Page 8

His startling smile was back, and he said, “Ready to head home?”

At his words, I became nervous. I nodded and slid into the back seat as Connor moved to the front passenger one. Even though it was my first trip outside of Ohio, I ignored my surroundings. I wondered how me, a tall, skinny, geeky man intruding into their lives, would affect his family.

The SUV stopped, and I blinked when my door opened and Connor stood there looking at me with his brows furrowed.

“If your family doesn’t like me or if I make them even the slightest bit uncomfortable, please let me know, okay?” Before he could respond, I continued, “My parents couldn’t accept something as ingrained as my sexuality. Where I come from, established queer couples still have to hide who they are because of all the hate they get.”

Connor gave him a sad smile. “You can find hate anywhere, but you shouldn’t let small-minded people stop you from being yourself. I’m pan and there are many people who don’t understand and chose not to learn. It’s their problem, though, not mine.”

“I’m bi and I’ve been told my life would be easier if I settled with a woman. If I’m with a man, then my choice makes me gay. But it’s a way for people to force you to conform to their beliefs instead of taking the time to educate themselves,” Thomas said.

“Your parents lost out of getting to know the real you, and that’s a shame for them. Not you,” Connor said.

“Bringing home strays now, big brother?”

I froze, searching for escape routes, when Connor smiled and clutched my arm, keeping me from running.

“You’re about to meet the triplets. It’s hard to tell them apart, but don’t worry, they’re used to it.”

“Stop scaring him, Con,” a second, similar voice said.

“Yeah, we might like this one and want him to stay.” And there was the third, a more timid one.

Connor turned, and I followed his lead. My eyes widened as I took in dark, messy hair that matched all three men? Boys? But they had the same piercing hazel eyes as Connor, which made me relax.

I waved in my awkward manner and said, “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Ollie.”

The middle one of the group stepped forward and stuck out his hand, tilting his head from one side to the other, studying me for a long, silent moment.

“You look like an Ollie, but…”

“I seem like a nerd of the highest order, with my polo shirt, jeans, glasses, and loafers?” And I took his hand and shook.

His deep laugh took me by surprise. “Yeah. I’m Lyric.”

The other two stepped up together. “I’m Landon, and this is the youngest of the three of us, Linus.” He winked at me, and I raised my eyebrow.

“Landon is the family flirt and heartbreaker,” Connor growled.

Lyric laughed as he looped his arm through my own and dragged me into the house. He called back, “Mama’s in the kitchen with Emilia and Omi. Sam’s on his way, and none of them know about Ollie. This is gonna be fun.”

I tried to dig in my heels, but Linus latched onto my other arm and a hand, which I assumed was Landon, opened at my back and propelled me forward.

“Everyone will love you, Ollie. You’re so cute.”

“Um…”

Before I could voice my protests about waiting for Connor, I smelled delicious food the moment we stepped into the enormous house with modern furniture in creams and brownsthat brought out the splashes of bright colors on the tiled floor and the art of the wall. Besides several chandeliers dotting the hallway and led to what I assumed was the family room, there was natural light coming from the floor to ceiling windows. Before someone pushed me into the kitchen, I think I saw the actual Pacific Ocean. Along with my humiliation at gawking at my surroundings, my stomach rumbled.

Unable to contain a moan of mortification, despite my mouth watering, I glanced at Connor, pleading with my eyes to save me from whomever I might meet in the next few moments, but the heat banked in his eyes took me aback and I blurted out, “It smells wonderful in here.”

Connor nodded and cleared his throat. He tried to speak, cleared his throat again, and said, “Yeah, smells like home.”

I smiled, but the roguish smile aimed at me from the sexiest man I’d ever laid eyes on made me clumsy and I tripped. Movement from the left made me turn, and I watched as the tiniest woman in history beam as she caught sight of Connor.

“Oh, you’re home and you brought a boyfriend!”

With wide eyes, I watched as Connor scooped the woman into his arms and laughed.