Chapter Thirty-One
“Will, are you naked?”
The smile on my face is so wide, my cheeks hurt.
And speaking of cheeks…
Will stands at the stove with his back to me, wearing nothing but a black apron, his round ass poking out and making me both envious and want to sink my teeth into one of those fleshy globes.
He turns toward me with a grin of his own, holding a spatula while eggs sizzle on the griddle, smelling mouthwatering. “Care for a strip tease?” He wags his eyebrows.
With a huff of laughter, I approach him and kiss his bare shoulder as he returns to the eggs. “Later. I’m starving.” I give one of his butt cheeks a light smack before heading to the cabinet for plates.
As soon as I’ve finished setting the table, Asher enters the kitchen with a yawn, wearing nothing but a pair of dark pajama pants, stretching his pale, toned torso. “Morning, pack.”
My heart flutters when he says “pack,” and I’m smiling like crazy again when he dips down to kiss my temple softly.
“Good morning,” I sing as Will says, “Breakfast is ready!”
After our plates are filled, Will disappears briefly and returns, wearing a tee and sweats, and I lament the loss of the fabulous view. But only for a moment before super fluffy eggs fill my mouth, and I’m at peace.
“Will, I swear that you’re the best cook I’ve ever met.”
His smile is shy, a faint pinkness spreads across his cheeks. “It’s much nicer preparing food for the people I care about.”
I slide my hand across the table and cover his with it. “We appreciate you.”
“Cheers, mate,” Asher chimes, saluting with his teacup before taking a sip.
“Thanks,” Will says softly, the smile on his face never wavering.
We eat in amenable silence, aside from little moans of happiness. Once breakfast is finished, all three of us clean up together, helping fill the dishwasher before letting it run, then retreating to the living room where we all sit on the sofa.
“What’s on the agenda today?” Will asks.
I look at Asher and tilt my head in question. “Is it okay to ask how your meeting went yesterday?”
Asher’s dark eyes blink once before he laughs. “You can ask me anything, love. But I’ll tell you, I’m now without representation.”
My heart plummets in my chest. “Oh, no…”
“Not to worry,” he says, taking my hand and placing it on his knee, wrapped in his. “My agent—er, ex-agent—gave me a good idea. Also, some names to research for her replacement.”
“What was the idea?” Will leans forward to see both of us.
“She suggested that I put my energy into voice acting, since I don’t believe I’m keen on getting in front of the camera any longer.”
“That’s a great idea,” I breathe. “You could still act, but you wouldn’t have to deal with the Hollywood shenanigans as much. You could even take on a new name if you wanted.”
His smile is warm as Asher squeezes my hand. “Precisely. I could even build a studio somewhere local.”
I can’t help myself, gripping his face in my palms and pecking his lips. “That would be wonderful.”
Then, a thought strikes me that furrows my brow, and I frown.
“What’s all this then?” Asher asks, one of his brows rising higher than the other as he presses his index and middle fingers to the center of my forehead, making me smile a little.
“I…” my lips purse as I trail, wondering if I should even say it all out loud before thinking it through.
Like a mind-reader, Will chimes in. “Talk it out with us, Izzy.”
I’m grateful for how in-tune he is. “Okay, I’ll give it a try.” I shift on the couch, sitting on the edge and looking at them both. “Our relationship just started. Last night.” I laugh nervously. “I know I’m all-in, and I think that you two are, too—”
“There’s no doubt,” Will says at the same time as Asher says, “Abso-bloody-lutely.”
“Being together means we’re all going to have to find out way, together and separately. Like, Asher with his new career path. And I need to figure out what I’m going to do for work since there aren’t any game developers up here, and a commute to Los Angeles is out of the question.”
Will frowns, and my heart thumps with concern.
“What is it, Will?”
“We need to involve Matthew in our plans,” he says. “We shouldn’t discuss this too much without him.”
He’s right, of course, but is Matthew even ready for this kind of conversation?
“He’s in L.A. with his family for the next couple of days.”
Huh. I didn’t know that Will talked to him enough to know that, and I’m just grateful Matthew actually told me of his plans before he left.
“When Matthew returns, we’ll invite him here. Tell him that we’re a pack and want him to join us if he’s willing.” Asher places his palm on the back of my hand. “He has to choose, love. And we’ll have to respect his decision.”
Of course, we will. Of course.
And yet, I don’t know if I’ll be able to handle his rejection and withdrawal for a second time.