasn't sure how to respond in words, so he gave them a small grin. Boyfriends? They hadn't made any declarations. In fact, he'd pushed them off, telling them both that he couldn't right now, not with the pressure of playing professionally.

"We understand your reasons for waiting," Drew said, "but we don't want to wait. Mac and I think we can slow down, though. Ease you into the relationship… If that's what you still want…?"

Lee looked from one man to the other before noticing how their fingers were lightly threaded together between them. Were they a couple now? Had they…? Okay, so while he really wanted the answer to that question, it wouldn't affect his decision. He wanted in, slow or fast, that was certain.

"Have you two… you know?"

They laughed lightly. "Just kissing," Mac answered. "And holding hands. Momma and Dad know. Probably Katy by now." Lee narrowed his eyes, making Mac laugh louder. "Your mom and aunt spilled the tea to my mom."

Lee groaned, face-palming, his cheeks burning. Spilling the tea… ugh. Mom had obviously been spending too much time hanging around the college help.

"It was pretty funny seeing your dad's confusion," Drew added.

Lee chuckled, imagining the scene. He'd gotten to know Ken pretty well with his frequent trips to the diner. Mac's dad was always ready to talk football. But what exactly did they know? "Should I ask what kind of T it was?"

"Just the usual boy drama: you, me, and Drew, and how they could help get us together. We don't need their help, though. Drew and I talked Sunday after you ditched us."

"I'm so, so sorry," Lee begged. "When you were kissing, I got all up in my head. You looked good together, and I figured?—"

"You figured we'd be better off without you," Drew finished. "Well, we don't agree." He reached for Lee with his free hand as Mac did the same.

Lee grabbed onto them like a lifeline. These two amazing men, best friends who had been in love with each other for years, wanted him. Well, he wouldn't reject them again. He brought their hands to his mouth, kissing their knuckles, then the inside of their wrists. "I'm glad you're both stubborn assholes who know when to push. I've been miserable this past week." Standing, he gave them an upright tug. They stood in a tight triangle, holding hands. "I've missed you both."

"We missed you." Mac leaned in, his gaze shifting from Lee's eyes down.

Yes. That's what he wanted. Lee met Mac halfway, their noses bumping lightly, heads tilting to find the right angle for their mouths to meet in a caress of lips.

Without the fog of alcohol clouding his senses, Lee absorbed the feel and pulse of Mackenzie Connor. The lingering touch to his wandering fingertips, the soft press of his mouth to Lee's, the quiet moan of desire.

When they paused, Lee turned toward Drew, again letting his senses well with the subtle nuances between the men even as he cataloged the hard press of lips, the firm grip on his bicep, the deeper register of groan.

"I'm a fool," Lee whispered when they separated. "We could have been doing this for weeks—months—already."

"No," Drew said, shaking his head, "you weren't ready, and we weren't either. Mac and I… we wouldn't be here without you; that's why we waited. Maybe Fate or Lady Luck had a hand in it, who knows." Drew shot him a cocky grin. "We'll never know, and we don't have to. We only have to know that this feels right between the three of us. You feel it, too, yeah?"

"I do." Lee kissed Drew again, then gave Mac a turn, loving how he swallowed the sounds of their pleasure.

The thrill of having these two back in his life ebbed as they stood exchanging kisses and sweet caresses and the long day caught up with Lee. He ducked his head to hide his yawn, not wanting to appear bored or unexcited. Thankfully, both men understood and hustled him into the bedroom.

"Do you want to stay?" He glanced at his queen-sized bed. There was enough room… just. Lee chuckled at the stray thought of what his mom would say about him replacing the queen for a king already. Two kings for me.

He giggled at his ridiculousness. "Oh fuck, I'm really tired."

"Must be, 'cause that was weird hearing you giggle like a little kid." Drew's eyebrows went up, and Mac laughed. "You need to sleep. How about we meet up on Tuesday since you're technically off? I have to be on campus for a class and to meet with my advisor, but I'll be done by two. Mac?"

"We have enough staff and managers that they can do without me. I can be here by two, too."

Lee smiled at them. "I'll head in for a light workout in the morning and hit the market. Two o'clock. It's a date." He punctuated his sentence with a huge yawn, cracking everyone up.

"We'll see ourselves out. You get to bed," Drew ordered before leaning in for a short, yet lingering kiss.

"Sleep well, Lee," Mac murmured, placing his hands on Lee's chest and kissing him good night.

"Night," Lee answered, lifting Mac's hand and letting their fingers drag as Mac pulled away. He stood in the doorway of his bedroom, watching his boyfriends leave before he hit the bathroom, a low thrum of excitement making his head spin. Tuesday couldn't come fast enough…