This was truer than she knew, though not only because they liked ha**ng s*x with her. “Maybe you’ll enjoy work even more when you do it a little less . . . and when you have us to come home to. Any other demands?”
“You should design a perfume that I can wear. Your Bad Boy cologne and sweat is all over me. If you bottled a smell like that, females would line up for it.”
“Bad Girl,” he said, testing out what he knew she meant.
“Absolutely.” She poked her finger into his sternum.
She did smell good, homey and sexy at the same time. She squirmed around and up onto one elbow. Her fingers traced the dragon tattoo on his stomach. That felt so nice, he didn’t realize her lazy exploration included being observant.
“There are initials in this design,” she exclaimed. “It’s a ‘Z’ and a ‘T.’”
“It is,” he confirmed. “That was my commitment to Zane way back when.”
“Aw,” she said, laying her palm on it.
God, she was cute. “Guess I’ll need an ‘R’ in there now.”
“Really?”
“Really. Zane wasn’t speaking out of turn. You belong to both of us.”
Grinning a little smugly, she settled down against him.
“Jesus,” Zane huffed. “Trey isn’t the only romantic here.”
Rebecca turned her head to him. “I don’t know, Zane. I haven’t heard you say those three special words.”
Zane cursed and stomped out of the bed.
“Where’s he going?” Rebecca asked.
“The closet, I think.”
“Uh oh. He’s got crazy things hidden there.”
Trey laughed. She felt like his ally and Zane’s too, the piece that fit their puzzle more snugly together.
Zane returned with a black leather jewelry box. The image of a pair of hands holding a crowned heart was stamped on it in silver.
“They’re Claddagh rings,” he said, thrusting the box at Trey.
Three nestled in the velvet slit, one in each of their sizes, beautifully fashioned in platinum. Seeing them, Trey’s eyes filled up with hot tears.
“They’re hokey,” Zane accused himself.
“They’re perfect,” Trey contradicted.
“Say the words,” Rebecca urged softly. “Trey pretends he doesn’t need to hear them, but he does.”
“I love you both,” Zane said. “I love you both a lot. I want us to be together for a long time.”
Trey looked from the rings to him. Time folded back to the night they’d become friends and more. That was the night his life began. “How long is a long time?”
“Forever,” Zane swore, his eyes as blue as sun-struck sapphires.
Trey smiled, reaching sideways to grasp Rebecca’s hand.
“Forever will do,” he responded.