Sterling ate itanyway.
Early in the morning, after Sterling saw The Shepherd closed and settled in bed after a long night’s work, he came to expect the click as his bedroom door opened, and then the metallic turn of the doorknob as Adrian inched the door closed. On those nights, he pulled Adrian close and kissed him in the dark until they were both too flustered to continue. Sometimes, Sterling made love to him, slowly and passionately, letting his knot stretch Adrian to let him know that he was claimed. Other times, they fondled each other and whispered tiny words of adoration until the aftermath of orgasm lulled them tosleep.
Adrian was often gone before Sterling woke up, but the little looks Adrian gave him during the day assured Sterling that he hadn’t forgotten their early morningdalliances.
Sterling couldn’t forget if hetried.
Two weeks after Marcus and Lucian’s visit to the penthouse, while Sterling was getting dressed to go down to the club to run his rounds, Adrian appeared in his bedroom doorway. That in itself wasn’t all that surprising—especially since Adrian had been thawing to him over the last few weeks—but when Sterling saw the bold grin on Adrian’s face in the reflection of his dresser mirror, he knew something out of the ordinary washappening.
Tie hanging, undone, around his neck, Sterling turned to face the grinning young man in the doorway. “That’s as happy as I’ve seen you since you came tostayhere.”
“Gabriel and I were just talking.” Adrian’s grin grew, rounding his cheeks. “He’s agreed to check intoStonecrest.”
Sterling abandoned the dresser to sweep Adrian into his arms. Adrian laughed as Sterling lifted him up and spun him in a circle. Before Adrian’s feet hit the ground again, they werekissing.
As his feet touched the floor, Adrian took hold of both sides of Sterling’s tie and used it to keep Sterling close. Sterling didn’t need the incentive. Seeing the joy on Adrian’s face and the sparkle in his eyes kept Sterling gluedtohim.
“We’re going to go check him in tomorrow, and I was wondering if you could drive us.” Adrian toyed with the ends of the tie. Happiness lifted his face and made him glow in a way that even pregnancy couldn’t compete with, and Sterling fell for him all over again. There wasn’t anything official between them, but in many ways, they’d started to act as a couple without expressly stating theircommitment.
It gave Sterling hope that Adrian would give him ananswersoon.
“I wouldn’t have it anyotherway.”
Delight shining in his eyes, Adrian tugged at Sterling’s tie and brought their lips together again. Sterling’s arms didn’t stray from around Adrian’s waist. Affection flowed between them more readily these days, but whenever Adrian was the one to initiate it, Sterling found every moment all the more special. Adrian’s snark would never die, but he was toning down his hostility and growing into the respectful, loving young man Sterling knew hecouldbe.
How far he’d come in such ashorttime.
Sterling grinned against Adrian’s lips and kissed him again. When the kiss broke, he remained close enough so their noses were touching, and he spoke under his breath so Adrian alone would hear. “What’s Gabriel doing right now? Ishebusy?”
“He’s packing for tomorrow, then he’s going to shower and go to bed.” Adrian slid the tie from around Sterling’s neck and looped it over hisown. “Why?”
God, was he handsome like that. Sterling’s eyes followed the lines of Adrian’s shoulders as he toyed with his tie, drinking him in. The pointed words Sterling was so used to weren’t as caustic anymore, but there was still enough sass in them to let him know that Adrian hadn’t lost his spirit. No matter what, Adrian would always beAdrian.
“Because,” Sterling whispered, grinning as he stole a quick kiss, “I think we shouldcelebrate.”
“A celebratory dinner?” Adrian grinned back. “I have pork chops in the fridge I could fry up. Maybe pair them with some broccoli. What else dowehave?”
“A phone.” Sterling held back a laugh. No matter how much he loved Adrian, he couldn’t pretend that Adrian’s cooking was worthy of a celebratory dinner. “Let me order dinner—something Gabriel loves. He’s eaten enough saltines for a lifetime. Let’s make sure he’s treated to something nice beforehegoes.”
“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear the thinly veiled mockery of my cooking.” Adrian rolled his eyes, but he smiled the whole time. “I’m on it, okay? You’re ondoorduty.”
“Gotit.”
Sterling let Adrian go, and Adrian stepped into the hall, keeping his eyes on Sterling like he didn’t want to part ways just yet. The chemistry between them was still there, thickening the air and running rampant in Sterling’s veins. It was the kind that was there even when they were apart—the kind that made Sterling wonder what Adrian was doing while he was tending to matters at the club, or plodding through paperwork in hisoffice.
The kind that made him want to succeed, if only so he could make Adrianproud.
Sterling hadn’t told Adrian his feelings, and he wouldn’t until Adrian gave him his final answer, but it didn’t matter. Even though they hadn’t said a word, Sterling could read the affection in Adrian’s eyes and feel the love in his touch. They’d gone about it in an untraditional way, but no matter the method, they were becoming afamily.
As Adrian broke eye contact and turned, a spring in his step, Sterling stood in the doorway and watched him go. He didn’t even bother taking back his tie—it suited Adrian better,anyway.
When Adrian closed himself in Gabriel’s bedroom, Sterling returned to his dresser to pick up his cellphone. He’d placed it on the dresser top. A scan of his thumbprint unlocked the screen, and Sterling fired off a quick message to Clarissa to clear up hisevening.
Something’s come up and I won’t be heading to the club. If anything goes wrong, please text me and I’ll makeatrip.
Business be damned—he had family matters to attend to. He wouldn’t be visiting the clubtonight.
* * *
