friendship.”
“Don’t trust yourself with me?” she asked, her tone light and teasing but the challenge there.
He raked a hand through his hair, his patience on a short tether. “It’s not that at all. But I’m friends with people who respect my relationship and my choices, and I get the feeling that you don’t.”
He could picture her pressing her lips together on the other end. “Your mother said you have problems with commitment and that’s why you can’t decide between your boyfriend and your girlfriend. She said I should—”
Unbelievable. “This conversation is done, Martine.”
“Wait!”
He blew out a breath, silently counting to ten in his head.
“Look, I’m sorry. This is all coming out wrong. Of course, I wouldn’t try to mess up things for you if you’re happy, but I don’t see why we can’t be friends.”
“Fine. You want new friends? When I come back, you can have lunch with me . . . and Evan and Jace. You’ll have three new people to talk to.”
“You want me to—? I—”
“Is that a problem?”
“No,” she said quickly, sounding not at all confident. She was probably already picturing Andre open-mouth kissing Jace in public or something. “I mean, I guess that could work.”
“Great. I’ll give you a call when we get back. Until then, don’t call this number. I’m on vacation from everything and everyone.”
They exchanged a quick good-bye and he tossed his phone on the counter with a sound of frustration.
“Was that the ex?”
Andre whirled around, finding Jace standing in the doorway of the kitchen. “Yeah. Fucking tracked down my number through my mother.”
Jace smirked. “Mama Medina still trying to play matchmaker to get you away from your life of sin?”
Andre shook his head. “Something like that. My mom informed her that I have issues with commitment. I can’t even decide on a gender to love.”
Jace laughed. “Nice. Think what we have in mind will make a difference for her?”
“Doubtful unless there’s a priest involved at some point,” Andre said, picking up his phone and tucking it in his pocket. “But I’m over it. I’m too old to worry about what other people think, even if those people are in my own family.”
“At least your sister is on your side.”
Andre smiled. That’s because Cela was doing her own living in sin with her boyfriend/dom and was thankful that most of the family’s frowns were aimed Andre’s way instead of hers. Though, he didn’t doubt that Cela was also genuinely happy for him. “So is our girl all ready?”
“Yeah, the water turned off a few minutes ago.”
“Think she’s figured anything out yet?”
“Nope. I put the bags in the car so she wouldn’t see them and told her we were going to drop her off at work today.” Jace’s grin was devious, and childlike enthusiasm lit his face.
Andre walked over and threw his arm over Jace’s shoulders. “Ready to do some kidnapping?”
“Think if we tie her up and carry her out, a neighbor will report us?”
Andre snorted. “Yes. Let’s not get thrown in jail today, all right?”
“Damn. That would’ve been fun.”
“You’re a sick fucker, J.”
“And you two love me, so what does that make y’all?”
Andre led him out and toward the bedroom. “Gluttons for punishment.”
Jace glanced over at him, giving him that slow up-and-down look that could make Andre’s best intentions derail in a flash. “Lucky for us all, that’s my favorite kind of people.”
***
Evan stepped out of the bathroom, slipping on the two cuff bracelets she wore every day—one silver and one copper—the discreet symbols of ownership Andre and Jace had given her during their private collaring ceremony. In her head, she was already constructing her To-Do list for the day. She’d learned from experience with her bouts of depression that when melancholy hit her like it did yesterday, she could chase it off with keeping busy, setting goals. Her mistakes in
“Don’t trust yourself with me?” she asked, her tone light and teasing but the challenge there.
He raked a hand through his hair, his patience on a short tether. “It’s not that at all. But I’m friends with people who respect my relationship and my choices, and I get the feeling that you don’t.”
He could picture her pressing her lips together on the other end. “Your mother said you have problems with commitment and that’s why you can’t decide between your boyfriend and your girlfriend. She said I should—”
Unbelievable. “This conversation is done, Martine.”
“Wait!”
He blew out a breath, silently counting to ten in his head.
“Look, I’m sorry. This is all coming out wrong. Of course, I wouldn’t try to mess up things for you if you’re happy, but I don’t see why we can’t be friends.”
“Fine. You want new friends? When I come back, you can have lunch with me . . . and Evan and Jace. You’ll have three new people to talk to.”
“You want me to—? I—”
“Is that a problem?”
“No,” she said quickly, sounding not at all confident. She was probably already picturing Andre open-mouth kissing Jace in public or something. “I mean, I guess that could work.”
“Great. I’ll give you a call when we get back. Until then, don’t call this number. I’m on vacation from everything and everyone.”
They exchanged a quick good-bye and he tossed his phone on the counter with a sound of frustration.
“Was that the ex?”
Andre whirled around, finding Jace standing in the doorway of the kitchen. “Yeah. Fucking tracked down my number through my mother.”
Jace smirked. “Mama Medina still trying to play matchmaker to get you away from your life of sin?”
Andre shook his head. “Something like that. My mom informed her that I have issues with commitment. I can’t even decide on a gender to love.”
Jace laughed. “Nice. Think what we have in mind will make a difference for her?”
“Doubtful unless there’s a priest involved at some point,” Andre said, picking up his phone and tucking it in his pocket. “But I’m over it. I’m too old to worry about what other people think, even if those people are in my own family.”
“At least your sister is on your side.”
Andre smiled. That’s because Cela was doing her own living in sin with her boyfriend/dom and was thankful that most of the family’s frowns were aimed Andre’s way instead of hers. Though, he didn’t doubt that Cela was also genuinely happy for him. “So is our girl all ready?”
“Yeah, the water turned off a few minutes ago.”
“Think she’s figured anything out yet?”
“Nope. I put the bags in the car so she wouldn’t see them and told her we were going to drop her off at work today.” Jace’s grin was devious, and childlike enthusiasm lit his face.
Andre walked over and threw his arm over Jace’s shoulders. “Ready to do some kidnapping?”
“Think if we tie her up and carry her out, a neighbor will report us?”
Andre snorted. “Yes. Let’s not get thrown in jail today, all right?”
“Damn. That would’ve been fun.”
“You’re a sick fucker, J.”
“And you two love me, so what does that make y’all?”
Andre led him out and toward the bedroom. “Gluttons for punishment.”
Jace glanced over at him, giving him that slow up-and-down look that could make Andre’s best intentions derail in a flash. “Lucky for us all, that’s my favorite kind of people.”
***
Evan stepped out of the bathroom, slipping on the two cuff bracelets she wore every day—one silver and one copper—the discreet symbols of ownership Andre and Jace had given her during their private collaring ceremony. In her head, she was already constructing her To-Do list for the day. She’d learned from experience with her bouts of depression that when melancholy hit her like it did yesterday, she could chase it off with keeping busy, setting goals. Her mistakes in
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