Chapter 17 Thomas
Thomas
I stared into the sparsely supplied refrigerator as it became obvious that I needed to buy groceries.
The staples I’d ordered before our arrival were the basics, but nothing I could feed two professional athletes.
So when they realized that neither of them had eaten in half a day, Axel suggested we grab a bite at a local pub.
“Are you okay going out into the world as a twin? I might be recognized, but with you, we’re going to draw attention. ”
Mason’s face lit up. “Yeah. I’m more than good with that.” He looked over at me. “You okay with that, Thomas?”
I grinned at him. “Of course, Champ. You guys go and spend some time together.”
Mason furrowed his brow quicker than I expected. “No. I’m not going without you. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you. So no flippin’ way.”
He was so damn cute when he put his foot down. How could I say no? “Okay. I’ll go.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Axel studying us. Questions were forming behind those eyes, and it was easy to read him, just like Mason. Thankfully, he didn’t comment and saved it for later.
Slipping into our jackets, I grabbed two travel umbrellas as we headed out the door for the short walk down the street. I loved the proximity of everything close by in this area of London. It gave family vibes, exactly what these two needed.
Following behind, I observed their mannerisms and the subtle differences between them.
Axel took his role as older brother seriously, which made me happy for Mason.
In the short time they had been together, they fell into an ease with one another that made me happy.
He’d found the family he was looking for.
Entering the pub, the dark paneled room and low lighting proved to be the perfect spot to grab a late lunch.
We ordered our food along with a club soda for me and two whiskeys for the twins.
It was fascinating to watch people watch them.
Unknowingly to them, they were alike in little ways, from the way they held their glasses to how they bounced their knees when nervous.
Their appearances were identical, down to the way they wore their hair swept to the right.
If they had attended school together, they could have easily switched identities.
The only major difference came in their personalities, Mason’s beard, and Axel’s tattoos.
Axel was definitely edgier in a take-no-shit kind of way, where Mason was more laid back.
“Why hockey instead of rugby or soccer?” Mason asked him.
Axel spun the glass in circles as he answered. “It gave me a place to vent my anger. I could slam a bloke against the boards, and it wouldn’t get me fined or arrested. Only a couple of minutes in the sin bin.”
“Was it your dream as a kid? Football was for me.”
Axel furrowed his brow as he thought about his response.
“I needed something physical. Being inside all day seemed like a nightmare. And with my size, it made it easier.” He stopped and looked at his glass.
“I had a lot of pent-up aggression when I was a teen, and I was afraid I’d hurt someone if I didn’t channel it.
But now, I’m not sure where it came from.
Maybe I always knew something was missing.
” He took a sip of his whiskey, then lifted his glass toward Mason. “Why was football your thing?”
“Corporate life wasn’t for me. Dad always wanted me to work with him, but I wanted my own life.” Mason suddenly looked up apologetically at Axel. “I’m sorry. That was insensitive of me. You should have had that opportunity and choice, too.”
Axel spun his glass. “It’s not your fault, Mason. It’s his. He’s the one who had two families at one time.”
I watched as Mason’s eyes widened. “Were they still together?”
He shrugged. “Does sleeping in the same bed mean they were together?”
“I’d say so,” Mason replied. “But I’m no expert on relationships.”
Axel looked at me, then at Mason. “Looks to me like you’re doing a pretty good job of it. How long have you two been together?”
Mason shook his head as he swirled the brown liquid in his glass. “It’s not like that. Thomas and I aren’t together. We told you. He’s my best friend.”
His eyes met mine, evoking a possessive warmth that filled me as I watched him. His attempt to hide his disappointment verified I’d made a mistake by not telling him how I felt. I was attracted to him, more than he knew.
When he broke our stare, he turned to Axel. “Do you have a girlfriend?”
Axel shook his head. “Not involved with anyone at the moment. But I’m just like you.”
Mason smiled. “Really?”
Axel chuckled. “Yeah. I know a good person when I see one.”
Axel’s eyes darted from me to Mason. I was an expert at hiding my feelings behind a mask. But he, just like his brother, had a way of seeing past it.
“Have you ever had a boyfriend?” Mason asked.
Axel took a sip of his whiskey before answering. “Yeah. A couple.”
“Do your teammates know?” Mason asked.
He shrugged. “They don’t care. All they care about is that I take care of business on the ice. Who’s in my bed is of no consequence to them. Do yours know?”
I watched Mason take a deep breath before he replied. “No. I’ve never had a reason to tell them anything. Some of them are in same sex relationships, and our team handles that just fine.”
Axel smiled. “Yeah, I read about that. Good for them.”
Mason looked around the pub. “Where’s the bathroom? I want to wash my hands.”
Axel pointed over his shoulder. “Back corner.”
He stood. “I’ll be right back.”
When he was out of earshot, Axel looked at me. “You’re very protective of my brother. Is there something going on I need to know about?”
I smiled. “He’s a nice guy and we enjoy each other’s company.”
“Nothing more?”
I shook my head. “Nothing more. I spent over ten years as a bodyguard, and I worked for the FBI. Protection is what I do.”
Axel took a sip of his drink, then looked at me. “I sense there’s more you’re not telling him.”
“What makes you think that?”
“The way you look at him. The way he looks at you. He won’t go anywhere without you. He worries about what you think. It’s pretty clear to me that my brother has feelings.”
I held his gaze. “Mason is important to me. I’ll admit I’ve never been involved with a man, but he makes that irrelevant.
He makes me happy.” I looked over my shoulder.
“But I also want to protect him. If you haven’t noticed, his world has recently been blown apart.
When the time is right for him, we’ll figure ourselves out. ”
Axel studied me. “Are you afraid?”
My automatic answer was that I wasn’t afraid of anything. But like his brother, he deserved an honest answer. “The last relationship I had didn’t end well, so there’s always going to be some doubt. But afraid of being with him? Not one bit.”
“Does Mason know that?”
“Yes. He knows almost everything.” I chuckled. “We spend a lot of time together. I’d say he knows me better than anyone.”
Axel brought his index finger to his lips as he casually rested his head in his hand. “Uh huh. Have you thought about kissing him?”
All the damn time. But I didn’t say that. “I don’t think that’s any of your business.”
He grinned. “That’s a yes. Maybe you should give it a go. Waiting for the right time is an excuse. And you know it. There’s no better time than the present.”
I thought about what he was suggesting, and wordlessly acknowledged his comment.
“Just be honest, Thomas. The longer you wait, the more difficult it will be for him if you change your mind. He’s not a hardened asshole like me. I can already tell.”
I hid my smile behind my glass. Mason was the farthest thing from an asshole.
He was kind and tender-hearted. He cared about other people and put their needs first. He was everything I was drawn to.
“I’d never hurt him, but it’s been a long time since I’ve acted on an attraction.
Things have changed in the dating world. ”
“Here’s what I think,” he said. “Stop fucking thinking about it, and just do it. Time’s a-wasting.
If you want more, you should tell him. It’s like hockey.
You don’t wait and think about taking the shot.
You fucking take it. If you waste your time waiting for the perfect opening, the puck will be stolen before you turn around.
” He finished his whiskey, then put the glass on the table.
“He needs to move on if you’re not going to take a shot. ”
I caught sight of Mason walking across the pub.
He stopped when a patron reached out to speak to him, then pointed over to us.
He shook his head no, but smiled just the same.
He was happy. And just being in his presence made me smile.
Maybe Axel was right, and it was time to take a chance.
I saw what Hudson had with Evan after losing Carrie, and I wanted that. “He’s vulnerable right now.”
“He is,” Axel agreed. “But he’s also a fucking grown-up. Give him some credit, Thomas.”
He was right. And when Mason returned to the table, I spent the rest of the evening thinking about what Axel said.
As they talked, I got lost in my head, allowing myself to admit how good it would be with him.
To hold him and run my mouth all over his body.
To kiss him breathless and hear him moan my name like he did in his dream.
Waking up with him in my bed, making breakfast for us, walking the dogs, living my life with my best friend.
I’d never had that, and it was within reach.
We stayed at the pub for a couple more hours, enjoying the atmosphere.
A few hockey lovers came by to say hello to Axel and lament how much they wished he still played in England.
It was amusing to watch every time they noticed Mason.
Their eyes widened, looking back and forth between them, making both men laugh.
They’d missed that growing up. “This is my baby brother, Mason. He plays professional football in America,” Axel explained.
“By three minutes,” Mason added.
“Still makes me older,” Axel teased.
Their conversation shifted from training routines to how grueling the season could be.
Mason wanted to know if he’d thought about the NHL, and Axel wondered if Mason had considered rugby.
It was evident they wanted to be in each other’s lives, and putting a continent between them now would be difficult for both of them.
At the end of the evening, plans were made to meet up the next afternoon. Axel had a meeting the following morning he couldn’t miss, and we needed to sleep. Still on San Diego time, the jet lag was beginning to set in.
We left the pub and walked out in the cool night air. It was damp from the rain that had started some time ago. But the wet streets and glittering lights made for a picturesque evening. “I’ll call you tomorrow after my meeting. If she’s in good spirits, I’ll take you to meet her if you want.”
I pulled out the umbrellas as Mason agreed. “Yeah. I want to do that.”
Axel pulled his brother into a hug as they said their goodbyes. I held an umbrella over Mason as Axel hailed a cab. When he noticed, he took it from me as I lifted my arm to hail a cab. “We aren’t that far. It never rains in San Diego, and I’d like to experience it.”
I smiled at the romantic man who wanted to walk in the rain.
“Okay. Let’s walk.” Popping open my umbrella, my heart did that pattering thing again.
Stuffing my hand in my pocket, I walked along with him in the gentle rain.
Our shoulders bumped together as I listened to him wax poetic about his older brother.
Every step we took and every sweet word out of his mouth convinced me I needed to be honest with him.
When we reached the walkway that led to the front door, I reached for his arm.
Mason turned and looked at me, his smile as beautiful as ever.
With my heart beating at a quick pace, I stepped closer and wrapped my hand around the back of his neck.
Mason stared unblinking into my eyes as I moved closer. “Thomas?”
I dropped my umbrella to the ground and moved under his. Swiping my thumb over his lips, I took advantage of the moment. Taking my shot. “In New York, you said you wanted me to be your person. Is that what you really want? To be with me as more than your friend.”
His eyes stayed riveted on mine. “Yes.”
“Good,” I replied softly. “You wanted me to kiss you. Do you still want that?”
He sighed as he melted against me. “Yes,” he exhaled, leaning into my touch.
I grinned as I slipped my arm around his waist, pulling him closer. “I want that too. I can’t think of a better time or place than right here, standing in the rain, to tell you I’m crazy about you. I don’t want to be just your friend anymore. I want to be your everything.”
His eyes widened. “Am I drunk again?”
Chuckling, I pulled him closer, where his cheek rested next to mine.
Whispering in his ear, I wanted to make sure he heard me.
“No, sweetheart. You’re not drunk or dreaming.
This is me claiming you.” He sighed as a shiver ran through him.
“I want to hold you in my arms and kiss you in the rain, Mason. Right here for all of London to see.”
My fingers registered the smile on his face. “Then what are you waiting for?”
I pulled back and drank in his handsome face. “Nothing. But I think it’s wise to go slow and give you time to focus on this before we start anything. Are you okay with that?”
His smile was breathtaking. “I’m more than okay with that.”
Mason leaned in as our lips met. My tongue swept across his lips before finding its way inside his mouth.
It was as natural as breathing, kissing the man I couldn’t get enough of.
As the rain fell around us, we wrapped ourselves around one another on that sidewalk in London.
An overwhelming realization that I was where I was supposed to be settled inside me.
And more importantly, I was with the person I was meant to be with.