Wait Until Dawn by Bailey Bradford (chrysanthemum read aloud txt) 📗

wash off the good smell before Laine has a coronary over it.” He nudged Rich’s hip playfully, grinning at Rich’s stunned expression. “What?”

“That’s it?” Rich sat up with a huff. “You’re not going to tell me I did the right thing, or I could have done it different, or—anything?”

“Nope,” Chris said as he took Rich’s hand and pulled him up off the bed. “You already know what you did and why you did it. Now you just have to make peace with it and it wouldn’t hurt to explain it to Matt. Now let’s get clean. Last one in the shower blows the other!”

“Like either of those options is losing,” Rich quipped, but his long legs carried him right past Chris, who happened to agree wholeheartedly.

Chapter Ten

He could do this. Rich peered out of the bedroom door, listening to the sounds of the other men’s voices. Chris had slipped out while Rich had tried to recover from having his eyeballs sucked out through his dick. There was something to be said for having such a strong lover, especially when that strength extended to his mouth. Chris could put more pressure on a suck than a pit bull clamping down on a bone.

“Probably not the best analogy,” Rich muttered as his dick tried to crawl to safety. He patted his groin lovingly then tugged at the cuffs of his long-sleeved shirt. Bad enough Rich couldn’t hide the scar on his face or the fact that he was skin and bones—he didn’t want to appear to be a callous, sloppily dressed asshole to boot. Not that Matt would care, since Rich had been a callous, ass-baring, gown-clad asshole the last time Matt had seen him. It wasn’t like he could make the guy hate him any more. Probably one look at Rich and Matt would sing a chorus of hallelujahs at having escaped a relationship with him. He fingered the leather necklace, careful to keep from touching the crystals. “Time to quit stalling.”

Chris must have agreed, because he stepped into the hallway as Rich left the guestroom.

“Making sure I’m not going to run?”

Chris’ smile lit up his eyes as he bent to kiss Rich. Rich cupped the back of his lover’s head, his fingers stroking over the soft skin. “You wouldn’t run. Come on, Matt seems like a decent guy. He’s got a partner.”

Rich was surprised, but— “I’m happy for him. Doesn’t make me feel like less of a jerk.”

Chris snorted and tucked Rich’s arm under his. Rich liked the way his lover felt, the way he cared for Rich. “Stop it. If you hadn’t set the guy free, he might have missed finding his true love.”

“I somehow doubt he’ll thank me,” Rich muttered as they stepped into the living room. “This is so weird.” He looked at Laine and Severo sitting together in a recliner, Laine in the chair and Severo on the arm of it. Matt’s back was to Rich, since he was sitting on the couch. Rich panicked when he realized he and Chris were going to have to sit on the couch, too. Chris didn’t give him time for the panic to set in, leading him right to the couch. Rich found himself staring into Matt’s blue eyes. He was pretty sure he might have run after all if Chris hadn’t had a grip on his arm.

“Matt,” Rich finally managed. What else he was supposed to say, especially with an audience?

Matt stood and looked him over, frowning by the time he reached Rich’s face. “You look a hell of a lot better than the last time I saw you.”

There wasn’t a trace of anger or judgment in the words, but Rich still burned with embarrassment. “Matt, I—” God, Rich couldn’t talk to him, not with Laine and Severo here. He looked up at Chris, who arched an eyebrow then looked at Laine and Severo. As simple as that, Rich found himself in the room with Chris and Matt, Laine and Severo having excused themselves. Now Rich really didn’t know what to say. And Matt watched him steadily, those blue eyes giving away not a hint of what he was thinking.

“Why don’t we sit?” Chris suggested. He didn’t offer to leave, and Rich was grateful. If he didn’t offer, Rich didn’t have to ask him to stay, which he knew he’d do and probably whine a bit when he asked. Matt sat on the couch and Chris led Rich over to the recliner Laine and Severo had vacated. When Rich went to sit on the arm of the chair like Severo had, he found himself gently pulled down onto Chris’ lap. Chris nestled Rich against him, his big arms resting casually against Rich’s stomach.

Rich caught the barest hint of a smile from Matt who then nodded at them.

“Looks like Chris is good for you.” Matt’s smile now was genuine, the outer corners of his eyes crinkling. “Glad you found each other.” The smile dimmed as Matt glanced away. “I wondered how you’d been.”

“Not so good until yesterday,” Rich admitted. “There’s still, uh, some problems.”

“Yesterday?” Matt’s eyebrows crawled up his forehead. “Y’all just met yesterday?”

“Yup,” Chris answered, sounding happier than a pig rolling in mud. “My mom said I’d meet my partner and he’d impact me like a bolt of lightning. She knew what she was talking about.”

Rich reeled from that not-so-little revelation, the word ‘partner’ spinning around his head and muddling up any coherent thoughts he’d had.

Matt’s laughter helped knock Rich’s thoughts back into order. “I’d say your mom described it perfectly. That’s what it felt like when I met Carlin, and it hasn’t done anything but get stronger every day.”

Rich hadn’t ruined Matt’s life. How vain he’d been to think he’d wounded the man beyond all repair. But he had hurt him. Rich was man enough to admit it. He tapped Chris’ arms and his lover released him, giving his butt a squeeze as he helped Rich up. It wasn’t as hard to walk over and