Page 67 of The Heart

I’ll have to talk with him about that later.

“Don’t be a baby,” he mumbles, then gives me a smile that makes me immediately forget about anything else.

I look down, finding his hand holding mine.

Right in front of Colton.

I stare, because I didn’t realize until this moment that this is something I needed. That being able to touch him like this whenever I wanted was this important to me. I run a thumb over his hand, smiling at the subtle contact. I’m ecstatic that he needed to have that too, so much that he was willing to step out of where he felt comfortable to get it.

Somehow that means so much fucking more.

He watches my finger brush over his skin, then our eyes find each other for a long moment.

“Well, fuck,” Colton says. We look over, finding him staring between us. “You guys really are together, aren’t you,” he states. It isn’t a question.

“Was me pinning him to the floor earlier not convincing enough?” Sebastian quirks an eyebrow at him in question.

“Well that was just…hot.But this… seeing the two of you like this…” He thinks for a moment. “It’s really nice seeing you guys this happy. I’m happy for you. And I won’t say anything to the team. Whatever reasons you have for keeping this private is your own business,” he says. I smile at our friend. I knew he wouldn’t have an issue with this, but I didn’t expect his kind words. I think that’s exactly what Sebastian needed to hear right now. Because he’s been freaking the fuck out over this.

“Thank you,” Sebastian tells him and I smile as well. If he only knew how grateful I am for this.

Leena yawns, and I tap on my phone, seeing how late it’s getting. We have to be up in a few hours if we want to make it to my parents’ house on time for lunch tomorrow. Sebastian glances down at the phone, noticing too.

“Alright, time for bed, sugar,” he tells Leena as he makes his way toward her, then turns around so she can climb onto his back.

“Oh, wait! There’s another present!” she shouts, pointing to the top of the fridge before he makes it out of the kitchen. Sebastian carries her over so she can grab the envelope we stashed there this morning and hand it to Colton.

“It’s not a present,” Sebastian says as he takes it.

“If we give it to him today, then it is!” She smiles, and seeing our woman’s legs wrapped around him, her perfect ass sticking out like that does something to me. But I guess everything these two do does something to me.

“What’s this?” Colton asks, pulling the single key from the envelope and looking between us.

“It’s a key to the gate on the roof. We also added your biometrics to the elevator, your code is written on the back,” I explain, pointing to the envelope.

And he looks… well,shocked.

“We know you have your own place, but whenever you do want to come over, we want you to be able to.” Leena smiles at him again.

“Um, wow. Thank you,” he says quietly.

“Alright, enough of that. To bed, all of you. It’s going to be a long day tomorrow,” I say, standing and ushering Sebastian, carrying a very sleepy Leena, toward our bedroom.

Before we’re out of sight of the kitchen, Leena calls back to Colton, who is still sitting at the bar counter, staring at the little gold key he’s twirling between his fingers.

“Oh and Colton?” she says. He glances up at her, his expression nearly unreadable. “Merry Christmas.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

SEBASTIAN

Iturn my back to the bed so I can dump Leena onto it. She lets out a squeak. It’s so fucking cute.

Then I realize my phone’s not in my pocket.

“Dammit. I’ll be right back,” I tell them, heading out to find where I fucking left it this time.

When I make my way far enough down the hall to be in view of the kitchen, I stop, staring at Colton. He’s still sitting at the bar counter, but his head is down, his face buried in his arm, his outstretched fist is tight.Is he still holding the key we gave him?

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