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Sloane smiled with a gentleness and understanding that so many people credited Sloane for having so little of. His hand remained clutched in Dean’s while his other came to rest on his hip, squeezing gently.

“You spent,” Sloane said, catching Dean’s gaze and holding it, “years,years,Dean. Wanting me, wanting to be with me, to have me to yourself.”

Dean sucked in a breath, nodding jerkily. “I did.”

“And now you have me. And I have you. I can’t imagine what that must have been like for you, or how much it hurt, how muchIhurt you.”

“You didn’t?—”

Sloane didn’t let him finish. “But I know damn well something like that doesn’t magically go away just because your dream has come true. Dreams can come true, and sometimes they can fade away right before your eyes.”

“Yeah,” Dean agreed, unsure if he should but knowing that was always at the back of his thoughts in his darkest moments.

Sloane reached up, taking his hand from Dean’s hip to cup his cheek. “And you have every right to be afraid, and I’ll never blame you for that. But I do want you to come to me with those fears in the future. I don’t care how stupid you think they are or how ridiculous you feel for feeling them. I want you to come to me. You no longer have to hide your feelings from me, Dean.”

“Sloane,” Dean whispered, his voice ragged.

“Because I want you to tell me. I want you toshowme. And I want to show you that no matter what happens, no matter what you’re afraid of, I’ll always be here for you. I love you, Dean. I love you so much that I sometimes can’t think of anything else. I’ve never loved a woman like I’ve loved you, and I know I’ll never love anotherpersonlike I love you. So come and tell me what you feel and what you think. Tell me about your worries and fears. And I promise you, with everything I have, that I will show you I love you without reservation or fear. I love you.”

What little was left of Dean’s composure broke then, and he bowed his head, pressing it into Sloane’s chest. The stinging in his eyes became rivers as the tears were finally allowed to flow. The shame of his doubt was washed away as he breathed in Sloane’s scent and felt his arms wrap around him.

Dean stared at the ring on his finger, vision blurry from the tears. Even obscured, it was a beautiful piece, and he would have to thank the man who created it for his eye for detail and his passion. But most of all, he realized it was a gift from a man who loved him fiercely and knew him better than anyone.

It was foolish to have doubted it, but even his doubt was accepted and cherished.

“Merry Christmas,” Dean said, voice muffled by Sloane’s chest, closing his eyes and giving in to the moment and all the beauty it offered.

SLOANE

Sloane squinted in the bright light given off by the tree. He and Dean had managed only a handful of hours of sleep before they were woken by Shawna’s calls for them to get up. With a lot of grumbling, Dean and Sloane had crawled out of bed and into the living room, where they were summoned. The only benefit was that his mother had been awake enough to cook food and shove steaming cups of coffee into their half-dead hands.

“Nice ring,” Ana murmured when she handed Dean his coffee.

The sleepiness in Dean’s eyes melted, giving way to warmth and happiness. “Beautiful, isn’t it?”

His mother’s eyes drifted to Sloane when she beamed. “It is. Well chosen.”

“Perfectly,” Dean corrected softly.

If Sloane were the preening type, he would have been puffing out his chest and strutting at that. He wrapped his arm around Dean’s waist and led him into the living room, where his sisters awaited him. Of course, they wasted no time in crowing over the ring, praising how beautiful it was.

“Who would have thought Sloane had such good taste?” Shawna asked.

“Of course he does,” Diana scolded. “He’s with Dean, isn’t he?”

Dean flushed, but Shawna nodded. “True, true. So, is this an engagement?”

“It’s on the right hand, Shawna,” Diana reminded her.

“I mean, Dean’s a good man, but he’s still a man. They get confused sometimes,” Shawna pointed out.

“Is that men, or just the men you date?” Dean asked with a raised brow.

All three of them stared at Dean. Diana and Sloane in surprise, and Shawna with a mixture of shock and annoyance.

Sloane broke the silence with a burst of laughter. “Holy shit!”

Diana covered her mouth, giggling. “I think he has your number, Shawna.”