Austin’s eyes narrowed further. He twisted in Tristan’s arm to study the man and was appalled at theglowhe discovered. Gazing at him was a self-satisfied, pleased fat cat. Tristan responded to Austin’s glare with delighted affection, leaning in to nuzzle his cheek and pepper him with kisses.
“Don’t be sosmug.As if you’ve won some victory.”
“I am happy,” Tristan corrected. “Not smug.”
“Well, don’t bethat.”
“Not even your siren song could grant you that request, my dear,” Tristan said. “Will you join me for breakfast? I’m hungry, but when I tried to leave the bed, I found it quite the impossible task…”
“If you’d eaten whatever is on that plate you’re hiding instead of trying to choke me in my sleep, you’d be fine.”
Tristan nuzzled Austin again. “Please?” It was that impish tone from yesterday!
Austin rolled away from Tristan with a growl and sat up. He stretched, reaching his arms to the ceiling, letting his spine decompress with a groan. He felt so…solid. In his own body. Grounded.
Austin’s escape to this estate rose to the forefront of his mind, but now he could grasp the problems and turn them over without them overwhelming him. Thoughts came so calmly it was like he was still underwater. Tristan remained reclined in the bed, watching, pleased and attentive.
“I’d like you to do something for me,” Austin said.
“Anything at all,” Tristan promised. “But ask me over breakfast?” Their eyes met. Austin inclined his head in agreement.
Tristan rolled out of bed and went to the tall dresser, pulling on fresh clothes. His clothes. Austin realised all at once that the room he’d claimed for himself belonged to Tristan. “I’ll send Eli in and meet you in the dining room shortly.” Tristan paused in the doorway, a small crease appearing between his brows. He came back to the bed and bent down, pulling something out from beneath it.
His white lace garter, with the sapphire lariat drop.
It was under the bed?
“I didn’t put it there on purpose.” Austin tried to remember, but he was so tired after the trip to the city that he didn’t even recall undressing. “I think I kicked it off in my sleep.”
Tristan accepted that with a nod. “May I?”
“If you can remember where it goes.”
Tristan cast the silk sheets aside. “I’ll be ash and dust and still remember that lesson.” He met Austin’s eyes, lips curled up, and then knelt on the bed to slip the garter on. Austin reclined, relaxed, resting his weight on his palms, wearing nothing but the piece of jewellery.
Tristan stared at the whole of him, his trousers tightening unmistakably.
Austin let him look. “Your taste is rather similar to your brother’s.”
“I’m beginning to understand,” Tristan replied. His eyes darted towards the rack of body jewellery. “You were wearing that one the other day.”
“I was.”
Tristan glanced from it to Austin. “I’m not entirely sure how to put it on.”
“You mistook a garter for a necklace. I’m hardly surprised.”
The glow in Tristan’s eyes grew. He met Austin’s eyes, his own flaring with want. Austin smiled his sweetest of smiles. “I’ll see you at breakfast.”
Tristan breathed out hard. He tore his eyes from Austin with visible difficulty. “I’ll have your favourites.” His voice was carefully controlled. He left the room.
Austin already had shorts and a shirt pulled on when Eli joined him, and he sat still as Eli plaited his hair, Eli’s nimble fingers turning the task soothing.
“I thought we were going to get washed away,” Eli said as he carefully slid a pin into Austin’s hair. “I suppose you wouldhave been fine with that.” He met Austin’s eyes in the mirror, a cheeky grin in place.
Austin met Eli’s eyes in the mirror. “I’d save you.”
Eli blinked at him in surprise, his grin fading. The look made Austin reconsider what Eli had said, and he realised Eli had meant Austin would have been fine with being swept away himself, not fine with watching the household dragged out to sea.
