Page 81 of Winning You
“It might,” Lucas said. “Your brother isn’t the one falling for me, so he doesn’t have to care. But…but if you want me, you do. You have to care. You have to care when I don’t know I should.”
“I’m yours,” Frankie told him. “There isn’t a single cause where I won’t take your side.”
“I want to keep my apartment for a while. I need space.”
“I wouldn’t expect different. If we decide to take the next step, we’ll make sure you have space in that house too.”
Lucas smiled and brought Frankie’s hand to his lips and kissed it. “And I want you to tell me if I’m being too much. Because it might happen. I might get overwhelmed by being around a child, and while I can’t control how it affects me, I can control how I express myself. I don’t ever want to hurt her. Or you. But it’ll probably happen, and I want to know you’re not going to baby my feelings and tell me when I’m being a shithead.”
Frankie laughed, not able to imagine himself calling Lucas a shithead. He understood what Lucas was saying though. “When it comes up, I promise I will say something similar. But I might not call you that.”
Lucas grinned wider. “And I want you to promise me you’re not going to punch Charlie and get your own assault charge because he’s the only one I want to suffer.”
Frankie let out a big, put-upon sigh, grinning when Lucas laughed. “Fine. No punching. Fallon will make me swear the same thing anyway, and I can’t go against you both.”
Lucas nuzzled as close as he could. “Lastly—I need you to meet my family. And I mean my whole family. My dad’s friends are like his brothers and sisters. The kids are like my cousins, and I take care of a lot of them whenever someone needs help. They’re important to me, and they might pitch a fit because you’re closer to their age.”
“It’s something we both have to be prepared for. My brothers know I like you. They think you like me too. But the reality might hit different once we make it official.”
Lucas hummed softly. “Can we get out? It’s cold.”
“Yes.”
They said nothing as the tub drained and they dried off. Lucas had a spare pair of sweats that mostly fit Frankie, and he helped carry Lucas’s favorite pillows and blanket over so they could make a nest on the floor of his living room.
Frankie checked on Fallon, who was snoring with his mouth open, arms flung over his head, and that settled him a bit more. He triple-checked all the locks, then settled beside Lucas, who was already drifting.
Lucas rolled into his arms and tucked himself into a small shape that fit against him perfectly. “I’m sorry we couldn’t do more tonight.”
“We have time. Now that you’re mine, anyway.”
Lucas lifted his chin and missed Frankie’s mouth the first time, but he got it on the second try. The kiss was long and slow, a little messy, a little desperate, but soothing in the way they both needed that night.
“I’m adopting Elodie. I don’t know if I told you that already. But she’s going to be mine officially soon.”
“You did, and I love that,” Lucas murmured.
“Do you want kids?”
“Not more than her.”
It was the perfect answer. Frankie carded his fingers through Lucas’s long, loose hair, and the motion of that sent them both into a quiet, safe, easy slumber. God only knew what was waiting for them on the other side, but for now, this was enough.
CHAPTER TWENTY
FRANKIE
“Really?”
Frankie carefully rolled away from Lucas’s arms, which were floppy and soft, and he didn’t budge as Frankie climbed to his feet and grimaced at the pain in his back.
“Don’t wake him,” he murmured softly, ushering Fallon toward the kitchen. They moved around the breakfast bar, and Frankie turned on the coffeepot.
“So…is this a thing, or…?”
Frankie bowed his head and took a breath. “Yeah. It’s a thing.”
Fallon peered around the counter, and then his gaze snapped back to Frankie’s. “What happened to him?”
