Page 31 of The Princess

“I see he’s pulling out the big guns.” Damon motioned to the television.

“It’s not like my apartment has a real fireplace.”

“Yeah, but you could get one of those electric ones that plug into the wall like Ethan has.” Damon flipped the basket open and rummaged around, laying all the containers out on the floor between them.

Nash looked suitably impressed by the spread. “You made all this?”

“You sound surprised. I do work in a diner. I know that doesn’t make me the next Gordon Ramsay or anything, but I know how to cook things.”

“I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just a lot of food. It looks delicious.” Nash grabbed a container and popped the top off, discovering the macaroni and cheese in the phyllo dough.

“Well, to be fair, Damon knows how to eat.” Taylor laughed as Damon shoved a giant forkful of pasta salad in his mouth. “And it gave me an excuse to try a bunch of different things I saw on the internet.”

Nash bit into the macaroni and cheese and Taylor grinned when his eyes went wide and he made a pleased sound.

“Good, right? And they’re even better when they’re hot from the oven.”

“You’re definitely having us over for dinner,” Damon said. His suggestion made Taylor frown. If they were over at his place, it wouldn’t be long before everyone knew what they were doing.

“Maybe I could cook for you two here, or at your place, Damon.”

Nash snorted. “You’d have to cook here. Damon has one pot and a microwave. I don’t think he even has a frying pan.”

Taylor’s eyes went wide and he gaped at Damon. “How do you manage to survive?”

“Premade shit. Salads. Chicken strips. Microwave meals. And there’s also this cute little diner that I like to go to. The food is great, and the cook is fucking hot.”

Taylor’s cheeks turned to fire. “Okay, so cooking at Damon’s house is out. I’d love to cook for the three of us.”

Taylor had simple dreams. Picnics by the lake. Dinner dates and home-cooked meals by candlelight. He didn’t care who suggested it or who did what, so long as he got to share it with someone special. Now that he suddenly had two people to share things with, it was like a dream come true. Not that he dreamed of ending up in a polyamorous love triangle with two amazing men, but he wasn’t about to argue with fate, or destiny, or kismet, or whatever was responsible for this wonderful turn of events.

He’d always been a romantic. He loved the idea of dressing up and looking nice for someone. Growing up, he watched as many romantic comedies as Jonah and Colby would allow. Jonah was more into action movies and Colby liked dramas. Or those depressing stories that were based on real events. But Taylor had liked the love stories. The cheesier, the better. The grand gestures of undying love did him in every time.

In his head, he was already planning the menu for their dinner date here. And how he’d dress up the table. What he would wear. He didn’t even care what Nash or Damon wore. They could show up in basketball shorts. Taylor’s cock twitched. Okay, he was definitely fine with that idea. Maybe he could use the opportunity to sneak a few plants in here, too.

“He’s so cute,” Damon said to Nash. “You can practically see the wheels turning. What is going on in that beautiful brain of yours, princess?”

“Just planning the menu for our dinner date.” He shoved a bit of food into his mouth to keep it from spilling all his secret plans. And because they’d started calling him princess and he fucking loved hearing it. If he could, he’d record it and play it on loop in his ears. The fact that they’d given him a term of endearment already made him swoon. It wasn’t a normal, everyday one like honey, or baby, or something like that. It felt special. Like they’d never used it on anyone else before and it was just his.

Damon snacked on the peanut butter-stuffed pretzel bites that Taylor admittedly didn’t make but packed because he knew Damon liked them. There was definitely something to be said for dating someone he already knew pretty well. It made certain things easier, like food choices. Other things it complicated, like the fact that until they were ready to tell people, Taylor couldn’t exactly have them over to his place.

Maybe it was time to move out. His dad could rent the basement out to someone else and make more money. Taylor paid rent, but he knew it was a lot less than his dad could get from someone else. And if he didn’t have a basement unit, he could give his plants more natural light.

“So how does this work?” Damon asked. “Do we always hang out in a group like this or what?”

Taylor looked to Nash for answers, just as Damon was doing. It seemed that they’d nominated him as the voice of reason. They acted like Nash was the head of the household, but he was the most grounded, so it made sense. Taylor hoped that he didn’t mind the role they’d given him.

“It works like any other relationship. With communication. I don’t think we always need to be together. Damon and I had a relationship prior to this and that’s still important to me. But it’s also important to me that he has time with you.” Nash looked at Taylor, and for a second, he couldn’t breathe. “And that I have time with you.”

Oxygen flooded his veins and he fought the urge to scramble across the blanket and plop himself down in Nash’s lap.

“It’s something we’ll have to work out amongst ourselves. And, yes, we should make a point to spend time as a group like this.”

Nash winked at him. Fucking winked. The cruel man, because winking meant he was thinking thoughts that were probably X-rated. And now so was Taylor. And they’d already agreed to slow things down. Because if Taylor had his way, he’d be the entree at their little picnic.

Taylor desperately needed a change of subject. All this relationship talk was starting to make his head spin. He needed time to digest everything and goddamn Nash for being right about slowing down.

“Speaking of work, what are you writing now?” Taylor asked Nash. Over the years he’d learned about Nash’s career, but not a lot. Nash kept most things close to his chest. Or at least he did with Taylor.

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