by Ella Frank
Priest: Would you like your first spanking when I see you at six, Robert?
Julien reached for the glass of wine sitting on the table in front of him and swirled it around, letting it breathe.
Robbie: No. I’d prefer you do something else to my ass tonight instead.
Priest: Then behave yourself and be ready at six.
That was as good as a goodbye for Priest, and Robbie seemed to understand, because he sent a kiss emoji that made Julien chuckle.
As he signed off and put his phone down on the table, Lise, the manager of JULIEN, walked up to the booth with a notepad in one hand and a phone jammed between her shoulder and ear.
When she reached the table, Julien heard her say, “I understand this is a rush, Danielle, but we can’t open if we don’t have uniforms for the staff. I need them on the date we agreed upon.”
She put the pad down on the table, and as she did, she pushed a piece of her black hair behind her ear and then took a seat opposite Julien. “Good. Thank you. I’m glad we got that sorted. We’ll talk soon. Bye.”
After she hung up, Lise rolled her eyes and put her phone down. “Today is not my day. But I’m glad we get to do some taste testing.”
Julien looked at the bottle of wine on the table, as she reached for it and poured herself a glass. He’d known Lise for several years now. She’d been the manager at his L.A. location, and when he and Priest had agreed to relocate and Julien had decided to open up a Chicago restaurant, he’d known he wanted her on as manager. The only thing he hadn’t been positive on was whether Lise would want to leave a life of year-round sunshine to live where the temperature was currently cold enough to freeze a witch’s tit. Luckily, she was as crazy as they were.
“You know, I think I need to take up this meditation/yoga stuff you swear by. It’s the only reason you can possibly be this calm all the time,” she said, bringing her glass up to her ruby-red lips. “Well, that and your handsome husband.”
Julien studied her as he took another sip of his wine. If truth be told, he was far from calm today. With the restaurant inching closer to its opening date and the end of January creeping up on them, he had a lot on his mind.
This month was always hard on him. It brought back memories he’d rather drown out with an entire case of wine, not merely a glass. But that wasn’t his way to cope anymore. It hadn’t been for years now. And tonight he had something else that was going to take his mind off the demons that plagued him. Robbie really couldn’t have called at a better time.
“Now, now, don’t be jealous,” he said, and placed his glass back on the table. “Green doesn’t suit you.”
“Mhmm. Well, since he’s on my mind now, how is the Priest?”
Julien thought about their exchange just now with Robbie and ran his fingers around the base of his glass. “We’re both a little frustrated right now.”
“Oh, holding out on him again, are we?”
“Oui. We’ve been waiting on someone to make une décision.”
Lise wasn’t a stranger to their way of life. Having known them for as long as she had, she was well aware that their marriage was not the most conventional of sorts. She also knew the meaning of being discreet, which Julien found essential when it came to keeping his private life and public persona separate.
“Oh, there’s a new someone on the scene? Do tell me more.”
“Gossip,” Julien said, then finished off his wine and pointed to the notepad. “Write the name of this one down. I like it.”
“Got it.”
“Good. Is there anything else pressing right now, or…?”
“Only about a million things,” she said. “But that can wait. I need to taste this wine and I want to hear more about the one who has the both of you waiting on him. That’s unheard of.”
“I’M SORRY, BUT I’m going to need you to repeat what you just said, because it sounded like ‘I think I’m dating two men.’”
Robbie sat across from Elliot in one of the booths of The Daily Grind and shushed him. “Jesus, say it louder, why don’t you?”
“Bitch, please. If I were you, I’d be twirling around like Julie Andrews on a mountaintop right now telling the whole world.”
Robbie laughed. He could actually picture that.
“Okay, so, two men.” Elliot held up two fingers just to make sure they both agreed on the correct number. “One, I’m assuming, is the Prick, because your luck seems disgustingly good right now.”
Robbie grinned, picked up the new Dreamweaver latte he was trying—hazelnut and white mocha; it was delicious—and nodded.
“Fuck you for that,” Elliot said, and popped a piece of his choc-chip muffin in his mouth. “And I have no idea who the other person is. I mean, no… Did he bring along a celebrity friend? If you tell me you’re banging two famous people right now, I’m getting up and leaving you here with the bill.”
Robbie rolled his eyes. “I’m paying anyway, loser. And no, that’s not it.”
Robbie thought about how to say this next part out loud because, well, he hadn’t exactly been shy in his dislike for the third man in this whole equation.
“Then who is it?”
Robbie put his drink down and looked around as though what he was about to say was a state secret, and then leaned across the table. “It’s Priest. Joel Priestley.”
“Joel Priestley? As in the asshole who has less personality than a robot?”
Uhh… “Yes?”
“You cagey little shit,” Elliot said. “Hate fucking? Oh my God. A celebrity, and hot hate fucking? Let me guess, the Prick is there to make sure you two don’t kill each other? Yep, it’s official. You win this month. I can’t compete with that.”
“Actually,” Robbie said, as he shifted in his seat, the ache between his legs not helped by the description Elliot had just provided, “Julien is there because they’re, um, well, they’re married.”
Elliot’s hand stopped midway to his open mouth with a piece of muffin. Then he blinked once, twice, and a third time. “I’m sorry, come again?”
Robbie laughed and batted his lashes. “Actually, I’m not allowed to come at all until tonight. Priest’s rules.”
“They’re married? Oh my God.”
“I know,” Robbie said. “I keep thinking I must be crazy for doing this, right? But—”
“Hey, focus,” Elliot said, and snapped his fingers in front of Robbie. “Did they invite you in?”
Robbie nodded.
“And does it seem weird or awkward?”
“No, not at all. I mean, we haven’t had actual sex yet. But what we’ve done, it seemed…it seemed really natural. Is that weird?”
“No.” Elliot shook his head and slumped back in his seat. “I told you. Your luck is going the way of the gods, my friend. You really should go buy a lottery ticket. Buy a lottery ticket and enjoy the pleasure of two men fucking your brains out. You’re not doing anything wrong.”
Robbie nodded and raised his drink to his lips to take another sip. He agreed with Elliot. He wasn’t doing anything wrong, and he was, so far, enjoying the hell out of himself—and he deserved that, damn it.
He also had the fleeting thought that he didn’t need a lottery ticket, because he felt like he’d won the jackpot already.
Chapter Sixteen
CONFESSION
I love taking baths.
Have I mentioned that before? No?
Well, let that be noted…
PRIEST PULLED THE Range Rover up to the curb outside of Robbie’s place at six on the dot, and as soon as he was in park, he sent off a text to the man inside.
Priest: Your carriage awaits, princess.
The sun had set around an hour ago, and as Priest sat in the dark confines of the car, his eyes were trained on the front door of what he knew was Robbie’s nonna’s house. It was a nice place—one of the original Victorian styles, by the looks of it. Worth a small fortune with its location here in town.
A light flicked on, illuminatin
g the front door, and when it was shoved open and Robbie stepped out, Priest’s eyes fastened on the man now standing on the stoop. In tight black pants that fit like a second skin, Robbie’s legs looked as though they went on for days. It made Priest want to see them wrapped around his waist or hoisted over Julien’s shoulders.
He had on a blue cable knit sweater with a faux-fur collar that outlined his elegant neck and broad shoulders. It hugged his lean torso and trim waist, and on his hands were black leather gloves to ward off the cold as Robbie picked up his overnight bag and headed down the stairs toward the SUV.
Priest sent a quick text to Julien, letting him know they’d be about twenty minutes, and then he watched Robbie’s approach and had to readjust himself so as to not be uncomfortable when the passenger door opened.
As the light flooded the interior of the vehicle, Robbie tossed his bag onto the floor and then climbed inside, and once he shut the door and the glow faded, he said, “Hey.”
Priest noticed the way Robbie clasped his hands in his lap and his leg was doing that nervous little jig of his, and figured he was wondering how to act after the texts the three of them had shared today. Not to mention the expectation of what was about to happen tonight. So before they left, Priest wanted to make sure everything was all right. That Robbie really wanted to be there.
“Hey?” Priest said, and Robbie looked over at him. “That isn’t the greeting I expected from the man who has spent the last few hours sending me and my husband provocative photographs.”
“Well,” Robbie said, his expression slightly pinched, “it’s the only greeting you’re going to get while my nonna is standing in the living room window watching us.”
Ahh, okay. Priest’s eyes went past Robbie’s shoulder, and that was when he saw it—the curtain in the front window shifted, and he reached over and slid his hand across the top of Robbie’s thigh.
“Oh shit.” The words left Robbie’s lips on a sigh as he shut his eyes and pressed back into the headrest.
“She knows you’re gay, I assume.”
“Of course,” Robbie said, his eyes flashing open to lock on Priest. “As if I could hide that.”
“Then why would she care if she saw you greeting a man with a kiss?”
“You were going to kiss me?”
Priest’s lips quirked as he inched his palm further up Robbie’s thigh, and Robbie clamped a hand down over it.
“I was,” Priest said. “So, tell me why it is that I’m only allowed to sit here and look at your mouth, instead of being able to taste it?”
Robbie’s mouth parted, and the pink tip of his tongue flirted with his lower lip as his breathing increased in pace. “Shit. Umm…”
“I’m waiting.”
“I know,” Robbie said. “I’m trying to remember the question.”
“Why can’t I kiss you, Robert?”
Robbie’s eyes lowered to Priest’s mouth and he swallowed. “Because she saw Julien drop me off in the same car yesterday, and asked me about him at lunch today. If she sees you, the man who helped us with Vanessa, kissing me? Things are going to get really difficult.”
“I see.” And Priest did. That could get a little bit awkward around the dinner table.
“Jesus, can you stop moving your hand?”
“No,” Priest said. “And since a kiss is out of the question until later, undo these pants. I want to see what you saved for us tonight.”
Robbie’s breath caught, and then came out in a rush as he laughed. “Are you serious?”
“I’m always serious,” Priest said, and then dropped his eyes to Robbie’s lap, where the very clear outline of his erection could be seen. “The windows are high enough that no one can see but me.”
Priest shifted back to his side of the seat and hit the ignition button on the car, and as he pulled out and started down the street, Robbie spread his legs a little and reached for his zipper.
It was clear he hadn’t worn much beneath his pants tonight with how tight they were, so it wasn’t much of a surprise when Robbie undid them and Priest saw his cock straining out of the tiny piece of black material that had no hope of concealing it.
Priest clenched his jaw as he pulled up at a set of lights and said, “I’m going to enjoy sucking that.” Robbie moaned and began to move his fist up and down his engorged length, swiping his thumb over the glistening head, and Priest growled in the back of his throat. “Give me your hand.”
Robbie swallowed but eagerly let go of himself to raise his arm, and when his hand was across the vehicle, Priest took hold of his wrist, brought it to his mouth, and sucked his thumb inside.
“Oh my fucking God,” Robbie said, his eyes on what Priest was doing even as his hips fucked up from the seat, and then a horn blasted behind them and Priest let him go.
“Fucking delicious. Now put your hands under your legs,” Priest said, as he put his foot to the gas. “Yes. Just like that. I want to look at what’s going to be ours tonight. But with you playing with yourself, we just might not make it home in one piece, and Julien would kill us for missing dinner.”
ROBBIE WAS AWARE of every pulse in his dick for the fifteen minutes it took to get where they were going. Just as he was aware of Priest’s eyes on him, his hands on the steering wheel, and that mouth surrounded by the scruff… Sweet Jesus, he keeps licking it. Robbie had never wanted a set of lips around his cock more, and when Priest finally pulled into the parking garage and wove his way down the concrete columned walls to his spot, Robbie thought he might pass out from the lack of blood in his head.
As the engine cut off, Robbie swallowed and waited for his next order, and when Priest said, “Zip up,” Robbie had to admit he was a little disappointed.
They walked across the parking garage in total silence, Priest with his briefcase and Robbie with his overnight bag, and when they got to the elevator and the doors opened, Robbie swore he could feel every nerve in his body, they were on such high alert.
There was something to be said for this ironlike control of Priest’s. It was frustrating as fuck, but holy shit did it ramp up the anticipation. At this stage, Robbie was convinced he would be able to drill through steel with what he was packing in his pants.
When the elevator dinged, Robbie followed Priest out into the hall.
“Is this payback for the photos today?” Robbie asked. He probably deserved it, at least a little. “I thought you’d like them.” He pouted, and as they reached their destination, Priest turned on Robbie and backed him up to the opposite wall until they were so close that their erections became extremely aware of each other.
“I liked them,” Priest said, his voice a low, rumbling warning. “I liked them so much it is taking every ounce of control I possess not to turn you around, rip your pants off, and fuck you right here in the hall.”
Robbie’s chest rose and fell at the wild look in Priest’s eyes, and he knew that at some point tonight the beast that was lurking under there, the untamed animal that Priest and Julien kept a tight leash on, was finally going to come out to play—and Robbie couldn’t wait.
“Do you understand?” Priest said as he took a step back and turned to the front door.
As he unlocked it and pushed it open, Robbie straightened and sauntered forward, his hips swaying, his head tilted up, and when he stopped beside Priest, he looked him dead in the eye and said, “Yes, I do.”
“Good.” Priest’s eyes flared. “Because you’ll be lucky if you can crawl by the time we get through with you tonight.”
“Promises, promises,” Robbie said, and then he walked off in the direction of the delicious aromas wafting throughout the condo.
AS ROBBIE STEPPED into the living room, Julien saw him drop his bag by the wall out of the way, and then Robbie immediately sought Julien out where he was in the kitchen placing a frying pan and pot on top of the stove.
“Bonsoir, princesse,” Julien said as he heard the front door shut. “You look gorgeous as usual.”
Robbie bl
ew Julien a kiss. “Thank you. And you look smokin’ hot as always. Seems fitting, since you love to be around flames and fire.”
Julien wiped his hands over the white apron he’d tied around his navy-blue pants and white button-down. Then he walked around the counter and kissed both of Robbie’s cheeks. Robbie turned his head at the last second and caught Julien’s lips in a cheeky kiss.
“Sorry,” Robbie said, but it was clear by his grin that he wasn’t in the least. “There was all this talk of kissing in the car, and I couldn’t help myself.”
“Oh? Just talk?” Julien said. “That’s never fun.”
“I know, but kissing you made it all better.” Robbie glanced over his shoulder as Priest walked into the living room.
“I’m going to get out of this suit and unwind a little before dinner,” Priest said, as he picked up Robbie’s discarded bag.
It was obvious to Julien by the set of Priest’s shoulders that whatever had—or in this case, hadn’t—occurred on the drive home, Priest was most certainly in need of a timeout if they were going to take things slow.
“Thirty minutes,” Julien told him, and Priest nodded and then disappeared into the bedroom.
“Unwind?” Robbie said. “And what does that entail? A thousand push-ups? Followed by a thousand jumping jacks?”
Julien shook his head as he walked over to the cutting board where a tray of steaks and a mortar and pestle sat. “It involves a soak in the tub.”
“Really?” Robbie said, as he took his gloves off and put them on the kitchen island by the bottle of wine Julien had started about half an hour ago. “I love baths, but I wouldn’t have pictured him in one.”
“You should,” Julien said with a wink. “It’s quite a sight. He has a stressful job. A bath, among other things, clears his head.”
As Robbie looked over at the open door of the master bedroom, Julien began to grind peppercorns in the ceramic bowl.
“And let me guess, crushing things clears yours?” Robbie said as he walked over.