AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Because he’s playing the long game. Darwin’s barely twenty. Callan knows he has not just decades but centuries to pressure Darwin into taking what Callan clearly sees as Darwin’s destiny or sommat.
This is just another move on the chessboard.
But what Callan may not understand is that Darwin’s not a pawn anymore. And the queen, bishop, and knight are on the board now to protect their king.
I give my boys a squeeze and step away. While we’re nowhere near checkmate, Callan’s in check for the moment.
The next move’s ours.
“I oiled the grill,” I tell Charlie. “Gimme a minute to put some of Auntie Jill’s rub on the steaks and then you boys can do your caveman thing.”
Charlie chuckles. Fire mages or not, my boys love to char perfectly good meat.
I go up on my toes and press a kiss on Charlie’s cheek. I didn’t miss him claiming Darwin, even though their relationship is platonic. Charlie Miller is getting so much loving later.
Charlie shrugs out of his leather bomber jacket—I’ve noticed everyone’s wardrobe has undergone an upgrade since we moved in with Princely—wraps it around me and uses it to bundle me up against him. He dips his head and gives me a deep, fierce kiss.
I worm my arms out of the coat’s folds so I can sink my hands into the warmth of his stripey jumper.
Charlie turns me into Gabe’s arms before letting me go. Gabe’s kiss is softer, sweeter, but no less thorough.
I leave my arm around him when he moves to Darwin and gives our fourth the same kiss. I can’t help grinning and hugging them both as they snog. I love watching them fall for each other again. I can’t be jealous. Their happiness is contagious.
Darwin’s blushing when they come up for air.
I thought he couldn’t get any cuter.
“Missed you, too,” Darwin whispers to Gabe. “I think I overwhipped the potatoes.”
“Just don’t burn my green beans,” Gabe says, moving to the sink to wash his hands.
“I like overwhipped potatoes,” I assure Darwin, giving him a quick kiss before I move to the grocery bags to unpack the steaks.
Callan sits on his stool, watching us move around him. I should feel that he’s an intruder in our space. But he actually fits into our energies in a weird way. Maybe because he’s Darwin’s father. Or maybe because he’s three hundred years old and his energy is balanced and peaceful. Whatever it is, I’m not as aggravated by his presence as I should be.
“Beer?” I ask him.
“Aren’t you underaged?”
“Not in England.” Where I’ve Earth-Walked to several times on beer runs since Darwin got the flat finished.
Callan cracks a smile. “Bitter, if you have it.”
I finish rubbing the spices into the steaks and clean off my hands before padding into the man cave to retrieve a yellow can of beer. I pour it into a glass and put it on the counter in front of Callan.
“Father?” Darwin asks as he and Gabe move toward the back door, carrying plates of steaks and the grill tools. Charlie’s already gone down to light the grill. “It’s, uh—”
“Manly,” I snigger.
“Thank you, son, but I’ve had my fill of cooking meat on an open flame over the years. I’ll keep Teddy company.”
I bet he will.
Darwin and Gabe both look at me. I nod. I can feel the next move on the chess board coming and it’s not a violent one.
“Tug if you need us,” Gabe says. He gives the quaternion a tweak that runs straight to my nipples.
Seriously? Like Darwin doesn’t have those on enough of a leash already.
