“It’s a family business. And a small one, at that. I don’t want—”
“Notthatsmall!” Reese dove in, his enthusiasm shining from his eyes. “I had no idea their reach was so wide. They’re all the way out to Moncton and Fredericton, and up on PEI. In fact, if you’d allow me, I’d love to share some ideas about centralizing some of the physical aspects of the business more concretely in Moncton—”
With a fond but exasperated huff, Mati pressed her hand over Reese’s mouth, laughing when he bit at her fingers playfully.
“Sorry,” Reese said with a shrug. “I get excited.”
“I know you do. And those ideas are exactly what I want to talk to you about. I want you with me every step of the way.”
Reese nodded. “Of course. I want that, too.”
“And what I was going to say is that it’s a family business, and because you’re family, I want you to be part of it. But what I don’t want is to have the first thing you do, as a member of my stupid, fucked-up family, be to give them money. That’s not why I love you. And it’s not why they’re going to love you, okay?”
Reese looked shocked, then a huge smile overtook his face. “Okay.”
Mati laughed, and Reese practically climbed over the table to kiss her. They both ignored Hodges’ long-suffering sigh.
When Reese pulled back, he grinned. “Shall we go find David?”
Mati stood, delighted Reese was on the same page.
Reese bounded out of the kitchen, while Mati trailed after him more slowly. She stopped by Hodges, noting he was still smiling, for all his exasperated sighs and huffs of annoyance.
She hugged him. He stiffened for a second, then bent to gather her close.
“You’re family, too,” she said. “You have been, to me, for a long time.”
Hodges squeezed her tighter, his voice rough when he whispered, “You, too.”
David was floating on his back in the middle of the pool when Reese and Mati found him. He’d been gone for an hour and, based on the state of the workout clothes crumpled in a heap by the edge of the water, he’d already availed himself of the weights, and possibly the treadmill.
“Why is he wearing underwear?” Mati asked curiously.
Reese shrugged. “Hodges, if I had to guess.”
Mati stripped off her clothes, clearly not nearly so modest.
For the sake of Hodges’ sanity, Reese texted to suggest Hodges steer well clear of the pool house before stripping off his own clothes.
David hadn’t noticed them yet. His ears were submerged, and his eyes locked on the early night sky above him, visible through the frosted frames of the glass ceiling. There was a slight frown on his face, and Reese wanted it gone.
He and Mati dove in together, announcing their presence with a splash and more than enough wake to draw David’s attention. He met them in the middle of the pool, laughing when he realized they were naked.
“This is a nice end to my work out.”
Mati’s hand slipped into the elastic of his waistband. “It could be even better.”
David stripped off his boxer briefs, wrung them out, and hurled them to the pool’s edge, where they landed with an undignified splat.
Then his hands were on them, warm in the cool water. Reese kissed him while Mati’s hands fluttered over them. Her clever fingers curled around Reese’s shaft. The pool would have to be a hell of a lot colder for that not to draw his blood south. His cock filled eagerly against her palm.
“God, keep doing that,” Reese gasped, trying to swim toward the edge of the pool and tow them with him.
“Where are we going?” David asked, his fingers digging into Reese’s ass, distracting him.
“The pool deck. The towel hamper. I don’t care,” Reese groaned, scrabbling for purchase on the pool’s edge. “Anywhere I can blow you and not drown or have to explain to Hodges why I have to take over pool maintenance for a week.”
Mati laughed and let go of Reese’s cock, which wasn’t what he’d been hoping for. He was relieved when she hoisted herself out of the pool and sat on the edge.
