Page 70 of The Princess

“I thought you were taking this week off?” Taylor asked as he dropped onto the couch next to him. Nash shut his laptop and set it aside, then reached for him. Taylor lay down on Nash’s lap and closed his eyes, absorbing the delicious way it made him feel whenever Nash ran his fingers through his hair and massaged his scalp.

“I was just taking some notes for an idea I had,” Nash told him. “How did it go with Colby?”

“He was suitably remorseful.”

“As he should be. He missed you like crazy.”

“Good.” Taylor burrowed into Nash and closed his eyes. “I should shower the diner off me.”

He’d already worked his shift that day, and he tended to come home smelling like food. Nash and Damon swore up and down they didn’t mind.

“You’re tired.” Nash smoothed his fingers through Taylor’s hair again, tickling over his scalp. The motion was like magic, lulling Taylor to sleep.

“It’s been a long week,” Taylor complained. He tried to get up, but Nash held him down.

“Rest, princess. Get your beauty sleep.”

Taylor huffed out a laugh, but didn’t argue with Nash.

Sometime later, he woke to hear the sound of Damon’s voice as he said goodbye to someone. Feeling like his eyelids had ten-pound weights attached to them, it took some work to get himself fully awake, but he sat up and rubbed his face.

“How long did I sleep?” Taylor asked.

Long enough that Nash had packed up his computer and put it away. Damon had come home from work and the dampness of his hair indicated that he’d already had a shower.

“You were dead to the world. Nash didn’t want to disturb you, so he left to meet Colby for drinks and I ordered dinner for the two of us.”

Taylor stretched, then collapsed into a boneless heap back on the couch. “I can’t believe I slept that long. You even showered without me.”

“We can shower after dinner.”

“But you just had one.”

“So get me dirty.” Damon crossed the room and lowered himself down on top of Taylor.

“You’re insatiable.”

Damon let out a roar of laughter. “I better be. I have two hot boyfriends to keep up with.”

Taylor spent the rest of the evening snuggled up with Damon. They watched a movie and ate Chinese food, and by the time Nash came back, Taylor was freshly showered. No thanks to Damon, who’d been less about getting clean and more about being dirty.

Damon and Taylor had just crawled into bed when Nash came in and stripped out of his clothes to join them.

“How’d it go?” Taylor asked.

“It was good. We set some ground rules. He’s promised not to be an interfering ass, and I’ve promised not to bury him under his dad’s fire pit.” Nash climbed in on the other side of Taylor.

“Now I know how the middle of an Oreo feels,” Taylor said, wriggling around to get comfortable.

Nash rolled over and captured his chin with his fingers. He tilted Taylor’s head up and brushed a kiss against his lips.

“What was that for?” Taylor asked, resisting the urge to touch his bottom lip.

“It was for being here when I got home. I know you have your own space, but I like having you here.”

Taylor felt his cheeks heat, and he tucked himself into Nash’s chest.

He still wasn’t ready to move in, and maybe he never would be, but it was still nice to be wanted. Damon and Nash made him feel like he was necessary to their happiness. They never failed to make him feel like an equal, integral part of their relationship, even though it was still a fledgling.

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