35. Lee

CHAPTER 35

LEE

Lee apologized again, this time for giving them all a case of blue-balls, which broke the tension between them. He popped open the refrigerator and pulled out the containers of takeout he'd ordered. They made their plates, took turns heating their food in the microwave, and then crowded around the small dining room table. The size had been good for two small women and himself, however, with two muscular men…

"Mom was right. It looks like I not only need a bigger bed, but I need a bigger kitchen table, too."

Mac grinned. "Considering I still live with my parents, and Drew only has a double in his postage-stamp apartment, this place is spacious. I noticed something… Are the twin beds in the guestroom the kind that can be pushed together into a king?"

"I—" Lee cut himself off. "You can do that?"

"If they're extra long ones, then yes. You can get standard king sheets and they'll fit."

Lee scrunched his nose. "I'm not sure, but I can ask." He waggled his phone.

Drew tilted his head and then gasped. "You want to ask your mom if you can make a king-sized bed out of her bed?" He laughed loudly, slapping the counter. "Do it. I dare ya."

Toggling to his mom's contact info, he did Drew one better: he called.

"Hey, kiddo. What's up?"

Drew slammed a hand over his mouth to keep his horror contained, but his wide-eyed stare had Lee grinning maniacally. "I need to know if the twins we got you and Auntie are extra-long?"

"Things are going well then I take it."

Lee's gaze darted between the amused Mac and the cringing Drew. "Pretty good."

"That's a ‘could-be-better-if-we-had-a-bed-big-enough-for-all-of-us' good if I ever heard one. Well, you're in luck. I did put in XLs in case one of your teammates ever needed a place to crash. And there's a set of king sheets in the guest closet, too."

"You're the bomb, Mom."

"I know. Say hi to the boys for me. Bye."

She hung up before Lee could return the farewell.

Lee turned to Mac and deadpanned, "I vote for Drew in the middle."

"Sounds like a plan to me."

Drew's spluttering had them cracking up and Lee felt a hundred times lighter than he had.

After eating, they moved the beds before collapsing on the couch to watch a movie. It was some government conspiracy action flick Lee couldn't remember the name of and wasn't very interested in anyway. Instead, he turned toward Mac, who was in the middle between him and Drew.

Mac glanced at him, rested a hand on Lee's leg, then turned back to the movie.

There was a softness to Mac's features which, in contrast to the way he took charge earlier, piqued Lee's interest. Both Lee and Drew had close-cropped hair, but Mac had a styled mop of dishwasher blond that invited touch. Propping his elbow on the back of the couch, Lee trailed his fingertips along Mac's nape and shirt collar. Mac smiled but didn't move, except for the slight sagging of his shoulders and the curl of his fingers against Lee's thigh.

Lee always thought he had a short neck. It was because he worked out, building the muscles of his neck and shoulders that did it. Mac, however, had a long, pale neck. Lee ran the back of his fingers along its length, enjoying the ability to finally touch along with the feel of Mac's smooth skin.

As he repeated the motion, Mac closed his eyes and moaned, his fingertips digging into Lee's leg. Drew peeked around Mac at Lee to see what he was doing. His mouth dropped open as he scanned Mac's posture. Lee could practically see the wheels turning in Drew's brain, so he wasn't surprised when Drew flipped Mac's hand over and started to draw lines and hearts on the inside of his wrist.

Mac slowly breathed in and out as Lee and Drew played with him. All three of them ignored the on-screen explosions in favor of making their own. Or soon they would. Lee wanted to get there sooner, and he suspected they did, too, but when Mac's head lolled, that meant it was time for two things: bed and sleep. He stood and offered Drew a hand, pulling him up. Together, they lifted a nearly asleep Mac to his feet.

Lee scooped Mac into a bridal carry, loving the way he curled against him. Into the bedroom they went, then right into the bathroom to brush their teeth before they crawled into bed with not a stitch between them. With Mac in the middle again, Lee and Drew lulled him back to sleep with soft caresses and delicate kisses.

But before Lee put his head down for the night, he propped himself up and beckoned Drew to do the same. They kissed goodnight, lips lingering for a long moment, putting the final touch on a night that started well, took a turn for the worse, but then ended in the perfect way… with the three of them together.