Hudson pressed his forehead against Jinx’s. For a moment, they stared into each other’s eyes. They felt more connected than ever before. Jinx soaked up the love.
“I love you.”
Jinx smiled. He swore sometimes Hudson could read his mind. “I love you too.”
Bubbles hit Jinx in the face, making him laugh. As their only witness, Tito had taken it upon himself to man every open position in the wedding party. He had thrown flower petals and played ring bearer as well as best man. Now he blew bubbles in their faces while cheering loudly. Hudson snatched Jinx from his feet and ran for the beach house. Tito chased them, still trying to be their one-man party. Jinx imagined they looked insane to the man who had been hired to officiate. Likely he was also relieved to be set free so he could sell the story to the tabloids. All Jinx cared about was the endgame. They were married now. He couldn’t believe it. When he had met Hudson, Jinx never thought they would come this far.
Tito abandoned them at the door of their honeymoon house before he got a show. Their lips met as Hudson crossed the threshold with Jinx in his arms. Jinx’s chest filled with pride.
“I’m disappointed in your decision to get married here.”
Jinx’s head whipped around at the familiar sound of Rocky’s voice. Anger, hurt, and something else he didn’t want to look too closely at exploded through him at the sight of Rocky.
Hudson let Jinx slip to his feet. He kept his arms wrapped around him, drawing him back against his chest. “Did you picture something different?” Hudson sounded calm. Jinx couldn’t decide how to feel. Rocky looked gorgeous. Relaxed. His t-shirt protested his muscles. His shorts showed off his thick legs. Jinx couldn’t stop staring at him.
Rocky’s gaze moved between them. “Yeah, I guess I did. I thought you would have a big wedding where Zayn’s mom could fuss over you and Cooper could be there. You deserved the limelight and all the guys on the security team wanted to take part.”
Hudson lazily stroked Jinx’s stomach as he responded. “My dream was always different. I always thought Jinx and I would marry just like this and then we’d have a big commitment ceremony where you joined us for a handfasting-type thing, since you didn’t want to get legally married. Of course, that was before you ignored our every attempt to make things right.”
Jinx wanted to speak up and have his say too, but he hurt too badly with Rocky standing there.
Rocky pulled a pained face. When he spoke, his voice sounded strained. “I couldn’t miss this day. I had to be here.”
“You’re supposed to be here.” The words burst from Jinx with a passion he couldn’t control. They needed to be said. Even if it was Hudson and Jinx’s wedding, Rocky had been meant to stand with them. They were supposed to be a team, facing the world and life together.
Hudson kissed Jinx’s temple before turning his attention to Rocky. “Jinx is right. You were always supposed to be with us. I’m sorry I drove you away. I’m sorry I’m too much.”
Jinx squeezed the arm Hudson had wrapped around his chest. Tears pricked his eyes at the pain in Hudson’s voice. He knew Hudson had to say what was in his heart. Hudson’s thoughts still stabbed Jinx through the heart. He hated hearing Hudson apologizing for something he couldn’t change.
Rocky moved closer. He held Hudson’s stare. “You’re not too much. I’m not enough. No one taught me to be soft or loving. I’m learning as I go. You’re not the issue. I got scared. Not because of you, but because of me. I’m beyond terrified I’ll fail you both.” Rocky blinked, as if coming back to himself. “I guess I already did that.”
“Only if you walk out that door and leave us again,” Hudson said, sounding harder than Jinx had ever heard him sound. “If you give up on the love we built, then yeah. You’ve failed us.”
Jinx had his own thoughts to add. “If you want to stay, I expect you to mean it. My heart can’t take you giving up every time things get hard. I love you. Losing you is too hard.”
Rocky held Jinx’s stare with an intensity Jinx had missed more than he dared to admit. No one looked at him the way Rocky did. While beneath Rocky’s possessive gaze, Jinx knew he would always have a home. When Rocky spoke, the feeling of being owned doubled. “Make no mistake, I want you two married. I need to know you two will always have each other. But you don’t get to do that without me, because you’re both mine. You don’t get to have this honeymoon and live your lives without me like I don’t exist.”
Fuck. Jinx couldn’t look away. His skin burned with desire. That wasn’t enough, though. There had to be a promise of more. “And?” He didn’t know what he was digging for, but Rocky hadn’t said what Jinx needed to hear to feel secure with Rocky yet.
“I’m not going anywhere.” Rocky’s gaze moved between them, as if ensuring they understood the gravity of his vow. “I love you both too much to let you go. This is my marriage too, even if I can’t sign the papers.”
Jinx’s eyes fell closed. Air filled his lungs as a weight he hadn’t realized he carried lifted from his chest. Rocky had come home.
The air felt like soup, coating his lungs and drowning him. Rocky had never been more scared. All it would take was one of them to say no, and he would be on a plane back to L.A. alone. His life would be over. Nothing mattered to him the way Hudson and Jinx did. He had expected Hudson to be the unforgiving one. It turned out Jinx was the one who openly hurt while staring at Rocky, visibly waiting for Rocky to fix what he had broken by ignoring their pleas and apologies.
Hudson ended up having the words to save them. “Did you only come to watch, or do you plan to participate?”
Rocky’s feet moved before his mind caught up. “I love to watch, but I need more.” The space between them disappeared as Rocky lunged forward. First, he kissed Hudson and then Jinx before hauling them into his arms. He held on tight while he silently swore he would never let them break again. Then his need to be whole doubled. Rocky tossed Jinx over one shoulder and snagged Hudson’s hand. Tito had shown Rocky around earlier on the down low, so Rocky knew which room they would be sharing. He headed that way without looking back. Everything else could wait until after he had his fill of cuddling his babies.
He couldn’t stop touching them. His hands stroked every place he could reach as he eased Jinx down onto the bed and climbed in next to him. Then his mouth found Hudson’s as he towed Hudson in to join them. He hadn’t forgotten the madness they wove when they touched him, but he could never recreate the intensity in his mind. In between Jinx and Hudson, Rocky couldn’t do anything other than hang on for the ride. Tongues filled his mouth. Clothes disappeared. His eyes feasted upon the vision Hudson and Jinx created as they kissed. He stared down the line of his body, awed when their kiss included his cock. The sight mesmerized him. Their tongues stroked when they met at his crown. Rocky grabbed the headboard and held on. He had honestly intended to only hold them for a little while. His plans no longer mattered. He was at Jinx and Hudson’s mercy. Everything blurred together when Hudson found the lube. The lower half of his body belonged to them.
Then Jinx’s tongue was in Rocky’s mouth. Rocky’s heart twisted in his chest as love overwhelmed him. He recognized he had gotten lost since he walked away from them—this was real. The three of them weren’t playing some complicated game. They were genuinely and completely in love with one another. It wasn’t messy. Jinx and Hudson hadn’t made it hard for him to come back, because this was where he belonged. There was never any hint of jealousy inside this beautiful triad they had created. No one misunderstood their place. They each belonged to the other equally. Right now, Rocky needed to own their bodies and their souls.
Rocky snagged Jinx’s jaw and held his gaze. Jinx’s eyes were filled with lust. That was good. Rocky wanted that. “Turn around. I want to watch you kiss Hudson again.”
Jinx dutifully turned around, straddling Rocky’s body, facing away from him. The moment Rocky had Jinx where he wanted him, he hauled Jinx upward and dove in face first. He tongued Jinx’s ass
hole like it was his last meal. Rocky thrived on the sounds Jinx made as Rocky ate his ass. Then Hudson was on Rocky’s cock. His tight asshole sucked Rocky’s dick in deep. Rocky lost control. Jinx and Hudson kissed and touched while riding his dick and face. They used him in all the best ways—like he was their personal toy to fuck. He was and always would be. Rocky swapped between attempting to drive Jinx wild and trying to watch Hudson and Jinx stroke each other’s cocks. As pressure climbed his shaft, Rocky recognized he would never have enough time to do everything he wanted. He slapped Jinx’s ass.
“I want your dick. Give it to me. Fuck my mouth.”
Jinx quickly switched positions and straddled Rocky’s head. He stared down at Rocky as he led his cock to Rocky’s lips. Rocky opened, needing his prize. He sucked and licked while Jinx’s hips rolled. Jinx took his pleasure from Rocky’s willing mouth. Thinking went out the window. Rocky became nothing more than a giant ball of need. He kneaded Jinx’s ass, immersing himself in sucking Jinx’s cock while Hudson used Rocky’s dick like his personal dildo. Rocky loved every second. The sounds. The smells. He was in carnal heaven. Cum filled his mouth. He swallowed and kept sucking, pulling cries from Jinx that rang from the walls. Rocky dug his heels into the mattress and strained toward release. Hudson’s ass felt perfect on his cock. Moans tore from Hudson. Hudson snagged Jinx’s hair and forced Jinx’s mouth to his. An orgasm struck Rocky like lightning. His body bowed as his dick sawed in and out of Hudson’s ass. He fought for air as they collapsed into a sweaty heap of cum, saliva, and sweat. Rocky wanted to bathe in it. He was nowhere near finished with his men. All he needed was to catch his breath.
Air whistled from Hudson’s lungs as he struggled to get enough oxygen to survive. The three of them together made magic, but it was a workout. He focused on that because he had never been more frightened of hope. Rocky was here. He talked like he planned to stay, but there were still a thousand things that could go awry. Hudson didn’t want to say anything wrong and ruin their new beginning, so he immersed himself in the passion.
Jinx didn’t seem to share Hudson’s fears. The moment he caught his breath, he demanded more answers. “Does this mean you’re coming home with us? Please say yes. My heart can’t take any more.”
Rocky kissed the tip of Jinx’s nose. “If you two can forgive me, trust me again, and still want me around full time, I want to be there.” He moved to his knees and crawled over Jinx’s body, putting Jinx in the middle where he belonged and where Rocky could hold their stares. “We have some stuff to work out, I get that. I want to share a bed with you every night, but I also need to keep working.” He held up his hand, stopping Hudson from reminding him he didn’t need to work. “It’s not about the money. I actually have quite a bit myself since Zayn has always overpaid me and provided my every need. This is about Zayn and a piece of myself I can’t relinquish. He depends on me. I can’t turn my back on the team I built for him or the friendship he offered me. However, I can move out, go down to working part time, and hand most of my responsibilities off to someone else. I have one request, though.”
“Of course,” Jinx said at the same time as Hudson said, “Anything.”
Rocky smiled. “It’s two requests, really. First, I’d like to bring Cooper with me. He’s young and his life is at an important crossroad right now. If I abandon him, he might decide to run back to the streets. I can’t live with that.”
Hudson didn’t even need to think about it. He had already offered Cooper a place once. “Done. What’s the second request?”
Rocky’s gaze moved between them. He bit his bottom lip, as if scared to speak his thoughts. When he finally answered, he did it fast—like he was afraid his bravery would flee otherwise. “I want that big ceremony handfasting thing you suggested. I want everyone to know you two belong to me.”
Jinx brought Rocky’s hand to his lips and kissed it. “I want that too.”
They both looked his way. Hudson laughed. “I’m the one who suggested it. Of course that’s what I want.”
A smile exploded across Rocky’s face. It quickly bled away as he stared at Hudson. “I’m so sorry for everything. You deserved better from me. I wish you had told me about your condition. That doesn’t make it your fault I didn’t know how to handle a full-blown episode. I just wish I had known and learned how to help before I ruined us.”
“Everyone had their share of blame,” Jinx said, speaking Hudson’s exact thoughts. “I felt vulnerable because I need the security of marriage. My family is gone. I don’t want to be alone in the world. Marriage isn’t important to you, but it is to me, and I should have voiced that instead of being too scared to lose you.”
Hudson jumped in, incapable of letting Jinx carry the weight of everything. “I should’ve been every bit as open with you as I’ve been with Jinx. It’s just hard to admit that my head is a terrifying place. Jinx is easier to talk to about that, but I never meant to shut you out. I just...” Hudson shrugged. He didn’t know how to say he didn’t like being seen as weak.
Rocky looked understanding. His heart was in his eyes. “I can’t even imagine. It has to be completely terrifying to not know when your mind will turn against you. But you need to know I’ll be here when it happens. Jinx will be here when it happens. Most of all, you need to know I can and will force you to stay well. That means taking your meds, going to every doctor’s appointment, and letting us in, even when it’s ugly.”
“Especially when it’s ugly,” Jinx said, sounding firm.
A lump rose in Hudson’s throat. He didn’t know what he had done to be this blessed. “I love you both so fucking much. Please hear that and feel it because I know I’m hard to love back. I know I scare people and make them tired, but please know you own my heart.” Hudson fought the sudden urge to cry. He had lost so many people over the years because every word he said was true. Hudson’s condition exhausted people. He tried really hard to not be a burden, but loving him was work.
Jinx rolled, facing him, and Rocky scooted closer until Jinx was squashed between them. Rocky held them, bringing strength back to their circle. Jinx kissed him. “You’re not hard to love at all. You’ve just been surrounded by weak people.”
Rocky nodded. “Agreed. You can’t lose us. I might have needed time to think, but you never lost me or exhausted me. This is forever. Get comfortable. Settle in. We’re getting ready to make you tired of us.”
A laugh burst from Hudson. “Never. I’m retired now. Just think about it. I’m doing all the old superstar things. Writing a tell-all, titled: This is Me. Suck My Dick. Guest starring as a washed-up has-been on crime drama shows. The works.” Jinx and Rocky laughed. Hudson couldn’t stop. “I’m also accepting every talk show invite I get, so I can continue scandalizing the masses with my openness. The world is getting bombarded with pictures of our love and real talk about living with a mental disorder. I don’t have a reputation to protect anymore.” Hudson’s smile slipped away as he stared at the men that he loved more than life. “My life belongs to you two. There’s nothing we can’t face together.”
Jinx blinked back tears. “I know.”
Rocky nodded. “We’ve got this and each other. I love you.”
“I love you too,” Jinx and Hudson chanted at the same time. As one, they snuggled closer. Hudson closed his eyes and held on. The future was set, and it could wait. They had all the time in the world to plan the rest of their days. Right now, they needed connection. They had found something unique and beautiful, just like each of them. On the surface, they didn’t look like they should fit together, but they did. Everything else would work itself out.
Eleven
Light green eyes stared a hole through Tito, as if daring Tito to make a move. Cooper was a mystery to Tito. Questions raced to the tip of Tito’s tongue. He wanted to ask why Cooper seemed so well-bred for a street rat. The boy did a good job of hiding an expensive education behind random poor grammar. Tito was observant by nature. That was what made him good at his job. Co
oper had secrets.
Tito lost himself in the pool of unnaturally light green irises. Cooper’s mouth lifted in one corner in an adorable smirk. “Are you studying me or the board?”
Tito refused to look away and give credence to Cooper’s words. “I’m weighing my opponent. Where did you learn to play chess? Do they teach that on the corner of pickpocket lane?”
Cooper’s smile grew. “Of course. Right next to knucklebones and card tricks. Everyone should know every good scam if they hope to survive the streets.”
Tito pushed the board away and stared harder at Cooper. “Do you consider chess a scam?”
As if needing to prove he wasn’t intimidated, Cooper leaned closer too. “It is when a master plays against a novice.”
Without looking, Tito made two moves and won. “Which of us is the master?”
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