Page 22 of A Case of You
“Sorry! Crap, I overslept!” She and Stuart did a back-and-forth dodgy dance before she finally grabbed his arms to hold him still, darted around him, and bolted for her bathroom across the hall.
Down at the end of the hall, the bedroom door opened and Brandon stuck his head out. “What’s going on?”
“Emma overslept.”
“Ah.” He smirked. “Isthatwhy I don’t yet have coffee?”
Delaying the man’s morning coffee wasn’t just a cardinal sin, it was like ignoring a survival tactic. Stuart resisted the urge to shoot him a playful bird that morning. Definitely not the time for it.
Especially before coffee.
And with Emma home, he couldn’t give Brandon a snarky, “Yes, Master,” answer, either.
“It’s brewing now.”
“Thank you.” Brandon disappeared into their room again, the door closing behind him.
This was already starting out to be an interesting morning, and it was only Thursday.
He fixed Brandon’s mug, and his own, and carried them down the hall, barely managing to get out of the way when Emma’s bathroom door flew open and she bolted out, heading toward her bedroom, where her phone was ringing.
“I know, I know!” she muttered. “I’m late!”
Stuart suspected that was Grace calling.
Somehow, he made it to the bedroom, coffee unspilled. He carried the mugs into the bathroom and stuck Brandon’s through the shower curtain.
“Thank you, boy.” He took a long sip and then handed it back to Stuart. Stuart set it on the counter, along with his own, so he could jump into the shower with Brandon real fast. All he needed to do was shave, but the morning wake-up was worth it.
Especially since it gave him a couple of minutes alone with Brandon. For forty-two, the man was still in great shape. Any time he fixed those blue eyes of his on Stuart, he was a goner for him.
His Master.
His husband. Maybe not “legally,” but that didn’t matter. All three of them wore wedding bands, even though Stuart had to wear his on his necklace while working to keep it and his finger safe.
Brandon’s next question caught him by surprise. “Do you really want to go to your sister’s wedding?”
He had to think about his answer. “I want to go for her. Not because I want to go see everyone else. She specifically asked me to come. Maybe I’m asking for trouble for wanting to go, but she made an effort.”
“Okay.” Brandon leaned in and kissed him. “I’ll put in for the time off today. We’ll fly out late that Thursday, fly home Monday morning. We’ll book the flights, rental car, and hotel room tonight.”
“Really?”
“Really.” Brandon cocked his head. “Why do you sound shocked?”
“Yesterday, you didn’t seem…thrilled when I talked to you about it.”
“I’m still not thrilled, but you’re not going alone, and I’m not telling you that you can’t go.”
“Thank you, Master.”
“No, this is a Brandon and Stuart thing.” He palmed Stuart’s cheek. “I love you, and I want to support you.” He grinned. “Just remember this at Thanksgiving when we have to deal withmyfamily.”
“Thanksgiving?”
“Jeff’s mumblings this morning reminded me I need to talk to my family. I’d already told them a couple of months ago that we’d have Thanksgiving here, when they were here for the wedding. I need to confirm they’re still coming.”
“I didn’t think they’d want to come here. Because of me and Jeff.”
