Page 308 of Innocent

I reach up and flick my daith. I’ve left it up to Elliot whether or not to tell Leo what he confessed to me. We all love each other. Nothing that’s happened changes that fact. Part of me hopes he doesn’t tell Leo, because I don’t want Leo thinking he failed us in some way by not magically reading our fricking minds to know what we were both thinking.

I keep my personal cell in my hand because I fully expect Leo to call or text me within the next few minutes, once he receives the alerts from the alarm.

What I’m not expecting is to hear the sound of a key turning in the lock less than five minutes after my arrival.

Neither of us call out as the alarm chirps its entry warning. I hear the door close and lock, the sound of the alarm being disarmed and rearmed, and the sound of shoes being kicked off.

Maybe he doesn’t realize I’m here after all?

I’m about to call out my presence, so I don’t startle him, when his voice slides through the dark. “How long can you stay, baby boy?”

I choke back the unexpected tears suddenly struggling for freedom. “Not long enough, Daddy.”

He sighs, the sound curling through the dim rooms and wrapping me with familiar comfort.

A moment later, his outline appears in the bedroom doorway, where he pauses, studying me as he loosens his tie.

He walks over and sits on the edge of the bed. As I blink my tears away, he cups my cheek and leans in for a kiss.

“My good boy.” His tenderness wrecks me. He joins me in bed, holding me as I sob in his arms. Dammit, I’ve missed him. It’s been weeks since I’ve been able to do this with him.

I didn’t realize just how badly I’m frayed.

That scares me.

I’m supposed to keep Elliot’s shit together. How am I supposed to dothat?

No, really,howam I supposed to do that?

I’m thirty fricking years old, and I’m now in control of the president of the United States. I’m responsible for his mental, emotional, and physical well-being. People’s lives hinge upon how well I can keep Elliot’s shredded soul pulled together on any given day.

If I’m this fractured over what I’ve done for him so far, holding this darkest of secrets—how am I supposed to keep himfunctioning?

Leo tucks me against his body and tightly holds me. The way his warm breath brushes against my scalp and the sound of his breathing helps ground me while I deeply inhale, drinking in his scent. I will smell like him before I leave and Ineedthat because I will have to go to Elliot, so I can hug him in private and let him smell me.

Because he needs Leo, too.

If there were any way I knew it wouldn’t raise suspicions, I would have Leo join me at Blair House tonight.

Except the irony is it would probably give Elliot a nervous breakdown. His sister and parents are there.

We can’t get away with sneaking around like we used to under the cover of Shae, Kev, and Chris. We’ll have to be far more creative.

Other than Casey and Declan, we stand alone now in this thing we have amongst the West Wing executives, because I don’t want to test Ciro under fire like that. Not yet. Not that I don’t trust him with the secret of us being a triad, but all it would take is him accidentally letting something slip to one of his people, or to his wife, or around his kids, andbam, we have a leak.

And a scandal.

That means not forcing him into a position where he has to lie for us. A president in the closet isn’t that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things. Leo and Elliot are both consenting adults and supposedly single.

Throw me into the mix? Especially since I work for Elliot?

That’s a Congressional investigation waiting to happen.

Eight years.

I can do this.

Leo can do this.