Page 45 of The Princess, the Prick & the Priest (Confessions 4)

After their weekend up at the Bianchis’, the two of them had realized it was going to take some stealthy planning to pull off any kind of surprise engagement for someone as curious as Robbie. So they’d decided their best course of action was to only talk about it away from the house, where inquisitive ears might overhear.

Julien got in the elevator and punched the button for Priest’s floor, and as he leaned up against the back wall, several other people got on including…

“Julien. Hello,” Logan Mitchell said.

“Bonjour. How are you?” Julien asked.

“Good. Good. Just getting back from a lunch meeting. You?”

Julien held up the black bag with his name on it. “Just going to one.”

“I’d never usually be jealous of Priest, but I’ve got to say, having lunch delivered from your restaurant makes me a little green.”

Julien grinned. “I find that feeding him keeps him agreeable.”

“I’ll have to remember that,” Logan said, and slipped a hand into his pocket. “He said you guys had a good time up at the Bianchis’ this weekend.”

“We did. Robbie’s family is exactly as you’d imagine them to be.”

“So, loud, excitable, and all talking a mile a minute?”

Julien started to laugh, thinking of Robbie’s sisters. “Exactly like that. They’re wonderful. It was really quite remarkable to see.”

“I’m sure.” Logan chuckled. “And you made it back in one piece. I was a little worried we’d be down a partner after this.”

“Oui. We survived. We even managed to win over his parents.”

As the elevator hit the floor and the doors slid open, Julien stepped out.

“I have no problem seeing that with you,” Logan said. “But Priest? I would be lying if I didn’t say I was slightly concerned.”

Julien walked with Logan toward the receptionist, and when she looked up, Logan said, “Any calls, Tiffany?”

“No,” she said with a winning smile. “But Sherry’s looking for you.”

“Got it. If you see her before I do, can you let her know I’m back?”

“Will do,” she said, and then turned her eyes toward Julien. “Mr. Priestley said you can head straight back, as long as you brought food.”

Logan glanced over his shoulder at Julien, who held the bag up. “I don’t know about this jovial side of Priest. Him making wisecracks just doesn’t seem right.”

Julien followed Logan down the hall past the clear walls of the conference room. “He’s happy.”

“Exactly. It’s disturbing,” Logan said, and when they reached the doors that led into Logan’s office, he stopped with his hand on the door handle. “Have a good lunch, and if he happens to leave any leftovers…”

“He never does,” Julien said, and waved as Logan disappeared inside his office and called out, “It was worth a try.”

Julien walked to the door of the middle office, and when he knocked and heard Priest say, “Come in,” a smile crossed Julien’s face.

Julien pushed open the door, and when Priest looked up from his computer and spotted him, he smiled.

“Bonjour, monsieur. Je crois que vous avez commandé un déjeuner?”

Priest sat back in his seat, his eyes eating up the space between them as Julien walked in. “Je l’ai fait. But now I find myself hungry for something other than food.”

Julien smirked, and then pointed to the door he’d just shut. “So you won’t mind if I take this down to Logan, then? He was just asking.”

“Don’t you dare,” Priest said. “Bring it, and yourself, over here.”

Julien looked around Priest’s office and smiled at the framed diplomas hanging on the wall, the dramatic silhouetted cityscape of Chicago, and, of course, the enormous bookshelf that housed Priest’s law and reference books. There were tasteful knickknacks, along with framed photos of Priest with his two men, and to this day, it still surprised Julien that Priest had agreed to let Robbie have free rein to do as he pleased to his office.

He had done a fantastic job, of course, and considering Robbie’s flair for everything bright and happy, he’d managed to temper those tendencies and keep Priest’s workspace more Priest. But it was still quite the shock to see the place look so…permanent.

“Where are your manners, mon amour? I slaved over a hot oven to make this for you.”

“You slave over a hot oven every day for strangers,” Priest pointed out. “But if you bring it over here, I promise to show you how grateful I am.”

Julien put the bag on top of Priest’s desk and then walked around it to greet his husband with a kiss. Julien shut his eyes and let himself savor the taste of Priest, and as he went to pull away, Priest took hold of his face and deepened the connection.

Julien stumbled forward slightly and had to put a hand on the back of Priest’s chair, but when Priest angled his head up, Julien took full advantage. He cradled one side of Priest’s face and grazed his thumb along his beard, as he teased and tormented Priest with his tongue until a growl left him.

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