Penance (Devout Trilogy #3) - Lesli Richardson Page 0,30

for sale and have your things moved.

“Next weekend, you’ll fly up to DC on Friday and spend the weekend with us, flying back here on Monday. And every weekend, until you sell the condo and have officially resigned. Once you’re finished working here, and you have your condo emptied, you’ll live with us in DC until we finalize the arrangements in Massachusetts. We’ll establish your residency and arrange for you to take the bar. Then we’ll set you up in business there as an attorney. You will live in the Massachusetts house and commute back and forth between there and DC so that we’re spending at least a couple of nights together every week, and on the weekends.”

He nuzzles my forehead with his lips. “Once Liam’s term ends, you two will practice law together, or do political consulting, or whatever you want to do, and I’ll run the office. We’ll do that until I can convince you two goobers to retire permanently.”

Terror grips me, a familiar, visceral reaction I’ve grown entirely too comfortable with during my life.

It’s time I banish it and reach for the risk, climb for the higher fruit instead of settling for the half-rotten ones laying scattered on the ground around me.

Instead, I deeply inhale His scent and realize how comforting it is.

“Yes, Sir.”

“That’s my good boy. Now close your eyes and sleep. We’ll spend all weekend together.”

I try to but I have a question. “What if I want to retire now, Sir? I can afford it.”

He sighs. “Then you and I will gang up on him and make it an order. It’s probably not a bad idea for you to take the bar in Massachusetts, though. Just to have the certification. I know you can practice under Liam’s license, but you should have one of your own.”

“Yes, Sir.”

I’m nearly asleep when he speaks one last time. “On second thought, you need to contact your partners tomorrow morning and tell them you’re resigning. Cite personal reasons and leave it at that. Tell them you’ll be in sometime on Tuesday to hand everything off and clear out your office.”

My pulse spikes. “Yes, Sir.”

Long after he falls asleep I lie awake, trying to figure out what emotion is currently surging through me.

Finally, it strikes me.

Joy.

This is what joy feels like.

How sad is it that I never truly felt it before now?

Chapter Ten

At some point in the night while we were asleep I ended up becoming the big spoon. Since Daniel’s a few inches shorter than me, it’s a natural default our bodies gravitate toward when we aren’t conscious.

When I open my eyes early Saturday morning, it’s barely grey outside yet and Daniel’s snuggled in my arms.

“Shh,” he whispers. “No moving yet, boy.”

I can’t fool him. He obviously hears the breath I suck in while trying not to cry, because the next thing I know, I’m in his arms and he’s soothing me.

Thankfully, I don’t have to explain why I’m crying. He knows.

“Do you want to be my boy for life?” he asks.

I don’t even have to think about my answer. “Yes, Sir.”

“Don’t mind being at the bottom of the dog pile for life? You won’t have a problem seeing Liam being my Master even as I’m your Sir?”

“As long as you and Liam are on top of me, then I don’t mind at all.”

He nuzzles my forehead and there’s always something devastatingly gentle about how he does it that drills straight through my soul. Like the way it always did when Liam did it to me.

Of course it does, because he’s been with Liam for so long.

“I’ve missed you, baby,” he says. “We both have. I think for this to work forever, you need to be my boy first and his boy second. We’ll both be Liam’s by default, but you are mine. Understand?”

I shiver in a good way. “I am yours, Sir.”

“Really? You’re good with that?”

“I’m really good with that, Sir.”

He rolls me onto my back and slants his lips over mine in a sweet kiss that soon turns hungry and burning. Hooking a leg around his, I desperately grind on him and pray this isn’t a dream.

His hard cock rubbing along mine where they’re wedged between us would indicate no, I’m not dreaming.

This is real.

He is real.

My fingers scrabble along his back, searching for purchase as he kisses and nips and the morning stubble on our cheeks rubs together creating a sweet friction I’ve missed like hell. He spreads his knees, forcing my thighs wide apart, and