ETHAN
Wakingup to Jude was everything I’d never imagined before. He was still asleep, his even breathing and warm breath on my neck as he laid tucked into my side causing me to choke back my emotions. As much as I preferred lying next to him, I had to shower and get ready for work. My attempt at slipping away without jostling him too much wasn’t effective because even in his semi-wakefulness, his reaction was to pull me back in again, a move that made me swallow another lump in my throat.
“What time is it?” he asked, as he stroked down my back? “You’re so nice and warm.”
“Five forty-five.” I leaned down and kissed his forehead. “Go back to sleep. I have a big day ahead of me so I need to get going.”
Jude pushed up on his elbows, and I hid my amusement as he tried to come awake. “Do you usually have breakfast?”
“Cereal,” I said. “But I also have to make my lunch. No coffee. I get that at work.”
He rubbed his eyes and stretched his arms, revealing his flawless pale skin. “Okay, would you eat toast and scrambled eggs instead?”
“Definitely,” I said. “But don’t feel that you have to.”
“I don’t. Now go,” he urged and planted an openmouthed kiss on my back.
Twenty minutes later, he was sitting with me at the breakfast counter drinking coffee while I ate the food he’d prepared. “This is another first for me. Thank you,Babbo.”
Jude eyes me curiously. “Which part?”
“Since I’ve never had anyone in my bed all night, no one has ever made me breakfast. The closest I’ve come is when I meet Gabby at picnic tables overlooking the beach and she brings homemade bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches.”
She sounds like her mother,” Jude said. “Wanting to keep the people she loves well fed. On that note, I made you a couple of sandwiches for lunch.”
“Grazie.” I studied Jude as he sipped his coffee, his hair mussed from sleep and the early dawn light illuminating the golden flecks in his eyes. “Would you be open to meeting them?”
Jude’s head popped up to meet my gaze. “I-I’m not sure. What would they think of me… being a priest… and with you?”
“Mamma will hug you until you can’t breathe and tell you how thrilled she is that you make herfigliohappy. And then she’d drag you into the kitchen to visit while she cooked.”
Jude kind of stared and then tipped his head back and laughed, which had the space behind my rib cage carving out more room for him.
I studied him. “She wouldn’t pry. She’s not that kind of woman at all. And if and when you ever need advice, she’s a great listener. Unbiased, with a generous heart.”
“Meeting them means a lot to you,” Jude said, a statement more than a question.
“Yes, it does. Think about it.” I pushed to my feet, went to the refrigerator, and plucked out my lunch bag. “Right now, we have to leave if I’m going to drop you back at the hotel.”
“Do you mind if I hang out here? The view of the ocean is amazing, and I’d really enjoy taking a long walk later.”
“Of course,” I said, pleased that he wanted to stay in my space. “Go through my drawers and pull out whatever you want to wear. I have plenty of athletic shorts and tank tops. Also, just a heads-up, I can’t reply to calls or texts when I’m working in the service bay. If there’s an emergency, call the service department and ask for Frank. He knows who you are. I’ll check in when I take lunch. Usually about eleven thirty.”
Jude slid off the stool and walked over to me. “Now you’re sounding like a papa bear.”
“With you I am. But honestly, I’d rather be told what to do,” I said and winked as I collected my things and left Jude with heat in his eyes.
I walked down the hallway to the elevator, imagining Jude discarding his coffee in the sink and going into the bedroom to jack off. The sheets smelled of sex and us when I woke up, a good start to my day.
At work, I stopped by Frank’s office before I settled in at my bay. Seeing that he was alone, I rapped on the window. When he gestured for me to come in, I entered and closed the door behind me.
“You look like you’ve got something on your mind,” Frank said, turning away from his computer screen to give me his full attention.
“Just a quick question, really. I wanted to run it by you first before I said anything to Mamma.”
“So, this is personal, not business,” he confirmed.
“Yeah, sorry, I’ll catch you at lunchtime,” I said, turning for the door.
