Page 50 of Something Unprofessional

Ev stirred in his arms, taking a deep breath and letting it out with a sigh before scrunching up his nose and smacking his lips.

Fuck, Gabe was in love with him. “Morning, tiger,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to Ev’s messy hair and continuing the strokes up and down his back. “How are you feeling?”

“Better, Daddy,” Ev said, nuzzling Gabe’s throat. That was a good sign. He’d woken up when it was still dark with his “brain exploding,” but Gabe had been able to get two glasses of water and some painkillers into him before he passed out again. Gabe was hoping he’d slept through the worst of his hangover.

“Do you want me to make you breakfast or just some toast?”

Ev didn’t answer right away, brushing his fingers over the dusting of hair on Gabe’s chest. He hadn’t bothered to wax recently, and his boy seemed to enjoy it. “Can we have crispy bacon?” Ev asked finally.

Gabe chuckled. “I’ll do my best.” He gave Ev’s ass a light smack, careful of his bruises. “Out of bed, lazybones. Go take a shower and some more painkillers while I make you food.”

“Yes, Daddy,” Ev said. He climbed to his feet and stretched, giving a show with his taut abs, pierced nipples, and tattooed arms. Then he turned a sleepy smile on Gabe, his hair wild and falling in his eyes, one cheek pink from resting on Gabe’s bare chest. “Are you sure you don’t want to come with me?”

Of fucking course Gabe did, but if they got started, he wouldn’t be able to stop, and they needed to have this conversation before Gabe got himself any deeper—or chickened out. He pushed himself up to his elbows. “I showered after you fell back asleep this morning,” he told Ev. “And your crispy bacon isn’t going to make itself.” He raised an eyebrow.

Ev snickered, expression turning mischievous. “Okay, but I can’t promise I won’t have fun without you.”

That was the other problem. If Gabe wasn’t careful, Ev would slip into his middle space, and Gabe needed him fully grown-up for their adult conversation. “Get out of here, brat,” he said, aiming another swat at Ev’s ass. “You’re too tempting.”

Ev dodged, laughing, and ran to the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.

Fuck, Gabe hoped that wasn’t the last time he’d get to hear that laugh.

He forced himself from the bed and to the kitchen, where he guzzled two glasses of water, trying to get rid of the last of the previous night’s dehydration. As he waited for the bacon to start sizzling, he started the coffee and cracked some eggs in a bowl to scramble. Then he checked his phone. He had the normal number of emails after a day off, but Asher had beenkind enough to handle the important stuff while they celebrated his boy’s birthday. There was also a text from Xavier that had come in sometime that morning.

Xavier

Hi. Just remember. His whole life, people have used him. It’s always been about what they wanted from him and never what was best for Ev. And when he fought to make his own choices, he got hurt. First by his parents, then that producer, and then his old boss. I know he’s stubborn, but I promise he really likes you. He’s just scared of being hurt again. Please be careful with him.

-Finn

So, not from Xavier. Gabe read Finn’s message again. He was such a sweet boy. And a good friend. Ev and Xavier were both lucky to have him. And Gabe was grateful for his advice, though he wasn’t sure he needed it.

Gabe flipped the bacon and was adding the eggs to a pan when Ev walked into the kitchen. He was wearing sweats and a hoodie, fresh from his shower and looking more awake. He crossed to Gabe and hugged him from behind, resting his cheek between Gabe’s shoulder blades.

“That smells fucking amazing,” he said, squeezing Gabe’s waist.

Gabe grabbed one of Ev’s hands and brought it to his mouth, kissing the back of it. “Go set the table.”

Ev skipped off to do as he was told while Gabe plated their breakfast and carried it to the round table by the windows that overlooked Bryant Park and the library. He retreated for their coffee, doctoring Ev’s to be distressingly sweet before returning to the table. Ev chose the seat next to him and dug into his breakfast with a groan of pleasure.

“Nothing is better than bacon when you’re hungover,” he announced, crunching on a strip, his lips shiny with grease.

Gabe would agree with him, except he was so nervous he couldn’t taste the fucking food.

Ev’s movements slowed when Gabe didn’t reply. He shifted in his seat and wiped his fingers on his napkin, his eyes not leaving his plate. “So, um. Thank you. For yesterday. That was the best birthday I’ve ever had.” He licked the bacon grease off his lips then fiddled with his piercing.

“You’re welcome,” Gabe managed to say, instead of dragging Ev into his lap and kissing the breath out of him the way he wanted to. “I’m glad you had a good day.” He took a gulp of his coffee—which was too hot for that—and coughed. “We should talk—”

“This isn’t working.”

Gabe’s stomach dropped. Fuck.Fuck. He set down his mug with a careful tap and took a steadying breath. “No. It’s not.”

Ev’s head jerked up, his eyes wide. “It’s not?”

Gabe sighed and rested his elbows on the table, forearms folded. “The most important thing in this kind of arrangement is that we’re both on the same page, and I don’t know that we are anymore.”

Ev’s cheeks darkened, and he tugged harder on his piercing, twisting it back and forth. “I’m sorry. I should never have kissed you. I thought I could do this, but I can’t.”

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