Page 81 of Adored

Gamble knew this was a conversation they had to have face-to-face, not with him driving—and on the wrong side of the road, so he pulled off to a parking lot.

Thankfully, the Bentley windows were tinted, so they could do this privately.

When he came to a stop, Gamble turned in his seat.

“I don’t want you to give up your duty, Poe. If you need to be here, then I’m willing to be here with you. I just might have to fly home to take care of shit. I’m a ghost, and if they need me…”

Watching him leave and knowing he might not come back scared Poe. It scared him so much that this place lost what was left of its allure.

Seriously.

This morning, he’d been ready to leave himself.

“Well, Mate, you have family. I don’t.”

He palmed his cheek.

“I’m your family. We’re going to start a new family here, and don’t think I didn’t get the hint aboutAFTERwe get married.”

Poe shrugged.

“I mean, how long does a guy have to wait?” he asked, assuming Gamble wanted to ask. The whole nest egg and providing for his family clued him in, or he would have just asked here and now.

Gamble didn’t laugh.

He wanted to do something special. That was the only reason he was waiting.

“If we have kids, Poe, that isn’t a life for children.”

Now, he was curious.

“So none of them have children?” he asked.

Gamble hesitated.

“What?”

He sighed.

“Yes, they all have children. Jagger has three, Zayn has three, and Rogue has three. Then Merry and Boone have two kids, and Dakota has two. I just don’t know if I can have kids in that life.”

Poe was honest.

“I just feel like you gave everything up, and I haven’t even had to. It feels off balance.”

Gamble stared into his eyes, and he didn’t like the way that sounded.

In fact, it freaked him out.

“What are you saying, Poe? That you don’t want to have a life with me? That I’m not welcome here? What?” he asked now that he was about to have his own panic attack. “Because relationships shouldn’t be about keeping score.”

That he understood.

“I’m not saying that. I just feel bad you’ve sacrificed your family to live in a chilly old castle in the UK with none of your family here.”

He was curious.

“So they can never come here?” he asked. “They can never stay with us?”