“Because you weren’t happy when I said it.”
“That’s not what I was unhappy about.”
“Then what is it?” Gage cupped his jaw, brushing his thumb across Ulric’s lower lip. Tingles raced through Ulric’s skin. “Tell me, Muffin.”
Ulric sighed. “Am I really a muffin?”
Gage grinned. “Well, you said I’m the stud.”
“That’s true.”
In a whisper, Gage added, “I like your curves. A lot.”
Ulric thought about protesting, but Gage took his hand, rubbing it against his bulge. That was inappropriate. And lovely.
“Gage, where is—” Wilkie stopped abruptly in the kitchen doorway, his eyes almost falling out of his head. Then he spun around, heading straight out. “I did not just see that.”
Ulric’s heart sank. He hadn’t realized that he’d wanted Gage’s family to accept him, too.
It’s not like Gage wants you to be part of his family.
“Hey, Wilkes. Come back.” Gage leaned away, grasping Ulric’s hand. “We’ll need to get this straight now that you’re living here.”
Ulric flushed. Wilkie turned back, looking awkward.
“Time for proper introductions,” Gage said.
“We already went over that,” Ulric muttered.
Gage gave him a pointed look. “Ulric, this is Wilkie, my little brat brother. He’s working on a college degree right now.”
“I’m not a brat,” Wilkie said. He smiled at Ulric, though. “Thanks again for letting me come live with you. If you want to win any favors with Gage, he’s a sucker for lemon popsicles.”
“I didn’t know that,” Ulric admitted, tucking the information away.
“And he also likes lace panties.” Wilkie rolled his eyes. “Ask me how I know.”
“How?” Ulric asked, glancing at Gage. Lace panties, huh?
Gage’s ears turned pink. “Wilkes, you traitor!”
Wilkie puffed up, all indignant. “Well, if you didn’t bring some random person home and they threw their panties on my teddy—which is pretty gross, just so you know—”
“I threw it in the trash,” Gage protested. Then he met Ulric’s eyes, looking apologetic. “I don’t remember who it was, actually. Couldn’t have been all that interested in them. And I scrubbed down your teddy, Wilkes.”
“Teddy turned all splotchy after that,” Wilkie said. To Ulric, he added, “You probably don’t want Gage scrubbing you down, or you’ll end up with missing patches—”
“Wilkes. I’m sorry about your teddy, but hush.” Gage flipped him off. “Anyway, this is Ulric. We’re really close friends.”
Wilkie looked from Gage, to Ulric, and back to Gage. “Friends, huh?”
Ulric’s neck heated. The things he did with Gage... those weren’t what regular friends engaged in. Not the kisses, not the cock-sucking, and definitely not any intimate touching in front of family.
Gage met his eyes, looking as though there was more he wanted to say. In a regular movie, this was where Gage would introduce them as boyfriends.
Except they weren’t.
“So... you’re not boyfriends yet?” Wilkie asked. “Just alpha friends-with-benefits?”
Ulric cringed. That sounded a lot worse than ‘friends’.
“We’re still considering it,” Gage said, sliding his arm around Ulric’s waist. He looked wistful. “I don’t think we’re ready yet.”
They’d probably never be, really.
They waited until Wilkie left the kitchen. Gage pulled Ulric close, kissing him on the lips. “So... you still don’t wanna be more?” Gage murmured.
Ulric’s heart skipped. “You still want to?”
Gage gave him a lopsided smile. “Yeah. I told you, I like all of you.”
That sounded too good to be true. “It’s not... some kind of payment? For you living here?”
Gage’s smile fell. “You think I’d do that to you?”
Ulric bit his lip. He wanted to know what it was like to be Gage’s boyfriend. He wanted to be Gage’s, so much that his heart hurt. Every time Gage smiled at him, every time Gage told him he was perfect, Ulric’s defenses crumbled a little. And the wall around himself right now—it was almost paper-thin.
“I’m still trying to look good enough for you,” Ulric mumbled.
Gage pressed him against the counter. “You’re doing great with your diet. You’ve been getting really good with your cardio, too. But honestly? I just want you to be healthy so I can have you for a long time, babe. That’s all. I like your curves.”
“But you’re a gym rat,” Ulric protested.
Gage laughed. “Did I ever tell you why I got into this fitness thing?” Ulric shook his head. “I wasn’t gonna lose in a fight again. Going to the gym, getting stronger—all that became a habit. I enjoy it. But I don’t need you to do the same.”
Ulric turned Gage’s words over in his mind, trying to look for a nugget of judgment that would prove that Ulric wasn’t good enough. But he couldn’t find it. Gage just smiled at him, looking fond.
Ulric gulped. What if... Gage really thought he was perfect, and they could be more? “We’ll see,” he said.
Gage squeezed his ass. “No rush.” He kissed Ulric on the lips. That sent tingles all the way to Ulric’s toes. “Anyway, I stink from all that moving. I’m gonna take a shower, and then we’ll watch a movie, all right?”
Ulric nodded, smiling when Gage pressed a kiss to his temple.
He leaned back against the kitchen counter, half-thinking that maybe all of this was a dream. Then he went to the fridge, craving a sweet snack.
There were no sweets in the fridge—there hadn’t been for weeks. Ulric wanted a slice of cake, or maybe a fizzy drink. Or ice cream. Donuts. Muffins. Cookies. He checked every corner, and even the freezer. But he’d been thorough in purging all of those.
He sighed and looked down at himself, wishing this diet would show some results more quickly. They never did. Eventually, he settled on an apple that Gage had bought, crunching through its crisp flesh.
Ulric’s phone buzzed. He pulled it out—there was a new message from his mom. His heart sank. Was this the part where she told him she didn’t mind who he fell in love with?
He held his breath and opened the message. Against the gray background, her text read, I’ll be in southern California this week for a business meeting. I’ll expect you to show me around the city while I’m there.
Ulric sighed. He
