Page 15 of Desire

“How so?” I mumble around another chip. She giggles a bit but doesn’t say anything, just waits for me to chew and swallow. “Okay, let’s try that again, shall we? How do you think I’d be able to help?”

“Well, you can make phone calls, do online searches for items I need, that kind of thing. I’d pay you, of course,” she replies. “It’s just that having three events during a two-week period means I’m running my tail off. I think your brother is fond of it, so if I can get stuff squared away early, then I won’t be working ten and twelve-hour days.”

“I’ll be happy to help but you don’t have to pay me, Jace. We’re family.”

“Whatever. I’m gonna do what I want,” she teases in a sing-song tone.

Cory brings us the check and I snatch it out of her hand before Jacey can reach for it. “Nuh-uh,” I tell her when she goes to protest. “You got it last time if memory serves.”

She throws her hands up at me and grins. “Whatever. C’mon, I’m sure Rayne’s about to pull his hair out by now since Annabelle was insistent that her hair be braided.”

I leave the cash for the bill and a hefty tip before I slide out of my side of the booth. Jacey wobbles a bit standing up and I giggle. “They must’ve been packing a punch today, huh?” I ask, referring to her two margaritas.

“Either that or it’s because I didn’t finish breakfast. Who knows? Who cares?” I continue to laugh as I help her out to my vehicle, get her in and make sure she buckles before I head to the driver’s side.

* * *

Sebastian isn’t homewhen I get there, so I lug all my bags inside and get the clothes started washing. My nose wrinkles while I put the other things away as I think about the upcoming surgery, the likelihood of pain being involved and even the potential for scars. Yeah, I’m a wimp and a wuss, but it is what it is. I grab a quick shower and slip on comfortable lounging clothes, opting for the minimal amount of clothing as possible. It’s hotter than hell outside today and even with the air conditioning, I feel as though I’ll boil if I wear anything besides the camisole tank top and shorts. “C’mon, boys, let’s go out,” I holler when I see Fred and Barney sleeping in the family room. Guard dogs they are not; I’ve been home for nearly forty-five minutes and saw them in those same spots when I walked through to my bedroom.

As they draw closer, I lean down and give them both some pats which has their tails wagging. They’re so laidback and easy-going that it baffles me that someone gave them up. I grab a bottle of water from the fridge then head outside to the back to watch them and maybe play for a bit. I snicker when I see them run through the tiny misting station that Sebastian created for them because ‘it’s so hot out right now’. If he’s like this with our pets, what on earth will he do for any children we might have down the road? They frolic and play for a bit, then come back over to the patio where I’m sitting, a fan blowing on me. I grab one of the towels that my crazy man brought out for just this reason and crouch down out of my seat so I can dry the two dogs off.

“Alright, boys, let’s head inside and see what we can put together for dinner.” They waddle along behind me as we step back inside to the blissful air. I pull out a couple of steaks for Sebastian to grill when he comes home, get them seasoned and put them back into the fridge. Then I make a few cold salads and cut up the watermelon we bought so it can chill. I’m glad that Sebastian feels the same about hot meals in the summer. Once everything is set, I grab my e-reader and head to the family room.

Sebastian

It’squiet when I walk into the house, so I start looking for my woman since her car is in the garage. I barely hold back my chuckles when I get into the family room and see that she’s sound asleep in the recliner with a dog on either side of her. Glancing at my watch, I decide to let her nap and head into our room to shower and change. The worst part about the heat here is that seconds after going outside, you’re soaked in sweat. Today is what I consider a two-a-day as far as showers go. After dropping my clothes in the hamper, I set the water temperature to cool then step inside, hissing as the spray hits my overheated skin from multiple angles. As I soap up, my mind drifts to Justine’s upcoming surgery. I know she’s scared about the outcome, but she’s more fearful about me taking care of her. Considering that I know every inch of her body at this point and have had my mouth, fingers, tongue and cock everywhere, I’m not concerned about helping her with the more intimate aspects.

However, she’s a woman and they get weird about that kind of thing. As though they have no bodily functions whatsoever. I chuckle while rinsing off. Having been around Justine as well as the rest of the band all these years, I’m well aware that they do the same as us guys. Finishing my shower, I shut the water off then grab a towel and quickly dry off. One pair of cut-off sweats later, I decide to start the laundry and then figure out dinner.

* * *

I havemy woman’s new clothes swapped, the hamper now sorted and another load running when I open the fridge to see what we can have. Grinning, I pull out the plate that has two steaks that are already seasoned. “You read my mind, pretty girl,” I murmur when I see that other than the steaks, everything else is cold. “Let’s get the meat going then.” I realize that I’m talking to myself and chuckle. Grabbing the plate, I head out the back door to the grill area. This house is really something else; there’s even a small studio building that I want to get renovated so that Jussie has somewhere to practice when at home and I have an area where I can work while watching her. We’ve got a home office already which is fine for meetings and all, but she needs somewhere to be able to play without driving to the studio that Rayne has rented for the band.

“You want help?” Her sleepy voice asks as she wraps her arms around my waist.

“Sweetheart, you did all the hard work already,” I say as I turn and lean down to kiss her. “I like that we’ve got enough salad to last a few days; we can change it up and have chicken one night if you want.”

“It’s almost too hot to eat anything,” she replies. “I’ve already taken two showers today, Sebastian!”

Chuckling, I kiss her forehead and say, “So have I, Jussie. What do you think of us adding a pool? We can always put a heater in or even see about covering it so that we can use it in the colder months if you want.”

“Can we afford to do that, Sebastian?” she asks.

“Sweetheart, we can more than afford that if that’s what you want,” I tell her.

“Then yes, I’d love a pool that’s big enough to do laps in, with maybe a spa thingy on one end,” she says.

“A hot tub?” I question.

“I don’t know what they are, they just have the jets.”

“I’ll see who I can find to get bids from.”

“We’ll want a shallow end too because I’m sure the princess will want to swim.” I laugh at her statement, convinced that she’s correct.

“We’ll get the biggest pool we can, pretty girl,” I state. “Now, how about we head inside and eat?”

* * *