Page 115 of His Boys to Protect

“If that's what you want,” Skylar replied.

Now?

“No, still not now,” Skylar told him.

Sex time tomorrow?

“No,” Skylar replied. “Ward has to go back to work in the morning, remember?”

Charlie gave a littlechirpand tucked his chin, his equivalent of a disappointedoh.

Skylar curled in closer, then gasped as an idea came to him. “Oh! How about this?” He quickly glanced around to make sure Ward couldn't see them, then outlined his idea in sign.

Charlie's eyes went wide, and then a smile took over his face. He nodded in agreement.

Skylar grinned. He couldn't wait for Ward to get home from work tomorrow night.

Home. Skylar had to turn away to hide the sudden rush of tears to his eyes. Ward would be coming home to him. To them. Skylar had never gotten to experience anything like that before.

He'd have to cherish it while it lasted.

Chapter 41

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WARD

WARD STOPPED at an intersection and couldn't help laughing. He'd hit every red light on his way to work so far. It seemed like a metaphor for what his life had suddenly become.

Hurry up and wait.

Poor Skylar had been frantic, all through yesterday morning. He'd been desperate to get everything taken care of, and even with Ward's assurances, Skylar hadn't relaxed until they'd finished all their errands. The sweet boy had been wound up tight.

And then there was Charlie. Ward got the feeling the boy was holding back, trying to stay focused on Skylar's needs. Even so, Skylar had been right.

Charlie definitely had a way of upending Ward's life.

The boy had a lot of rules. More than Ward had previously encountered. And Ward had a feeling they were barely scratching the surface.

It was tedious, having to take off his shoes every time he walked in the door. Especially yesterday afternoon, when Ward had to make several trips to the communal laundry facility. He did see Charlie's point, though. It would keep the floors cleaner.The boy had even insisted on vacuuming and mopping the whole apartment himself, just to make sure it was done correctly.

As for rearranging things, Ward was still adjusting to what little Charlie had changed. He wasn't used to his bed facing a different way, and in the kitchen, Ward kept heading for the coffee machine, only to remember it was in a different spot. Ward had caught Charlie eyeing the cabinets, too. He could only imagine how much everything would move if he gave Charlie the freedom to reorganize the rest.

Ward ran a hand through his hair as he chuckled and shook his head, then paused. It was weird for his hair not to be damp on his ride to work. He'd always been a shower-in-the-mornings kind of person. Of course, Charlie insisted they all had to shower at night instead.

Because bed, according to Charlie, was a clean place. A place to relax. And Charlie couldn't relax if he hadn't showered, which meant Ward and Skylar had to do the same.

Even with all that, they'd had an enjoyable afternoon yesterday. The boys had been content to sit quietly on the couch and read while Ward finished his laundry. Then they'd all curled up and watched a movie together.

Of course, Charlie insisted that the volume only go up or down in intervals of five. Nothing in between. Ward would just have to remember that.

One thing he wouldn't have to remember was setting an alarm. Somehow, Charlie woke up naturally right around five-thirty every morning, and had preset the coffee machine accordingly. If Charlie getting out of bed didn't wake Ward, the gurgling sound from the kitchen did the trick. And Charlie had a strict bedtime, too. Lights out by nine. Ward usually stayed up later than that, but going to bed with the boys was hardly a chore. How could it be, when it meant having them curled up beside him?

Waking up at five-thirty was going to take some getting used to, though. At least Charlie was quiet as a mouse when he got up. And, for Ward, coming out of the bathroom to find the boy had poured him a mug of coffee, just the way he liked it? He would have no trouble getting used to that.

The rest was all worth it. Ward couldn't believe the difference in the way his apartment felt, just having those two boys there. Everything felt so much warmer. More alive. More full. And it was incredible, not having to sleep alone in his big bed. Now, he got to have those two beautiful boys right next to him. Hear their soft breaths. Feel their warmth.

Know that they were safe and comfortable, and that he'd been able to provide that for them.

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