Tempt Me (Tattoos and Temptation #1) - Mia Monroe Page 0,62
out nicely. I hope you are hungry.”
“Extremely. Is it almost done?”
“Ten minutes maybe. Enough time for you to change.”
“Great. Be right back.”
I head to the bedroom and fire off a quick text to kickstart the surprise I have for Felix. I know he doesn’t suspect a thing, and I’m pretty damn proud of myself for pulling this off. I change out of my tight jeans and work T-shirt, throwing on a pair of gray sweatpants and a sweater. When I shuffle back to the kitchen, Felix is leaning over the pot, inhaling it.
“We can let it rest a few minutes before we eat,” Felix says, walking over to kiss me. “I missed you today.”
“I missed you too.” The doorbell rings, and I try to act surprised. “Wonder who that could be. Let’s go answer it.”
“Together?”
“I can’t let you go yet. Come with me?”
Felix laughs. “You are so cute. I’ll come with you.”
I’m so excited for this, I’m practically bouncing off the walls. Felix looks at me funny as he grabs the handle to open the door. When he does, shifting his eyes to see who it is, his mouth falls open.
“Lucien!”
Lucien steps inside and grabs his brother in a huge bear hug. They haven’t seen each other in person in years, so I know how much this moment means to both of them.
“Oh my god, you’re here,” Felix says, stepping back with his hands gripped firmly on Lucien’s forearms. He turns to me. “Apollo, Lucien is here.”
“I know, baby. I told him to come over.”
“You knew? Oh, this is wonderful. I missed you so much, mon frère.”
“I missed you too, Felix.” He cups his face. “Look at you. You look so happy.”
“I am.” Felix glances at me. “Very happy.”
“I’m so glad.” Lucien comes over and hugs me. “Mon ami. So good to see you again.”
I pat his back. “You too.”
The three of us settle at the table for dinner. Lucien pours wine as we praise Felix for the delicious meal. As we finish, Lucien leans back in his seat, gazing fondly at his brother.
“I have news.”
Felix’s face perks up. “Yes?”
“I’m not leaving again.”
I sit up in my chair. “Really?”
“What?” Felix says, gripping my hand.
“I’m not leaving. I quit my job, packed my stuff, and came home. Tomorrow I’m going house hunting and setting down roots back in Miami.”
Felix’s gorgeous face crumbles into tears. “Oh, Lucien. I am overjoyed.”
“So am I, sweet Felix. It has been a long time coming. Instead of getting used to the distance, I felt it more and more each day. Now with you here, even more reason to come home.” He sips his wine. “I have a confession. Three months ago, I had a little scare with my health. The doctor said my blood pressure was much too high for someone my age, and if I didn’t manage my stress better, I could have a heart attack. The idea of that scared me, but mostly it made me think about what was really important. Family. That includes you, Apollo. I wanted to spend my remaining years with people I love. Romantically, things were abysmal in LA. Maybe these two things were proof that I was in the wrong place. So, I am home, and I am so happy to see your face in real life. I cannot wait to hug Maman and Papa. I cannot wait to live the life I was meant to live.”
“Oh man, I’m so glad you came back,” I say.
“Are you okay now?” Felix asks.
“Yes. I quit my job, and almost immediately, I felt better. My headaches vanished. I could sleep again at night. I don’t know what I will do for work yet, but I’m taking a bit of time off to regroup and practice a bit of self-care.”
I nod. “Smart.”
“Thank you, mon ami.” He exhales. “So, I understand that you two are very much in love, yes?”
“Yes,” Felix says. “Are you staying with us tonight?”
“Oh, I don’t want to put you out.”
“You never are, man, you know that. Guest room is made up.”
He nods. “Thank you. I will go see our parents in the morning. For now, I could use some rest. It was a long trip.”
“I will get him settled,” Felix says.
“Great. I’ll clean up the kitchen.”
Thirty minutes later, with Lucien settled in the guest room and the kitchen cleaned, Felix and I cuddle on the couch.
“I’m so happy,” Felix says.
“I know. So am I. I thought he was just coming for a visit.”
“I have everything I want now.”
“Nah,