Confessions: The Princess, The Prick & The Priest (Confessions Series Book 4)

by Ella Frank

  “Yes,” Priest said, and Julien added, “We do.”

  “Is…” Sofia started, and then placed a hand on her chest. “Is that even possible? How can you do that?”

  “By having a ceremony,” Priest said, blunt and to the point, and Julien smiled before turning to Robbie’s parents to explain.

  “We want to invite the people he loves to celebrate this with him. We know we can’t have a traditional, legal marriage, per se. But Priest’s working on the best way to make everything we own legally equal among the three of us, and we have a plan to make him feel just as connected, just as loved, as we are.”

  As Robbie’s parents stared at the two of them, Priest wondered if this was the moment where they told them to leave and never come back. He wouldn’t be surprised at all. This was a lot for most. But then again, most people didn’t have someone as unique as Robert Bianchi as their son.

  “You’re going to make sure he’s taken care of?” Antonio said.

  Priest and Julien nodded.

  “Yes.”

  “Oui.”

  Antonio looked to his wife and shook his head. “That boy of ours. You always said he marched to the beat of his own drum.”

  Priest was positive his heart was beating in time to that drum right now, as he looked into Julien’s eyes and saw the same yearning for acceptance from these two, because they both knew their lives would be so much better with this family in it.

  “Have you asked Robert yet?” Sofia said.

  “Non,” Julien said. “We’ve wanted to for a little while now. But not until we met all of you. Which is why we were so excited he finally brought us up here. We’d like your blessing before we ask him.”

  Sofia’s eyes blurred as she looked to her husband and nodded.

  “You have our blessing,” Antonio said. “Mainly because I need two more men in the family to balance out all the estrogen. But if you hurt him—”

  “We won’t,” they both said.

  “—I will hurt you. Capito?”

  As the same question from the first night was directed at them, they both answered much more quickly this time around: “We do.”

  “Okay,” Antonio said, and held his hand out to Priest, and after he shook it, Antonio turned to Julien and did the same. “Then we wish you luck. It’s probably good there’s two of you, anyway. That boy is a handful.”

  Priest wasn’t about to agree or disagree with that, and luckily for him, Sofia spoke up.

  “All this talk about getting engaged—can I show you two something?” she said.

  “Of course,” Julien said, as she reached for one of the thick photo albums up on the shelf. As she flipped through it, Antonio put on one of Sinatra’s records, and when she finally found what she was looking for, Sofia handed the album over to them.

  “I’ve been telling Robbie and the girls about this place for years—any excuse, really. My only regret is I didn’t take more photos than this one,” she said, as she pointed to the gorgeous black-and-white image. “That’s where we got engaged. Nothing but the two of us…and love. Beautiful, isn’t it?”

  It certainly was, and as Sofia used this as her latest excuse to revisit the past, both Julien and Priest knew one thing right then. However they planned to do this, they wanted it to be something that Robbie was telling years later, with as much love in his eyes as Sofia.

  Chapter Thirteen

  We’re never going to be able

  to say no to him again, are we?

  ~ Julien & Priest

  JULIEN STEPPED OUT of the bustling Chicago street Wednesday afternoon and into the elegant marble lobby of the building that housed Mitchell & Madison. He’d called ahead of time to check if Priest was back from his morning in court, and then Julien had suggested he swing by with lunch.

  After their weekend up at the Bianchis’, the two of them had realized it was going to take some stealthy planning to pull off any kind of surprise engagement for someone as curious as Robbie. So they’d decided their best course of action was to only talk about it away from the house, where inquisitive ears might overhear.

  Julien got in the elevator and punched the button for Priest’s floor, and as he leaned up against the back wall, several other people got on including…

  “Julien. Hello,” Logan Mitchell said.

  “Bonjour. How are you?” Julien asked.

  “Good. Good. Just getting back from a lunch meeting. You?”

  Julien held up the black bag with his name on it. “Just going to one.”

  “I’d never usually be jealous of Priest, but I’ve got to say, having lunch delivered from your restaurant makes me a little green.”

  Julien grinned. “I find that feeding him keeps him agreeable.”

  “I’ll have to remember that,” Logan said, and slipped a hand into his pocket. “He said you guys had a good time up at the Bianchis’ this weekend.”

  “We did. Robbie’s family is exactly as you’d imagine them to be.”

  “So, loud, excitable, and all talking a mile a minute?”

  Julien started to laugh, thinking of Robbie’s sisters. “Exactly like that. They’re wonderful. It was really quite remarkable to see.”

  “I’m sure.” Logan chuckled. “And you made it back in one piece. I was a little worried we’d be down a partner after this.”

  “Oui. We survived. We even managed to win over his parents.”

  As the elevator hit the floor and the doors slid open, Julien stepped out.

  “I have no problem seeing that with you,” Logan said. “But Priest? I would be lying if I didn’t say I was slightly concerned.”

  Julien walked with Logan toward the receptionist, and when she looked up, Logan said, “Any calls, Tiffany?”

  “No,” she said with a winning smile. “But Sherry’s looking for you.”

  “Got it. If you see her before I do, can you let her know I’m back?”

  “Will do,” she said, and then turned her eyes toward Julien. “Mr. Priestley said you can head straight back, as long as you brought food.”

  Logan glanced over his shoulder at Julien, who held the bag up. “I don’t know about this jovial side of Priest. Him making wisecracks just doesn’t seem right.”

  Julien followed Logan down the hall past the clear walls of the conference room. “He’s happy.”

  “Exactly. It’s disturbing,” Logan said, and when they reached the doors that led into Logan’s office, he stopped with his hand on the door handle. “Have a good lunch, and if he happens to leave any leftovers…”

  “He never does,” Julien said, and waved as Logan disappeared inside his office and called out, “It was worth a try.”

  Julien walked to the door of the middle office, and when he knocked and heard Priest say, “Come in,” a smile crossed Julien’s face.

  Julien pushed open the door, and when Priest looked up from his computer and spotted him, he smiled.

  “Bonjour, monsieur. Je crois que vous avez commandé un déjeuner?”

  Priest sat back in his seat, his eyes eating up the space between them as Julien walked in. “Je l’ai fait. But now I find myself hungry for something other than food.”

  Julien smirked, and then pointed to the door he’d just shut. “So you won’t mind if I take this down to Logan, then? He was just asking.”

  “Don’t you dare,” Priest said. “Bring it, and yourself, over here.”

  Julien looked around Priest’s office and smiled at the framed diplomas hanging on the wall, the dramatic silhouetted cityscape of Chicago, and, of course, the enormous bookshelf that housed Priest’s law and reference books. There were tasteful knickknacks, along with framed photos of Priest with his two men, and to this day, it still surprised Julien that Priest had agreed to let Robbie have free rein to do as he pleased to his office.

  He had done a fantastic job, of course, and considering Robbie’s flair for everything bright and happy, he’d managed to temper those tendencies and keep Priest’s workspace m
ore Priest. But it was still quite the shock to see the place look so…permanent.

  “Where are your manners, mon amour? I slaved over a hot oven to make this for you.”

  “You slave over a hot oven every day for strangers,” Priest pointed out. “But if you bring it over here, I promise to show you how grateful I am.”

  Julien put the bag on top of Priest’s desk and then walked around it to greet his husband with a kiss. Julien shut his eyes and let himself savor the taste of Priest, and as he went to pull away, Priest took hold of his face and deepened the connection.

  Julien stumbled forward slightly and had to put a hand on the back of Priest’s chair, but when Priest angled his head up, Julien took full advantage. He cradled one side of Priest’s face and grazed his thumb along his beard, as he teased and tormented Priest with his tongue until a growl left him.

  “I think that’s sufficiently grateful,” Julien said. “Any more and lunch won’t be what you are eating.”

  Priest smiled as Julien moved back to the other side of his desk, but before he sat down, he pulled out two round containers and put one in front of Priest along with a bottle of water and his utensils. “Today you are eating Blanquette de veau.”

  “Which is?”

  “In layman’s terms?” Julien said. “A veal and vegetable stew of sorts, cooked in a heavy cream sauce.”

  Once they were settled and had uncovered their meals, Priest took a deep inhale and said, “Everyone on this floor is about to hate me. This smells fantastic, Julien.”

  “Bien. A happy wife means a happy life.”

  Priest raised an eyebrow, and when Julien laughed, Priest said, “No wives allowed. But speaking of marriage, let’s see if we can come to an agreement on how we want to ask Robbie to join ours.”

  PRIEST PICKED UP the fork and took his first bite. As the delicious flavors hit his taste buds, he hummed. The dish was incredible. Actually, it reminded him a lot of the chef who had made it. It was warm, rich, creamy, and very French, and when he looked across his desk to see Julien watching his every move, Priest said, “This is divine.”

  A pleased expression crossed Julien’s face, and Priest loved the fact that, even to this day, after all the accolades and training, this talented man still looked to him for approval.

  “That makes me happy,” Julien said, as if he could somehow read Priest’s mind.

  “I know. And that, in turn, makes me happy.”

  “Of course it does,” Julien said as he picked up his own fork and began to eat. “Have you given any more thought to what we could do for Robbie?”

  Priest nodded as he reached for the bottle of water and twisted off the lid. “A little bit. What about you?”

  “The same. I feel like however we do it, it should be—”

  “Big?” Priest suggested, remembering just how much Robbie enjoyed a grand gesture.

  “Not necessarily big,” Julien said, and then took another bite of food. “But certainly something memorable.”

  “Agreed. And something he won’t guess.”

  Julien nodded as he picked up the baguette he’d brought and ripped off the end. As he dunked it into the sauce and took a bite, Priest said, “I think we can safely cross off singing.”

  Julien swallowed and brought his hand to his mouth as he laughed. “Especially if we want him to say yes.”

  Priest glared at his husband. “I meant because we’d already done it. But thank you for that, Julien.”

  “Je t’en prie,” Julien said. “We could go on a vacation.”

  “I thought about that too,” Priest said. “But he might think something’s up if we plan a getaway out of the blue.”

  “You’re right. Maybe we can save that for the honeymoon. Paris?”

  Priest’s cock jerked at the way that city’s name sounded falling off Julien’s tongue, and as he shifted in his seat, Julien’s mouth curved into a sensual smile.

  Just thinking about the three of them spending a week or two in that city had Priest wanting to pick up his phone to book the tickets. “That is a marvelous idea, Mr. Thornton.”

  “I think so. I’d like to show our princesse my home country, and enjoy the both of you as only the French can.”

  “Jesus, Julien. Stop looking at me like that.”

  “I’m just eating my lunch.”

  “You’re playing with fire is what you’re doing.”

  “My apologies. Let’s get back to what we were discussing.”

  Priest shifted on his seat again, and Julien’s warm chuckle filled the room.

  “Keep it up, mon cœur…” Priest said.

  “I think I already am.”

  Priest gritted his teeth and reached for the baguette. As he ripped a piece off and tried to satisfy at least one of his hungers, Julien said, “Okay. Tell me some of the things you were thinking.”

  Priest finished his mouthful and looked at the notepad on his desk. A get-together with family, a private dinner, a big announcement somewhere public. But none of that seemed right now, and they both wanted this perfect for Robbie.

  “I don’t like any of these,” Priest admitted, and then both of their phones chimed.

  Robbie: Since I have to work this weekend, how about we make date night tomorrow night?

  With the three of them having such busy schedules, they’d decided early in their relationship that one night a week, the three of them would go out somewhere on a date. If it fell on Robbie’s weekend, they generally picked a night he was free during the week. They could go anywhere, do anything—all that was required was that all three of them be there.

  Priest and Julien reached for their phones at the same time.

  Priest: Sounds good, sweetheart. Julien? Are you free?

  Julien eyed him over the desk. “You’re bad.”

  Priest smirked and took another bite of his food as Julien typed.

  Julien: I can shuffle some things around. Did you have something in mind you wanted to do?

  “He would kick our asses if he knew we were eating your food without him,” Priest said, finishing off his lunch.

  “It’s for a good reason,” Julien said. “But I also saved him a dish, so act surprised when I give it to him tonight.”

  Priest chuckled as another message came through.

  Robbie: Welll, I thought it might be fun if we all went out dancing. You know, since Priest owes me.

  Priest’s laughter came to an abrupt halt as he read that, and Julien grinned.

  “You didn’t think you’d get out of that, did you?” Julien asked.

  “I was hoping,” Priest mumbled.

  “No such luck. Once he saw you with Valerie, it was all over for you. Our princesse won’t be satisfied until he’s rubbed her off your body…and mind.”

  When neither of them answered right away, another message came through.

  Robbie: Aww, come on. You know you want to, Priest…

  As a kissy-face emoji followed, Priest shook his head. “We’re never going to be able to say no to him again now that he knows what buttons to push.”

  “You’ve got a point,” Julien said as he texted back, and when Julien’s message came through, Priest said, “Traitor.”

  Julien: I’d love to spend the night bumping and grinding with you and Priest.

  Robbie: Mmm…think about it, Priest. You, me, and Julien, all rubbing up against each other.

  Priest: I can do that every morning in the shower.

  Robbie: Not to hot, sexed-up music. And not in public. That makes it even hotter.

  “Fucking hell,” Priest said as he aimed his eyes at Julien. “I’m not going to win this, am I?”

  Julien didn’t have to say it; Priest already knew the answer—no.

  Priest: Okay. Pick a place. But can you and Julien please stop talking about grinding all over me, I’m trying to work.

  “Liar,” Julien said, as he got to his feet and started to pack away the dirty containers.

  Robbie: Fine. I was jus
t going to go and get ready for work anyway. I’ll think about what moves I want to put on you in there. You know, when I’m all naked, and wet, and—

  Priest: Goodbye, Robert.

  Robbie: LOL…

  Troublemaker.

  Julien: Au revoir, princesse.

  As they put their phones down, Priest said, “His parents were right: that man is a handful.”

  Julien stilled, his hands in the bag. “Do you have a little more time right now?”

  “Yes, why?”

  “I think I just had an idea on what we could do.”

  “Really?”

  Julien sat back down in his chair and grinned. “Vraiment,” he said, and as he began to talk, Priest agreed.

  Julien’s idea was perfect, and not an hour later, the two of them had put together the perfect plan to make Robert Bianchi theirs.

  Chapter Fourteen

  I just love his feisty mouth.

  Fuck yes, I do ~ Priest

  IS THERE ANYTHING sexier than the throbbing beat of a song designed to make your body vibrate, your blood pump, and your inhibitions take the night off?

  Well, okay, maybe there’s two sexier things—

  “Hand, please.” The burly man stationed at the front door of CRUSH interrupted Robbie’s thoughts as the couple in front of him, Julien, and Priest, disappeared inside.

  Robbie offered his hand as a queen might a commoner, and when the big guy took it and pressed the stamp to the back of his palm, he winked at Robbie and said, “You’re good to go, pretty boy.”

  A throat clearing behind Robbie had the man looking over his shoulder. And while Robbie had never really seen the appeal of having a possessive partner in the past, knowing that Julien and Priest were likely giving this guy a look that screamed, Back the fuck off, made not only his heart happy, but also something a little further south.

  Robbie moved to the side so Julien could step forward, and as he held his hand out, it was all Robbie could do not to reach down and adjust his misbehaving cock.