“Eduard requested something light, so I’m going with Greek. Cucumber and tomato salad with feta. Marinated grilled chicken. I’m thinking about doing some couscous so the boys can try it.”
Cecil appeared at the door and bowed slightly to Draco. “Good afternoon, sir. Did you have a nice rest?”
“I did. Thanks, Cecil. I have a question for you. Do you have stuff for us to go down to the beach later? Maybe we can have dinner down there, Viv? Do a picnic? I don’t know. Everything has been up in the air with the move and I’d like to spend some time with my mates.”
“What an excellent idea, sir. We do have the accoutrements needed for a beach picnic. I’m sure Vivian can make adjustments to the evening meal.”
“Oh, yeah,” Viv said. “No trouble at all. And since the strawberry tarts were a surprise, I’ll even pack those up for you.”
Draco grinned. “Thank you. Is Eduard still working?”
Cecil nodded. “Yes, sir. And Sawyer and Henry are upstairs as well. Andvari came in a few minutes ago and went to shower.”
“Excellent. How much time do we need before I can drag them all down to the beach?”
“I’ll need about an hour to get the chicken cooked and ready to pack up.”
“That gives me plenty of time to get everything else down to the beach and set up,” Cecil added.
“Thanks. You guys are the best.”
Draco wandered upstairs next and found a very tense looking Eduard sitting at his desk. He leaned against the door for a second, watching Eduard scowl at the numbers flying across his screen, before he walked in and pulled Eduard’s chair back. He spun it around so he could lean down on the arms, trapping Eduard and guaranteeing he had the griffin’s full attention.
“You okay?” Eduard asked. His frown had deepened.
“Fine. We’re having a picnic on the beach in an hour. Finish what you’re doing and go get changed into something that’s not a suit and tie.”
Eduard arched a brow. “Feeling bossy, are we?”
“We are. We are also feeling the need to reconnect with our mates. We are also not liking referring to ourself this way.”
Eduard grinned and ran his hands up Draco’s arms. Draco made sure to flex, letting Eduard’s nimble fingers explore the firm muscles under his hands. “I’ll be ready. I’ll set an alarm on my phone and have Cecil come in here in half an hour to check. I have a couple things I need to finish up.”
“Thank you. And Eduard?” Draco asked, before he lost the griffin’s attention again.
“Yes?”
“Whatever your father said, it doesn’t matter. We’ll make them believe in Sawyer the way we do. It’s what we’re supposed to do.”
One of the little lines of tension across Eduard’s forehead eased. “I know.”
Draco kissed him deeply, tangling their tongues together, before he pulled away and left Eduard panting for breath. “Set your alarm.”
Eduard growled but reached for his phone as Draco backed away. He found Andvari next, steaming up the master bathroom. He stripped off his clothes without another thought and stepped in behind the vampire. “Good workout?”
Andvari shrugged. “I had trouble focusing.”
Draco moved closer so he could step into the spray. Eduard was obsessed with bathing and showers. There was room for all of them in the enclosed glass space and multiple shower heads made it easy to shower when contending with multiple bodies.
“We’re all disconnected. I feel it, too. We’re heading to the beach in an hour. All of us. You’ll be ready?”
Andvari turned under the spray, his long hair curling around his shoulders. Draco sucked in a breath at the sight. “I’ll be ready.”
Draco tugged him closer and kissed him deeply. “Fuck, you’re gorgeous.”
Andvari smirked and pushed Draco back a step. “Let’s get you clean and go get the others.”
It didn’t take much to convince his dragon side to let his mate attend him. It was a sign of their love and loyalty. Something Draco felt instinctively that he’d never put into words. They’d not put a lot into words. Sawyer needed them, needed words, and Draco had forgotten that for a while. He’d been too focused on himself, on letting his dragon free from the cage he’d been in for the past eight years.
