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Not a comfortable feeling to think his father had coddled him like some sort of invalid. Was still coddling him, in fact.
Thorn? Arthur gave his thigh a squeeze.
Obviously, I m more pathetic than I realized.
No, no. That s& He let out a heavy breath. Hell, I m sorry I mentioned it. Should have kept my damn mouth shut.
But it s the truth. Christ, I wish I wasn t so weak. And now that Arthur knew the truth, surely he would
A large gloved hand cupped his jaw, turning his head. Lips covered his own. He eagerly opened for Arthur, desperate for a
taste of him after being denied for days upon days. There was nothing soft or gentle about Arthur s kiss. With a harsh, almost cruel
edge, he slanted his mouth over Leopold s again and again, tongue thrusting inside, twining with his, rendering him helpless under
the onslaught.
Just when Leopold made to reach for him, to wrap his arms around Arthur s waist and tug him closer, Arthur abruptly pulled
back.
You aren t weak, Arthur said, firm and determined, his eyes boring into Leopold s from mere inches away, his hand still
cupping his jaw. And you aren t pathetic. Stop saying it, and stop thinking it. Brows lowered and jaw set, he stared hard at Leopold
as if daring him to refuse to obey his command. I love you.
Those three words killed the argument before it could make its way to his tongue. The inner resistance melted away.
I love you too, he whispered.
Arthur swept his gaze over Thorn s face. Seemingly satisfied, he nodded once and then sat back against the bench. You said
you can feel it creeping up on you, correct?
Yes.
Will you tell me next time? Talk to me about what s worrying you? Clearly it does no good for you to keep it locked inside. I m
not going to leave you, Thorn, so you needn t fret something you say will send me running toward the hills. I have told you before.
You ve got me for as long as you ll have me.
He slanted a cautious glance at Arthur and met resolute hazel eyes.
Will you trust me? I won t let you down again.
He took hold of Arthur s hand. Soaked up the strength in the long fingers wrapped securely around his. Arthur had been an
anchor there for a short while, providing the stability his soul craved& until he had allowed the worries and doubts to eat away at him.
But perhaps, just perhaps, Arthur could prove a far better remedy than liquor. The man certainly tasted better than a bottle of gin. All
right.
Thank you. Arthur gave his hand a squeeze. And maybe it isn t good for you to be so idle. It s not that I don t enjoy your
afternoon visits, but it might also help to have something more productive to occupy your time.
He nodded. I ve already come to that conclusion on my own. His father may worry any exertion might be too much for him, but
it felt good to know Arthur believed otherwise.
Since we are being completely honest with each other, I will have you know that I owe you my thanks. I had a visitor the other
day. Randolph Amherst. He asked me to keep the call from you, but I would rather you hear it directly from me than inadvertently
through a bit of gossip. He
That fucking bastard, Leopold spat, protective instincts screaming to the forefront. How dare Amherst approach Arthur again?
I bloody well warned
Thorn, he said firmly, cutting him off. There s no need to go rushing out in my defense. He understands you ve staked your
claim on me. A little pleased smile tugged at the edges of Arthur s mouth. Whatever threats you hung over his head are more than
sufficient. No need to see them through to completion. He came by to apologize, of all things. Took me quite by surprise. Though I do
wonder how he came to the conclusion that he had somehow caused me pain.
That prig Amherst had apologized to Arthur? And what had he told him? I haven t the faintest notion how he came to that
conclusion.
Thank you. Arthur leaned in to brush his lips across Leopold s in a light kiss. I do hope you realize he was never a threat to
you. I would never go back to him or seek out another. I only want you.
If there were any doubts left in his mind, they were now gone. A smile curved his lips. I will admit, I ve been itching for an excuse
to lay into that self-righteous bastard. The look on his face was& quite satisfying.
A chuckle rumbled from Arthur s chest. I rather wish I could have seen it myself. Silence fell between them for a few moments.
Then Arthur spoke again. You know, you still haven t told me why you left Town or where you went.
I left because I was determined to make you keep one of your promises. As for where I went& He glanced out the window and
recognized the three old oak trees clustered near a small pond, their barren branches stretched out against the dull early afternoon
sky. We are almost there.
Arthur leaned forward to glance out the window. Then he looked to Leopold, a question marring his brow.
I bought us a house and have spent the last couple of days getting everything in order. I understand that your office is important
to you and requires your attention. I hold no expectations that you will ever walk away from it. But& He turned his shoulders to Arthur,
needing the man s complete attention. I need you to honor your word, to put us before your office. In any case, it isn t healthy for you
to work so hard. Yorkshire s too far away for frequent visits, but Sinclair Abbey is less than two hours from London by carriage. I&
He gathered his courage. The possibility Arthur would refuse his request had diminished to near nothingness, but that possibility was
still there, a little nudge that sent his heart beating in a rapid tattoo against his ribs. I need you to agree to come away with me every
now and then. Not for weeks at a time. Two or three days will suffice. I love you, and I need you to give us the chance we deserve.
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