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“Not actual torture, but God. Next you’ll want to talk about the weather or my family.”
“That’s not a bad idea, actually,” Julien said, and Robbie’s mouth fell open. “We don’t know that much about you.”
“And you want to know now? I was kidding.”
“Humor us.”
“Well, can you at least put your shirt back on? Both of you. Then maybe my dick will stop aching.”
“No it won’t,” Priest said. “But this might keep your mind off it for a few minutes.”
“Fine.” Robbie let out a put-upon sigh. “I come from a big Italian family and I wouldn’t trade them for the world. But they’re all slightly crazy.”
“Really?” Priest said, and when Julien’s eyes shifted to his husband, he noted that Priest had moved in a little closer, intrigued by this new piece of information.
“Yes,” Robbie said. “You already know I live with my nonna right now, and that’s because everyone else is too far out of town. But I’m one of four children, and the only boy.”
Julien laughed at that, and he caught Priest’s lips twitching.
“What?” Robbie said.
“That just explains so much, princesse,” Julien replied.
Robbie scrunched his nose up, and with his meal now done, he reached for his glass of wine. “Yeah, whatever. I love my sisters, and they love me. I mean, how could they not?”
“Indeed,” Priest said, and Julien wondered what was going on inside his head. Priest’s grey eyes were bright, alert, and he clearly wanted to know more. “Are you the youngest?”
“Second youngest. Felicity’s the baby and a total pain in the ass,” Robbie said, but his smile spoke of the affection he had for her. “What about you two? Brothers? Sisters?”
In an instant, Julien was hit with a barrage of images from out of nowhere. Flashing lights, screaming sirens, someone shouting—most likely him—and the comfort from a second ago got sucked up like a black hole had just opened over the top of him.
Julien’s mind started to whirl, his pulse started to race, and he felt as though someone had just reached inside his chest, taken a hold of his heart, and tightened their fist around it. He couldn’t breathe.
But then Priest spoke up, and like always, his voice pulled Julien back. Back from the bottomless pit he had once been so well acquainted with.
“Robert?”
Unaware of the landmine he’d just stepped on, Robbie looked at Priest, and Julien wanted to fall down on his knees and thank his husband for the distraction, but he was still trying to work out how to breathe.
Dieu, not now, Julien told himself as he balled his fists under the table.
“Are you done with your meal?” Priest said, his voice clear and concise, and Julien made it a point to concentrate on that.
“Yes.” Robbie’s breathy voice served to bring Julien’s focus around to the fine line of his torso, and the sight of his smooth skin effectively banished all of the other ugly images trying to resurface.
“Then stand and come over here. No more talking, until I say so,” Priest said, and as Robbie pushed back his chair and stood, Priest’s eyes found Julien’s.
The concern there was obvious, but as the memories receded, Julien inclined his head, letting his husband know: It’s okay. I’m okay. And he was.
But now, more than ever, he was ready for Priest to take over. For Priest to take the reins and lead them all where they would go, because ultimately that was far away from where Julien’s head had just been, and that was exactly where he wanted to be.
AS ROBBIE GOT to his feet and started toward him, Priest glanced at Julien to make sure he was back. That he was present in the dining room and not lost in that head of his. Their eyes met, Julien’s flashed a brilliant green, and he then aimed them at Robbie and nodded once. There. He was back and letting Priest know he was okay and it was time. They were finally going to make Robbie theirs.
When Robbie reached Priest’s side, he stopped there and waited as Priest laid his utensils on his plate and said, “Take off your pants.”
Without a word, Robbie’s hands moved to the button at his waist, and with a whoosh, the material left Robbie’s hips and headed south.
“Are you finished, mon amour?” Julien asked as he came up on the opposite side of the table to Robbie and pointed at Priest’s plate.
“With the food and wine, yes. It was delicious as always,” Priest said, and Julien leaned down and said against his lips, “Thank you,” and Priest knew he meant that for much more than the food.
As Julien cleared off the table and left to put the plates and glasses in the sink, Priest finally turned to the silent man standing beside him, and the sight that greeted him made Priest hungry all over again.
