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“Woo-woo meds?” I asked.
“The shit they give you for PTSD,” he replied without meeting my gaze. “Amber insisted I see a shrink and get meds. She took me to court and got my visitation restricted until I complied.”
Abe set his spoon down and frowned. “I didn’t know you had PTSD.”
Jeremy shrugged again and lifted his head. “It’s not something I like to talk about, even with people who understand. This doctor is pretty cool, though.” He huffed out a heavy sigh. “And the meds helped, but they also made me gain a bunch of weight. I had to change my diet and workout routine to level everything out. I’m good now.” He raised a hand and rubbed the back of his neck, a classic sign of discomfort. “Besides,” he said, “it’s hard to get a word in with chatterbox over there.” He hooked his thumb in Allen’s direction.
“I’m just grateful for grown-up talk,” Allen said as he returned to the table. He crumbled his piece of cornbread on top of his chili and mixed the concoction. “When Heidi and I aren’t with the kids, we talk about them. My darling princesses consume us.” He smiled wryly.
“So fix it,” I said. “Take your wife on a date. Romance her like you did before you had kids.”
Allen’s mouth fell open as he looked at me. “You make a good point. Our parents are always complaining they don’t see the girls enough.”
“There you go,” I said. “Problem solved.”
The cards came out after we ate, and we played poker for a few hours. The laughter got louder, and the banter grew cruder as the night wore on. When Allen brought out the heavy liquor, I knew it was time for me to tap out.
“I’m turning in,” I said.
Abe scooted back his chair. “Me too.”
“Ah, come on,” Allen cajoled. “One shot.”
Abe patted his shoulder. “Not for me. I’ll need my wits when I deal with my family tomorrow.”
“Fine,” Allen said, pouring a shot for himself and one for Jeremy. “More for us.”
“I’ll drink to that,” Jeremy said, tapping his shot glass against Allen’s before knocking it back.
“So who gets stuck bunking with me?” Allen said.
“No one,” Abe replied. “One of you can sleep in the guest room, and the other can crash on the couch.”
Allen’s eyes glistened with mischief. There was no way he’d missed Abe’s proprietary grip on my neck earlier. “And where will Lio be?” he pressed.
“With him,” I replied at the same time Abe said, “With me.”
Allen refilled the shot glasses. “One more to drink to our friends finally sorting out their shit and getting together.” Jeremy hesitated for a second, then clinked his glass against Allen’s. We didn’t stick around to watch them drink it.
“Lio.” My name was a needy groan on his lips when we entered his bedroom, and it made my stomach clench and my spine tingle. “I want…I need.”
“I know, baby.”
God, how I knew, but I wouldn’t give in to what we both wanted, not with Jeremy and Allen just down the hallway. I didn’t want to hold back when Abe finally got me naked and beneath him, and that wouldn’t happen until I was certain this was what he truly wanted. We’d barely scratched the surface of what we needed to discuss, and I wouldn’t push him until he was ready.
I’d left the table lamp on when I’d set my bag on the bed, which cast a warm glow in the room. Like the rest of the cabin, the floors, walls, and ceiling were made of oak planks. A large, colorful braided rug in the center of the room and the navy-blue comforter broke up the monotony of wood tones in the space. The cabin had so much potential, but it wasn’t the time to think about home improvement projects when Abe gripped my neck and pulled me forward. He crashed his mouth against mine, slid his tongue between my lips, and coiled it around mine. Abe backed me toward the bed, and my resolve to wait melted with each step. By the time my legs bumped into the side of the mattress, I was ready to throw caution to the wind. Abe pulled back and stared into my eyes while brushing his thumbs over my beard.
“I just want to hold you right now,” Abe said huskily. “One night in your bed has ruined me, and I can’t sleep without you in my arms.”
My burgeoning lust morphed into something more profound as I smiled at him. “So glad I’m not the only one struggling with that. I never considered myself a cuddler until last weekend.”
“Full disclosure,” Abe said. “I plan to strip you down to your undies and kiss you.”
I raised my hand to the top button on his flannel shirt and worked it open as I pressed a quick kiss to his lips. “You’ll get no complaints from me.”
Abe let out a soft growl and captured my mouth for a hungry kiss while we continued undressing one another, only pulling apart when the disrobing required it. Once we were down to our briefs, mine black and his white, Abe reached for the blankets and noticed my overnight bag for the first time since entering the room.
“Arrogant much?” Abe asked.
