Page 61 of Bonds of Fate

“Both?” Great minds.

But now is not the time because Gideon has plans, and they cannot happen until he’s fed the masses.

“I am finishing dinner, and despite popular opinion, there cannot be both come and carbonara at the same time. So, out. I’ll finish this.”

His two mates look like his alliterative attempt at humor might be too gross for the moment.

“What? Youbothhave been known to eatboth, no? I don’t see the problem, but you are in my way. Go.” He shoos them away with his spoon and gives Jay a smack on his juicy ass.

Sighing, Finn grumbles. “Mood is ruined, Jay. Curse you, Gideon. I’ll set the table.” He adjusts his erection in his sweats so that it’s tucked behind the waistband and grabs the pasta bowls and utensils to take them out to the table.

“Wash your hands! You’re a doctor, for fuck’s sake. What is wrong with you!”

“To be fair, it was my hands inhispants, not the other way around.” Jay turns the faucet on and lathers up. “How is Luca?”

Jay pulls the eggs and bacon out of the fridge, then does what a great sous chef does: he gets the fuck out of Gideon’s way to lean against the counter, arms crossed over his chest.

“He’s good—will be better very soon. Sorry about the pasta earlier.” He smirks and washes his own hands before cutting the bacon into tiny pieces, knife flying.

“Yeah, well, I can’t complain at all. Was everything okay with Nix?” He gestures with his head over his shoulder toward the library. “Did it go okay?”

While Jay would never ask him if Luca was ready to play because this is 100% Gideon’s jurisdiction, Nix is another story. Given Nix’s recent past, the idea of sexual play at this level with so many players and kinks on stage could be a recipe for disaster.

“Good, I think. I laid it out for him, gave him the unpressured option to not play, and told him he could ask questions or leave any time. He’s most concerned that Luca is safe and happy.”

Gideon feels that place he holds his mates warm up, and he’s at once grateful for their new mate’s caring and for his willingness to try.

“He’s going to talk to Luca and then decide. He was very intrigued by Luca’s dress and, I think, what is under it.”

Gideon drops the bacon in the pan and turns to look his alpha in the eye. “Do you think we’re pushing too hard? I can’t walk this back with Luca, not now, but we could keep it…”

“Tame?” Jay offers skeptically.

Gideon huffs. “Fuck. When have we ever been able to keep it tame? We’ve got a cornucopia of kinks that fit like puzzle pieces, and the sex drives to back it up.” Gideon runs a hand through his hair. “Maybe one of you should sit this out with him.”

“Bacon’s burning, Chef.”

Gideon’s not sure they’re going to eat dinner tonight after all.

Jay sighs. “Look, wasn’t it you who said,‘We’re going to do what he asks us to do, and we’re going to keep our heads. It’ll work out?’You were right—he’ll not thank us for making him a victim, and we have to let him tell us what he wants, what he needs. We have to trust him, Gid.”

Gideon is not a trusting man. He knows this about himself, and perhaps it’s his upbringing or just who he was born to be, but he has never let others do what he can do for himself. But he trusts his mates–Jay, especially, who has never steered them wrong when it really mattered. “Okay.”

“Okay? It can’t be that easy. The last time it looked that easy, I was breaking the door down to rescue you from the Dev–”

“Rescuing Gideon from whom?” Rowan interrupts from the other side of the breakfast bar.

Their hungry mates, minus Gideon’s kittens, are now standing four-abreast in the kitchen, clearly coming to see what the hold-up is with dinner, no doubt. Ravening beasts, though they are.

For the food or what’s after, Gideon doesn’t know.

“Nothing. Mind your own business, Rowan.” Gideon tosses the rest of the pasta in the sauce, slides it into a huge pasta dish, and tries to ignore Leo’s raised eyebrow and crossed arms.

“Jay?” Finn is too observant as well, and Gideon does not want to hash this out before they’re about to play.

He can’t let it get in his head and still be the Architect of Pleasure.Does he need that on a t-shirt? Yes, he does.

“Can we not talk about this tonight? It’s been a fucking fuck of a day, and I need…” Gideon rubs his face with his hand, praying his family will let this go—for now, at least.

---