Chapter Two

Abe

I t was just the barest brush of lips against mine, but it was enough to trip my circuits. Lio pulled back as if that was all I was going to get, but I growled my frustration and recaptured his mouth before he could get away. Lio gasped, and I slid my tongue between his lips, getting my first taste of the man I'd wanted for so long. His short beard rasped against my face, and I longed to feel the friction much lower on my body. Lio dug his fingers into my neck and moaned into my mouth as his tongue got in on the action too.

Heat engulfed my body as if someone had set me on fire. Lio slid his free hand around my waist and cupped my ass, and I realized someone had set a torch to my skin. Years of want and need were nothing more than dry kindling to Lio's match, but I embraced the burn. I broke the kiss and delighted in his tiny whimper. As if I were done with him. Hell no. I was just getting started. I pressed my mouth to his sweaty neck and kissed a path up to his ear.

"Say the word, Lio," I whispered. "Put us both out of our misery."

I realized my mistake when he stiffened. Fuck. Why didn't I keep my mouth shut? I pulled back and looked into his beautiful brown eyes. Lust and need were still present but a more somber emotion I didn't like had joined the mix. Dread? "Oh no." I dropped my hands and moved to step back, but Lio fisted his hand in my shirt and pulled me back to him.

"Not oh no. We just need to talk before we take things further."

I blew out a breath. "Oh no."

"Abe, I want you more than anything, but I meant what I said about loving someone not always being enough."

I stepped back again, and this time Lio let me go. I crossed my arms over my chest and said, "Why isn't it enough?"

"Your stance says you're not ready to discuss this with me right now."

I lowered my arms and relaxed my shoulders. Then I stepped back into him and rested my hands on his hips. "I'm ready. Lay it on me. Just tell me what you want, Lio."

He swallowed hard but didn't look away. "I want you to tell me our relationship would be different from the ones you've had in the past." He took a deep breath and released it slowly. "And I need you to tell me you won't push me away like the last time I got too close."

I tried not to flinch but failed. I opened my mouth to speak but words failed me. Lio must've seen the denial in my expression because he pressed on without waiting.

"You've self-sabotaged every good relationship you've ever had."

It would've hurt less if he kicked me in the balls. "I have not."

"Sara Beth," Lio replied dryly.

"You're going to throw my ex-wife in my face? You have one of those too, you know."

The battle to remain calm raged in Lio's eyes, but his voice was calm when he said, "Yes, I do, but we're not talking about my dating history."

"You want to get into this?" I asked. "Fine. Sara Beth and I got married when we were little more than kids, just like you and Alyssa. We grew apart, just like you and Alyssa. End of story. You can hardly call me a commitment-phobe in the same sentence you acknowledge I had a wife."

"I didn't call you a commitment-phobe. You have abandonment issues." That remark was nearly the knockout punch, but I somehow remained standing. Maybe it was because I only saw love and acceptance in Lio's gaze, even when discussing the issue he viewed as the wedge between us. "Why did the two of you grow apart?" he asked.

"Because she wanted something I didn't want to give her."

"She wanted to have your children," Lio said as if I'd forgotten how I'd broken her heart.

"Sara Beth knew that wasn't on the table for me. I never wanted kids, and Sara Beth had said she didn't want them either. She changed her mind. I didn't. The end." The last thing the world needed was more Beechams walking among them. It was too bad my cousins didn't have the same compunction.

Lio placed his hand over my heart, and I knew he could feel the way it pounded. "For expediency, I'll let that one go for now. We'll pretend you don't adore kids. Let's talk about Skylar instead."

"Okay, let's talk about Sky," I said. "He got a promotion that took him to a different state."

"He proposed and asked you to move with him."

"My life was here."

"And if I took a job somewhere else?" Lio pressed.

"I'd go too." And I meant it. I was done living an existence that didn't include Lio as my life partner.

"And Jeremy?" he asked.

Those two words were a knife to the heart, and I hung my head. Two years ago, I'd made a horrible mistake when our army buddies, Jeremy and Allen, joined Lio and me for a poker weekend. I'd been downing whiskey and nursing a bruised heart because Lio had started dating someone new. I had no right to be jealous after rejecting his kiss, but I burned with it. Jeremy was newly divorced and flirty, so we exchanged blow jobs out behind the cabin. There was no confession of love or expressed desire to date one another. It was two sad, horny guys getting one another off. But I'd felt so guilty afterward and hadn't talked to Jeremy since. Fuck, I hated it when Lio was right.

I forced myself to meet Lio's gaze and tried not to cringe. His dark eyes were heavy with hurt and something that looked a lot like betrayal. How horrible it must've been for him to see us together after I'd turned away from him. I'd never hated myself more than I did right then.

"I wasn't aware you saw us."

Lio snorted. "Obviously."

"It was just the once and—"

"You ghosted Jeremy." He quirked a brow and dared me to deny it. Lio deserved more, so I deployed a better tactic: honesty.

"Yeah. I've avoided his calls and texts because it was easier."

"Christ, Abe. Jeremy and I have never been tight, and I fucking hate that he's had you in ways I can't, but he deserved better from you." I wanted to correct him. Lio could have me any way he wanted, but this wasn't the moment to point it out. I had major damage control to perform before he would let his guard down around me again. "Make it right with him, Abe."

"I will. I promise."

"And you can't disappear on me for another month, Abe. My heart won't be able to take it again."

Shame washed over me, but I managed to keep my gaze locked on his. "There is nothing I regret more than those thirty days without you. I wish I could go back in time and change things, but I can't. It won't happen again, Lio."

His expression was indecipherable while he processed what I said. My mouth and throat felt dry as if I hadn't been wearing a mask while sanding. I wanted to reach for my beer, but worried Lio might bolt if I let go of him. But I didn't want to physically imprison Lio; I wanted him there of his own accord. I released my grip and took a drink.

"That's mine," he said, breaking the silence.

He couldn't know that because he hadn't taken his eyes off me. His lips trembled at the corner, and I could tell he was trying to lighten the oppressive mood in the room. "Don't care." I set the beer down and cupped his neck. "I love you in ways I've never loved anyone else. My failed relationships and questionable one-night stands have nothing to do with abandonment issues."

"I think you might even believe that," Lio said. "But you don't think you're good enough, and you push people away before they can leave you. I won't say your swagger is all for show because you are confident in every aspect of your life. Except for relationships. But your cockiness hides a vulnerable heart I'd never hurt in a million years."

I leaned in and pressed a quick kiss against Lio's lips. "We'll have to agree to disagree." I lowered my hands and took two steps back.

"And just where are you going? We're in the middle of an argument."

He looked so outraged, and I couldn't help but smile. "No, we're not. I'll just prove how wrong you are."

"By leaving? You promised, Abe."

"I'm going home to shower and jerk off," I replied.

Lust obliterated Lio's annoyance, giving me hope that we'd work through this. "Or we could shower and jerk each other off, then continue this conversation over dinner."

Lio inhaled sharply, but I saw the determination in his eyes. He wasn't going to budge on his stance, but I would bet money he'd be jerking off in his shower before I made it down his long-ass driveway.

Fucking Lio. He'd be the death of me.

I turned on the radio to drown out my thoughts on my forty-five-minute drive to Pembroke. The only station that came in played nineties country music, which suited me just fine. I turned up the volume and sang along until Lio's accusations faded away. I went straight to my bathroom and turned on my shower. I peeled out of my dirty clothes while waiting for the water to heat up, then I allowed thoughts of Lio to reenter the playing field. I didn't dwell on his words but focused on the way he felt in my arms and how good he tasted. I pinched my nipples, thinking of the way he'd stared at my chest. My dick was primed and ready long before the ancient heater warmed the water enough for me to get in. I closed my eyes and pictured Lio in the cramped space with me. I wanted him on his knees or bent over the edge of the bathtub. I needed more of his kisses and lusty whimpers. More than anything, I needed to call him mine. The last thought was the one that thrust me into climax.

My cell phone rang on the bathroom vanity, and I let myself hope Lio was calling to take me up on the dinner invitation. I turned the water off, wrapped the towel around my waist, and stepped over the edge of the tub. I leaned forward and snagged my phone off the vanity while debating if I should brag about the massive load I'd just shot in the shower to amp up the tension even more. Lio didn't need to think I was backing off or giving up. If he thought I played dirty when we were kids, he hadn't seen anything yet.

Then I saw the name on the caller ID, and my gut churned with dread when I answered.

"Hello, Abe." The woman's voice was soft and gentle but held a hint of sadness that worsened the roiling. "My name is Whitney, and I'm a nurse at Twin Oaks Senior Living."

"Are you new?" I asked, stalling for time. "I don't think we've met."

"I've been a nurse for fifteen years, but I started at this facility on Monday." She cleared her throat. "There's never an easy way to say this…"

"Is Earl gone?" I rolled my eyes at my phrasing. I wasn't questioning if he'd wandered off.

"No," Whitney said, "that's why I'm calling. As I mentioned, I've been at this for a while. Your grandfather is showing signs that his passing is close. I thought you might want to visit and say goodbye. According to his file, you're Earl's legal guardian and the only one he wants to visit him, but is there someone else you'd like me to call?"

A clan of scoundrels shared the same last name, but neither Earl nor I claimed them. "There's no one," I replied. "It's just the two of us now. I'll be there in fifteen minutes or less."

"I'll see you when you get here."

Whitney, a pretty redhead with big brown eyes, was waiting for me at the nurses' station. We shook hands, and she expressed her sorrow that we weren't meeting under better circumstances.

"He's resting comfortably in his room," she said. "You go on in, and we'll try not to disturb you too much when we make our rounds."

"I appreciate it," I said.

I headed down the hallway to Earl's room and paused outside his closed door. Christ, I wasn't ready to say goodbye to him yet. In my entire life, there'd been three people I could count on: Earl and Lucinda, my grandfather and late grandmother, and Lio. Soon, there would be just one, and if I didn't pull my head out of my ass, I could lose Lio too. I had the strongest urge to call him and admit he was right. I could promise him whatever he wanted to hear, but he was too sharp and would see through me. When I bared my soul to him and made the commitments he needed, it shouldn't come from a place of grief and fear. I squared my shoulders as Earl had taught me, opened his door, and stepped into his room.

The lamp on his bedside table was on, casting soft light over the room. The gentle glow was much better than the harsh, clinical glare of the overhead lights. Earl seemed to be asleep—or worse—as I inched closer to the bed. Only six days had passed since my last visit, but the difference in his appearance was staggering. Earl's skin was sallow and waxy. The skin under his eyes was sunken, and his cheeks were hollow. It was hard to believe his thin shoulders and frail frame had once been as brawny as mine. I was getting a preview of my future, and it rocked me back on my heels. Not because I would one day be old and frail like him but because I might not know the kind of love my grandfather had shared with my grandmother. Lio was offering it to me, but I had to be brave enough to meet him halfway.

Earl's concave chest rose and fell slightly, and shame heated my skin. Here I was, faced with my granddad's imminent passing, and all I could think about was myself and Lio. Always Lio. A hard lump formed in my throat, and I found breathing impossible. Stopping at the foot of his bed, I swallowed hard and gathered my composure. Fuck me, this was going to hurt so bad.

Before Lio crashed into my life, my grandparents were my only source of support. How two wonderful people could spawn a son as worthless as my father was beyond me, but my dad —and his younger brother—were the worst kinds of losers. My mother had eventually figured it out and took off to save herself, leaving me at Amstel Beecham's mercy. Some days, I hated her guts, but on others, I was glad at least one of us had gotten away. I couldn't imagine what my life would've been like if the law hadn't finally caught up with my father and sent him to prison when I was twelve. Earl and Lucinda Beecham had saved me—body and soul—and everything good inside me was owed to them.

"You just going to stand over me like the grim reaper?" Earl's voice was as thin as butterfly wings and as shaky as a newborn fawn's legs. His lashes fluttered, and he opened his eyes to peer up at me as well as his poor vision allowed. His blue eyes, once as vivid as mine, were clouded, the milky white of cataracts muting the blue.

I cleared my throat and stepped up to the head of his bed. "No, sir."

His gaze tracked me while his lips quirked up at one corner. "You're still hovering, son."

I snagged the chair in the corner of the room and dragged it over, then lowered myself into the seat. "Is this better?"

Earl swallowed hard, and I wanted to tell him we didn't have to speak. We could sit together this last time and enjoy one another's company. One of the things I enjoyed most about our relationship was that neither of us felt the need to fill every second with chatter. I couldn't count the number of times we'd sat quietly on the bank of a river or lake with a fishing rod in one hand and a beverage in the other. But Earl's clenched jaw and furrowed brow expressed how important he felt his words were, and I wouldn't deny him this opportunity.

"How about a sip of water?" I offered instead.

Earl relaxed and nodded, so I poured a cup of water from the pitcher and raised the head of his bed a little. I held the straw to his lips and waited while he took a few pulls from it. "Much better," he said afterward. "There are things I need to say, and I'm short on time to get them out."

I took his frail hand between mine and settled back in the chair. "I'm not going anywhere."

Earl gave a soft snort. "Wish I could say the same, but I'm not upset about seeing my Lucy again."

I smiled as I imagined my grandmother preparing his place beside her. "She'll be happy to see you too."

A smile stretched across his face. "That she will, my boy." He cackled a little, but it made him cough, so I gave him another drink of water. "I suspect she might have a few complaints for me also. I tried to keep her rose bushes going but failed miserably."

"I managed to salvage a few bushes, and they're thriving at the cabin."

"You were always such a good boy, and I love you, Abe." Earl swallowed hard, and I couldn't tell if it was difficult for him to talk or if his emotions were getting the best of him. A tear slid down Earl's face, causing moisture to gather in my own eyes. I opened my mouth to tell him how much I loved him, but he shook his head. "I know, my boy. You don't need to say the words, and I have a lot of wisdom to impart before I meet my maker." He laid his other hand on top of mine and took a deep breath. "Boy, you're a damn idiot." There wasn't an ounce of hostility in his tone, only the patient indulgence he'd always shown me, but the shock of his words made me choke on my next breath. He rolled his eyes a little as I sputtered and righted myself.

"Hey now," I said gently. "What kind of medication did the staff give you to make you so mean?"

"I speak the truth," Earl countered. "I want to know why you haven't married Emilio yet. What the hell are you waiting for?"

I laughed despite the gravity of the situation. "I'm not the problem, Pop. Lio is the one who's holding out."

"And why is that?" Before I could reply, Earl narrowed his eyes like a gunslinger at high noon. "I know love when I see it, Abraham Michael Beecham, so don't you try to pull a fast one on me." Earl inhaled deeply. The breath rattled in his chest, and he exhaled on a wheeze. I knew he should be saving his energy but silently acknowledged I'd be better off holding my breath than wasting it on a suggestion he had no intention of taking. "You tend to run scared when someone gets too close, my boy." Earl tightened his grip on my hand before I could pull away. "See? You were about to do it with me just now." His crooked grin dared me to deny it.

"Cantankerous old coot," I grumbled.

"Be that as it may, I'm right, and you know it." Earl sucked in a breath, which turned into a body-racking cough. Alarm raced through me, and panic squeezed my heart like a vise.

"Maybe I should call for a nurse," I said. "They'll probably have a shot to help you stay calm."

"You wish they'd knock me out." Earl wheezed, then pointed to the glass of water.

I held the straw to Earl's lips and waited for him to relax against the bed. He closed his eyes, and I thought he'd drifted off to sleep until his eyelids popped open.

"Am I still alive?" he asked.

Despite my breaking heart, I couldn't help but chuckle. "Yeah," I said drolly. "I suspect you have another reel to run."

Earl responded with a hybrid variation of a rattling cough and deep chuckle. It sounded painful, but once again, determination tightened his features. "Where was I?" he asked.

"You threatened to haunt me if I changed the décor at the cabin." Earl had signed over the property to me nearly a decade ago but had continued to live there as long as his health had allowed. He'd moved into Twin Oaks three years ago, but I hadn't changed a single detail in the old lake house. Lio called it rustic-cabin chic, but I just called it comfortable.

"The hell I did," Earl said, his lips twisting into a wry smile. "Nice try, though." His eyes widened, and I knew he'd found his abandoned train of thought. "Everyone you've ever loved has left you in one way or another. Your mother abandoned you to the wolves when you were a little boy, your father left you in favor of chasing skirts before going to prison, and even your grandma left you when she died."

"Gram didn't leave on her own," I pointed out.

"True, but your heart and battered soul don't recognize the difference. They just see abandonment." Earl swallowed hard, and more tears filled his milky blue eyes. "And now I'm going to leave you too. I'd stay if I could, my boy. You have to know it."

"Yes, sir." My voice sounded as thick as molasses, and the words flowed just as slowly.

"Then you should know Lio would never leave you by choice either. Loving someone is scary and risky, but it's worth it. I need you to promise me something, Abraham."

"Yes, sir. Anything."

"Don't punish Lio for other people's mistakes. Let his love in."

"Sounds like two promises, Earl," I teased.

"I'm being serious now, boy. I don't think I have a lot of time left."

I swallowed hard as my mind fought against the inevitability of his passing. Earl still had a lot of fight left in him. Another awful cough racked his body as soon as the thought flitted across my mind, and I had to accept that this would be the last time we spoke. Instead of fighting Earl and my foolish self, I gave him—us—what we needed.

"I'll get my shit sorted and make things right with Lio. I promise."

Relief washed over Earl's face as he closed his eyes. His body was utterly slack, and I'd thought he'd fallen asleep. Once again, his eyelids snapped open, and he peered around the room.

"Well, shit," he said. "This isn't heaven, and you sure as hell aren't my Lucy."

"No, sir."

"I suppose we need to go over my final wishes," Earl said. "I've told you most of them."

"Yes, sir. You wish to be cremated, and you want me to scatter your ashes in the lake at sunrise," I said calmly and not at all like my heart was breaking in two.

"And you'll pick me up from the undertaker in Betty, right? I want one more ride."

"Absolutely," I managed to reply.

"Boy," Earl said, "It's okay to cry. I'm going to miss you like crazy too. Maybe it will make an old man happy to see at least one person squeeze out a tear at my passing."

I stopped fighting and let them fall. Earl lifted a shaky hand and cupped my face. "Besides my Lucy, you were the light of my life." His lips trembled, and tears spilled down his face. "I need to tell you something, and I hope you won't be mad at me."

"No, sir." Nothing Earl could say would ruin our last few hours together.

"I asked Wayne to do a favor for me, and he rang me up a few days ago to let me know he'd accomplished the mission and asked how to proceed. I told him to let me handle it."

I knew he was referring to Wayne Carlson, his estate attorney, but I couldn't imagine what favor he'd requested. "I'm listening."

"I asked Wayne to locate your mama," Earl said.

My lungs seized, and my heart stuttered. I hadn't seen Billie Jo Beecham since she'd dropped me off at my grandparents' house when I was six. She told me she was running a few errands but never came back. People told me I watched for her every day for two years. I can't remember, but I had no reason to doubt the claims. It took another two or three years before I stopped praying for her to return every night. I hadn't consciously thought about Billie Jo in a dozen years or more, though she sometimes came to me in my dreams. I had the resources at my disposal to find her if I wanted to, but I'd never had the urge to use them.

"A small part of me wondered if maybe your daddy hadn't made her disappear. I never would've pegged Billie Jo for a woman who'd leave her son behind."

I forced my lips to form words. "And Wayne found her…alive?"

Earl sucked in a deep breath, which induced a slight cough. He sipped some water, then nodded. "She remarried. Her new name is—"

I cut him off with a firm shake of my head. "Enough about her," I said. I wasn't sure how to feel about this development, but I knew I didn't want thoughts of Billie Jo Whoever to rob me of a second with my grandfather.

Earl swallowed hard but nodded. "Wayne has the information if you ever want it."

"Fair enough," I said. "Can I request a favor?"

Earl arched a white brow and chuckled. "Why? You're not dying."

I shook my head at his impervious attitude. "Will you give Gram a big hug from me when you see her again?"

"Only after I give her a big kiss from me," Earl replied.

I spent the next several hours with my grandfather, alternating between watching him sleep and listening to him impart his wisdom. As the new day encroached, his musings became sparse and weren't much more than incoherent mutterings, but I still absorbed them like a greedy sponge. My hero took his final breath around four in the morning. Whitney, the kind-eyed nurse, lifted her stethoscope from Earl's chest and regarded me with a sad smile.

"I know," I said softly. Maybe it was exhaustion, but I swore I'd felt Earl's essence leave his body.

Whitney left me alone with him again, and I sat with Earl for a while before signing the necessary papers for the funeral home to pick him up. I'd asked about his outstanding bill, but they assured me not to worry about it just then. Several nurses cried and told me how much they'd loved Earl. I'd always known he was by far the favorite resident at Twin Oaks. By the time I staggered to my truck, it was nearly six. I'd locked my phone in the glove box and retrieved it to call Lio. I needed to hear his voice and figured it wasn't too soon to start living up to the promise I'd made to Earl.

I was shocked to see I'd missed a half dozen phone calls from Lio and twice as many text messages. He hadn't left any voicemails, so I scrolled through the texts. The first one landed right after I arrived at the nursing home. Lio apologized for how our afternoon had turned out and he suggested we have dinner and talk. The following few messages were similar in tone, but they grew in intensity as the night wore on without a response from me, and guilt churned the acid in my stomach. I realized Lio had gotten into his truck and had started looking for me. The final text made me smile despite my shattered heart.

Where the hell are you, Abe? You're not at your house. You're not at the cabin. So help me, if you're working out your frustrations on someone's ass right now while I had to rely on my fist…

Fucking Lio. As if anyone else would do. My thumb hovered over the phone icon. If I called him, he'd answer no matter the hour. That wasn't the issue. Hearing his voice was no longer enough. I needed to see Lio and touch him. I wanted his warmth pressed against me, and I needed him to make the hurt disappear. The intensity of my emotions scared me, but I leaned into them instead of running away. I fired up old Betty and reversed out of the parking space. Fatigue settled in my bones, but I battled it off during the forty-minute drive back to Lio's house.

His truck was in its usual spot, and I parked beside it and killed the engine. I didn't pause to second-guess my impulse or question the wisdom of showing up unannounced at nearly six in the morning on a Sunday. I used my key and let myself inside his house. The foyer light snapped on, revealing Lio standing at the end of the hallway wearing nothing but a pair of skimpy briefs. The pale blue color looked incredible against his bronze skin. God, I longed to nuzzle my face in his chest hair. I forced my gaze upward and took note of Lio's bedhead before I observed his scowling midnight eyes. His dark beard emphasized his lush mouth, and I longed to nibble on the bottom lip.

"You could've just told me you changed your mind about us over the phone," Lio said.

I shut the door, locked it, and closed the distance between us. Lio stood his ground and notched his chin higher. "You're an idiot if you think I'd choose anyone other than you, Lio." Fuck. I had to speak the words out loud to explain my radio silence, but I wasn't sure I could get them out. "I was…" I swallowed hard and tried again. "I got a call after I left yesterday, and…" Damn, this hurt. "Earl's gone, Lio."

Realization dawned, and Lio's angry scowl morphed into tenderness. The lines in his forehead smoothed out, and his dark, snapping eyes softened. "Baby, I'm sorry," he said, wrapping his arms around my waist. I folded my arms around him and rested my cheek on his head. Lio's warmth seeped into me, making me realize how cold I'd been. "You should've called me," Lio said. "I would've been by your side."

I nuzzled my nose in his hair, then trailed it down behind his ear. Lio shivered as I inhaled the smell of his shampoo and soap. I pulled back and looked at him, though unshed tears blurred my vision. Exhaustion and heartbreak softened my defenses…or maybe it was the devotion I saw in Lio's gaze. "Earl said you would never leave me."

He swallowed hard. "Never, Abe."

"Don't give up on me either."

Lio kissed my lips, lingering for several moments before pulling back. "Never."

"I promise to sort my shit out, okay?"

Lio's arms tightened around me. "We'll do it together. That's what couples do."

Relief and fatigue pressed on me like a heavy anvil until I found it hard to remain standing. I stagger-stepped to the right and nearly tipped over until Lio caught me.

"Whoa," he said. "I think you need to lie down for a little bit." Lio turned around, kept his arm around my waist, and guided me toward his bedroom.

"You've wanted to get me horizontal for a long time," I teased.

Lio's warm chuckle washed over me like a caress. "You don't know the half of it," he said once we crossed the threshold into his bedroom.

We stopped next to the bed, and Lio pulled my shirt over my head and dropped it on the floor. I could barely keep my eyes open, but my mouth worked fine.

"I can't believe the meticulous Emilio Mendoza just drops clothes on the floor. I figured you'd fold them up neatly and place them on top of a dresser."

"This isn't the time for my fussiness." Lio kissed my bare chest and need rippled through my body and pooled in my groin. He made quick work of unfastening my belt and jeans, then shoved the denim down my legs. Lio dropped to his knees before me and started working on my bootlaces. I cupped the back of his head like it was the most natural thing in the world to do. Lio snapped his gaze up to mine before slowly raking it over my body, lingering on my crotch. He licked his lips, took a shaky breath, and resumed his task. "When the time is right," he said.

I knew he was correct, but I carded my fingers through his hair, loving the feel of the silky strands. It was easier to think about the promise I saw in Lio's eyes than to recall who I'd lost that morning. Lio removed my boots, socks, and jeans before standing up. The bed was already turned down since he'd been sleeping when I arrived. I climbed between his sheets and paused when the soft fabric brushed against my skin.

"What are these? Silk?"

Lio snorted and shooed me over so he could climb in too. "I don't use silk sheets. These are just cotton."

"No way," I said, nestling in and pulling the covers up to my chin. "They're too soft for cotton."

"It's the high thread count. Makes them silky and smooth."

I rolled onto my side and looked over at Lio, who lay on his back looking up at the ceiling. "You never cease to surprise me, Lio."

He rolled over to face me and smiled. "I could say the same about you." Lio brushed the hair off my forehead and inched a little closer. "You look beat. Close your eyes and get some rest. I'll make you a big breakfast when you wake up."

"Kiss me," I whispered. "Please."

Lio searched my gaze for a moment before he lightly pressed his lips to mine. Just that brief caress soothed the ache in my heart. I closed my eyes, thinking that would have to be enough for now, but Lio kissed my forehead, my closed eyelids, and even the tip of my nose before pressing them against my lips once more.

I reopened my eyes and caught him watching me with a tenderness Lio rarely showed. I savored that more than my next breath. I wasn't always sure how to process the feelings Lio stirred inside me, so I tucked the moment away in my heart and gave him what he expected out of me when things got too serious. "Can we talk about your underwear?" The question came out of nowhere, catching him by surprise.

Lio rolled his beautiful eyes but the gentleness remained. "No," he grumbled as he slid even closer. I draped an arm around his waist and sighed as Lio nuzzled his nose against my chest.

"Are they even yours? They look a few sizes too small."

"Go to sleep, Abe."

I yawned big enough to crack my jaw. "Yes, dear."