Chapter 23
C harles didn’t want a nap, but Ryder had certainly needed his company, so they’d been sitting by the fireplace reading for a while.
Or more accurately, he’d been reading, and Ryder had been holding a book in his lap and sighing every so often.
Charles had tea now, because the eggnog was delicious but very rich, and he picked it up to sip it, glancing at his lover as he set it down.
“Something is on your mind?” He had a fairly good idea of what it was, but when it came to Roper, words never came easily to Ryder. His boy was always worried about telling secrets or hurting his twin’s feelings. “I’m right here.”
“He seems unhappy. It feels wrong to be so happy when he’s not. I have guilt.”
He was right; he did know what was going on. “The two of you look alike, finish each other’s sentences, but his path isn’t your path. You can be happy to see him, happy to have him here. You can make him happy he decided to come, but you can’t make him happy in life. He has to figure that out.”
“I know. I do, but—I want him to be happy.” Ryder held his hand.
“Because you love him. Of course you do.” He had to wonder about Roper and what it would actually take to make him happy.
If he was understanding correctly, whether Ryder wanted to admit it or not, Roper needed a very specific sort of relationship that seemed an unlikely find on the bull riding circuit.
It was possible that Roper might find what he needed here in New York, however.
“Maybe he’ll like New York. He’d be welcome to stay. ”
Short term. He didn’t think he wanted to live with Roper indefinitely. He honestly wasn’t sure Ryder would either.
“For a little while, yes.” Ryder winked at him, playing with him. “I love our lives.”
“For a little while. Yes.” He nuzzled Ryder’s hair. “He’ll be okay. Whatever he’s going through will work itself out one way or another, and you’re here for him, with him, in the meantime. That’s what family is for. No guilt.”
“No guilt it is. God, I love you. I’m so glad we’re together.”
“I am very glad.” Charles shifted so he could look Ryder in the eye. “And whoever your brother needs to be happy is what it is. It’s not for us to judge.”
Ryder’s head tilted. “What are you telling me, Sir?”
“That when we’re at the club, you have to let him be himself.”
“I do. I think I do.” Ryder tilted his head. “Don’t I?”
“Hm. I believe you want to, but you often look uncomfortable, and you’re good at changing the subject.” If he could feel Ryder’s discomfort, surely Roper did too.
Ryder sighed softly. “He’s just very…sexual.”
That was an interesting observation, given who his lover was. “Says the man who drags me off for a nap nearly every afternoon?”
“Mmm…okay, can I tell you a secret?” Ryder’s lips brushed his ear. “He’s a little kinky.”
It was all he could do not to laugh. Poor Ryder was very serious. “Yes, I know,” he replied quietly. “That’s what I was getting at. He will probably feel right at home at the men’s club, and we need to let him be…himself. Kinky. Submissive, I think.”
“I don’t have to watch, though, right? That’s weird. He’s my brother.”
He did chuckle that time. “Definitely not. One assumes those things belong behind closed doors.”
“You don’t want to watch either, right? I mean… I want you to watch me . Not another man.”
“Oh, no.” He took a quick kiss to prove his point. “I have no interest in anyone but you. Watching or otherwise.”
“Good.” Oh, that little bit of possessiveness felt lovely.
He smiled, kissing Ryder again. “Indeed. You are more than enough for me.”
Ryder nodded, kissing him harder. “Want to go…nap?”
“No.” His shot Ryder a sly grin. “Now I am going to make you wait until tonight.” He expected Roper to be up shortly anyway.
“So mean!” Ryder’s face was a study in hunger, in happiness. “I suppose I can live with that…”
“I think we both can. It will make our evening better. Though we might make Roper ill being too…sweet.” He didn’t care at all. He was just amused by the idea.
“If I had a dime for every time he said I was too sweet…” Ryder kissed the corner of his lips.
“It’s why I never mixed the two of you up. Your faces are very similar, but you’re really not alike at all.”
Ryder beamed at him. “Thank you, Sir. That’s important to me.”
“I know.” He smiled at Ryder. “As I said earlier, you’re the right one for me.”
“Maybe the only one for you, now?” Ryder flushed dark. “You’re the only one for me.”
“The only one, now.” Tad would be incredibly jealous and incredibly happy for him. “Right, and only.”
“Yes, Sir. And only.” He got kisses to his knuckles, one at a time.
His phone rang, interrupting them, and really it was just as well because he was about ready to haul Ryder off to the bedroom. He dragged his phone off the coffee table. “It’s Victor. Hello, Victor.”
“Charles. I was just checking in with you about tomorrow night, and the new sub?—”
“Roper,” he offered, glad he hadn’t put Victor on speaker.
“Yes, Roper. Typically we have an interview with a new sub that might be interested in being paired with a Dom.”
“Oh. Hm.” That complicated things a bit, but it did make sense. “Well, we can make time for that, I’m sure.”
“I’m assuming there’s some…awkwardness about this situation?”
He chuckled softly. “You’re a perceptive man.”
“That’s my job. How would you like to address this? A luncheon tomorrow or supper tonight with a small group of us? I know your boy is…tender.”
Tender, what a clever way to put it.
“Would dinner tonight give you enough time to properly…evaluate things?” It would change their plans slightly, but sightseeing would be there for another evening.
“I believe so. We will know how to proceed in the best way for all involved, and that’s what we need.”
“Text me a time and place.” He’d sell it to Ryder, and hopefully Roper would appreciate the care Victor was taking with him.
“I can absolutely do that, yes. How do you feel about Thai?”
“Perfect. Ryder loves it.” He looked at Ryder and smiled.
Ryder had a quizzical expression, but he smiled, winked, and nodded.
“Excellent. I’ll text you in a bit.”
“Sounds good. Thanks, Victor.” He ended the call and put his phone down. “Slight change of plans for dinner. Victor has invited us all for Thai with some of the men from the club.” He tried to keep his tone very casual. “They want to meet Roper before we go there tomorrow night.”
“Oh. Cool. I guess they’d met me at the party, so that makes sense. We both love Thai food, you know?” Ryder nodded and leaned hard, hand on his thigh, petting him. “I’m going to get green curry.”
“I may join you.” It was Ryder’s favorite.
He’d always gone for the peanut sauces, but he might just be a convert.
“They’re probably going to ask him a lot of questions.
Some of them will seem very personal, and maybe not what you and I would discuss over dinner, but everyone wants what is best for Roper. Agreed?”
“Yes. And you and I can enjoy our curries and chat.” Ryder winked at him. “That’s one of my favorite things, Mister Charlie. Chatting with you.”
He didn’t know when Ryder had come up with Mister Charlie as a nickname. He’d never been called Charlie in his life. Not by anyone, not even friends at school. He’d always been Charles, and he’d even corrected people if they’d shortened it to anything.
He had no intention of correcting Ryder, however. Ryder used it as a lovely term of endearment, and he accepted it for everything it was.
But he also understood what Ryder was saying. He wanted no part of that conversation.
“We’ll talk about our sightseeing plans for tomorrow.”
“Yes. And I want to get a special ornament for our tree at home.”
Ryder was so good at making a house a home. “Oh, that’s a great idea. Do you know what you want to find?”
“No. I want to find it together. We’ll know it when we see it.”
“Wonderful.”
Charles picked up his phone again, then glanced over his shoulder. “You should probably check on Roper, and I need a shower before dinner. Hm?”
“Sure. Do you need me to get anything ironed or polished up for you?”
He was so spoiled, but even so he didn’t say no. Ryder needed a little grounding before their evening. “White shirt, gray jacket, black slacks and those shiny shoes you laughed at the first time you saw them.”
“I did, but I can see myself in them. I’ll get you set after I poke the bear in the butt.”
Poor bear. He had no idea whether Roper was ready for this or not. He hoped so, but Victor and his friends seemed to take their lifestyle to a lofty level. It wasn’t for him, or for Ryder, but that wasn’t what they needed.
Perhaps Roper did.