Page 28 of Fated Mates and How to Seduce Them
Ian had taken off work today, the plan being to have dinner with the kids and then go home, but…well, Mother Nature had other plans.
André looked out the window, lips pursed. “The English have a saying—it’s raining cats and dogs. That looks more like tigers and wolves to me.”
Ian, standing at his side, gave a sour grunt. The sounds outside were picking up in ferocity; he could hear the branches of the trees hitting the roof and sides of the house like a pro baseball player in a batting cage. Even as he watched through the window, lightning arced across the sky, the booming thunder only a second behind it. “That does look bad. The forecast called for rain, but no one said anything about a monsoon.”
“Seriously. Ian, I don’t think it’s wise to try and drive through this. For one thing, visibility is, like, two feet. For another, the road dips pretty badly in sections. Some of those areas are sure to be flooded.”
Ian nodded, agreeing, a stressed sigh escaping his mouth. “I think we better stay here tonight.”
André was all for this. Really, he didn’t care about the lack of spare clothes. Staying over was fine by him. Besides, this way, he got more time with Ian. What did he have to complain about?
He hadn’t had a sleepover in ages—well, not a platonic one, at least—so he was all smiles when he went into the kitchen, looking for either Mary or Emma. He found Emma at the stove, washing a pot.
“Emma, do you mind if we stay over tonight?”
She turned, expression relieved. “I’m glad you asked. The thought of you two driving home in this worried me. It’s terrible outside. We’ve got futons and extra blankets, so why don’t we set you and Ian up in the main room for tonight? Casper’s already settled in there, after all.”
Score! André carefully kept the evil laugh in his head, clamping down on it before it could escape. “That’s fine. Where are the futons? I can get them out.”
“Oh no, let me get them.”
It took ten minutes to dig out futons, blankets, and pillows. With all the extra clothes André had bought for the kids, they were able to borrow two of the teens’ T-shirts to change into for pajamas. André somehow got roped in to story time with the kids before bed, some of the little ones nervous due to the storm. He didn’t mind, but it was late when he finally made it back to the main room.
Ian lay stretched out on one of the futons, propped up on an elbow, reading something on his phone.
He was distracted. Perfect.
André didn’t hesitate. He snuck closer, grabbed his futon, and hauled it toward him until it was aligned right next to Ian’s. Not even a millimeter separated them. Only then did he slide under the lightweight blanket.
“André,” Ian drawled, still looking at his phone. “You are not a rabbit. You do not need to sleep right next to me.”
He didn’t answer. Just inchwormed a little closer, taking his pillow with him.
“André.” Ian finally put the phone down to stare at him levelly. “What are you doing?”
“I’m cold?” André tried with a hopeful smile.
“Bullshit. It is not cold in this room.”
He did have him there. André went for the next excuse. “I’m not used to sleeping in unfamiliar places?”
Ian let out an exasperated sigh. “I know for a fact you spent most of your life hopping between different countries. I call bullshit on that too.”
Damn. As expected of his intelligent Ian, he was hard to hoodwink. André switched tactics. “I’m used to hugging a body pillow when I sleep.”
Ian raised an eyebrow. “Body pillow. That’s what you’re going with?”
He dared snuggle in a little closer, getting a hand on Ian’s waist. “You’re an excellent body pillow. You even smell nice.”
Ian’s sigh sounded resigned. “I can tell you’re not going to give up.”
He would not. André had been good all day. He deserved snuggles.
“Fine. Sleep next to me if you like, but the second you try to seduce me, I will throw your ass into the hallway, and you can sleep there tonight. Clear?”
“Crystal,” André answered. He was thrilled to have gotten his way. Just wait; after a night of cuddling, Ian would see how nice it was and become addicted. André was addicted already.
He didn’t dare put his head on Ian’s shoulder as he wanted, but he did manage to inch just a bit closer so his chest pressed up against Ian’s arm. He hadn’t lied earlier; Ian did smell amazing. Warm male skin and something flowery, or was it citrus? Whatever bodywash he used, it was delightful. The rich scent of blood wafted under that smell, tantalizing him. Ian radiated warmth, too, the heat of his body seeping into André’s. In the dim lighting of the room, with only the occasional flash of lightning as illumination, it felt warm and cozy next to Ian.
