by Ella Frank
THE STEADY HUM of music pounded beneath Priest’s feet as he walked out of the en suite and into the guest room to get his clothes for the night.
The music and dance floor for the evening had been set up in the empty garage and driveway below, while food and drink were being handled inside. Julien and Robbie had headed downstairs around thirty minutes ago after Priest volunteered to use the shower last, and it was now closing in on eight. Robbie’s thirtieth birthday party was due to begin at any moment—and Priest was looking forward to seeing Robbie surrounded by a family who clearly adored him.
Somehow, Priest and Julien had survived the last twenty-four hours without any threats to their well-being. They’d made it through their first night’s dinner before passing out from such a long day, and today they’d been helping with the flurry of activity to get the home fit for a party that would celebrate the favorite Bianchi—and yes, it was very clear that Robbie was everyone’s favorite.
Priest picked up his jeans and light knit top and was about to head back into the bathroom when the door to the guest room opened and Robbie slipped inside. Priest had already been showering when Robbie had gotten dressed, but as he shut the door behind him now, Priest took a moment to drink in the man in front of him.
Robbie was dressed in a pair of lightweight grey pants, paired with a three-quarter-sleeve cream V-neck that was made of linen. But what really tied the outfit together, and made it uniquely Robbie, were the loose suspenders over his shoulders.
Tied probably wasn’t a word Priest should be thinking about while looking at them, though. Not if they were going to get down to the party anytime soon, because with his hair styled back from his face, and his eyes lined and lips glossed, Robbie had Priest’s cock hard in an instant.
“Oh, ah, hey,” Robbie said, as he took in Priest’s half-naked state, and then flashed a smile—a forced smile, Priest noted.
“Hey,” Priest said as he brought his clothes in front of him, not wanting to distract Robbie from whatever it was he’d come up there for. “Where’s Julien?”
“Downstairs with Ma and the girls. I think they’ve decided to keep him.”
“Well too bad,” Priest said. “He’s already spoken for—two times over.”
Robbie nodded, and then glanced over his shoulder to look out the small window in the door. “Everyone’s starting to get here.”
Priest sized Robbie up, and his eyes wandered to the hands he was wiping on the sides of his pants. He was nervous again, but Priest wasn’t sure why. Robbie had already tackled the major obstacle for the weekend—his parents. So what was this all about?
Priest walked over to Robbie. “If everyone’s starting to arrive, then why are you up here?”
Robbie worried his shiny lip, and then gave what Priest knew he hoped was a convincing smile. “I came to check you were all right and, you know, help you get dressed.”
“Nice try. But we already decided you were off the hook in that department around your family. We already present a less-than-normal front. So I don’t think you excused yourself to help me button my pants. Why are you really up here?”
Robbie stepped around Priest and began pacing the length of the guest room. Back and forth. Back and forth. “Ugh, it’s just… I know everyone’s going to be watching me tonight.”
“And this is a problem for you?” Priest said as he halted Robbie. “You’ve never had an issue being the center of attention. Last time I checked, that’s where you’re the most comfortable. What’s really going on here? Your parents have been incredibly welcoming this weekend, as have your sisters.”
Robbie scrunched his nose. “I know. But the rest of my family has always looked at me like the loud, out-there gay relative, who was super amusing but never taken seriously. And tonight, I…I don’t want to embarrass you or Julien.”
Priest’s heart softened, but that was the only thing. “Sweetheart, have you met your family? They’re not exactly a quiet, retiring bunch.”
How Robbie thought he could embarrass them by being himself was beyond Priest. But it was time to make sure he understood and realized how extremely proud Priest and Julien were to be his. It was time to give Robbie something else to think about.
Priest ran a finger down one of Robbie’s suspenders, and then he slipped it behind the elastic, smoothed it back up to mid-chest, and tugged on it. “Come closer.”
“Any closer and I’ll be— Oh,” Robbie said, as Priest wound his other arm around Robbie’s waist and pulled him against his close-to-naked body.
Priest ran his eyes all over Robbie’s beautiful face. “You’ll be exactly where I want you. You look beautiful tonight. Pretty eyes, shiny lips.” Priest brought a hand up and ran his thumb along the seam of Robbie’s mouth. “Open them for me.” Robbie’s lips parted, and when Priest slipped his thumb inside, he said, “Suck.”
Robbie’s cheeks hollowed out as he swirled his tongue around Priest’s thumb, and a growl rumbled in Priest’s throat.
“Take my towel off,” Priest said as he slid a hand down to cup Robbie’s ass, and when Robbie’s fingers slipped behind the knot and pulled the towel free, Priest hauled his delectable body back in close.
Priest dragged his thumb free of Robbie’s mouth until he was holding his chin in a firm grip. He angled Robbie’s head to where he could see all the lovely lines of his face, and then Priest put his lips by Robbie’s temple and said, “You could never embarrass me or Julien.”
“I just—”
“No,” Priest said firmly. He wouldn’t have Robbie cutting himself down. “You listen to me. You are an incredible man. Smart, caring, and unbelievably sexy.” Priest looked into Robbie’s dark blue eyes. “Do you know how I know that?”
Robbie shook his head. “No.”
“Because you’re mine, and I love you.” Priest thrust his hips forward and, when Robbie whimpered, added, “And I don’t like anyone. So that must make you pretty fucking special.”
“Oh shit,” Robbie said as Priest walked him back to the wall and planted a hand by Robbie’s head.
“I don’t want to hear you say another bad thing about yourself. Do you understand me?”
Robbie nodded and wound his leg around Priest’s thigh, as he jammed his covered erection up against Priest’s naked one.
“You’re going to go down to your party, be your usual delightful self, and I am going to spend the whole night wishing I didn’t have any objections to fucking you in your parents’ house.”
“Technically we’re not in their house,” Robbie said as he rubbed himself a little harder against Priest.
“No,” Priest said.
“What if I ask really nicely?” Robbie said, and batted his lashes. Good—Robbie had clearly forgotten why he’d come up there in the first place, and that had been Priest’s goal.
“Still no,” Priest said, but couldn’t stop himself from grabbing hold of Robbie’s ass and really grinding his dick up against his soft pants. “I’m trying really hard to let you walk out of here without messing you up.”
“Mess me up,” Robbie said. “I don’t care.”
“I do,” Priest said, and nipped at Robbie’s lower lip. “I want your parents to like us. That means respecting them, which means”—Priest reluctantly let Robbie go—“you need to leave. Now.”
Robbie lowered his eyes to Priest’s very erect cock and said, “Are you su—”
“Yes. Jesus, Robert,” Priest said. “Give me a break here.”
As Robbie slipped out from between him and the wall, Priest hung his head and started to count back from one hundred, and right about the time he thought he was somewhat under control, he heard, “Priest?”
Priest looked over his shoulder to see Robbie’s eyes all but sparkling.
“Hmm?”
“I think you’re really special too.”
“Fuck.” Priest wrapped a hand around the base of his dick and groaned, and knew he was about to head back to the shower he’d just left. “Get out
of here, flirt.”
Robbie bit on his lip, opened the door, and left. And somehow, Priest had a feeling Robbie was no longer thinking about how he would embarrass Priest or Julien, but more likely how he’d keep his hands to himself.
A problem Priest knew he was going to have a hard time tackling himself.
WHEN ROBBIE HAD said his family was big, Julien hadn’t quite envisioned just how big. Really, he should’ve guessed, considering the sheer amount of food and alcohol that had been purchased and prepared for tonight’s party. But as more and more people arrived, Julien found himself staring out at a sea of loud, chatty Italians—and loved it.
It had been several hours since the party had begun, and it was now in full swing as they headed toward the midnight hour. With the alcohol flowing, Julien had found Robbie’s family to be kind but…inquisitive. More so as the evening went on.
They’d each made him and Priest feel welcome, and been polite in how they approached the topic of them and Robbie. But as the latest relative—Robbie’s Uncle Nico—talked his ear off, Julien had to admit, it was rather amusing to watch him tiptoe around what he really wanted to ask. So far, though, whenever someone got a little too invasive with their questions, one of Robbie’s sisters saved the day.
With a fresh drink in hand, Julien was about to head out to find Robbie and Priest, when he spotted Penny standing with a couple with an uneasy expression on her face, as though she wanted be anywhere but there.
Wanting to make sure she was feeling okay, Julien made his way over, and when he stopped by her side, she gave him a strained smile, then wound her arm around his elbow and said, “Oh, look who’s here. I’m not sure if you’ve met our celebrity guest tonight. But let me introduce you.”
Julien quickly deduced that what was making Penny feel slightly nauseated had nothing to do with her health, but perhaps the people she’d gotten stuck talking to.
Julien’s eyes shifted between the man and woman staring at him. The woman beamed, her brown eyes smiling right along with her lips, while the man looked like he was sucking on a lemon.
“This is Julien Thornton,” Penny said, as she patted Julien’s arm. “He was the winner on Chef Master.”
“Oh yes,” the woman said. “I remember now. You’re French, aren’t you?”
“Oui, that’s correct,” Julien said, and then held his hand out to her. “And you are?”
“I’m Mary Beth Paulson. And this is Jack, my husband.”
Jack Paulson. Jack Paulson… As Julien ran the name over in his head, he tried to place how he knew it. But considering he’d just met Robbie’s entire family twenty-four hours ago, the likelihood of him actually knowing the man was slim to none.
But that name, Julien thought. It’s so familiar.
“Bonsoir,” Julien said, and held his hand out to Jack. “It’s nice to meet you. And how are you related to the Bianchi clan?”
“He’s not,” Penny said, and her tone, while friendly, had taken on a slightly sharper edge. Julien glanced her way, but Penny’s eyes were locked on the handsome man standing by his smiling wife. “He’s a longtime family friend.”
Jack nodded. “That’s right—we used to take summer vacation by their holiday home at the lake. Our families are close.”
Mary Beth laughed and ran a hand up and down Jack’s arm, completely oblivious to the tension thrumming in the air. “Robbie used to have a crush on him, right, Penny? He always joked that watching Jack in the lake was the reason he knew he was gay. I mean, could you blame him?”
As Julien tried to process that piece of information, Penny’s fingers tightened on his arm.
“No,” Penny said. “No one could blame him. In fact, I’m pretty sure each of us Bianchis had a crush on Jack at one time. But it always passed, like a bad case of chlamydia.”
And that was when it hit, the exact reason Julien knew Jack Paulson’s name. Jack Paulson was—as Robbie had so eloquently put it one night—the Bianchi Baby Daddy.
“What?” Robbie had said. “He was bound to impregnate one of us with all the testosterone he threw around. Hell, I’m surprised he didn’t knock me up.”
“That’s really mature, Penny,” Jack said, bringing Julien back to the tense discussion underway.
“That’s me,” Penny said, the happy couple in front of her having clearly destroyed any attempt she’d been making to employ good manners. “Maturing, ripening. More and more every day.”
“Dieu,” Julien said under his breath, as he plastered on his best smile and grabbed hold of Penny’s arm. He needed to get her away from these two, stat—especially Mary Beth, who was still trying for a polite smile even through her confusion.
“Veuillez nous excuser, but do you mind if I steal Penny? I’m hoping she can help me track down Robbie,” Julien said, and as he pulled her aside, Penny aimed blurred eyes his way, an apology written all over her face as Julien led her through the crowd.
As they pushed through the back door and walked out onto the porch, the loud music and conversation greeted them. But instead of heading down to where the double garages were lit up under twinkle lights for the dance floor, Penny went in the opposite direction.
Not willing to let a hormonal pregnant woman out of his sight, Julien followed, thinking he might run into Robbie along the way. But as she disappeared around the side of the house where there were no lights, Julien saw her take a seat on a concrete step and moved until he could take the spot beside her.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
Penny put her face in her hands. “Not really.”
“Okay,” Julien said, and when he remained silent, she looked at him.
“That’s it?” she asked. Confused, Julien frowned, and she cracked a half smile. “Usually when someone in our family asks that and you say no, they give you a few seconds then launch a barrage of questions anyway.”
Julien grinned and shrugged. “If you don’t want to talk, who am I to make you?”
“My brother’s married boyfriend?”
Julien let out a bark of laughter, enjoying himself immensely. “Oui, I am that. But don’t start pointing fingers, or I might.”
Penny laughed along with him, and then shook her head. “I’m a mess. I can’t believe I just went off like that.”
“You’re upset,” Julien said. “I assume he knows?”
Penny nodded. “He knows. But no one else does. I mean, except Felicity, Val, and Robbie. Ugh, one stupid night is going to ruin a lifetime of our families being close. God. I’m such a coward.”
“Non,” Julien said. “You’re not ready. That’s all.”
Penny turned her face toward him, and her eyes were so like Robbie’s that Julien said, “You remind me so much of your brother.”
“Because we’ve both brought scandal to the Bianchi name?”
Julien grinned. “Non. You both follow your hearts. No matter the consequences. That’s brave.”
“Or stupid.”
“No one said being brave was smart. That’s why it’s brave. It takes courage to go after what you want.”
Penny narrowed her eyes. “Do you really love two men?”
Julien couldn’t help but think this was more her wondering about Jack than himself. But he answered her anyway. “I do. Very much.”
Closing her eyes, Penny put a hand on her belly and whispered, “I wish things could be as easy as that for us.”
Julien studied her as she sat in the moonlight, and when a tear ran down her cheek, he said, “Maybe it will be, in time.”
“Maybe,” she said, and then aimed a halfhearted smile at him. “But can you promise me something?” When Julien nodded, Penny locked eyes with him and said, “Make sure Robbie knows that he’s just as important to the both of you as the piece of paper you share with Priest.”
As Julien sat there on the Bianchis’ back step, he saw a flash of Jacquelyn in her direct stare, and found himself nodding. This weekend he felt as though he’d found a part of himself that ha
d been missing, and he knew that was because of the women in this house, that sisterly love that was in such abundance for their brother, and he was positive he would’ve done anything to make Robbie’s sister happy in that moment. But this, he already had in the bag—it was one of the main reasons he and Priest had wanted this weekend to happen.
“You have my word,” he said, and when she startled, Julien jumped, and Penny began to laugh.
“I’m sorry. She kicked,” she said, and shifted her hand on her belly to feel it again. “Give me your hand.”
Julien’s eyes widened, and he shook his head.
“Oh, come on. You’re practically family. You’re probably going to be one of this kid’s uncles. Feel her kick.”
Julien let her pull his hand over to her swollen stomach, and a firm little jab whacked out at his palm. Penny started laughing again.
“You look horrified.”
“I am,” Julien admitted. “Doesn’t that hurt?”
“Does what hurt?” Robbie said from behind them, and Julien turned to see him and Felicity walking through the French doors of the living room.
As the noise spilled out into the small courtyard, Penny said, “Hurry up and shut the door.”
“What are you two doing out here?” Felicity asked.
“Hiding,” Penny replied. “And then the baby started to kick and freaked out the gay man.”
Julien’s mouth fell open, but before he could defend himself, Robbie dropped down on his knees beside his sister and said, “I want to feel.”
Penny took his hand and placed it in the same spot Julien’s had just been, and when the baby kicked again, his eyes flew to Julien’s.
“Oh my God,” Robbie said. “That’s so weird.”
“Weird?” Penny said. “How about magical? Wondrous?”
The baby kicked again. “Weird.” Robbie laughed. “It’s weirdly wonderful. How’s that?”
Penny rolled her eyes, but it was clear she was pleased. “That’ll do.”
“So who are you hiding from?” Robbie asked.
“Jack,” Penny said, as Felicity guessed, “Valerie?”
“Valerie?” Penny said. “Why would I be hiding from Valerie?”