Page 43 of Sacred

“Imeanit, Liam.” He closes his eyes. “The one hall pass is all you get. I willnothang around and be destroyed from the inside out like Mom was. No second chances.”

“I know, baby. But I’ll never need my hall-pass fuck. My ghost is never coming back.”

“Like someone just said, don’t make me a promise you can’t keep.” He draws in a deep, shuddering breath.

“Hall-pass fucks, then. When Double-R knocks on our door, I’ll give you a thumbs-up or something to let you know I’m changing my answer to him so I can join you in the fun.”

He bursts out laughing, his eyes opening, but I also spot how they’re too-bright from tears wanting to fall and how he quickly blinks a few times to hide it. “That wouldnotbe the worst thing in the world. A three-way with the man I love and one of the hottest guys on the fricking planet.”

“No, I suppose it wouldn’t.”

He sighs, reaching up and caressing my jaw with his thumb. I feel the way my stubble rasps against his flesh but I’m still looking into his eyes and trying to read his mind. His eyes are a window into his soul. I’ve learned to gauge his moods by paying close attention and I’m rarely wrong now.

Another comfortable quiet descends, all while his thumb lightly trails back and forth, so slowly I can almost feel individual hairs catching on the whorls and ridges on the pad of his thumb.

“Yes,” he breathes.

I nuzzle my nose against his. “For life, baby. You and me against the world.”

“I’m not quitting my job.”

“I won’t ask you to. Your decision.”

“No closets. I’m not your ‘close friend,’ or ‘roommate,’ or some ‘advisor,’ or ‘coworker,’ or any other bullshit excuse. You introduce me as your husband.”

“No closets. Ever. I’ll be proud to introduce you as my husband.”

He draws in a slow, deep breath. “Small and quiet ceremony with just your family there. Hell, lunch hour at the county courthouse would be fine. Nothing more elaborate than a minister and your parents’ backyard. Please?”

“Anything you want, baby.”

“I only want you, Master.”

This time, I don’t shiver. I lean in and gently press my lips to his. “You’ve got me. For the rest of our lives together.”