Page 58 of Holding the Line

Then, without warning, Ty stepped in, cupping Oren’s jaw with one hand and kissing him hard.Dale’s breath caught as he watched from the shadows.He expected jealousy.What he felt was ...heat.

They broke apart when Oren moved to deepen it, and Ty pressed a hand to his chest.

“It’s okay to care for two people.”Ty said, his voice breathless, “I do, too.But I want something long-term.I want both of you.But I’m not rushing it.I’ll wait until you’re both ready.I won’t settle for anything less than forever.”

He kissed Oren again, swift and sure, then looked back deliberately toward the shadows where Dale stood before heading down the path toward the barracks.

Oren stared after him, lips parted, then murmured, “Not sure I deserve a forever.Not after ...not after what happened.”

Dale, hidden in the dark, felt the words hit like a gut-punch.It had to be Afghanistan.The captivity.The hurt.

How the hell was he going to build a forever with two men—when he’d been the one who’d left Oren behind to suffer?

In the distance, thunder rolled across the Ridge.Not from the sky.

Something else.

Something was coming.

The End