Page 146 of His Boys to Protect

Beside him, Ward groaned and dragged himself out of bed.

“Ward? You don't have to get up this early.”

The big man padded around the end of the bed and bent over Skylar to give him a kiss. “Charlie will still be getting up this early, so I might as well stay used to it.”

Skylar frowned. “Have you been getting up at this time all week?”

“Yeah. I mean, it feels the same. It's the same time that five-thirty was last week. But I'm definitely gonna have to go to bed earlier if I'm gonna get the same amount of sleep.”

Skylar laughed. “Yeah. Charlie will be in bed by seven-thirty or eight now, and you know how he is about bedtime.” Skylar paused. “Ward, are you sure–”

Ward cut him off with a kiss. “He's worth it,” the man murmured. “Come on.”

Skylar got up, and they took turns in the bathroom before meeting in the kitchen to get coffee. He eyed the time. It would still be several hours before the Pratts arrived, depending on how pushy Charlie got with his parents.

The morning dragged on. Even with both Skylar and Ward getting the apartment tidy and laundry done, making sure everything was clean and neat before Charlie arrived, it seemed like no time was passing at all. Skylar found himself lookingat the clock every few minutes, unable to keep still. He needed Charlie there with them.

Finally, after what felt like ages, they heard a knock.

Skylar went with Ward to answer the door.

The moment it opened, Charlie threw himself into Ward's arms.

Skylar's heart clenched. He loved seeing Charlie so comfortable with Ward now, but it also stung like hell. Skylar used to be the one Charlie came to. The only one. Now, Charlie went to Ward first.

Which was exactly what Skylar had wanted all along, but it still hurt to witness.

Then Charlie turned to him and hugged him tight. Skylar held his breath, choking back a wave of emotion. He returned the embrace, and it took everything he had to let go when Charlie started to pull away.

Ward shook hands with Charlie's parents and gestured for everyone to come inside.

They all loitered in the entryway while Charlie took off his shoes and carried his bag into the bedroom. Skylar was tempted to follow him, except the Pratts were asking how he was, whether he'd recovered, how he felt. He forced on a smile and patiently answered them, wishing all the while that they'd simply leave so he, Ward, and Charlie could be alone.

“We've been looking ahead at the calendar,” Mr. Pratt said to Ward. “And if Charlie resumes his old routine with you, it looks like it'll put him here for Thanksgiving. Same with Christmas. We don't want to impose, because I'm sure you have your own family plans to think of, so if it won't work for you to have him here, we'll have a talk with him about rearranging the dates–”

Skylar muttered an excuse and hurried off to the bedroom. He wasn't sure he wanted to hear Ward's response. If the man didn't even want to take him to his father's birthday dinner, whywould Ward want him and Charlie hanging around for the big family holidays?

He sat on the edge of the bed and watched Charlie finish unpacking. The boy chirped to himself as he went, narrating his movements as he carefully and methodically put his clothes away. Once he was done, and his bag was tucked out of sight, Charlie headed for the doorway, barely sparing Skylar a glance as he signed,Hungry! Hungry! Hungry!

Skylar breathed a laugh and followed.

Charlie squirmed through sayinggoodbyeto his parents, then made a beeline for the kitchen. He snatched down a can of hungry soup and bounced in place, squeaking with excitement.

Skylar blinked hard and looked away.Hell.He was going to miss little things like that.

But it wasn't over yet. And he couldn't let on that anything was wrong. So he forced on a smile and helped Ward make lunch while Charlie heated up his soup.

They spent a quiet, cozy afternoon on the couch, finishing out a season of the show they'd been watching. Skylar found himself smiling as the hours passed. It was so peaceful. So perfect. Just the three of them, finally together again. Himself and Charlie on either side of Ward, the big man holding them close. He couldn't imagine anything better.

After dinner, something began to shift. It was subtle at first—just a hint of tension in the air—until it slowly grew. Skylar's heart beat faster. He knew what was coming. He wanted it. And he felt them wanting it, too. Simple, innocent touches turned softer, yet more urgent. A simple hand on the knee suddenly became a seductive caress. The gentle brush of a thumb went from sweet to erotic.

The three of them collided. The room spun, and Skylar felt dizzy. He suddenly found himself in the bedroom, kissing and groping bare skin. Where had their clothes gone? He couldn'teven remember getting undressed. Maybe he was dreaming. Maybe this wasn't even real.

Except it felt real. Incredibly, achingly real.

Skylar moaned, feeling Ward and Charlie surround him. They all wound up on the bed, and not one of them so much as glanced at the nightstand drawer, let alone reached for it.

Oh fuck. This was happening. This was really, finally happening.

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