Page 65 of Alessio

Wasn’t it obvious?

And yet, he still murmured, “Me, too. Every fucking day, Les.”

Because this was them.

Their life, routine, and thing together. Morning, noon, and night. For five years, there were things about them that had never changed. And when one became comfortable in the mundane parts of life with someone else at their side, like getting dressed together first thing in the morning, it was like missing your left hand when you had to do it alone.

Corrado hated that.

He needed Alessio to feel right.

Normal.

“Yeah, me too,” Corrado said again, moving to leave the walk-in closet.

Alessio stopped him with a hand that shot out fast to slip around Corrado’s neck to stop him. His fingers threaded into Corrado’s hair line at the nape of his neck, tightening just enough, before he yanked him forward for a kiss.

He took that, too.

Happily.

It was softer than their moments had been the night before, or even that morning. Slower, too, like Alessio wanted to enjoy it.

Corrado didn’t mind at all.

His teeth dragged along Alessio’s lower lip as he pulled away with a wink. “We’re good?”

Alessio nodded. “We’re better.”

He’d take that.

It was something other than what they had been.

“And I’m still not fucking getting entirely dressed yet,” Alessio grumbled when Corrado turned to leave the closet. He laughed, hearing the pattering of Alessio’s footsteps following behind him. “I want pancakes.”

“Cook them.”

“I don’t … cook.”

“You should learn. Why do I always have to feed you? It should be the other way around occasionally, yeah?”

Alessio made a noise under his breath.

Corrado just chuckled.

“Fine, I’ll cook them, but if you die from it, you can’t blame me.”

“I’ll help.”

“Thought so.”

He ignored the smugness to the man’s tone as he found the shoes he’d slipped off next to the bed before climbing in the night before. Sitting on the edge of the mattress, he shoved his feet into the supple leather loafers, glancing up to find Alessio leaning against the small dresser between the bathroom and closet doors.

“I’m not signing the contract for The League’s auctions,” Alessio said without prompting.

Corrado took those words in before responding. It was Alessio’s choice, but after saying his piece that day in the office, he decided there wasn’t anything else he needed to do.

Like everything else in their relationship.