Fifth Vision of Destiny - Brett Read Free Page A

his
hesitations that they might not want to wear such rings had
vanished, leaving behind the certainty that they loved him just as
much as he loved them and would understand what the rings
symbolized. Now, he was wondering again. What if he was making a
mistake?
    The light clink of two glasses against his
own brought him back to the present. He looked at them, first Lisa
then Leo, and faced with both their smiles his fears disappeared
again. He had planned to have dinner first and pull out the rings
for dessert, but he couldn’t wait any longer. He had to show them,
tell them, and he had to do it now.
    After taking a sip of wine to give himself
courage, he put down the glass on the table and slipped a hand in
his pocket.
    “There’s something I want to give each of
you,” he said as he pulled out the boxes. They seemed so small
suddenly in his hand. “I’ve been thinking for a long time about how
I could ever show you how grateful I am for having you two in my
life. How much I love you.” He looked up at Lisa at that, met her
eyes and gave her an apologetic grin. “I know you don’t like that
word, and I don’t expect you to say it back.” She never had said
it, not in close to ten years, but Brett didn’t need to hear it; he
knew she loved him, they both did, and that was enough. He turned
to Leo now, and his grin softened a little. “But I do. I really do.
And… these are for you. I hope you’ll like them.”
    He held out the
square box to Leo, the round one to Lisa, and held his breath as he
waited for their reactions.
    Leo picked up the jewelry box first and
opened it at once. His face split up on a wide smile and before
Brett could even blink he had tugged the ring free and slipped it
on the ring finger of his left hand.
    “Not only is it gorgeous, but it fits just
right!”
    Bringing his hand in front of his face, he
turned it around and peered at the ring closely before grabbing the
back of Brett’s neck with that same hand and pulling him close
enough that their cocks found each other despite the layers of
clothing that separated them.
    A jolt of need ran through Brett, and a
bubble of relieved laughter burst on his lips when Leo’s mouth
pressed against his. The kiss was as deep as it was brief. When Leo
pulled back, he was smiling as warmly and brightly as Brett
was.
    Comforted that he hadn’t made a mistake as he
had so feared, Brett looked back at Lisa. His smile started
wavering at once. She was still staring at the round jewelry box in
her hand, her thumb brushing back and forth against the velvet top,
turning the blue fabric lighter or darker every time it caught the
light at a different angle. She still hadn’t opened the box.
    “Lisa?” he said softly, pushing the words
past the growing knot tightening his throat. “Do you—”
    “I’m famished,” she said abruptly. Her fist
closed over the box for a second, then she reached down and set it
on the table near one of the untouched plates. She didn’t look at
either of them when she said, “I’ll go down and find something to
eat. You two have fun.”
    She started turning away, and it was as
though she were taking all of Brett’s hopes right with her along
with his breath.
    “Wait, don’t…”
    Brett caught her hand before she could leave
the kitchen. He could feel it trembling between his fingers, and
that surprised him enough that he let go almost at once.
    Lisa didn’t look back at him, merely gave a
quick shake of her head and murmured a quiet, “I’m sorry,” before
she left.
    Her voice had been shaking, too, he realized
with a pang, and didn’t know what to make of it. For years, all he
had ever received when he let words of love slip had been
exasperated sighs or indulgent looks, depending on her mood. He
knew she didn’t like to hear them expressed aloud, but she didn’t
begrudge him his feelings. She had never been so emotional,
however, not since the death of her Sire.
    Feeling suddenly very cold, Brett