Page 95 of Hired Help

He sits next to me, taking my face between his hands and pressing a kiss as soft as cotton wool on my forehead. “Someday. If this marriage is still on the cards, we could throw caution to the wind on our wedding.”

“You’re not still getting married?” Harrison says in a strangled voice. “I thought…” After a pause, he inhales a deep breath through his nose. “How is this meant to work? Are you alternating? Do I get you during the school week and dad gets the weekends? I just don’t understand how…”

By the time he stumbles to a stop, he’s hyperventilating.

“We don’t need to sort it all out tonight,” his father says, still holding onto me, keeping me close. “It’s a new situation to all of us.”

“I don’t like this.”

“We’ll work it out. It’ll be fine.”

“Fine for you,” Harrison growls. “You’re into all this weird shit already but some of us haven’t spent half their lives being gay for pay.”

The arms holding me are suddenly full of tension. I clear my throat, already reeling from the emotion of the day, uncertain if I can handle any more. “Maybe we should just press pause and we can resume this conversation later in the week.”

“Hours ago you complained that I don’t communicate and now I’m trying—”

His father snaps out, “Harrison, that’s enough.”

“Stop talking to me like I’m a child. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m taller than you, I’ve got a better education than you, and I’m the one who’s spent a hell of a lot more time fucking your soon-to-be-wife.”

They both spring to their feet, Daegan looming into his son’s personal space, glowering. “Watch your mouth.”

I sit back, hugging myself, a sense of doom catapulting towards me. What’s that saying about being careful what you want?

I wanted the two of them and here they are. Two men at each other’s throats.

“Should I order some food?” I offer, trying to derail the impending argument. “It’s been a really long day.”

There’s not even a flicker to show they hear me.

“You can’t have a baby with her. She’s still got four years of uni in front of her. Or are you so selfish you’ll just tank her prospects?”

“I’m not going to university,” I interject but again neither pays attention.

“Are you planning to trap her the same way you trapped Mum?”

“I didn’t trap anyone. We split up months before Gwyn found out she was pregnant. Neither of us—”

He breaks off but Harrison’s already read the truth lurking behind those words. “Neither of you wanted me. Is that what you were about to say? Well, maybe I don’t want you, either.”

“Then you can get out of my house. You remember the way to the door.”

“My house,” I mutter, ignored again. With a jolt of irritation, I stand, angling my body between Harrison and the exit. Then louder, “This ismyhouse. Unless each of you behave, you can both leave and sort yourself alternative accommodation for the night.”

Daegan turns his glare my way. “You gave it to me.”

“No. I offered it to you as an engagement present, but you haven’t said yes, so I’m taking it back.”

“You didn’t say yes?” Harrison asks, incredulous.

Daegan murmurs, “Brat.”

He encroaches into my personal space, making my eyes gleam as he glowers at me, expression slowly transitioning to blankness. Then he glances at his son, and it morphs again, into a smile. “We shower you with attention all day long, yet here you are, craving more.”

Harrison stands to the side, then angles his body to face me alongside his dad. “What sort of attention do you think she’s after?”

And a thrill runs through me, so strong, so satisfying that my insides turn molten and my skin heats with a body-wide flush of arousal.

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