Page 53 of Silas's Sweetheart

Had he heard something? Had Laken overheard his comment? He searched Lane’s expression, trying to work out what was behind the question. He decided he was being overly sensitive when he had first been assigned to Silas, so asking about Silas was natural.

“Him too, though with the switch about I didn’t get nearly enough time to figure…” Ziggy panicked at what he’d been about to say. Forgetting himself was very easy with Lane. Ziggy waved his hands about to make it look like he was trying to find words. He didn’t want to say was ‘figure out how to get him to want me the same as I wanted him’because that would clearly be an over-share that Lane wouldn’t want when it came to his son.

A plucked silver brows arched. “Figure what?”

“All his responsibilities, they are so vast,” he hedged, actually glad of his earlier blushing, so it wasn’t obvious he hadn’t been truthful.

“They are vast.” Lane’s smile was amiable, yet there was something about his eyes that made Ziggy nervous. “Andsometimes he forgets there is more to life than work andwon’t let people in because of his past. Trust is something he struggles with, my stubborn boy. He requires patience to break through his barriers. Do you have patience, Ziggy?” His eyes narrowed a fraction. “I believe you do.”

“Oh, r-ight, y-es,” Ziggy stuttered, unsure how he’d lost the thread of the conversation and how they’d gotten onto the subject of his patience and how it pertained to Silas. He was quite sure they were no longer talking about work. But… why?

“Good.” Lane stood, smoothing down his sweater. “I’ve left a homemade caramel cheesecake in the coffee lounge. Make sure you grab a piece, it’s divine. I swear it’s the best I’ve made to date.”

“I will,” Ziggy answered, still bemused by the visit, if not a little unsettled.

“Then come along.” A flick of fingers at the open computer. “That can wait, I’m sure Jupiter will understand.”

Ziggy found himself in the coffee lounge having not made any protest, despite knowing he had deadlines.

“Can I smell caramel cheesecake?” Wilder asked excitedly as he bustled into the room. “Lane, did you make us cheesecake?”

“I did.” He went over and hugged Wilder. “So how’s my little raccoon doing? Have you and Jupiter figured yourselves out yet?”

Ziggy gave the pair in front of him a startled look. How did Lane know about Wilder’s feelings for Jupiter? The frustration Wilder felt came across in the group chat easily, but his genuine feelings, Ziggy didn’t get how Lane could know, unless…

Wilder giggled and glanced at Ziggy, but it was sadness in his eyes, not happiness. “I don’t think that will ever be possible. You know how Jupiter is.”

Lane focused his attention on Ziggy briefly before returning it to Wilder. A crawling sensation went up his spine that Lanehad a purpose for being here and he was involved. “I wouldn’t discount anything. Sometimes all it takes is an act of bravery to change everything. What do you say, Ziggy?”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Silas

Silas’s cock pressed heavily against the front of his boxer briefs, the anticipation growing at what was going to happen tonight. His focus had been on little else when he’d overheard Monty and Bowie talking about Ziggy being out of work from today. After that, he couldn’t stop himself—not that he tried very hard—from checking the heat calendar to see if Ziggy was off because of his heat.

His suspicions confirmed but unable to leave work due to how full his calendar was, he’d impatiently willed the day away. Hidden Desires was the only place he wanted to be. He’d gotten his secretary to reorganize the following two days without explaining himself.

There was no way he could tolerate the idea of some other alpha touching Ziggy. Nor could his wolf side, who had given him the silent treatment for the last couple of weeks while Silas tried to go about his business and pretend he felt nothing for Ziggy.

After his talk with Popi, he had used Booker’s situation and his new niece to avoid thinking, because any time he did, he just ended up angry at himself. Popi had encouraged him to talk out all the tumultuous feelings. He was never very good at that. It was why he and Booker got on so well.

Talking wasn’t his strong suit. Had he felt better at Popi’s nagging? Not really. If anything, he was more conflicted by the growing desperation over the fuck up that he’d created by not being honest with himself and Ziggy.

“Where are you off to, all spiffed up?” Jupiter lounged against the doorframe, an unwelcome interruption. He had Emmy in his arms, something that always made Silas’s heart ache a little for his brother.

Silas’s gaze dipped for a fraction of a second, to check his untucked shirt covered what he was sporting in his pants, before giving his full attention to the man who was a natural with Emmy.

“I see you have your little companion with you. If you’re not careful,”—Silas used his thumb to point outside the open door—“they’ll think you’ve gone soft.”

Jupiter chuckled, bringing the bright green-eyed baby up so she was looking at Silas. “We know, don’t we Emmy, that Uncle Silas is only jealous ‘cause he wants to have all the Emmy cuddles, but you prefer Uncle Jup, don’t you?” She made a gurgling noise that made Jupiter smile in such a way that left Silas a little awestruck at his true beauty.

He smiled often, and his smile was beautiful, but the true depth of emotion that he displayed to the little girl in his arms was something very few got to witness.

Silas felt the ache in his chest for the man who’d known nothing but torment as a child. The one he held in his arms had suffered a trauma, one she might be far too little to understand, but Jupiter did. Without Frey’s bravery to help the omega, thatlittle girl would have been lost, and Jupiter was the only one of them that truly got that. “She’d probably poo on me, I’ll be late and stinking up the place. So you’re welcome to her cuddles right now.”

Jupiter had a fake look of horror as he cuddled Emmy closer and stage whispered, “Don’t listen to him darlin’, he doesn’t mean it.”

Laughing, he went to Jupiter and bent to kiss Emmy on her tiny button nose, getting a gummy lipped look. “See, she’s smiling at me, she knows who the best uncle is.”

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