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I hugged him. “Anytime. Have fun tonight.”
He bumped fists with Drew. “Later, chode.”
Drew laughed. “Later, man.”
Aithan walked downstairs to lock the front door behind Tobias. Drew sat on the counter and pulled me against him, locking his legs around me. “Everything really cool between you and Tobias?”
“Yeah, luv, it’s all good. He just needs time and space. He’s still learning how to trust his own judgment. Kinda like me.”
“I’m glad you understand that, babe. You know, you’ve done pretty damn well with Aith and me.”
I nodded. “Yeah. I know. The whole Tristan/Greer thing threw me for a loop. But it also made me realize I can stop comparing myself to her. My sister’s beautiful on the outside, but her weakness makes her ugly.”
He nodded and hugged me. “You’re the bestest and the most beautiful, Brick.”
Aithan returned. “You really are.” He lifted my hair and kissed the nape of my neck. “And exactly what Tobias needs right now.”
I turned to face him, and Drew’s hands ended up on my breasts. “Drew?”
“Hmmm?”
“It’s hard to have a conversation when you’re fondling my tits.”
“I bet.” His lips found my ear. “But that’s okay, because I don’t feel like talking anymore.”
30
HOUSE OF WORSHIP
Half-a-dozen burly mencarried furniture and boxes into the Queen Anne mansion. Another crew unpacked. They hung pictures, unfurled rugs, and reassembled beds. Aithan had claimed the walkout basement’s billiards room for his gym and was supervising the assembly and installation of weight benches, a rowing machine, and other equipment. Drew jogged from room to room, directing the placement of furniture and artwork. I manned the front door, sending the movers to various rooms to unload their burdens.
Nature had gifted us with a cold, cloudy day. The crew had packed up the townhouse within two hours. They’d stopped to unload two storage units — one holding Aithan’s things, the other holding some of Drew’s — then arrived at the new house and were making fast progress.
I’d decided to rent out the townhouse. Mayliss already had tenants lined up to move in December thirtieth, and Andrea and Jacob Guzman, Aithan’s cleaning crew, were there giving it a deep scrub. We’d locked Frank and Lulu in the mansion’s master bathroom where they could safely explore.
Drew trotted down the wide wooden staircase to the landing where I stood. He wrapped his arms around my waist, kissed me, and said, “I love you, I love you, I love you,” between each kiss. “And I love this house, but mostly I love you.”
I laughed. “Well, I love this moving crew.” The remark garnered grateful smiles from the two guys carrying my blue sofa through the front door. I returned their smiles and said, “That goes under the large window in the sunroom.” They nodded. I returned my attention to Drew and finished, “But mostly I love you and Aithan.”
He nuzzled my neck. “I promise you the crew’s getting a big tip.” He pressed his lips to my ear and whispered, “And you’re getting two bigger ones after they leave.”
“Oh, yeah?” A shiver raced down my spine.
“Ohhh, yeah.” He tugged my ponytail. “Gonna go ask how much longer they’ll be here.” He jogged outside to chat up the foreman.
The guys with the couch came back, empty boxes under their arms. “We’re almost done, miss,” one said, “just a few more big pieces.”
“Really? Damn, you guys are efficient.”
The other guy replied, “Best crew in Seattle.”
Minutes later, Aithan came up from the walkout basement with the guys from the fitness equipment company. He knew them from equipping Blue Water and they chatted amiably at the front door before the fellas left. He turned and picked me up in a bear hug. “That space for the gym is amazing. This house is amazing. You and Drew are amazing.” He kissed me just as the couch crew returned with my loveseat. They gawked and I burst out laughing.
Aithan said, “That goes in the third-floor office at the end of the hall. Turn left at the landing. There’s a large sound booth already assembled in there.”
They nodded but kept glancing back at us as they maneuvered the loveseat around the banister and up the stairs.
He grinned and set me on my feet. “I take it they saw you smooching Drew.”
