Luke uttered a creaky laugh. “And I told you how I feel about you. I can handle a little drool.”
Finn’s heart felt too big for his chest. He wrapped Luke a little tighter in his arms. “Well, good because you’re stuck with me.”
Eventually, time forced them to clean up the kitchen and themselves. A somber mood fell over Finn as he helped Luke shower. The bruises on Luke’s body were a stark reminder that Finn had come too close to losing moments like these, simply holding Luke close, his nose pressed against Luke’s neck while Luke hugged him back. Finn’s eyes stung as he slotted his mouth against Luke’s and kissed him until the water ran cold.
They dressed and piled their things and Daisy into a Lyft, and while Luke appeared pale and exhausted after the three-flight climb to his apartment, he endured Joanna and Brad fussing over him with a real smile.
“Come sit with me,” Finn coaxed after he’d put away their things and let Daisy loose to explore.
“Ella needs to be picked up soon,” Luke replied, but he allowed Finn to lead him to the couch.
“Your parents have got it covered.” Finn used the remote to turn on the TV, then sat down and patted the cushion beside him. “Joanna said she’s making roasted chicken and pasta for dinner, so they’ll go shopping first and grab Ella on their way home.”
Luke sat down beside Finn with a heartfelt groan. “That’s one of my favorite things to eat, you know. Mom makes the pasta by hand, and there’re pine nuts and sultanas in this lemon butter sauce. So yummy.” He yawned, then winced slightly.
“Headache?” Finn asked. “You can have more Tylenol if you need it.”
“Nah, I’m all right.” Luke leaned against Finn’s shoulder and closed his eyes. “You might be the one getting drooled on in a minute, though.”
“I’m sure I can handle it,” Finn replied and rubbed his back.
Sure enough, Luke fell asleep in under a minute. He stirred a little as Finn eased him down onto a pillow he’d placed on his lap but was out cold by the time the Ryans came to check on them.
Finn put his head back too and chatted with Joanna and Brad to fill them in on Luke’s post-concussion treatment. However, he dozed off himself before they left to do errands and woke to a much dimmer room and Ella curled up in a nearby chair with Daisy on her lap.
“Hey, Ella,” Finn said, his voice low.
Ella glanced Finn’s way and gave him a small smile that Finn returned without missing a beat. “Hey.” She slid a hand over Daisy’s fur. “I’m glad you guys are here.”
* * * *
Late that night, following some of the best food Finn had ever eaten, after Ella had gone to sleep and Brad and Joanna went back to their own home, Finn woke in Luke’s big bed. Luke lay facing him, and a nightlight in the corner cast enough low light to illuminate his features as he slumbered.
He’s fine, Finn told himself again. He’s right here.
Heat curled inside Finn, and though he knew sleep would be better for them both, he needed more. To touch Luke and feel him close, inside and out.
He cupped Luke’s face in his hands and kissed him awake, and the embers inside Finn burned hotter at Luke’s sleepy sigh.
“Mmm, baby.” Luke dipped a hand under the waistband of Finn’s sleep pants, the movement eager. Finn shivered.
Slowly, they stripped each other down, exchanging deep, languorous kisses. Lust and an almost overwhelming tenderness thrummed through Finn. This, this is what he wanted and needed, Luke warm and pliant against him with nowhere special to be and all the time in the world. Finn rolled on top of Luke, slotted their groins together and rutted his cock against Luke’s.
Luke gasped. “God. Need you.”
Finn bit his lip at the wanton need in Luke’s whisper. Luke wanted one thing when he sounded like that, and normally, Finn wouldn’t hesitate to fuck him through the mattress. However, they weren’t alone in the apartment and the closed doors between the bedrooms could only muffle so much. The doctor in Finn also knew that no matter what Luke’s hormones were telling him, he wasn’t ready to be manhandled.
“How’s your head?” Finn murmured.
“Still on my neck.” Luke grabbed Finn’s ass and chuckled at his grunt.
“Feel dizzy?” Finn asked.
“Nope.”
“Any pain?”
Luke smiled against Finn’s lips. “Nuh-uh.”
“That’s good. Still not gonna fuck you hard.” Finn covered Luke’s curse with his lips and kissed him, fucking Luke’s mouth with his tongue until Luke whimpered. Only then did Finn break away and reach toward the nightstand for the lube and a condom.
Luke ran his hands over Finn’s ribs and back, then down over his thighs, raising goosebumps over Finn’s skin. He seemed intent on touching every inch of Finn he could reach. Struck by a need to see him, Finn turned on the lamp and the sight that met him stole his breath. Every inch of Luke broadcast trust and desire, and his gaze burned with what Finn now recognized as love.
Fuck.
How long had Luke had been looking at Finn like that? Weeks? Maybe longer?
Finn’s heart squeezed tight. He bent to kiss Luke, more gently this time, and Luke’s eyelids slid closed. He spread his legs wider and made room for Finn to kneel between them. Finn’s body pulsed with need.
“Jesus, Luke.”
“Want you,” Luke told him, his voice deep and growly.
He watched Finn tear open the foil wrapper and stroked Finn’s thighs with his big hands, almost petting him. Finn slicked his fingers from the little bottle of lube and rolled the condom on, but then Luke reached down and touched himself, a wicked gleam in his eye. Finn bit his lip. God, but he loved it when Luke put on a show.
“You keep that up and this is going to be over pretty quick,” he joked, just to hear Luke laugh, and bent between Luke’s thighs.
Luke’s smile faded under Finn’s teasing fingers. He pressed his head back onto the pillow with a quiet groan and Finn took his time torturing with touches too gentle to get Luke off. Luke fisted the sheets, his gaze wild.
“Finn.”
“I’ve got you.”
Finn pulled his fingers clear and crawled over Luke, covering Luke’s body with his. His nerves prickled as their mouths met, and when he pushed inside Luke, Finn was lost. He clenched his eyes shut as Luke surrounded him and slid home in a long, slow movement. Luke smothered a moan against Finn’s shoulder.
Fire filled Finn’s bones. He hardly recognized his own voice as he murmured Luke’s name, and his hands shook as he brought his arms around Luke, using them to cradle Luke close and hold him still. Luke’s breath hitched as Finn rocked in and out of him, and he gripped Finn’s shoulders hard.
Finn swallowed past the tightness in his throat. He wanted to crawl inside Luke and never leave. Lust burned low in his groin and wound its way along his spine.
Luke gasped. He hooked one long, muscled leg over Finn’s hip and writhed against him. “Oh, fuck. Christ.” Somehow, he slid one hand between them and wrapped it around his cock. “You make me feel so good.”
Finn forced his eyes open, intent on watching Luke fly. “That’s it, baby,” he murmured, his voice hoarse. “Wanna feel you all over me.”
Luke’s chest heaved. His mouth fell open and his eyes went wide as his cock pulsed and smeared their skin with cum. Finn’s control snapped. He grasped Luke tight and thrust over and over until the world tilted around them. Time stretched and everything went perfectly still as Finn buried his face against Luke’s neck and came.
He pulled Luke with him when he floated back to earth, and they rolled onto their sides to face each other. Finn knew he should get up to find something to clean them off, but then Luke kissed him, and he lingered instead. He rode the hazy afterglow as the sweat and cum on their bodies cooled, and Luke’s heat soaked into Finn.
Not letting him go, Finn told himself, and absolutely nothing about that thought scared him.
Chapter Twenty-One
&
nbsp; Luke hurried along Tremont Street and cursed under his breath at the raindrop that hit his cheek. He stopped after several more splashed against his face and ducked through the doors of a movie theater in a bid for shelter. Quickly, he pulled out his phone.
Guess who doesn’t have an umbrella?
Finn sent back a frowny face. Need a rescue?
Luke glanced out of the glass doors at the rain. His coat had a hood and it was warm for April—he’d be okay if he got a little wet. Not that Luke didn’t appreciate the offer. He smiled as he wrote back.
I’m good. On my way.
Luke pulled up the hood and made his way back outside. Traffic clogged the streets of the Theater District, but while rain and other pedestrians slowed his progress, Luke didn’t fret. His Friday night dinners with Ella had grown to include many more at the table besides Simon and Melissa, and no one minded waiting if anyone ran late.
The sidewalks were almost empty by the time he turned onto Stanhope Street. Luke broke into a light jog but kept tight hold of his bag and his eyes peeled for any obstacles in the way. He and Mick were running the Boston Marathon in two days and the last thing Luke wanted was to do something stupid like hurt himself running in a pair of lace-up boots.
Two blocks later, he spied a huge umbrella outside of Two Men and a Grille, its rainbow colors cutting through the gray evening air. Finn and Ella stood together beneath it, Finn in the jeans and fleece jacket Luke knew he liked to wear after a shift. Ella was still in her white taekwondo dobok and a jacket, her hair up and out of her face. She brought one arm up, her elbow slightly bent and her fist facing out in what Luke recognized as a high block.
Finn watched raptly. He’d caught Ella’s interest in taekwondo and while he attended classes on his own, it wasn’t unusual for the two of them to practice forms together when the mood struck them. Thankfully, they hadn’t broken anything in either Luke’s or Finn’s apartments yet. Luke might not care if they did anyway—he liked watching the two of them enjoy each other’s company far too much.
Ella caught sight of Luke as he drew closer and her grin redirected Finn’s attention, too. However, Finn’s happy expression dimmed the moment he noticed Luke’s wet clothes.
“You’re soaked,” he began, but Ella spoke right over him.
“Dude, you’re a mess!”
“I know, and don’t call me dude.” Luke laughed. “It’s fine. Once I get warmed up, I won’t even feel it anymore.”
“Let’s get you inside then,” Finn replied. “You should use the hand drier in the men’s room.”
“Nah, I’m dry-ish under the coat.” Luke dropped his hood as Finn pulled him under the cover of the mammoth umbrella, and Ella made a dash for the door. “Is Simon inside?”
“Yep. He grabbed a table with Mick and Melissa. Paul’s working ’til ten, so we won’t be seeing him.”
No Chad tonight either, Luke thought. Finn wouldn’t mention Chad unless he planned to join them and that was fine as far as Luke was concerned. He didn’t mind hanging out with Finn’s most single of single friends, or that Finn and Chad still had occasional dinners and nights out on their own. Luke didn’t love the way Chad stared at Finn when he thought no one was watching, though. Not that it mattered. Finn had made it clear Luke was the only man who held his interest.
Luke nodded. “Gillian said she and Charlie and Shelli might stop by for dessert and Pete’s on his way. He should be here by seven.”
“Perfect.” Finn reached up and smoothed Luke’s hair back from his face. “Ella wanted to wait out here after she heard you’d forgotten your umbrella. Again.”
Luke hummed. “Doubtful. Pretty sure any waiting outside Ella wanted was more about this circus tent on a stick you’ve got than me.” Luke jerked a thumb at the umbrella over their heads and Finn laughed.
“You know, you could be right.” He hooked his free arm around Luke and led the way inside.
To say Luke’s life had changed significantly in the last several months was an understatement. Some days, he almost didn’t recognize the world around him, but he liked it all very much.
In the weeks leading up to Peter’s return home, the brothers had talked a great deal about Ella and how best to care for her. Understanding her separation anxiety was one thing, but dealing with it was another, and while Peter wanted to remain with the Marines, he struggled with being separated from his family. This most recent deployment had really brought that home for him.
‘El told me about your headaches,’ he’d said to Luke one night over chat. Ella had already gone to bed and though the car accident had already been two weeks in the past, fatigue and worry had been written all over Peter’s face. ‘You’re both okay, right? You’d tell me if—’
‘Of course,’ Luke had interjected, his tone gentle. ‘We’re fine. You know Ella had a wellness check last week and passed everything with flying colors. All things considered, my headaches are normal and nothing some OTC meds won’t fix. They’ve been tapering off, too.’
As had the bouts of dizziness and blurred vision, symptoms Luke hadn’t shared with anyone beyond Finn, Paul and his own physician. He’d downplayed feeling crappy around Ella. She’d been far too worried about Luke’s health and no wonder, given her fear of losing people she loved.
Luke had blown a noisy breath out through his nose. ‘I’ll talk to El about the headaches. But we’re good. You guys should be way more focused on the fact you’ll be home soon and not my aches and pains.’
‘Believe me, I am laser focused, bro. I can’t wait to see you guys.’ Peter had chuckled despite the wistful cast in his eye.
Luke’s heart had ached for his brother. ‘We can’t wait to see you, too, Pete. Ella is really, really excited to have you home.’
‘Me too. I missed out on more than I ever imagined possible,’ Peter had said. He’d frowned. ‘I look at Ella during these calls and it’s like she turned into a different person when I wasn’t paying attention. Sometimes, it feels like talking to a stranger. Well, until she cracks one of those stupid jokes and everything goes back to normal again.’
Luke had laughed. ‘I get it. I feel like that sometimes too, and I’ve seen her every day.’
‘It’s not just me, huh?’
‘Not at all. She’s changing and growing up so fast. It’s ninety percent surface, though. Inside, she’s still the same kid you’ve always known.’ Luke had smiled at Peter. ‘She still needs Mom and Pops and me, and she needs her dad even more.’
Peter hadn’t needed persuading to request a change in orders. Life in Boston made his daughter happy in many ways, but she clearly craved deeper stability with him. Before Peter had even gotten on a plane back to the States, he’d reached out to his recruiter to negotiate a permanent duty station swap closer to Boston. He had eventually been assigned to the Marine Corps Detachment in Newport, Rhode Island, less than two hours’ drive from Boston.
In addition to his regular duties, Peter hoped to train in Aviation Logistics Tactical Information Systems on the Newport base and further leverage his extensive experience as a pilot. He still returned to Quantico for periodic assignments, and typically stayed in Newport during the week, but the base’s proximity to Boston made visits easy for everyone in the family. Peter also tried to attend the Friday night dinner dates whenever he could.
With Peter closer to home, Luke had gotten pieces of his personal life back. While still very involved with Ella’s care, he had time for himself again, too, which translated to time with friends and Finn. Finn made things easier simply by virtue of being himself—open, loving and generous, and at home with being a part of Luke’s family life.
Warm satisfaction stole over Luke as he shared appetizers with his boyfriend on one side and his niece on the other. They’d built a family together with Peter and made sure it encompassed their circles of friends. They formed an unconventional unit, but a strong one, and Luke thought it suited them all.
He, Finn and Daisy split their time between Back B
ay and Beacon Hill depending on where Peter could be and what Ella needed. No matter where they slept, they did a fair amount of juggling to manage both Ella’s schedule and their own, but while Finn was new to sharing life with a child, he embraced it without hesitation.
Finn met Luke’s smile with one of his own. “What’s that face for?”
“Nothing,” Luke replied, his voice low. “Just remembered I once promised Ella we could always talk, even if we hated each other’s boyfriends. Of course, she’d already decided she didn’t hate you, so I lucked out there.”
Finn preened a little, and Luke didn’t blame him for feeling proud. The night before, Finn had been the one checking over Ella’s homework assignments despite the fact he’d just gotten off shift and could have used a nap. Finn and Ella didn’t always see eye-to-eye—Luke wasn’t sure such a thing was possible with a now eleven-year-old child involved. They were still real friends who shared genuine affection and supported each other without question.
A collective greeting went up from the table as Peter stepped up to join them and Ella patted the chair beside her.
“I saved a space for you!” she got out, her words muffled by a mouthful of spinach dip and pita bread.
Peter sat down and wrinkled his nose. “Girl, that is gross.”
“I know,” Ella agreed happily. She wiped her mouth on her napkin before she snuggled into a hug with her dad. “I have a joke for you,” she said. “I tried it out on Finn yesterday and he said it’s one of the worst yet.”
Peter laughed. “Okay, go.”
Ella sat up straight and looked her father in the eye. “Why can’t you hear a pterodactyl go to the bathroom?” Her lips twitched as Peter thought.
“I don’t know,” he said at last. “Tell me.”
“Because the ‘P’ is silent.” Ella beamed as Peter and the rest of the adults broke up laughing.
“Finn is right—that was epically terrible,” Peter said. He raised a hand at a passing server while Ella helped herself to more dip.
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