“It’s so warm,” Ivo moaned, squirming deeper into the towel. He’d never had the luxury of a warm towel on his bare skin, and it felt amazing.

“It came from Spicy Master’s own towel rack.” Harvey wriggled his eyebrows. “He may have been using it this morning.”

Oh.Ivo blushed. He ducked his head and sniffed at the towel; it smelled a little smoky, like Ace.

“Stop ruining my chances,” Ace hissed at Harvey. “Go away!”

Ace snatched a pastel blue towel off the towel pile, one embroidered with daisies, and offered it to Ivo eagerly. “This is for Mary.”

It was warm and soft, perfect for a baby. Ivo smiled and carefully wrapped it around Mary, letting her nurse from his chest. “Thank you.”

Ace watched them fondly.

“You need to have some pickup lines embroidered on your towels,” Harvey said. “So you can hold them open for Spicy Consort, and he can read the pickup lines without you messing them up.”

“Spicy Consort?” Ivo squawked.

Ace’s eyes darkened. “Iwouldlike that.”

Ivo blushed, trying to imagine living in this mansion with Ace. What would that be like?

Harvey whipped out a pink book immediately. “Pick out some lines. I will place a rush order.”

“Uh.” Ivo eyed that book suspiciously. He’d seen some of his rescuers’ butlers waving it around; the rumor was that699 Pickup Lines For Your Wriggly Heart Muffincontained some of the cringiest lines known to mankind.

“Maybe later, Harvey,” Ace said distractedly. He was watching Ivo and Mary, leaning in halfway as though he wanted to join them, but wasn’t sure he was welcome.

Ivo patted the seat next to him, his heart skipping when Ace sat down quickly, their legs pressing together in a long line of heat.

“Hi,” Ace said, his smile open and eager.

“Hi,” Ivo whispered, ever so self-conscious.

“You look beautiful,” Ace said with such sincerity that Ivo could only gape.

Beautiful?Ivo?

“I’m... not.”

Ace frowned deeply. “You are. You’re strong and fierce and brave.”

“That doesn’t make a person beautiful.”

“Yes, it does,” Ace growled. “Besides, you have pretty lips. And your eye is pretty too. And your hair. If you’ll let me, I’ll tell you what other parts of you are pretty.”

Ivo froze, heat creeping up his face. “You’d... do that?”

“Yes.” Ace raked his gaze down Ivo’s body, but it was wrapped in his towel. “Slowly. I’ll kiss everything that’s pretty, too.”

Ivo’s face had to be bright red; he felt so hot. “I can’t imagine that.”

Ace’s mouth twitched. “But you’d let me show you?”

Ivo nodded.

“Good,” Ace purred in his ear. He kissed Ivo there and pulled back, his pupils dilated. “You’re so pretty.”

Ivo opened his mouth to protest. Ace pressed his fingers over Ivo’s lips.