Free Convincing Leopold by Ava March

you,” Arthur said, setting his leather bag on the floor by his feet so he could shrug out of his greatcoat. He did not miss the frown Thorn directed at the bag. “I made the most of the drive. Had Jones light the lantern inside the carriage. But you have my word I won’t touch the bag for the rest of the evening.”
     
    That erased the frown. Thorn picked up the bag and took his greatcoat. Ignoring the wooden coatrack in the corner by the door, he tossed the coat onto the back of the armchair that already held his greatcoat and black coat.
     
    “Supper is ready if you’d like to eat now.” Thorn dropped the bag onto the chair’s cushion. “Or we can relax for a bit.”
     
    “Now is fine. For supper,” Arthur clarified. Engrossed in reviewing documents on the ride home, he had not realized he was so hungry. But the moment he had walked through his front door, the aroma of roasted chicken had gone straight to his empty stomach, reminding him in no uncertain terms he not eaten since noon, when he had sent Wilson to pick up something for luncheon from a nearby tavern. “It smells delicious, by the way.”
     
    “I’m glad you approve.” Thorn grabbed a bottle of wine and a glass from the side table beside the couch. “Come along, then.”
     
    Arthur followed him into the dining room. A single candle cast a soft, intimate glow over the table set for two. Though Thorn had stayed the night often enough, they had never before shared a proper meal at Arthur’s home. As he took his place, Thorn poured him a glass of wine. Arthur took a sip, savoring the rich Bordeaux as it flowed down his throat. Thorn must have brought the bottle from his cellar, for Arthur knew nothing in his own cabinet approached the caliber of this vintage.
     
    “I’ll be but a moment,” Thorn murmured. He disappeared into the kitchen, reappearing a minute later bearing Arthur’s copper teakettle and a plain white porcelain cup. “Would you care for tea?”
     
    Arthur shook his head. Thorn saw to his own cup, then took his place at Arthur’s right. The food proved more delicious than he had anticipated, which said a lot. Thorn had an excellent cook, and Arthur had sampled his creations many times over the past few months. His lover kept the conversation to a minimum, something Arthur very much appreciated. It always took some time for the stress of the day to lift from his shoulders, for him to be able to take a deep breath and feel his muscles finally fully relax on the exhale. And much to Arthur’s relief, not once did Thorn make a not so subtle hint that he wanted more than Arthur’s companionship.
     
    The meal was a precious glimpse of how it had once been between them…for a short length of time, at least. Not much more than a month, really. Thorn’s presence comfortable and easy, no heavy, demanding undercurrent pushing for more to disturb the soothing sense of complete harmony. And it had felt so damn good to walk through his front door and find Thorn waiting for him. A reminder there was someone out there who truly cared about him and looked forward to seeing him. At times, Arthur still felt the ache of the loss of his parents and his uncle—perfectly understandable, he assured himself. How could he not miss his family?—but Thorn more than filled that empty, lonely place in his heart.
     
    Last night must have been exactly what Thorn had needed after all. A bit of excitement to break up the monotony of spending most every evening with Arthur’s boring self. As he looked to Thorn and met the man’s content smile with one of his own, he made a mental note to plan another outing in the near future. Not one individual last night had commented on his friendship with Thorn, merely taking it as a given worthy of no particular interest and laying to rest that little concern. And Thorn had proved true to his word from months ago. One would have never guessed he had once spent his nights steeped in vice and