Chapter Seven
It was strange to sneak around his own apartment, playing quiet mouse. Adan slept peacefully on the couch. Soren didn’t want to disturb him. They had spent every night this week staying up talking until neither of them could keep their eyes open any longer. Those conversations had been beyond eye opening for Soren. There had been so much no one had understood or seen about Adan’s relationship with Beau. There was equally a lot about Beau’s inner circle he hadn’t understood. Mostly, Soren had gone away with two things. Adan needed him, and he was wasting his time with Shane. His heart hurt. Soren could freely admit the past year or so with Shane had stolen his heart. They had spent too many nights talking. He had let himself fall in love like an idiot. Soren also thought—maybe—he was done with The PlayPen. No man wanted him for him. It was time to move past the toys and pajamas. What had it gotten Adan and him? Nothing but broken hearts. That was why he had to put on his shoes, go downstairs, and be the adult the world expected him to be. Maybe he could be—healthily—wanted there.
With a final breath for courage, Soren did just that. He made his way around the building and inside The Back Porch. It was Saturday morning, so the place was slammed. Finally, Soren spotted a man waving. He pasted on a smile and headed for the booth near the counter. Soren’s stomach growled as he passed the glass case, showcasing the day’s pastries. Unfortunately, Soren was too nervous to eat. He slid into the booth across from Bronx. The guy was every bit as handsome as Soren recalled. He was also all smiles.
“Hey.”
Soren tried his best not to sound as breathless as he felt. “Hey. It’s so good to see you again.”
“You too.” Bronx’s smile looked like he meant it.
“I was surprised to hear from you. When I gave you my number, I immediately forgot you’re stationed here.”
Bronx shrugged. “I don’t know why you were surprised. I had a really great time with you at the wedding.”
Soren fought a blush. He hated to keep pushing the subject, but Bronx was very military-esque. “Truthfully, I guess I meant I was surprised you wanted to meet here.” He emphasized here, hoping Bronx understood they were very much in the gayborhood.
A huge smile snapped to Bronx’s lips, forcing Soren to fight back a sigh. Damn. He really was pretty. “Why? For fuck’s sake, I spent the entire weekend flirting with you.”
“Oh.” Soren felt the heat climbing his face.
Bronx laughed. “You really didn’t know I was flirting?”
Soren’s face got hotter by the second. “I guess I’m not really very savvy. I’m happy, though,” he rushed to add. Soren didn’t want to insult him. “It was a fun weekend.”
Bronx’s gaze pulled a subtle sweep, dropping to Soren’s mouth before returning to hold his stare. Even with his usual obliviousness, Soren wasn’t that blind. He didn’t miss the heat in Bronx’s eyes. “We could have fun here too.”
Well, goddamn. Soren finally had sex with one guy, and they all come out of the woodwork. Thankfully, Wrecker appeared to take their order. That surprised Soren a little. Wrecker didn’t work that often since he married. Soren couldn’t hide his curiosity. “Hey. Why are you taking orders today?”
His odd gold eyes flashed with good humor. Wrecker was beyond nice. All the time. No matter what. He had been Soren’s saving grace more times than he cared to admit. “You know how it is around here. Everyone thinks they want to work here, since their friends are always here. Then they realize it’s actual work and they bail on me.”
An idea hit. “I know someone who desperately needs a job. In fact, he’s currently sleeping on my couch. I could send him your way.”
Relief filled Wrecker’s features. “That would be amazing. Thank you.”
Soren shrugged. “It’s no problem.”
They quickly placed their orders and were left staring at each other again. Thankfully, Bronx didn’t seem to be nervous at all. He kept the conversation going.
“So, you have some dude on your couch?”
Soren pulled a face. “Yeah. That’s definitely a long story.” One he couldn’t tell without exposing some very personal details about himself. He tried to keep it simple. “His boyfriend dumped him. It was an extremely financially abusive relationship, leaving him with literally nothing but a suitcase of clothes.”
Bronx winced. “Let me guess. His boyfriend was significantly older.”
Soren smiled. “Yep.”
Bronx shook his head. “A tale as old as time. Get a trophy boy toy, use them up, and spit them out. This town is notorious for that.”
“Lucky me. I’m not trophy material.” Soren laughed.
Bronx didn’t. “Don’t do that.”
Soren blinked. “What?”
“Use yourself as the joke.”
It was like getting punched in the chest. “Sorry. It’s a habit.” Fuck. He suddenly wasn’t that comfortable. Soren didn’t know what to talk about. Somehow, he kept smiling.
Bronx set his hand on Soren’s arm. He stroked, moving toward Soren’s hand. “You’re adorable. I don’t think you realize how many people watched you walk across the room. I did. You should’ve seen the disappointment when they realized you were headed straight for me.”
Oh, fuck. He was smooth. Soren practically felt himself inching toward the trap that would snare him.
“Kyson has been trying to call you.”
Soren’s head whipped around at the sound of Shane’s voice. He hovered over the table. His gaze didn’t falter from Soren. It was like Bronx wasn’t even there.
“Hey, Shane. What a small world.”
Shane’s eyes flickered in Bronx’s direction for half a second at the comment before focusing on Soren again. “Yeah. Small world.”
Soren almost floundered before he recalled the way Shane had treated him the last time they spoke. He steeled his spine. “It’s been a crazy week for me. I’ll call him back.”
Shane gave him a sharp nod and then walked away without as much as a goodbye. Soren’s heart sank. The urge to chase after him was massive. Goddamn it. Bronx was sexy, and he said all the right things, but he wasn’t Shane. Soren didn’t know how to let go.
Bronx let out a low whistle. “That dude is seriously in love with you. I’m pretty sure he would’ve killed me if there weren’t so many witnesses.”
A bark of laughter escaped Soren before he could stop it. “Shane is definitely not in love with me.”
For a moment, Bronx simply stared at him in silence. Finally, he cleared his throat. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re kind of blind.” Before Soren could get insulted, he continued. “You’re adorably oblivious to your appeal.”
The overwhelming urge to cry struck from nowhere. His life wasn’t like that at all. No one saw him. He tried his ass off to be nice and good all the goddamn time and no one noticed or cared. It didn’t matter what Bronx thought; Shane didn’t love him, and it was murdering Soren’s soul. He didn’t know how to stop wanting him. Soren was scared shitless he never would. Now he had to finish this date, and he didn’t know if he could.
There was this strange sensation sitting in Shane’s gut. He couldn’t define it. All he knew was it didn’t feel good. He was jealous. That, he recognized, but there was something else too. Kyson had asked Shane to check on Soren and pick up some pastries while he was here. He had decided to grab the donuts before heading upstairs, just in case he stayed a while and everything sold out before he made it home. When he saw Bronx coax Soren into holding his hand, something roared to life inside him. Shane had never wanted anyone dead as badly as he did in that moment, and that was saying a lot. He had so much to say. Words sat on his tongue, but he didn’t know how to express them. Shane wanted to watch the door of the coffeehouse and see where this date went. But Shane had never been this terrified of himself. If he killed Bronx, his sister would never forgive him. So Shane drove home on autopilot and did his best to keep his mind from snapping.
At the club, he carried the box of donuts to the living space in the back he shared with Banks and Kyson. He felt like a zombie—like his lifeless body kept moving all on its own, but the breath had gone from him. Shane blindly handed the box to Kyson as he came through the door.
As always, Kyson was all smiles. “Did you see Soren?”
Shane’s gaze locked on to Kyson, but he didn’t see a thing. “Yes.”
“What did he say? What was he doing? Why hasn’t he returned my calls? Is he mad at me?”
“He was on a date.” He heard the words fall from his lips. They sounded hollow—like spoken in a tunnel. He blinked, and he was sitting.
Kyson feverishly fanned his face with a magazine. “Banks has gone to get you a drink. Just keep taking deep breaths.”
Too many things weighed on him at once. There had been too many revelations in such a short time. Shane opened his mouth and words fell out. “I don’t know what in the fuck I’m doing. You have no idea how badly I wanted to snap that guy’s neck, but what right do I have? I’m not free to be with him. I can’t ask him to be a slave to the Bosi family, the way I am. Things were just so amazing between us. He taught me how to dance and we spent so much time talking and laughing. I didn’t mean for this to happen. Then, I find out too late he was a virgin, and I definitely did not treat him like one. Then he was so happy to see me, and I just had to watch while his face fell because I couldn’t let Beau notice him. But then he stopped talking to me and I didn’t know how to fix it or if I had any right to try since I have nothing to offer. Then today, he’s with fucking Bronx Lively. Goddamn it. That guy is way better than me.” His shoulders fell as the wind left his sails and there was nothing left to say.
Kyson stared at him wide-eyed.
Shane couldn’t look away.
“You think you’re a slave here?” Banks' question caught Shane off guard since he didn’t know he had returned.
Shane’s head whipped toward the kitchen doorway where Banks stood, looking like a kicked puppy. “Well, fuck. I’m just failing everyone.” He tried to explain. “It’s not you. You know I love you and living here.”
Banks made a dismissive motion, cutting off Shane’s explanations. “No. Don’t do that. I know my dad practically stole you off the street, but I thought you knew—now that you were with me—that you’re completely free. Obviously, I get your mindset. This is your home and the only safety net you have from ending up in police protection when they make you testify against us.”
“Or dead in a shallow grave,” Shane added.
“Or that,” Banks agreed as he crossed the room and handed Shane an open bottle of water. He sat next to Shane on the couch and held his stare. “I know the burden of this family, but I would never stop you from chasing happiness. Did it never occur to you that Soren spent nearly every single night here, even when he knew Kyson would be busy with me? Do you think he did that because he has nowhere else to go? No, dumbass. He did that to be with you. Do you think he has no life outside of us? Of course he does, but he chose us. Are you hearing me? He chose.” Banks’ expression screamed for Shane to listen to him. “You’re not stealing his freedom. He picked you. Now it’s entirely possible you’ve completely fucked that up, but I have faith you can fix it. Please know I’m fine with you taking the time you need to do that, because seriously, dude, that whole bit about not treating him like a virgin wasn’t cool at all. But would you really be one of us if you didn’t totally wreck everything you care about at least once?”
Kyson shoved at his arm. “You should probably go now. Don’t let the Bronx guy win. That’s my best friend he’s trying to steal. I don’t want to send Banks to kill him, but I will. He can’t have Soren.”
Banks winked at Kyson, as if completely willing to do whatever his baby asked. Shane stood and set his water on the coffee table. They were right. He had to get to Soren. Shane needed to beg his forgiveness.
A soft knock landed on the door. All heads turned that way. As far as Shane knew, there was no one coming by today. Of course, Axton had been staying with them a lot. It was probably him. Shane answered on his way out.
Soren stood on the other side of the door, wearing kitty pajamas and holding an extremely nervous-looking Adan’s hand. “Hi.” He sounded just as nervous as Adan looked. “Can we come in?”
Despite his burning need to see Soren, his gaze still slid toward Adan. He had no idea how Kyson or Banks would react to Beau’s former affair partner darkening the door.
Kyson peered under his arm. “Did I hear Soren?” His gaze moved to Adan. “Oh. That’s where you went. We wondered why you weren’t sleeping in the club any longer.”
Adan’s eyes widened. “I’m sorry. If you want me to find a way to pay extra or something, I will. I just didn’t have anywhere else to go.”
Shane realized Soren and Kyson’s kindness had eclipsed all barriers… again. They just kept saving people. It hadn’t been that long since Kyson beat the shit out of Adan. Now he welcomed him with a forgiveness he didn’t deserve.
Shane moved aside, and Kyson pulled Adan into the apartment. “I thought you knew we knew. We kept leaving food for you in the employee break room fridge.”
Their conversation faded into the background as Shane stared at Soren.
“Am I allowed to come in too? It’s truly a bad sign for Adan to get invited, but not me.”
Shane came back to himself. “Oh. Yeah. Sorry.” He still didn’t immediately move. “Can we talk?”
A weak smile touched Soren’s lips. “That’s kind of why I came. Plus, I didn’t want Kyson to think I was keeping Adan a secret or anything. I know how Banks and he feel about him. Justifiably, of course,” he quickly added, like he expected Shane to chastise him for caring about other people.
Shane shook his head. “I don’t care about that right now.” He took Soren’s arm and pulled him inside. After closing the door, he led Soren to his bedroom. He purposely tried not to meet anyone’s gaze as they passed. Soren was likely here to tell him to go fuck himself. Shane couldn’t stand everyone witnessing his heartbreak. He closed them inside the bedroom.
Soren looked around. “It’s crazy how many times I’ve been here and I’ve never seen the inside of your bedroom.”
Shane glanced around too, seeing what Soren did. It was a big room with space for a couch and bed, giving him a little peace from working. “It’s not much, I guess. My room at Beau’s is much nicer, but it feels like a prison.” And this one felt like home. Funny how it took breaking down to recognize the truth. Banks was family. Maybe he was also Shane’s boss, but Shane would be here even if he wasn’t.
Soren flashed him a smile. “Well, you’ve seen my place, so…” He laughed.
“There’s nothing wrong with your place.” Shane hesitated. In the end, he had to start somewhere. “Except that it’s not here with me.” Shane used Soren’s open moment of shock to lead him to the couch. He tugged Soren into his lap. “You look adorable.” He toyed with the zipper on the cat pajamas. “I failed you in a lot of ways.” Shane finally met Soren’s stare. Soren looked open to listening, so Shane didn’t stop. “The other day, with Beau—”
Soren made a gesture, cutting him off. “Stop. I know. Obviously, at the time, it hurt. But after spending every night for a week talking to Adan, and spending the past hour really thinking about things, I get it. He’s dangerous. I mean, I guess I already knew that, but I didn’t know it, you know?” He didn’t wait for Shane to respond. “Then Adan told me what it was really like being Beau’s and it sounds terrifying, so I see why you pretended I’m no one.” A hint of insecurity touched his features. “Obviously, I get I’m still not anyone, but you know what I mean.”
“I love you.”
The absolute shock etching Soren’s features made Shane putting his heart and pride on the line worth it.
He took a deep breath and then pushed on. “I can never leave here. Wherever Banks is, that’s where I have to be. That’s just reality for me. For a long time, I’ve wanted to be with you more than I want my next breath, but I know what that’s asking. How can I claim to love you and then ask you to live like me? That question has driven me crazy, because seriously, I love you. You’re more important than I am.” Shane knew Soren might have shown up today to ensure Shane knew they were done. But he couldn’t let Soren leave here without knowing how he felt. As Banks had said, it was about choice. Soren had to choose him.
A sad smile touched Soren’s lips, and then disappeared. “I have so many jokes I could make to lighten the mood. Unfortunately, Bronx says I need to stop making myself the joke, so I’m fighting the urge to be that guy.”
Well, fuck. Shane hadn’t needed to know Bronx was a smart guy.
Soren kept going. “So, I guess I don’t have a choice but to ignore my nervous tic and just be honest. I’m not stupid. When I chose to stick by Kyson’s side throughout him being abused by his ex to moving in with Banks, I knew what that meant. Like I said, maybe I didn’t exactly know how cruel Beau is, but I still knew I could be asking for trouble.” Soren shifted positions, as if really getting into his explanation. “You see, I don’t have anyone. I know you understand what it’s like to be the one everyone relies on, but you don’t know what it’s like to have absolutely no one.” The deep pain that crossed Soren’s features broke Shane. He swallowed past his swelling throat while Soren kept baring his heart. “No one calls me or celebrates me on my birthday. There’s no Christmas or Thanksgiving. I watch all the decorations go up for other people for every changing season and I feel nothing anymore. There’s no one. So, when offered a chosen family that might get me killed, it looked like fucking heaven to me. It still does.”
If he had ever heard Soren curse, Shane couldn’t recall it. For some reason, it really drove home how powerful Soren felt about everyone under this roof.
Soren made a helpless gesture. “I guess what I’m really getting at is, I never stood a chance against falling in love with you. It’s okay if I’m not who you want or if you don’t want something serious. You’re allowed to feel however you feel, but please don’t take this family from me. I have no one.”
Shane cupped Soren’s face so he couldn’t look away. “Baby, you’re not hearing me. I love you. No one has ever heard those words from me who isn’t family: real or found. It’s whatever, but you are the person who has my heart. You’re who I want to be with for the rest of my life.” Shane felt his insanity rising again. “And I’m so fucking mad at you for not telling me you were a virgin before the wedding.”
Soren’s face immediately turned bright red. “I was scared you’d stop.”
He couldn’t take it anymore. Shane kissed him. God, he needed the way Soren’s tongue moved against his. He needed this so much. Unfortunately, he also had more to say. “Nothing could’ve made me stop that night, but I would’ve done things differently.”
Soren smiled. “I didn’t want things differently. You made me feel wanted. That’s not something I get.”
That reminded Shane. “Tons of men here want you. They just know no one will find their bodies if they touch you. Speaking of which, you’re not allowed to date anyone else. You have no idea how close you came to getting that boy killed today.”
“You don’t get to be bossy and set boundaries until you ask me properly to be yours.”
A smile exploded across Shane’s face. God, how could he not fall in love with this guy? He was so brave. Shane tried hard to rearrange his features to the seriousness the moment deserved. “I know I’m asking for everything, but can I be your daddy?”
Soren melted. Shane didn’t know how else to describe the way Soren’s every wall visibly fell while Shane watched. “You want to be my daddy? I thought you didn’t like that stuff.”
Soren’s reaction proved Shane’s every thought correct. He wanted to be someone’s baby. “I love you. That means I love being who you need. You don’t get to pretend with me. I won’t have you giving up a part of yourself just to be with me. Everything about you turns me on.” Shane swept his gaze down Soren’s body. Even he couldn’t believe how hot the cat onesie made him. The zipper made the suit like opening a gift. He also craved hearing Soren call him daddy the way Kyson did for Banks. The idea of it made him feel like they would be closer than simply dating. It made them permanent.
“I love you too, Daddy.”
Fuck. It was so much sexier than he expected. Shane stood and took Soren down on the couch. He covered Soren’s body with his. Soren stared up at him, completely trusting. That shocked Shane, considering how rough he had been with Soren that first night. Of course, it seemed he had been overthinking a lot of things lately.
“I hear you punched someone in the throat the other day.”
A blush exploded across Soren’s face. “He was touching people without their permission and not taking no for an answer. Not a single guard intervened.” He shrugged. “I couldn’t do nothing.”
Shane nodded. He had heard the story. “I’ll talk to the crew about paying closer attention. Better me than Banks. If he had been there, people would have lost their lives.”
Soren nodded. “I saw what he did to the guy who hurt Kyson.”
“I’d do worse if anyone ever hurt you.”
Soren stroked his chest. He bit his bottom lip, drawing attention to his sexy mouth. “Are you upset I hit someone?”
Shane shifted positions, ensuring Soren couldn’t miss his erection. “Does it feel like I’m angry?”
An adorable smile appeared at his question. “I don’t know. You’re still talking.”
“Please excuse me for not giving you what you deserve.” He captured Soren’s lips. His heart immediately soared, as if it was the first time they kissed. Then Soren tugged at his shirt, stealing it, and the air thickened. The way Soren always acted hungry for him was such a rush. It stroked his ego. His fingers found the zipper on Soren’s pajamas. He slowly slid it down as far as he could, with his body keeping Soren trapped.
Shane climbed from the couch. “This isn’t working.” He scooped Soren into his arms and tossed him on the bed.
Soren laughed as he bounced.
The sound died when Shane joined him. Shane held his stare as he finished divesting Soren of the onesie. He cupped Soren’s erection through his underwear and massaged before stealing those as well.
“It’s so odd. I don’t feel exposed with you.”
“That’s because you’ve always known I love you, and I think you’re the sexiest guy alive. In your heart, you’ve known it.”
Soren didn’t deny it. Shane knew he couldn’t. There had been too many nights of friendship and too many longing glances.
“I want to touch you too.” Soren stroked Shane’s chest and stomach until he rolled onto his back, giving Soren all the freedom he wanted to explore. Soren wasted no time peeling off Shane’s pants. Shane helped. He wanted Soren’s touch. The moment he was nude, Soren’s gaze devoured him. “Beautiful.”
The way he meant it always stole Shane’s breath. His heart and soul completely belonged to this man. Soren kissed his stomach, and Shane’s eyes burned from the inability to look away. Soren looked like he was in heaven.
“It would kill me if you ever went away.” Even Shane heard the way his voice shook.
Soren straddled him. “You can’t get rid of me. I plan to stay glued to you just like this and ride you like a monkey on a tree.” His forehead furrowed. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”
Shane roared with laughter. He pulled Soren down so he could reach his lips. “I really want you to do both.” Shane stole the kiss he wanted. Things turned heated fast.
“Show me how, Daddy.”
The possessive roar that rang through his head was deafening. “Bedside table. You know what we need.”
Soren found the lube and condoms, and then he was back, sitting on Shane’s thighs.
Shane took the condom from him and tore it open before handing it back. “Put this on me. I’ll make sure you do it right.”
With his bottom lip held between his teeth, Soren fumbled to roll the condom down Shane’s length, but he figured it out.
Shane motioned toward the lube on the mattress beside them. “Coat the outside with that, and if you want, you can get yourself ready too.” Shane didn’t want to make Soren uncomfortable. He just never expected to be walking anyone through this. “Do you have toys at home?” Soren’s face turned bright red. He didn’t respond, but he didn’t need to. That was answer enough for Shane. “It’s the same. Do whatever feels good to you. I promise it’ll feel good to me no matter what.”
Soren moved carefully, crawling higher. It took a little work, but Shane finally found himself root deep inside Soren.
“Good boy.” His voice sounded every bit as turned on as he felt. “Whenever you feel ready, take what you want from me.”
Soren gently bounced a couple of times, as if testing out the waters. Shane knew the instant Soren found the angle for him. The lust radiating from him had Shane incapable of looking anywhere else. He held still, letting Soren use him. It was hard. He wanted to grab Soren’s hips and take his pleasure. Soren had to be in control.
As Shane looked on, Soren’s eyes fell closed. He tilted his chin up and visibly fought for air. Shane thought he might blow just by watching him.
A whimper escaped Soren. “Daddy, I can’t. I need—”
Shane flipped, taking Soren with him. He knew what Soren needed. Shane would give it to him. He held Soren in place and sawed in and out of him, ensuring Soren got closer each time. There was a tiny voice in the back of his mind, reminding him to take it easy. He couldn’t. Soren wanted it exactly like this. Shane would do whatever it took to make him blow. He followed the sound of Soren’s cries, giving him everything. When Soren blew, his expression alone sent Shane into a frenzy. He pounded inside Soren, crazed with the need to join Soren in bliss. When his orgasm hit, Shane made the sound of a dying man. Everything was perfect. The world stopped while pleasure poured through him. Then, peace.
Their lips found each other. Their fingers linked. Shane couldn’t stop kissing Soren. Their bodies were slick with sweat and cum. It was the happiest Shane had ever been.
He kissed a path to Soren’s ear. “Fuck. I love you. You make me so goddamn happy.”
Soren still struggled for air, but that didn’t stop him from saying exactly what it took to ensure Shane stayed hard. “It’s crazy how badly I wish this condom wasn’t between us. I don’t know, but I really want to feel your cum escaping me.”
Holy shit. Shane swore he went blind for a moment with white-hot desire. Still, he was the daddy. He had to be the logical one. “I want that too.” More than he realized, before Soren had painted the picture in his head. “But it’s my job to keep you safe. I know you haven’t been with anyone else, but I have.”
Soren looked up at him, so trusting. “What if you got tested?”
“I have. Several times. Plus, I’ve never had sex without a condom.”
Soren nodded. “Okay. Does that mean you plan to be with other people?”
Well, goddamn. He never meant it to sound that way. “Of course not, baby. You’re all I want for the rest of my life.” It hit Shane. There really wasn’t any reason they couldn’t ditch the condoms. He fully intended to marry Soren. He would definitely kill anyone who touched Soren and die before he let anyone else touch him. Still, he only had that one card left to play.
“Marry me first.”
Soren’s eyes widened. “You really want to marry me?”
Shane didn’t have to think about it. Never in a million years did he think he would throw out the M word to anyone. He for sure wouldn’t do it if he didn’t mean it with every fiber of his being. “More than anything in the world.”
Soren gave a small nod. “Okay.” As if it truly hit him what he had just done, a smile exploded across Soren’s face. “You’ll be my husband. I get to be your husband.” He looked like Shane sent him soaring to cloud nine.
“Yay,” Shane whispered as he lowered his head and skimmed his lips across Soren’s. “Thank you.” He deepened their kiss for a moment before pulling away and pressing his forehead against Soren’s. They held each other’s stare. From day one, there had been a spark between them. Still, Shane couldn’t have foreseen this. He took Soren’s hand and pressed it against his chest, over his heart. Shane needed Soren to feel how it beat only for him. “See what you do to me?” His voice broke.
Thankfully, Soren kissed him, sparing his pride. He didn’t know how long of an engagement Soren wanted. This hadn’t been planned. But for Shane, he couldn’t call Soren his husband fast enough. For the first time in his life, something belonged to him. He had never felt more humbled by fate.