Page 67 of Piece Us Together
I like it way too fucking much.
Fingers appear in front of my face. I don’t have time to flinch before they’re pressing against my lips, sticky pancake shoving into my mouth whether I like it or not. I blink at Nolan’s bright-eyed, surprisingly mischievous grin.
“There!” he says triumphantly. “Now everyone got some!”
I brush the back of my hand across my mouth, collecting crumbs and stickiness. They’re both staring at me. I catch Nolan’s eyes dip when I lick my lips clean. When I glance at Maison, he’s looking away, but his cheeks are pink again.
“You know there’s an entire plate of those still in the kitchen, yes?” I ask.
“It’s the principal!” Maison and Nolan say at the same time before both bursting into laughter.
I shake my head, unable to contain my grin. “What am I going to do with you two?”
Maison’s eyes flash. “Good thing you’ve got all day to think of something.”
Nolan lights up at that, pancakes seemingly forgotten. “All day?”
“Yeah. We’re snowed in, so this poor guy is stuck with us,” Maison says with a grin.
“Really?” Nolan asks, looking at me with so much hope it hurts.
I swallow. Twice. My smile feels fragile when I manage to get it into place. I try to keep my tone light, not wanting them to seethrough me. “Really. But don’t feel bad for me. It’s actually all part of my evil plan. I controlled the weather to get more time with you.”
“Okay, Elsa,” Maison says with a snorting laugh.
He doesn’t seem at all bothered by the insinuation that I’d do anything I could to keep them here. Maybe he doesn’t see how true the sentiment is, beneath the teasing surface.
Or maybe he just doesn’t care.
My head hurts with the possibility. My chest hurts even worse.
“Why don’t the two of you take a shower and join me downstairs when you’re ready?” I ask, needing an escape.
Nolan surprisingly pouts. I understand why when he groans and says, “My clothes for today arejeans.So not comfy snow day clothes…”
Maison pulls a face. “Ew. You’re right. So are mine.”
And I’m an idiot. I’m weak. I’m just the worst, out to break my own damn heart, because I say, “I’ll get you both some of mine.”
They don’t say no.
Nolan looks incredibly pleased by the prospect.
Maison blushes.
I find myself once again thinking the thing I’ve been trying so carefully to ignore lately—I am in so much trouble.
They come down together, just as I’m placing fresh mugs of coffee on the coffee table. Nolan is first, Maison a step behind him. The younger of the two still looks a little sleepy, his damp hair a mess, dressed in my sweatpants that hang low on his slim hips and pool a little at the ankles, my old Berkeley sweatshirt fitting just right across his upper body. Behind him, Maison is wearing the sweatpants I offered him, tight enough to show a little bulge in his front, short enough to show his ankles even with them slung as low as they can acceptably go. My plain gray crewneck is tight around his chest and shoulders, short enough to show the dark curls of the lower half of his happy trail.
The sight of them dressed in my clothes is almost too much. It’s a hand around my throat, a kick to the chest. It makes me ache. It makes me fuckingwant. So much want, I can barely breathe with it all.
Maison pauses at the landing despite Nolan continuing on. His eyes are wary, like all the progress we made this morning has been forgotten.Did I fuck up, or did he just panic and put his walls up?
“Can I do anything, sir?”
I direct my attention to the man I know wants it, letting Maison do whatever he’d like in the background.I can only control what they let me, right?Even if it makes my fucking skin crawl.
“I’m going to get some blankets. Do you want to start the fire?”