Page 110 of Quinton's Quest

Melodie was on one side of the bed with her arms flung wide and a foot sticking out from under the covers. She always ran warm, so I didn’t adjust her.

Trevor was curled into a little ball with his hands tucked under his chin.

Both children were heart-stoppingly precious.

I offered up the thanks I often did to their mother.Thank you for gifting me your children. Thank you for trusting them to me. I will always keep them safe.She knew how to reach us, if she ever wanted to. We’d offered an open adoption, but she’d made it clear she wouldn’t be able to do that. Naturally, we’d respected her wishes. The day the adoption was official, we’d gone for a family portrait. Melodie had fidgeted, Trevor had fussed—and yet somehow, we succeeded in getting the picture that now had pride of place on my fireplace mantel.

Slowly, I closed the door, softly letting it click into place.

The kids would cry out or come see me if they needed me.

Quinton handed me a mug. “Made with milk and nuked in the microwave.”

“Thank you.” I poked at the mini marshmallows. “Yours?”

The microwave beeped.

He gave me that cheeky grin I was coming to love. “Meet you by the fire.”

I made my way to the living room and found that yes, the gas fireplace had been on for some time and the room was toasty. Normally I didn’t like using it because of the negative impacts fracking had on the environment. Tonight? And nights when the power went off? Yeah, I was okay with it in those circumstances.

Still, I yanked off my sweater and stood close to the heat.

Quinton took my mug and placed it with his on a side table. Then he wrapped me in his arms.

I sagged into the embrace.

Tears came. For all of it. I was so completely overwhelmed. I’d always prided myself in keeping things together. For never faltering. If this week had taught me one thing, it was that I wasn’t alone in the fight.

He rubbed his stubbled cheek against my neck.

I pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “Is it really this simple?” I whispered the words.

“Well, given half a chance, I’d drop to my knees and give you a blow job. Given we have kiddos in the house, though, I’m going to pass on that.”

Despite myself, I gave a watery laugh. “Yeah. Although I suspect Gideon and Archer aren’t celibate when the kids are around.”

Quinton pulled back to meet my gaze. His dark-brown irises were nearly eclipsed by his pupils in the low light. “They have a formal relationship. Archer’s not justpassing through.”

“Oh.” I frowned. “Are you justpassing through?”

He licked his lips. “That’s your call, Leo. You’ve got a hell of a lot on your plate. We were just fuck buddies.”

I arched an eyebrow. “Taking one for the team?”

“Anytime.” He grinned. “Nothing I like better than having you in my ass.” He sobered. “Well, except maybe in my arms.”

I flashed back to Monday. The pain of losing a patient. The comfort Quinton had offered me. Selflessly. With exquisite tenderness.

Now he was doing that again.

“Why don’t we drink our hot chocolate?” I offered him my warmest smile. “Before it gets cold.”

“Sure. Are we stripping?” He yanked his sweatshirt over his hair to reveal a tight-fitting T-shirt. His hair was a little mussed with static.

I patted it down.

He went up on tiptoes to press a kiss to my lips.