"Is everything okay?" Slayde peeked in.
"Besides you seducing my brother and having nookie while I'm celibate girl? No, we're good."
"Well, there are all those soldiers there, Mindy. Just use protection."
Drake was going to scream. "That's my sister," he growled. He did not need to hear about her getting it on with anyone.
"Uh-huh. I was in the delivery room for the last baby. I've seen her hoo-ha. Protection."
"I do not want to hear that!" Jesus, he was going to have nightmares about that. It was almost worse than coming out to her.
Mindy and Slayde both cracked up, sounding like idiots. "He's kind of grumpy."
Slayde shook his head. "He's amazing."
"He's sitting right here," he muttered dryly. He gave Slayde a half-smile, though.
"And he's a turd." That was his little sister. "There's a chance they'll be sending us home early. Maybe by October, even."
"Wow, that's soon." Why did Mindy coming home so soon send a line of panic down his spine? And really, why did three months sound like it was just around the corner? They had time.
"I know, right? It'll be amazing. Don't tell the kids, though."
Slayde chuckled. "I won't."
"I won't either." The kids were having a hard enough time getting that mommy wasn't coming home in time for school, let alone Christmas. If they spilled the beans on this and it didn't happen, the kids would be devastated.
"Okay, guys. It's late. Love you both."
"Night, Minds. Be safe."
The window went still and Slayde looked at him. "You cool?"
He snorted. He had no fucking clue. "She thought you were taking advantage of me."
"I'm sorry." Slayde sure said that a lot.
"Do you think you took advantage of me?"
"No. No, I think I fell in love with you and that's probably a little dumb."
It made him catch his breath when Slayde said that. Just like it had the first time. "And that makes you say you're sorry?"
"I think hurting you will always make me say I'm sorry." And Slayde turned and left.
"What the fuck? When did you hurt me?" Goddamn it, this was a whole lot easier when it was just one night stands. A lot less satisfying though.
Travis met him in the hallway with a filthy apron. "I'm supposed to ask if you want four or five pancakes."
Goddamn it, there were too fucking many people in the house. "Five. Is he in the kitchen?"
"We sent him upstairs for a shower."
He growled. Goddamn it.
Travis raised an eyebrow. "We can deal with the kids if you need to go see him."
"Okay, thanks. Five minutes."
He headed up the stairs for the bathroom. He heard the shower running, heard Slayde singing. Wow. The man could sing. He spent a long moment standing outside the door, listening.
He could just go back downstairs, but that would have been the coward's way out and Slayde deserved to know… Fuck if he knew, but the man was upset and Drake was pretty sure it was his fault and Slayde hadn't done anything wrong. The man loved him. That was…a huge thing, but Slayde shouldn't have to feel like had to say "I'm sorry" for it.
He knocked. "It's Drake."
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing." He went in, closing the door and locking it behind him. "Nothing's wrong." How did he do this? What exactly was this?
Slayde was naked, wet, soapy, and perfect. "Well, good."
"I…" He took a breath. He really didn't know what to say. "You. It." Damn it.
"It's okay. I know. I know. I didn't mean to fuck things up for you."
He shook his head. "It's not you." He was the one who was so deep in the closet he had no clue where the door was. It wasn't fair of him to put all that on Slayde. Especially not when he'd been the one to seduce the man.
"You know that you'll go back to work when she comes home and I'll have to move wherever I can get a job. Your secret is safe."
"I don't want you to feel bad." That was easy enough, and the truth.
"I don't want to feel bad either." The water turned off and Slayde wrapped a towel around him. "But I will, when you leave, because I'm in love with you."
Fuck, that made him catch his breath again. "You keep saying that."
"It's still true."
He grabbed Slayde's shoulders and tugged him in for a kiss. Slayde gasped, wet chest hitting him, dead on. Fuck, kissing Slayde made everything else fade away. He wasn't sure what that meant. He could worry about it later, right now he was kissing Slayde like there was no tomorrow.
Slayde stepped closer, lips open, soft, fucking sweet. Moaning, he sucked on Slayde's tongue.
Slayde moaned, pulled back a bit. "What are we doing?"
His right eyebrow went up. "Uh…kissing?"
"In the bathroom? Naked?"
He looked around, nodded. "Pretty much. At least you're naked. I'm dressed."
Slayde grinned. "Dork."
He stuck his tongue out at Slayde for that. Slayde grabbed it between two fingers. He poked Slayde in the stomach and then took another kiss the second Slayde let go of his tongue God, he loved that laughter. He'd never kissed laughter like that.
Moaning, he slid a hand around Slayde's waist, tugging him in. The towel fell to the ground and his hands wrapped around Slayde's tight ass. He leaned back against the door, tugging Slayde with him. It was hot and steamy and fucking good.
"The kids…"
Were with Travis and Joey.
"With your friends." They could do this. They needed to do this.
"Uh-huh." Slayde dove back in for another kiss. "Hurry."
He squeezed Slayde's ass, rubbing the man against him. "Shorts," he grunted.
"I'm naked."
"No shit, Sherlock. I'm not." He bit at Slayde's lower lip.
"Oh." They looked at each other, and they both started to grin.
Chuckling, he bit at Slayde's lower lip again. Slayde shoved his shorts down, fingers wrapping around his cock.
"Fuck." He nodded, "Yours too."
Slayde grunted, caught both of their cocks together. He squeezed the finest ass he'd ever held and nodded. Slayde didn't play around, hand moving hard
