Astór 4
Glenn opened the passenger-side door of the little Civic and stared down at the slumbering form for a moment.
“He went to sleep in seconds,” Dunham said, his tone apologetic. “I dinna ken he was so sleep deprived.”
Glenn’s tone was cool as he responded. “We, as a clan, will talk about this.”
It was so rare to see Ross unguarded like this.
Usually the man had a sardonic look on his face and a deadpan line to deliver.
Seeing him so deeply asleep revealed just how young he was, and Glenn felt a fleeting pang.
His exhaustion was written in the dark, bruised circles under his eyes and in the lines of tension he carried even in his sleep.
He hadn’t even stirred when the car door opened.
They’d abused his good nature and driven him to this point of exhaustion. The whole clan had.
Anger sparked through Glenn, setting off a tic near his mouth, but he didn’t let it affect his actions. He leaned in and carefully drew Ross out, cradling him in close to his chest. Ross made a noise, sounding like an inquiry.
“Shh,” Glenn whispered against his warm skin, not wanting to wake him when Ross so desperately needed the sleep. He just had to move him, as there was no way for Ross to sleep well inside the little car. “I have you. You can sleep for as long as you like, alright?”
Even half-asleep as he was, Ross heard him and sighed agreement.
An arm came up, draping a hand over Glenn’s shoulder as he snuggled his face in closer to Glenn’s neck.
The trust in that gesture stopped him cold for a moment.
His heart skipped a beat, breath hitching to have Ross so warm and cuddled into his arms like this.
As if it were the most natural thing in the world.
As if Glenn could hold him like this any time he wished.
He’d sensed Ross was attracted to him. The way those apple green eyes lingered gave him away.
Glenn hadn’t made a move for the simple reason he didn’t know what held Ross back.
Ross was not the type of man who hesitated.
If he saw something he wanted, he did what was necessary to achieve his goal.
The only reason Glenn could think of for his hesitation was that he didn’t trust Glenn enough to openly play his hand.
So, instead, he’d focused on gaining the man’s trust first.
But this moment showed Glenn was wrong. Ross trusted him. Whatever it was that held Ross back, trust wasn’t the issue.
And if that was the case, then Glenn shouldn’t hesitate any longer, either.
He carted his precious cargo into the townhouse, Dunham opening the door for him.
As he walked in, the cat darted in after him.
The orange tabby was strangely taken with Ross, and even though Ross complained and fussed, a food bowl and water were always available for the kitten.
And that was just so typical of the man Glenn was still learning about.
Ross might fuss, but he took care of everyone around him. He was a beautiful soul in that way.
The stairs were easily navigated, and then he stepped for the first time into Ross’s bedroom.
As expected of the man, it was neatly kept.
What did intrigue him was the colors and fabrics Ross had chosen.
The man was sensual—it showed in the jewel tones of his comforter, the pillows, and the sapphire blue velvet chair near the window. It was a very inviting space.
And if Glenn played his cards right, he might some day be invited in.
Dunham pulled back the covers and Glenn carefully deposited Ross onto the cool sheets. As he did so, the cat hopped up onto the bed, intrigued no doubt by the idea of having someone on hand for an afternoon nap.
“Glenn,” Ross slurred, his mouth barely moving, eyes firmly shut. “’m tired. Need g’night kiss.”
He felt absolutely charmed by this demand. Glenn was all too happy to oblige, as he’d dreamed often of doing something just like this. Having this sleepy permission granted to him was a dream come true.
Was this the true desire Ross harbored, kept in check by his conscious mind?
Apparently, when sleep-deprived, his controls loosened enough that what he truly wanted slipped out.
Even if he didn’t remember this later, Glenn wanted to indulge them both now.
He leaned in and grazed a soft kiss against his warm amber skin, crooning as he did so, “Sleep. Sleep, and dream only of delightful things. I’ll handle everything today. ”
Ross smiled in response, a happy hum that might have been agreement, and then he dropped truly into dreamland. The kitten tucked itself in against his throat, purring at him, both of them an adorable picture.
He took off Ross’s shoes, then tucked the blanket up around him a little higher before stealing out of the room. Dunham was right on his heels, shutting off the light, and they didn’t say a word until they were back outside the townhouse.
Glenn’s anger slowly returned as he went down the stairs. The fact he’d had to put his very capable Function to bed was deplorable. How could he have not seen Ross’s fatigue? Had he really been blinded by the professional smile and calm demeanor so much that he’d failed to note anything else?
Had the entire clan been so happy to shove all responsibility off to someone else that they’d failed to realize just what damage they’d wreaked?
Dunham eyed him sideways, clearly reading how angry he was. “Lad’s fine, Glenn.”
“He is so exhausted he literally dropped to sleep when given a chance to do so.” Glenn glared back at him, his anger still churning like an angry swarm of bees in his gut.
“And I’m just as much to blame as all of you, which sickens me.
How could we have dumped so much responsibility on him and been so blind to his exhaustion?
He is the youngest of us by decades and yet bore more responsibility than several so-called adults combined. ”
“He had the ability to say no,” Dunham pointed out. “And he should have.”
“We have abused his good nature. Ross likes to be helpful. I will speak to him about this as well. We need to impose limits, as he seems unable to do so for himself. But I will speak to the entire clan about this. This situation will not repeat itself.” Glenn snapped his phone out of his pocket and typed a message in the clan’s group chat, demanding everyone be home this evening for a meeting.
It was time to set them all straight.
Himself included.