Page 17 of Priest (Confessions 3)

“Does he? How? You should’ve seen the way he looked at me before he got out of the car today.” Julien entwined their fingers as a frown appeared between Priest’s brows. “It’s those eyes of his. They’re usually so bright they twinkle, and right now, I feel like I’ve snuffed the light right out of them.”

“Non. Non, Joel,” Julien said, and tugged on Priest’s hand until he had to sit forward. Julien cupped either side of his face and said, “It’s still there. It’s just caught up in a haze of confusion, that’s all.”

“Hmm.” Priest let out a heavy sigh and reached under the water to wrap his hands under Julien’s thighs and bring him closer, up onto his lap. With some deft maneuvering, Julien got his legs on either side of Priest’s waist and was thankful they’d opted for a wider tub. “You’re always so wise with your words, mon cœur. How did you get so smart?”

Julien chuckled as he looped his arms around Priest’s neck, and was happy to see the hint of a smile. “It wasn’t always the way, you know that.”

Priest ran his hands up Julien’s back, making him arch forward, and their bodies brushed up against one another. “What do you mean?”

“I wasn’t very smart the night you showed up at the wrap party for Chef Master.”

“I was just thinking about that today.”

“Were you?”

“Yes,” Priest said, nodding. “The only other time my patience has been so tested. I think making me wait was incredibly smart. I had asked you to—”

“Better myself?”

“Yes.” Priest kissed Julien’s chin and smiled at the memory. “And the man you became? He deserved someone begging at his feet. I was more than happy to be that person.”

“Mmm.” Julien let his eyes fall shut as Priest kissed his way up his jaw. “It still wasn’t very smart of me. What if you’d walked away and never come back?”

Priest raised his head and looked Julien in the eye, and the intensity of his love, the enormity of what he felt, was right there blazing out at him.

“There wasn’t a chance of that happening,” Priest said, and Julien sucked in a breath as Priest lay back, taking Julien with him, making the water lap at their sides.

Julien let out a breathy moan, as Priest’s hands molded to his ass and he craned up to take Julien’s lips in a scorching kiss.

“I never had a choice with you,” Priest said against his lips. “But even if I did, I still would’ve chosen you.”

Julien shut his eyes and rested his forehead to Priest’s. “You know what?”

“What?”

“That’s exactly how I felt, and now we have to trust that Robbie feels the same.”

Priest wound his arms around Julien’s waist, and as they settled into one another, he kissed the top of Julien’s head and whispered, “See?”

“Hmm.”

“You’re so wise. How would I ever get through life without you?”

“I’m sure you’d manage,” Julien said, and smiled when he felt Priest’s lips curve against his temple. “But luckily for you, you’ll never have to find out. Ten more minutes?”

“Yes, ten more minutes sounds like heaven.”

“Agreed,” Julien said, letting the water and Priest envelop him. “Then we’ll dry off and go and wait for our princesse.”

“It’s getting late. Do you think he’ll come home? Or call to tell us he’s staying with Elliot?”

Julien raised his head and traced his thumb along Priest’s lower lip. “Oh, I have a feeling he’ll be here. Like me, mon amour, he’s never been able to stay away from you—even when he wanted to.”

And tonight, Julien had a feeling, would be no different. Like a moth to a flame, he and Robbie always came back to the man with the serious eyes and fiery hair.

Chapter Seven

CONFESSION

Realizing what the problem is doesn’t always make you feel better.

In fact, I’ve found it usually makes me feel worse.

“I DID SOMETHING really, really stupid,” Robbie said as Felicity put a tray of Jägerbombs on the table, and then slid into the booth beside her brother. It’d been her turn to treat, and the three of them—Elliot, Felicity, and Robbie—had decided to stick with what they’d started with two rounds ago, and Jäger had been the drink of choice.

Elliot reached across the table they’d snagged at O’Malley’s, took one of the glasses, and handed it to Robbie. “Do you plan to tell us what? You’ve been saying that for the past half hour, and your pout has become more and more pathetic.”

“Has not,” Robbie said, and then bit down on his—apparently pouty—bottom lip.

“It really has, babe,” Felicity said, and then looked him up and down. “And what’s with these clothes you’re wearing? Don’t tell me we’re taking another slide back into the post-Nathan era?”

“Seriously,” Elliot said. “When you texted SOS last night, I didn’t realize things were quite this bad.”

Robbie looked down at his pants and oversized sweater that had a hole as an accessory and then raised his eyes to meet the judgmental ones roving over him. “I don’t look that bad.”

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