“It’s terrible,” she said and collapsed into titters. “The girl selling that brand at the tasting was just so cute. She grows small batches of organic grapes.”
“Bitter,” he coughed out and set the glass down. “You know, it’s late. Why don’t you take my bed. I’ll share with Dare. We don’t have a spare room, so I’m afraid that’s our best offer.”
I could have kissed him, and wanted to, but I hesitated. He smiled, apparently not confused as to why. Sneakily, he reached over and squeezed my hand, something Mom missed as she picked up her glass and drained it in one epic swallow.
“Mom…. Uh, are you divorcing Dad or something? Usually you don’t pound the wine like this.”
She snorted. “I’ve been drinking wine since before you were born, young man. You have no idea what I do. And neither does your father. You look handsome as ever tonight, Zayden. Look at these curls,” she said, sifting her fingers through his hair the way I loved to do. Jealousy bit at me, and I had just enough time to register that was a tad fucked-up before Z chuckled and gently extricated her fingers.
“I’ll change the sheets for you, okay? Come help me, Dare.”
“Yep,” I said, shooting to my feet.
“You boys are such sweet kids. You sure didn’t learn that from your dad, Fern. That man is going to get….” The rest of her dire threat disappeared as she leaned back against the couch and glared across the room, probably at the image of my father in her head. Z grabbed my hand and gave me a sympathetic smile as we went up the stairs. Once we were in the hallway and well out of sight of Mom, I pulled him into a hug.
“Thank you. You’re the best. I could have gotten her a hotel room.”
He shrugged. “Why? We’re fine in one bed.”
I cupped his face, and he smiled up at me. “Yeah, we are.”
“I want to be good for you, Daddy.”
Groaning, I kissed him, but he pushed on my chest.
“Come on. I really do want to change the sheets and hide a couple of things better.” He raced off, and when I caught up to him, he flitted around his room, stashing something from under his bed in the closet, which made me curious. He ran out, I assumed to my room, and came back with the baby belly, which he tucked away in the closet to join whatever fun thing he’d already hidden. He leaned all the way in as he rummaged around, arranging his clothes as a shield with his ass stuck out.
I forced myself to stop staring at him and stripped the sheets, and we made quick work of getting new ones on the bed. We were squaring the corners on the top sheet when I glanced at him, all at once remembering I was irritated with him earlier. His cuteness had shoved it out of my head.
“Hey, can I ask you something?”
He stilled. “Yes.”
“How does Nicky know your… you know. Kinks?”
He flushed and straightened as I went and grabbed the comforter off the floor, and then he helped me spread that out on top. “We never had sex, if that’s what you’re thinking. So, there’s no need to worry about him. Be jealous. Whatever.”
“I wasn’t.”
Z shrugged, and I hated it when he gave his middle a hug as I finished putting the pillows back on the bed. “I’ve gone out with guys who get weird about Nicky because he touches me and he’s so… Nicky. I don’t want it to be a thing between us. He’s a friend. I like him. I don’t want you to tell me not to see him.”
“Has someone done that before?” I asked sharply.
He shrugged. “Serge didn’t like most of my friends. It was a problem. He wasn’t the only guy I dated like that.”
“I would never come between you and your friends.”
“Thanks.”
Sighing, I gave the closest pillow a punch. “I hate all of your exes.”
He grinned at me, and that degraded to him slapping a hand over his mouth to laugh.
“So, Nicky?” I asked.
He averted his eyes, and I didn’t like that he was being shy with me. “I needed someone to help me figure a few things out.”
“I’m sorry it wasn’t me.” I opened my arms to him, and he was fast to bounce on the balls of his feet around the bed, then snuggle up against my side.
