Page 74 of A Little More Forgiveness

I led Leo into the sitting area, where Mitch waited for us. I stepped aside to let Leo pass, a look of relief appearing on his face when Mitch purposely moved forward and enfolded him in his arms. Leo’s deep sigh of contentment was the best thing I’d heard all day, and when he extended his arm to include me in their embrace, I eagerly obliged.

Arms around them both, my body finally relaxed. Leo and Mitch needed to talk, but we were back on track, and relief flooded me. After a couple of moments, I stepped away to let the two of them hug a bit longer, Mitch murmuring in Leo’s ear, hopefully explaining why he’d gotten so upset. Leo nodded, and the expression in his eyes slowly morphed into one of affection and wonder. He shook his head, whispering something to Mitch in return, before holding him tighter and burying his face in Mitch’s shoulder.

Flopping down on the armchair, then wiggling my toes at the fire, I watched my men, studying them both in the golden light of the table lamps, as they separated an inch, then moving as one, sat on the couch, where they quietly continued their discussion. Both tall and built, they made my heart race. I was never one to be intimidated by a bigger guy than me. Hell, at my height, most people were, but something about these two men made me feel small. Comparing my slimmer, defined body to the thick slabs of muscle covering theirs, I also felt a bit fragile and in need of their protection. The sensation was so out of character for me, and one I’d never experienced before but had subconsciously always craved. This truth allowed my mind to settle, knowing they’d be there keeping me safe.

I would do the same for them, too, as being smaller didn’t make me any weaker. If the people closest to me needed help, they’d get it, no matter what. I’d fight for them with my last breath. No. Matter. What.

Placing a kiss on his cheek before easing away from Leo and standing, Mitch glanced over toward me. “I’m starving, so I’ll go finish making dinner.” He flashed me a relieved smile, making my stomach flip. Seriously, the guy was sickeningly handsome.

Standing, too, and linking their fingers, Leo added, “I’ll grab us some wine.” He followed close behind Mitch causing a grin to curve on my lips, as I guessed they’d be making out in the kitchen any second. And that was another thing. In the past, I’d felt jealous and excluded if my exes made out without me as if in doing so they were proving to themselves they didn’t need me to give them what they wanted in their relationship. For some reason, this jealousy didn’t appear with Leo and Mitch, and I wasn’t sure why. Perhaps the strangeness of our scenario, of being cooped up together with no personal space or time apart, played a significant role? Who knows, maybe I’m more secure and relaxed in a relationship this time around? I did know them making out in the kitchen didn’t bother me in the slightest, and I found the realization enlightening.

My grin widened when, sure enough, Leo’s low laugh was followed by a sexy moan drifting out of the kitchen. A few minutes later, he returned with two glasses of white wine, a flushed face, and a contented smile.

“See. I told you I’d get it straightened out.” He blushed, making me snicker. Handing me the wine, he lowered his head and planted a kiss on my lips. He smelled of Mitch’s cologne.

“Thank you,” he whispered gratefully before swiping his tongue across my own.

I slid my hand in his hair to hold him in place, deepened the kiss, and got my own Leo moan. “You’re worth it.” I told him, and those few simple words made him melt right in front of me.

How could his stepfather not see the sweet and kind soul of this man? The asshole had really done a number on him, something I would go to great lengths to erase by ensuring I told Leo every single day how amazing he was, how gorgeous and sexy, if only to see the look of wonder on his face whenever I did.

Taking his wine from him, I placed the glasses down on the side table beside me. “C’mere,” I ground out and pulled him down on the couch with me, taking him in my arms as he half sprawled across me. Long legs stretched out over mine, his head on my chest, my arm draped lovingly around his shoulder.

“Hmmm.” He released the sound, long and slowly. “I could get used to this,” he remarked as he snuggled in. “Coming home from work and laying with you or Mitch on the sofa while the other makes dinner; the snow falling outside; us all warm and cozy inside; the dogs on the rug by the fire.”

“Sounds perfect,” I sighed as the image he evoked slipped into my imagination, showing me a glimpse of a possible future I’d never expected to want again. I squeezed him tighter, enjoying the feel of his warm body and firm muscles beneath my fingertips.

“It is.”

We lay quietly for a while, eyes closed, enjoying the closeness of each other and the sounds of Mitch moving around in the kitchen, reminding us of his presence. Something had subtlety shifted between us, and I took that as confirmation we’d officially moved to the next stage of whatever we had going on and were finally comfortable with one another. Another of the barriers had been stripped away. We were closer now, more in tune. Leo was the most relaxed I’d ever seen him, and only now did I understand how tense he’d been since we arrived at the cabin. If we weren’t happy, he sensed our discomfort, the situation causing him stress, and he tried to do everything to regain balance and harmony. Mitch and I hadn’t made things easy for him, something I viewed with a clarity I hadn’t been able to see previously. His personality made him so exposed and open to being hurt, we had to take a lot more care with him, of him, to keep him protected. A deep well of gratitude built within me, knowing he’d chosen us for the job.

“I’ve never had this before,” he said, an edge of drowsiness in his voice.

“Oh?” Opening my eyes and lifting my head, I looked down at him laying against me, his eyes still closed as he talked.

“Acceptance.”

“Acceptance?” I repeated not entirely sure what he meant.

He nodded lazily. “Allowed to be myself.”

I stilled, not wanting to interrupt him now he’d revealed more about himself. He’d talked about his situation with his father or the blame he carried for what happened to his sister, but never about himself.

“How come?”

He heaved out a sigh. “I’ve never been good enough. Not in my career, not in my personal life, and certainly not for my family. I’ve never been accepted for who I am and feel like I’ve been forced to hide away in a shell of somebody I don’t recognize or understand for the entirety of my life.”

I ran gentle fingers through his thick wheat-blond hair, absently noticing how the darker roots grew paler toward the tips. He nestled into my touch, and I liked how I helped calm him.

“Jackson was always the golden boy.”

“Your brother?”

“Older brother. No matter what he did, he made it look easy. Top grades. Top athlete. Top PR guy. Top, top, top—that was Jackson.

“All my life I’ve had the ‘why’ question. Why can’t you get top grades like Jackson? Why aren’t you top in your sport like Jackson? Why aren’t you more career oriented like Jackson? You get the drift.”

“Yeah, I got it.”

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