AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter Thirty-Two
Lowell
Before they’d left Eric’s practice, the good doctor and his assistant had managed to wring three more climaxes from Tamsyn. Once they’d gotten her home and checked that she could bear any more stimulation at all, Hux had buried his dick in her ass and he’d fucked her face. Made his pretty baby whimper and cry by pinching her nipples that were unbearably sore and sensitive. After they’d had their way with her, they’d given her a luxurious bath and had to fish her out of the hot water and mountains of bubbles before she fell asleep.
Now she was tucked into her crib with Octavia wrapped in her arms, a paci between her lips, and a plug up her ass—another one of Eric’s prescriptions he could get behind. Poor thing would probably wake up horny; good thing they’d be there to put her out of her misery.
For now, he was looking at some logo and slogan possibilities Cabot had sent him. It was way too early to be bothering with things like that, but it was fun. He’d be noncommittal when he replied to Cab, but his gaze kept wandering back to one slogan in particular.Foster-Webb: the most trusted name in Connecticut politics for over fifty years.
He felt a sudden punch of anger toward his twin. Yes, he knew Hux had wanted to get out of politics since the second he’d gotten in. Yes, he felt a great deal of sympathy for his brother who’d had his entire existence co-opted by family tradition for years, and far sooner than he’d bargained for. But at the same time, the Foster-Webbs had a legacy, and while it wasn’t perfect it was pretty damn good.
All of them had made sacrifices in the name of perpetuating that grand tradition of public service and private power, and Hux had, what? Fucking opted out because he didn’t feel like it anymore? He couldn’t have stuck around for a few more years to let Cabot and Holland step onto the political stage and flank him while he was in the limelight? He wasn’t usually one to take his mother’s side—god knew she rarely took his—and he’d never admit this to Cabot, but Hux abandoning politics was selfish.
Jumping ship when he did had given them Tamsyn who was the fucking light of his own life, but there would have probably been another little girl a few years down the line. Had to be, right? He didn’t believe in soul mates, there were many, many women in this world and at least a handful of them would be a “perfect” fit for them.
So yeah, Holland was basically a lock for mayor, but if Hux had stuck around, Cabot’s bid for Senate could have just been the next obvious step in a chain of events instead of a vaguely preposterous political Hail Mary. That felt like something he and the rest of the family had a right to be ticked off about and it was unfortunate that Hux chose that moment to walk into his office. Especially since the man looked as though he was on a mission.
“What do you want?”
“Is that any way to greet your beloved older brother?”
Lowell closed out of the email from Cabot with all the logos and slogans. Didn’t need Hux seeing those whatever he’d come in here for.
“It is if you want something and you do. Did you forget I’ve known you since before you were born?”
“Did you forget I’ve known you just as long?” Hux shot back. “There’s something going on with you and I want to know what it is.”
It wasn’t surprising that Hux had noticed his distraction although Lowell was really hoping he hadn’t. Or if he had, shrugged it off as Lo being dark and broody like he usually did. While he hadn’t wanted to talk about it now, what was the sense in waiting? Hux was going to find out sooner or later.
“Cabot’s intent on running for Senate. Wants my help. I’ve been putting him off but I’m going to have to make a decision sometime. And in order to do that, I think I need to take a break from this for a while. Go somewhere I can be more objective.”
Hux didn’t get angry often, but when he did it was scary as hell. He seethed, like there were a million furious snakes below the surface of his skin just waiting to bust out and wreak havoc. Lowell swallowed and hoped Hux didn’t notice. He wasn’t going to change his mind.
“And where would this magical place be?”
“You know I have an apartment, right? A very pricey one at that?”
“One you haven’t been to in weeks and haven’t slept in for months? Sure do. I also know you don’t belong there. You belong here, with us.”
Us. He knew Hux hadn’t meant to, but grouping himself and Tamsyn asusturned Lowell by default intothem. It wasn’t often he felt like a third wheel in their relationship but maybe that was simply because he’d been deluding himself. Hux and Tamsyn didn’t need him. Cabot on the other hand…
“I’ll be the judge of that, thanks. Now get out of my way, I’ve got some things to pack.”
* * *
Huxley
How the hell that conversation had taken such a hard right into Shitsville he didn’t know. What he did know after more than forty-one years was that trying to argue with Lo now could only make things worse.
His twin could be mulish especially when he felt like Huxley was being high-handed and playing the older, wiser brother card. It would be like spinning a heavy truck’s tires in mud, just digging them in deeper and deeper until it was near impossible to get out.
No, he’d leave it be, let Lo storm off to his bachelor pad to think about what he’d done, and when he was finished pitching his fit and asserting his independence—from what, though? Wasn’t working for Cabot worse than being part of their triad?—he’d be back. A few days, tops.
Unless he wasn’t.
The thought gave Huxley vertigo so bad he had to rest a hand on Lo’s desk. Not possible.
Things were perfect with the three of them and Lo was at his core a sensible person. There was no way in hell he would walk away from something this good, this fulfilling, hell, this thing that they’d both wanted for their entire adult lives for a campaign that was as likely to fail as it was to succeed. Not that Lo was one to walk away from a fight but he really hated losing. And he really loved Tamsyn, even if he didn’t say it with words.
He adored that woman more than words could possibly say, and if it took him a few days of misery to realize it, then it did. Of course, it would be fucking misery for him and Tamsyn too, and Lo would owe them both the world’s biggest apology and a whole bunch of groveling but they would take him back, without question.
In the meantime, he would have to step up and be there for their babygirl while Lo got his head on straight. Not to mention explain to her when she woke up from her nap why Lolo was gone, and why he couldn’t fix it.
He loved being Tamsyn’s daddy but there were some things about it that weren’t easy. Not actually being master of the universe even though she sometimes looked at him like he was was one of those things. At the end of the day, he was just a man. A deeply imperfect and all too vulnerable one with a scar down his chest to remind him of his mortality—as if he’d ever forget. On the plus side, it was a reminder:If I can survive this, I can survive anything.
For now he would get out of Lo’s office and give his brother some stomping room, pour himself a measure of scotch in his own study and try his best to come up with something to tell his pretty little kitten that wouldn’t wreck her when she was just starting to come into her own as a little.
His relationship with Lo had always been close—some people would say too close—but that didn’t mean it hadn’t been tumultuous, and fraught at times. But this was, without a doubt, the angriest he’d ever been with his twin. If he didn’t need Lo so much, if he didn’t love him so fucking much, he would kill that jackass with his bare hands.
