that require both of us to bash our brains out in search of clever solutions.”
“You would,” Lionel sniffled, giddy with joy.
“I promise to hound you to take care of yourself and to make you crazy by insisting you visit as many physicians as possible until you get a proper diagnosis.”
“David—”
“And in the meantime, I promise to keep you in a state of near constant arousal and to seduce you on a daily basis, then satisfy you beyond your wildest desires, all done with the utmost care and protection for both of our persons. Because now that I’ve had you, I don’t think I could possibly restrain myself,” he added with a wicked look.
He stepped into Lionel, sliding his arm around Lionel’s waist. Lionel was immensely grateful for his foresight in beginning to undress already, because it enabled David to slip his hands under his shirt, against his skin, as he pulled him close. And there was nothing Lionel wanted more than to be skin-to-skin with David whenever possible, no matter how daft it was. When he was with David, their bodies, hearts, and souls entwined, it was easy for him to believe that the world was exactly as it should be.
“I love you, you irresponsible darling,” Lionel sighed against David’s kiss.
“And I love you, you stubborn dolt,” David growled, tugging Lionel flush against him. He leaned back long enough to stare into Lionel’s eyes. “So, what will it be?”
Lionel laughed, looping his arms over David’s shoulders and playing with his hair. “Of course, I’ll marry you, you silly man.”
“It’s a business partnership, not a—”
“I know what it is.” Lionel arched an eyebrow and leaned in for another kiss. “And the answer is yes.”
“Good,” David said, kissing him with a smile that Lionel felt through to the center of his being. Any risk they took would be entirely worth it as long as they took it together.
Epilogue
Niall Cristofori had a thousand things to do and very little time to get any of them done. The curtain was set to rise on his new musical in less than a month, the sets weren’t finished, the cast was under-rehearsed, and he wasn’t happy with half of the musical numbers his composer had thrown together. There was so much to do that he refused to let himself wave to David and Lionel as he spotted them leaving Everett’s dressing room and heading out of the theater. If he stopped to say hello to them he would fall into an entire conversation about the arrests of two of the men responsible for the child kidnapping ring and the death of the third.
All of London was buzzing about the wicked noblemen and how they’d gotten away with so much for so long. Niall was as riveted by the story as the next man, but the next man didn’t have a major theatrical production on his hands or connections to one of the criminals’ brother.
“Everett, I have that new scene for you,” Niall said, striding into Everett’s dressing room with barely a knock on the doorframe to announce himself.
He should have been more considerate, as he ended up walking in on Everett with his arms around Patrick and his head resting on Patrick’s broad shoulders. Niall immediately turned and started to walk out again before realizing that his two friends weren’t in the midst of a passionate embrace after all.
“Is something the matter?” Niall asked, hesitating instead of leaving.
Everett let out a heavy breath and straightened, turning away from Patrick. He wore nothing but his drawers—which wasn’t entirely out of character for Everett—but the sorrow in his expression was anything but salacious. “I’ve just received some emotional news is all,” Everett said with a sniff, attempting to downplay his show of emotion.
Niall glanced over his shoulder at the door. “It doesn’t have anything to do with Lionel and David, does it? Or the investigation they just concluded?” Niall knew enough about Everett’s past after the trip they’d all made to Yorkshire a few weeks before—a trip that had dredged up more than a few ghosts from his own past—to know the investigation into the child kidnapping ring was more than gossip for Everett.
“Lionel and David had some information about Chisolm’s death that isn’t public knowledge,” Patrick answered on Everett’s behalf, sending Everett a look as though asking whether he should say more.
When Everett didn’t add anything, Niall nodded carefully. “I suppose you’re happy to have that chapter of your life closed.”
“More than you can know,” Everett sighed.