Page 91 of Courageous Hearts

Their family spans wide. And judging by the smile on Bo’s face, I think, just maybe, they can feel that.

When Cooper and Bo are on their fourth song, I reluctantly excuse myself to find the bathroom. The porch light guides me back to the house, and it doesn’t take long to find the restroom just past the kitchen where Will said it would be. After relieving myself, I stop in the hallway and look at the pictures on the wall. Cooper, Will, and Tru occupy the majority of them, and although I’ve never known a triad before, I can’t deny how very happy they seem.

“Hey.”

I smile at the softly spoken greeting even before I turn.

“Hey, yourself,” I reply, holding out my hand as Bo steps close. They take my palm, but they don’t stop moving until they’re up against me, chest to chest. My gut simmers as I take in that look in their eye. That fire. I start to plump in an instant, even before Bo’s free hand glides around to my ass, tugging me flush to their body.

Without another word, their lips are on mine.

My fingers thread into Bo’s hair, holding tight as desire burns sudden and bright. Bo grinds against me, deepening the kiss as my back thunks lightly against the wall and a picture wobbles.

“Fuck, Jamie,” they rasp before dropping a kiss to my jaw. “I need you so goddamn bad. Need my boyfriend.”

My cock throbs at the wanton desperation in their tone combined with that word. Boyfriend.

“Yes,” I groan out, not even caring about the fact that we’re in a semi-public place. Not caring about anything other than claiming Bo right goddamn now. Proving to them that I’m theirs. And they’re mine.

And Bo seems to be of the same mind. Their hand drops to my crotch, kneading me through the denim of my jeans, and I’m one second away from tugging them into the bathroom and locking the door when an unfamiliar voice breaks through the heavy fog surrounding us.

“Oh, my. Hawthorne, don’t look.”

Bo gasps against my lips, snatching their hand back and jumping away as the source of the voice chuckles. I clear my throat, trying to adjust myself as discreetly as possible, but I’m fairly certain there’s no way to do that when you’re being watched.

“Sorry,” Bo says, cheeks turning a bright shade of red. “I thought we were alone. Uh, hey Mateo.”

Mateo grins, arms crossed casually in front of their chest. They have a tousled mane of platinum-blonde hair, and just behind them is a cowboy if I ever saw one. Tall, broad, muscled, big boots, and a hat to top it all off.

“By all means, don’t stop on our account,” Mateo teases. “I was going to apologize for running late, but it looks like we’re just in time for the show.” Their eyes glide to me, glittering light blue. “Who’s this?”

Bo glances my way and licks their lips. “Uh, this is my boyfriend, Jameson. Jameson, this is Mateo and his partner, Hawthorne. Hawthorne is Will’s uncle,” they add as an aside for me.

“Pleasure,” Mateo says cheekily.

I give him a nod, and Hawthorne steps forward, holding out a hand. “Nice to meet you, Jameson,” Hawthorne drawls, shaking with a solid grip before turning to Bo. His face transforms into a smile. “Hey there, Bo. It’s real good to see you. Been a while.”

“Yeah, it has,” Bo replies with an embarrassed chuckle. “Sorry ’bout…” They wave their hand vaguely.

Mateo snorts. “No problem, sweets. We’ll leave you two alone to…finish up in here. Catch you outside?”

“Yeah,” Bo mumbles, cheeks pinking again.

Mateo chuckles and Hawthorne tips his hat before they head out the back door.

Bo blows out a breath. “Fuck,” they sum up.

I bark a laugh. “No such thing as privacy around here, huh?”

Bo groans, stepping close and knocking their forehead against my shoulder. I wrap my arms around them, and for a moment, we breathe one another in.

“We’ll be home in a couple days,” I say reassuringly.

“Yeah,” Bo says before stepping back and taking my hand. “C’mon, Mr. Wright. Let’s get back out there before somebody else from town decides to show up and cockblock me.”

I laugh as Bo tugs me outside.

As we approach the bonfire, voices drift our way, the chatter getting louder the closer we get. But instead of returning to our chairs, Bo leads me a little ways off from the crackling fire, where it’s dark and the air is cool. The moon sits high above in the sky, big and round. For the moment, we’re alone.

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