Page 142 of Break the Rule
The door opens and Andrew groans, covering his eyes. “What the fuck?”
“I didn’t say we weren’t naked, just that we weren’t fucking.”
“I hate you so much.”
“Hi, Andrew,” Eden says, entirely nonplussed. He flicks Charlie’s nipple before rolling out of bed and making his way to Charlie’s dresser, withdrawing one of Charlie’s shirts without asking. The fact that he’s in a place to feel so comfortable in Charlie’s home, and his clothes, does something stupid toCharlie’s heart, and he knows he won’t make it much longer without begging Eden to be hisforever.
“You two are incorrigible. Do you do anything but fuck?” Andrew sighs, hands still over his face.
“We bicker,” Charlie answers, copying Eden by throwing on a shirt and a clean pair of boxers. Knowing they’re about to have a house full of people, he reluctantly puts on pants too, picking his most obnoxious pair of flowy linen pants with a bold geometric pattern that he knows Eden hates, hoping Eden might take them off him at some point later.
As soon as he’s pulled his pants up, he turns to face Eden, watching with rapt attention as Eden fits himself into a very sexy black mini skirt with a ribbon hem that shows off his long, pale legs. The fact that he’s wearing one of Charlie’s paint-stained old t-shirts with it makes Charlie want to howl and drag him back to bed to leave his own marks. He’s beginning to understand why Jason gets so weird when Emerson wears his hoodies because seeing Eden’s much smaller frame swimming in his own clothing definitely has him feeling turned on and also uncharacteristically possessive.
“You don’t have time to fuck again,” Andrew snaps, his temper unusually short. Likely because he’s got that huge holiday party with the owner of the hockey league this weekend. He claims he isn’t nervous, but judging by the intensity of his behavior this week that’s not true, so Charlie decides not to tease him further, at least not today.
“I didn’t say anything about anything,” Charlie tries, hands held up in surrender.
“You didn’t have to, I can see it in the way you’re looking at Eden.”
Charlie doesn’t bother asking how he knows—like he wants to eat him alive, like he wants to keep him, like he can’t get enough of him. All of it’s true.
“Behave,” Eden hisses, making Charlie’s smile widen. God, he loves his grumpy boyfriend.
“So,” Andrew starts, clearly trying to change the subject. “Addy and Ella are in the kitchen putting the fruit salad in the fridge. Ella wanted to come straight in and wake you up, but me and Addy suspected that wouldn’t go over well.”
“Well, that’s lucky.”
“Not lucky, smart,” Andrew counters. “I do, in fact, know you both. You’re–”
“Impressionable child incoming,” Addy loudly yells from the kitchen. Seconds later, a small blur of a child barrels into the bedroom, throwing herself at Eden, who scoops her up into a tight embrace.
“I missed you,” Eden tells her, kissing the top of her head.
“I missed you too. Eden, guess what?”
“What?”
“Tomorrow isChristmas,” Ella whispers, grabbing Eden’s face and holding it between her small hands. Her eyes nearly bug out of her head.
Eden pretends to be shocked. “Is it?”
“Yes. You can’t stay at Charlie’s tonight, you have to come home with me and Momma.” She turns her eyes on Charlie, eerily appraising for someone so little. “You can’t have him tonight, I need him.”
“He’s all yours,” Charlie confirms, not bothering to point out that Eden already let Charlie know he would be going home with Addy and Ella after brunch to spend time with them. He might be a bit more pathetic about missing Eden if he didn’t convince Eden to bring his girls over to his parents for Christmas dinner. His mom and dad are chomping at the bit to finally meet Ella and Addy, and while he hasn’t mentioned it to them or Eden, he knows there will be stockings hung for them and presents underthe tree. He meant it when he told Eden that his family would become Charlie’s.
“I’m going to go help Addy in the kitchen. Alec and Theo are already on their way over, and Jason and Emerson will be here in twenty minutes.”
“Sounds perfect,” Charlie grins, unable to believe he gets to have this. Coming so close to losing Eden had not only shaken Charlie to his core, it’d cemented the desire to make Eden—and Addy and Ella—his family too. He loves all of them, and he’s so goddamn grateful they’re here for Christmas Eve brunch. What was once a little tradition between him and his brothers blossomed into more, with significant others and now a kid. It’s a fuller home than Charlie ever imagined, and he loves it.
Maybe this isn’t the future he pictured for himself—not only in a committed relationship, but with someone over a decade younger who comes with a best friend and a child—but it’s a future he wants. One he’s going to treasure and hold on to with everything he has.
“What are you smiling about?” Eden questions, tone ripe with suspicion.
“Oh, you know,” Charlie says, moving towards Ella and Eden. “Just looking at two cuties.”
Ella giggles while Eden pretends to gag. The end of her nose crinkles before she covers it and most of her mouth with her hand, leaning to whisper in Eden’s ear. Eden’s face transforms in a soft smile before he lowers Ella to the ground and nods.
“Go ahead,” Eden tells Ella.
