arms wrapped around him, Linc mentally braced himself for what would come next.
“Hey.” Mitch”s warm breath caressed Linc”s neck, his hand cupped Linc”s cock. “Are
you still joining Tomi and me for brunch?” His whispered words were right next to Linc”s
ear. “We, uh…there”s something we need to tell you.”
Tell him now, before he admits too much and you lose the courage to do what you
know has to happen. “It”s over.” His voice sounded foreign to his ears.
“We still have time.” Mitch massaged his balls, the sensation so intense it made Linc”s
eyes roll back. “Brunch doesn”t —” “Not brunch.” Linc pushed his hand away and pulled out of Mitch”s embrace, turning
to face him. “Us.”
Mitch went completely still, his eyes slightly narrowed. “I don”t understand.”
“Don”t you?” Linc chuckled, his brow arched.
“No, I don”t think I do.” Mitch continued to stare at him unblinkingly, those blue eyes
growing stormier with each passing second. “Why don”t you explain it to me?”
“Come on, you can”t be that naive.” Linc”s tone turned mocking. “Listen, the past few
weeks have been a lot of fun, but it”s over now. It”s time to move on.”
Mitch”s throat worked. “I thought —”
“You thought what?” Linc interrupted him. “That this was a relationship?” He laughed
contemptuously. “We were fucking!” Linc practically yelled. “Don”t try to romanticize it,
Mitch. It was good — hell, it was great — but that”s all it ever was. It”s all I ever wanted from
you and Tomi. And if you thought differently, you obviously don”t know me.”
There was a sound in the doorway, and they looked in that direction. Tomi stood there
with tears in her eyes, the look on her face so devastated, it made him want to weep. She
turned and left the room as quietly as she”d appeared.
Mitch turned back to him, his eyes practically black, the muscles working in his jaw,
his hands balled into fists. Linc prepared himself to be hit, knew he deserved at least that.
Shit, he even welcomed it, hoping that the physical pain would distract him from the
emotional agony he suffered.
“You finally said something that I actually agree with.” Mitch”s voice was unnaturally
calm. “We obviously don”t know you at all. We had no idea that the caring, decent man we
thought we met three weeks ago was really a bitter, shitty bastard. Well, you don”t have to
worry. We can take a hint, and we have no interest in staying where we”re not wanted.”
He walked toward the door, pausing for a moment in the doorway before turning to
look at Linc. “You got what you wanted from us, and now you”re done. I get it. It”s fucked up, it hurts, but it”s okay. I”m not angry. In fact, I feel sorry for you. Eventually, Tomi and I
will get over this, and in the end, we”ll always have each other. You, on the other hand, will
still be here, choosing to be miserable and alone for the rest of your pathetic life, just because
you”re too afraid of being hurt again to man up and admit your feelings.”
Linc stood there long after Mitch was gone, frozen in place, unable to move, to think.
Shit, he could barely draw a decent breath as he listened to his front door close as Mitch and
Tomi walked out of his house and his life for good.
*
Three days. That”s how long it”d been since he”d seen Tomi and Mitch. Linc spent most
of that time sitting in his office, replaying that day when he”d destroyed the two most
important people in his life. He stared out his window, wishing he had the power to roll back
time, erase everything he”d said to Mitch and Tomi, and replace it with the truth of how
much he loved them.
He couldn”t even look at himself in the mirror. The way he”d treated them made him
physically sick to his stomach. God, what the fuck had he been smoking that made him think
it was okay to hurt them so badly? The looks on their faces would haunt him until the end of
time.
Linc rubbed a hand over his face, as if doing that would somehow erase the memory.
Jesus, he was even worse than their previous lover, Alec. He knew the pain they”d suffered
after that breakup, yet he still deliberately went out of his way to devastate them.
He”d convinced himself that he”d caused this chaos in order to save everyone
unnecessary heartache by ending the relationship before they became too attached to each
other. He could admit now that was complete bullshit. Mitch”s words cut him like a knife,
but he was right. Linc had been too afraid to share his feelings with them, too scared to hear
how they felt about him. He shook his head. What made sense at that time seemed so
ridiculous now. Well, he was officially done running from his feelings. Linc picked up his cell phone
from his desk, determined to reverse some of the damage he”d done.
He dialed the number to their hotel room from memory, listening to it ring, silently
praying that they would give him a chance to tell them how he truly felt.
“Hola?”
Linc paused when the accented voice answered the phone. “Lo siento.” He apologized,
certain he”d dialed incorrectly. “Llamé el número incorrecto.” Linc hung up and tried again.
When the same voice answered the phone, he knew something was wrong.
He hung up without responding, immediately calling the main hotel number. “I”m
trying to reach the Elliotts in suite twelve twenty-three.” The operator placed him on hold
for several long moments before returning. “I”m sorry, sir. The Elliott party has already
checked out.”
Linc sat in stunned silence. He was too late. They were already gone.
Chapter Fifteen
Mitch walked into the bedroom where Tomi sat at a small desk in the corner, looking
at the computer screen. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.
“Hi, beautiful.” His lips grazed along her neck. She stood and stepped into his embrace,
leaning up to give him a kiss.
“How was your day?” he asked her.
“Much better, now that you”re home.” Mitch smiled at that. Tomi always knew what to
say to make him feel
