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Chapter 20Baer sat on the center island, watching as Wiley loaded the last of the dishes into the dishwasher from lunch. It had started out as just some burgers on the grill and potato chips, but then Lucien wandered in talking about having the ingredients for coleslaw. Dane wanted pasta salad. And then Grey announced they couldn’t have all this food and not finish with warm chocolate chip cookies.
So, lunch went from being simple and private to loud and crazy.
Yes, Baer would have preferred to have some time alone with Wiley. But one look at Wiley’s face told Baer all he needed to know—his man was in heaven.
It had nothing to do with magic or the fact that he was still calling them all superheroes. No one even mentioned magic, goddesses, or the pestilents during the entire meal.
They were six friends who were fast becoming a real family. God knew Clay and Dane were taking turns perfecting their mom and dad tones.
Of course, he, Lucien, and Grey loved giving them reasons to use those tones of voice.
Other than the two pestilent encounters in Savannah and the snake attack on the plantation, the past few weeks with Wiley had been amazing. In the mornings, Wiley focused on his comic book art, while Baer either trained with Lucien or helped Dane and Clay work on the next bedroom to be renovated, not that Baer had any intention of letting Wiley move out of his room even if the damn thing was finished.
Part of him wanted to talk to Dane about turning the game room into a studio for Wiley, but that would mean the young man was staying far longer than either of them had really expected. It wasn’t realistic. And yet, Baer didn’t care. He didn’t want to be realistic. He wanted Wiley.
In the afternoons and evenings, Wiley and the others worked their way through the journals and spell books. There was an entire stack that needed translating that would have to wait. The great spell to use against the pestilent witch hadn’t turned up yet, and Baer was starting to get worried. Time was not on their side. She would be attacking soon. He didn’t doubt it for a second.
“Are you staring at my ass?” Wiley’s playful voice pulled Baer from his thoughts.
The Animal Weaver blinked and smiled at Wiley’s back as he rinsed out another bowl before placing it in the dishwasher. The guys could make a lot of good food, but too often it meant them using every damn dish, bowl, and spoon in the place.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Baer said in a sweetly innocent voice. It was the truth. It had been one the rare times he hadn’t been ogling the poor man.
“I think I do have a superpower.” Wiley turned off the water and easily slipped the last bowl into place as if he were completing a twisted jigsaw puzzle. He paused for a second as he was bent over to wiggle his cute derriere at Baer.
“What’s that?”
Wiley looked over his shoulder at Baer while closing the dishwasher and smirked. “My butt burns when you’re staring at it.”
“You know, I think a doctor can give you a shot or an ointment for that.”
“Ah!” Wiley shouted.
He whipped around and raised his hands in a semi-fierce looking attack, but Baer easily captured both of his wrists and pulled the slender man between his legs. He hooked his heels behind Wiley’s knees and smiled broadly at the way Wiley tilted his head up for a kiss. How could he resist that? No sane man would. Baer brushed his lips against Wiley’s, taking the time to savor the feel of him, the soft scent of his soap and skin that wafted around him, the pleased little sounds he made as Baer deepened the kiss. He slid his hands down Wiley’s arms and along his back while Wiley threaded his fingers through Baer’s hair.
This was nice. So very nice.
When Wiley pulled away, the smile on his mouth was like the sun breaking through the clouds, golden and pure. He loved this man’s smile.
“I wish we weren’t stuck at the house,” Baer murmured. He leaned in and nipped at Wiley’s mouth again, not ready to release him.
“Oh, yeah? I can think of several fun things we can do here.” Wiley ended that comment with a wicked waggle of his eyebrows that had Baer pulling away and laughing loudly. Wiley’s hands fell to Baer’s thighs with a soft thwack.
“I’m not saying I’m tired of that. I was just thinking I’d like to take you out on a date. Somewhere really fancy. And then maybe we could do one of those night tours or a nightclub.”
“Oooh! Like Alligator Soul!”
“Excuse me?” Baer choked out with a laugh.
“It’s this eclectic place that I’ve been dying to try.” Wiley was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet as his hands started to flutter around him. “It’s supposed to be in the basement of this really old building, and they serve strange and exotic meats and dishes.”
