Page 122 of Love It or List It
Then the sound of the front door opening interrupted those thoughts.
Joe groaned and buried his face in Austin’s hair.“Why did we have kids, darling?”
Austin chuckled.“Your idea,” he reminded Joe, scritching his nails pleasantly through Joe’s hair.“I’m attached now, though, so why don’t you plate that dessert, and then later tonight, after they’ve gone home, you can fuck me through as many orgasms as you’d like.”He paused and then added, “Sweet thing,” whispered right in his ear, which sent delicious shivers through him.
“Right.Dessert.Then orgasms.”
AUSTIN FOLLOWEDthrough on his promise to let Joe have his way, so Joe felt no shame about sleeping in the next morning.In fact, he felt no small amount of pride at waking to Austin’s slack face and leaving him snuggled under the covers to go make breakfast.
Thank God Will had opted to spend last night at Meg’s place.He’d originally said he was leaving to stay with Gavin, but one incredulous unhappy look from Alex put an end to that.
Since the house was gloriously free of teenagers, Joe decided to go wild and crazy and make a french toast and bacon breakfast that wouldn’t be hogged.He and Austin ate in the kitchen in their boxers, standing up, trading syrup-sticky kisses that eventually needed to be showered off.
They took a lazy walk with Pepa and played with the kittens, Joe sitting on the couch and Austin on the floor, leaning on his legs; they passed the laser pointer back and forth.Finally even Ozzy tired of the game and climbed into Austin’s lap instead.
Joe wanted to pet something too, but Walker and Dallas had abandoned them to investigate criminal insect activity in the basement.He contented himself with running his fingers through Austin’s hair.
“You’re gonna ruin my curls,” Austin complained halfheartedly, pushing his head deeper into Joe’s touch.
“I’ll wash it for you again later.”
“That’s not good for curly hair,” Austin grumbled, but he didn’t move, so Joe didn’t stop.He half felt like he could hear Austin purring.
Some combination of the sex and the breakfast and the release of tension from last night, or maybe the soft, damp warmth of Austin’s hair sliding between his fingers, made him brave.Or maybe it wasn’t bravery.Maybe it was hope.He swallowed.“Austin.”
“Mm-hmm.”
He took a fortifying breath.“I love you.”
Now Austin tilted his head back, smiling.He couldn’t reach Joe’s mouth from that angle, so he caught his wrist and pressed his lips to that.“Yeah, sweet thing.I love you too.”
Okay, Joe.Now the rest of it.“I don’t want to sell the house.”
For a second Austin froze.Then he carefully removed Ozzy from his lap and turned around, taking Joe’s hand in both of his.“Okay,” he said softly.His eyes were warm.“We won’t sell the house.”Like it was that easy.
Joe wished it were.He swallowed.“But I, uh, I can’t pay you back yet, if we don’t.Landscaping work will pick up soon, but—”
Austin rose and pressed a finger to his lips.
Joe swallowed again.
“I don’t need it,” Austin said.“I told you.It can wait.”He pursed his lips.“When you were a kid, did you ever imagine where you’d live when you grew up?What you wanted your house to look like?”
“Sure.Doesn’t everyone?”
Austin shrugged.“Maybe not the way you think.See, because I had dreams, sure, but I’d been poor my whole life.I wanted a dream I could make come true.Big houses cost money.So I thought, you know, I’d probably live in an apartment.If I was lucky maybe I could buy one instead of renting.And then I thought, well, what if I have a business?Maybe I could live there.And that’s what I did.But all those dreams?They were black and white, sweet thing.Just me alone in a place to call my own.Four walls and a roof and hot running water.”
Joe swallowed.Austin had sold that dream for him.“Baby—”
“Not done,” Austin said gently.“I’m trying to tell you I never even let myself dream of this—not just a place to live but a home and a partner and a family that loves each other.Not until a little old lady grandparent-trapped me into it.I have never been so rich.So all that worrying you’re doing?I get it.I did it already.I made my choice, and I have no regrets.”
Joe blinked away the sting in his eyes.“Okay,” he rasped.“I get it.I just… I hate owing you.It’s, like, probably pathological.”
“Probably a little toxic masculinity at work too,” Austin suggested.Which….Joe’s family was loving but pretty traditional.It was a fair cop.
Joe sighed.“Yeah.”
Austin turned his hand over and kissed his palm.“Thank you.”
