Page 140 of Piece Us Together

Hunter says, “We communicate. I can’t get scraps. I can’t spend hours analyzing and guessing and wondering. I can’t be the partner—the sexy professor dom boyfriend—that I want to be without all the information.”

And there it is.

I cut the rest of the carrots.

I cut the shallots.

I get the measuring cups and pour the wine.

I use a can opener on the cans of tomato paste and add those too.

I measure out the brown sugar and—

“So many secrets,” Hunter says, almost to himself.

“It’s not that simple,” Maison defends.

I consider crawling into the oven. It’d be a disappointing end, considering it’s not turned on, but it’d be a decent hiding place. It’s probably not even that dirty considering the small amount of cooking Hunter seems capable of doing.

“I’m not asking for the two of you to sit down and write a detailed account of your lives. I don’t need your deepest darkest secrets right now, in the middle of cooking fucking dinner. But—for now—I need honesty when it comes to our relationship, our emotions, our thoughts. I need to know I can trust the two of you to speak up if you need to. I need to know enough to properly take care of you.”

It’s that last sentence that does it. That last sentence makes it so Maison won’t agree.

Except, Maison is a spy. An operative. He’s an excellent liar. “That’s fair.”

It’s said with just enough hesitancy to sound like a concession instead of what it is. I don’t know what I want more—for Hunter to see right through him or for Hunter to buy it.

He buys it. “So, we communicate?”

“Yes,” Maison says.

“Nolan?”

I exhale.

I won’t lie to him.

“I’ll always communicate, sir,” I say, careful not to put emphasis on the first word of that sentence.

“This next thing isn’t a rule, but it’s something I want to discuss.”

“Ominous,” Maison murmurs. “But, okay.”

“Nolan?”

“Yeah, sir?”

“Can you look at us, just for a moment?”

I put down my knife and turn. Maison gives me a careful smile while Hunter just watches me intensely. “How much guidance would you like to have, outside of sex? How much dominance?”

All of it.

Own me.

“A…lot, sir.”

He smiles, the one where wrinkles appear around his eyes and his teeth flash. “What don’t you want controlled, darling?”

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