“Then I suppose we’ll have to work on it together this afternoon, won’t we?” Sir leaned in and brushed his nose along Gabriel’s ear, snagging his lobe with his teeth on the way down. The nip happened so quickly that even had Lilian been in a position where she could see, she likely wouldn’t have noticed it. “You’re going to need to know how to solve equations like those foryourGED.”
A shiver of excitement swept through Gabriel as Sir nipped him. Maybe, if he was good, when they got home they could play before they fellasleep.
“I know,” Gabriel said. “I’mtrying.”
“I know you are, and Iappreciateit.”
Now that the attention wasn’t on her, Lilian pushed at Gabriel’s chest and started to squirm. Gabriel set her down, and she took off downthehall.
Sir chuckled. “That girl only has two modes, doesn’t she? Run andsleep.”
“Have you seen who her fathers are, Sir?” Gabriel gave Sir a half-smile. “If Adrian isn’t doing something, it’s because he’s passed out, and you knowSterling…”
“By now? Yes,Ido.”
Sir wrapped an arm around Gabriel’s waist, and they moved as one to follow Lilian. She’d run straight across the living room to the hall with the bedrooms—right to Adrian, whose hair was still dripping, but who was otherwise dressed and ready to starthisday.
“Daddy!” Lilian lifted her arms, and Adrian lifted her up and kissed her cheek. Parenthood had mellowed him significantly, although Gabriel knew that his brother would never really lose his edge—not that it was necessarily a bad thing. Adrian’s lashing tongue and sharp wit helped him stay on top of his game in the business world while Sterling stayed home and looked after their daughter. “Mornin’!”
“Good morning, Princess. Were you good for Uncle Gabriel thismorning?”
“Yes!”
Adrian lifted a brow and met Gabriel’s eyes as he approached. “Well, he doesn’t look like he was thrown to finger-paint-obsessed wolves, so I’m going to go ahead and say that you’ve been a very good girl this morning. Thank you,Lilian.”
“Love you,Daddy.”
“I loveyou,too.”
Gabriel leaned into Sir, letting his brother’s joy bolster his own. One day, if he and Sir decided it was right, that would be him—but not now, and maybe not for a long time still. Gabriel was young, and there was plenty of time to have a child. When the time was right, it would happen. He wouldn’t rush thingsanymore.
“Thanks for looking after her this morning,” Adrian said. His gaze met Gabriel’s, and he held it. “I’ve got it covered from here. You guys must betired.”
“I just came upstairs from doing admin work in the club, so it’s not such a big deal.” Sir’s hand stroked Gabriel’s hip, and Gabriel’s body started to wake to his advances. The arousal was low-burning, but it wouldn’t take much for Sir to work those embers into an inferno. “Sterling’s backtonight?”
“Right. He’ll be back sometime this afternoon. If there’s a change in his travel plans, I’ll get in touch with Gabriel to let him know. If you could keep his schedule open, I’dappreciateit.”
“Of course.” Sir offered Adrian an easy smile, the kind that made Gabriel’s heart flutter. No matter how long he lived or how often he saw it, he thought that smile would always get to him. “He’ll be available. I’ll make sureofit.”
Theirs was an unconventional relationship, Gabriel had learned, but that didn’t make it bad. The truth was, Gabriel needed Sir. That didn’t mean that he was worthless—all it meant was that his normal was different from everyone else’s, and that was okay. With Sir there to guide him, Gabriel was happy, and every small revelation or breakthrough he made along the way was a perk instead of arequirement.
Broken wasbeautiful.
Sir loved him, scarsandall.
* * *
They said their goodbyes.Lilian latched onto Sir’s leg like she usually did to beg him not to go, and Adrian had to wrangle her so Gabriel and Sir could leave. The way Sir doted on her, and the way she loved him so unendingly, made Gabriel think that one day, Sir would make an outstandingfather.
“Ceddik!” Lilian called in utmost despair from the metal platform outside the penthouse’s back door. She gripped tightly to Adrian’s chest as he held her. Sir and Gabriel had arrived in the alley below, and Sir lifted a hand high over his head to waveather.
“Until we meet again, Ms. Lilian,” he called. “Remember to be a proper young lady. Be good for yourfathers.”
Gabriel smiled and slipped his hand into Sir’s. Their fingers wove together, and Sir lowered his arm and turned away from the building. Winter was coming, and it chilled the air and froze Gabriel’s breath as it left hisnostrils.
“I was thinking,” Sir murmured as they walked. The sound of the penthouse door closing marked the end of his sentence—Adrian and Lilian had gone back inside. “It’s almost ouranniversary,and—”
A noise stopped Sir in his tracks, and Gabriel came to an abrupt stop beside him. A cardboard box toppled from a nearby dumpster and rolled several times until it came to a stop right-sideup.
