30. Chapter 29
Chapter 29
Milo
L ondon was awesome; it was also huge and, by the time Branson and I were done trailing behind Mia from tourist site to tourist site, I was ready for a hot shower and comfy bed.
Unfortunately, Noel’s parents hadn't been able to meet us in London because of an appointment they couldn’t change, so Noel had said that he would drive up to see them briefly while Branson took Mia and I on the London Eye. We’d all offered to go with him, but with the drive time, it would have cut out an entire day of sightseeing and we were already down to our last one.
So, for the day, it was just the three of us traipsing through London, the cold November air burning our cheeks. It was worth the exhaustion just seeing the way Mia lit up with each new fact she learned. She was beyond fascinated with the city, reading every plaque, amassing countless brochures and asking Branson tons of questions. My poor boyfriend mostly relied on his phone to find the answers, but he didn’t seem to mind, matching Mia’s enthusiasm with his own. On the tube - the trainline that ran underground throughout London - Mia struck up a conversation with a guy in a business suit and Branson sat back and laughed, whispering to me that it was an unspoken agreement that you don’t talk to strangers on the tube. But this guy had smiled and happily engaged with Mia, so I had no idea what Branson was on about.
The whole day, my mind kept returning to the conversation around the table at our afternoon tea. Noel wanted to buy a house for us . The confession had hit me like a rock to the stomach, and I had to work hard to keep my face neutral and to not let on to everyone at the table that the thought scared the fuck out of me. I still had my days where his immense wealth set me on edge and while I could admit this was no fault of Noel’s, it didn’t stop those old feelings from surfacing. I had to remind myself that I was paying my own way now, even if it had been months since we’d lived in our apartment, we were still renting it.
I had a job and my own money and two men who loved me, neither of which would hurt me like my father had. It was important to me that I was independent, but how much of that independence I was willing to give up for Noel and Branson, I wasn’t sure. The fact that I refused to terminate the lease on our apartment while living permanently in Noel’s hotel suite spoke volumes. I trusted them, I knew I was safe with them, but deep down I knew that holding onto my own place was my crutch, my safety net should everything go to shit. Because I never wanted to feel like I was trapped again.
And now, with the mention of the house, I could feel myself spiralling. Uncertainty and anxiety swirled with excitement about what this meant for us. Could I even afford to contribute towards it? Would Noel let me? No part of me could accept him just giving it to us; that would put me back in the position I was in only a few months ago.
It’s not the same, I reminded myself. This was something Noel wanted to do for us, not to control us but because he loved us.
Now, sitting on the bed waiting for Branson to return from walking Mia to her room, that all too familiar feeling of panic started to surface. My body trembled, and my breathing became erratic as nausea swished in my stomach. I hated the way panic could hit me at any time, and for reasons it shouldn’t. Who the fuck panicked about living with people they loved? I was a mess.
Using the grounding exercise my new therapist had shown me, I went through the things I could hear, smell, feel, see and taste until the nausea subsided and my breathing was almost back to normal. Branson returned practically skipping into the room, an I Love London mug the colours of the Pride flag in his hand. “I love your sister, I’m claiming her as my sister now too, just FYI. Look at what she ga-.” As his eyes landed on me, his words faded and he placed the mug down, falling to his knees in front of me. “What’s wrong?” His hands gripped my upper legs tightly. My skin was cold beneath my jeans, a contrast to his warm hands and I wanted to sink into his touch.
Shaking my head caused dark strands of hair to flop over my eyes. “Nothing, just feeling tired. Nothing to worry about.”
Branson scrunched up his nose and I was stunned, not for the first time, with how well he could see right through my mask. “You sure that’s all it is?” He pushed the wayward strands away from my forehead in a slow, gentle movement and I nodded weakly. “Tell me what you need.”
You. Noel. To not be afraid. To be able to move forward without feeling like I’m trapped in the past. I didn’t say any of that though, instead, I leaned into him and rested my forehead on his, not so subtly breathing him in. “Just stay with me.”
“Always.” God, I hoped he meant that. “How about we give that hot tub a go?” Branson asked, looking over my shoulder towards the patio where a huge jacuzzi sat, steam rising off of it and into the cold night air.
“Naked?” My lips tugged up on one side and he playfully rolled his eyes.
“Obviously. Fuck, I hope Noel gets back soon.” He had been gone all day but his last text had said he should be back around nine.
Checking my phone, I saw that it was already eight thirty. Branson and I climbed out of our grimy clothes, then we dashed outside into the cold, Branson screeching about the biting air before throwing himself into the hot tub. Darkness extended beyond the patio, giving way to lights in the far distance. Only the entertaining area was lit up and steam billowed up as though attracted to the light. I followed behind Branson, sinking down into the warm water and positioning myself against a gently pulsing jet, sighing at the pressure on my tight muscles.
Branson sat next to me but I turned, gripped his hips and hauled him into my lap, so he was straddling me backwards, his back to my chest. “Hmmm, this is nice,” he mumbled. His blonde hair was darker now that it was wet and it tickled my shoulder as he leaned back against me. His long, slender neck was exposed, and I took the opportunity to kiss, lick and nibble the flesh, loving the way it pebbled under the flat of my tongue. Licking a long stripe along the muscle and up to his ear, I revelled in his taste - sweet and salty with a bitter hint of cologne and chlorine.
“How do you always taste so good?” I asked not removing my lips from his damp skin.
“I taste even better in other places,” he teased while grinding his ass against my now painfully hard erection.
I bit him then, hard, sinking my teeth into the sensitive spot between his neck and shoulder and he cussed, throwing himself forward and spinning around, splashing water in my face. “You dick! That actually hurt.” He splashed me again and I coughed on a mouthful of water, laughing as I wiped it from my eyes.
“I thought you had a thing for vampires?” He made to splash me again but I was too fast, grabbing his wrists and pressing him up against the side of the hot tub. With his hands pinned on either side of him, I slid my body over his, then pressed our lips together. He kissed me back, opening his mouth to accept my probing tongue.
“Fuck!” I shot backwards, rubbing at my lip which he’d just sunk his teeth into. “You bit me!”
“Oh quid pro quo , dear boyfriend.”
I lunged for him again, just as he turned and we ended up with Branson flush against the tub, his upper body bent over the side. We were both breathing heavily, laughing and trying to gain the upper hand when footsteps behind us caught my attention.
“Now this is what I like to see when I walk through the door. Two naked men in a hot tub. Correction. My naked men in a hot tub.” We both turned around to find a smirking Noel at the door to the patio. He was a vision in his tight blue jeans and dark grey turtleneck. He’d left his hair casual and his curls flopped around on top, making him look like he’d just walked through a storm.
“Daddy,” Branson purred, standing up and stalking through the water to the other side, where he met Noel in a filthy kiss. Spreading my legs into a comfortable position, I watched as Noel took control of the kiss and Branson turned to putty, whimpering as Noel slid his hand down Branson’s taut stomach, then slowly gripped his cock and stroked it a few times.
“You have too much clothing on,” Branson said, his lips resting against Noel's. The older man pulled back and for a brief moment, his lips dipped and I could have sworn his eyes were wet, but he turned away, heading back to the patio.
“Give me five minutes and I’ll join you.” He was gone in a flash and Branson sank down into the warm water, his eyes closing as he rested his head against the side.
By the time Noel returned, his smile was bright and his eyes shone to match. He was also completely naked and though I had seen him like this so many times before, I took a moment to appreciate the lines of his long body, the scattering of hair on his chest and the grooves that led down to his impressive cock.
“How are your folks?” Branson asked as Noel took a seat in the hot tub.
“Mum is sad to have missed meeting you two and Dad is…” he hesitated for a moment, a shadow passing over his eyes before he continued, “Dad is good. Hopefully you can meet them next time.” Noel shifted so that he was sitting opposite me and pulled Branson onto his lap. “How was London? What did I miss?” His hands snaked around Branson’s chest, and he delicately drew circles over his skin as we spoke about our day with Mia.
Noel chuckled when we told him about Mia making friends with the locals. “She won’t want to leave, will she?”
“Exactly what I was thinking, but now that our father has agreed to let her change her major - and fund it fully - I think she has motivation to return, no matter how much she loves the UK,” I said.
“She’s really excited about next semester,” Branson added.
Swimming - as much as a grown man in a hot tub could swim - I stopped when I was directly in front of them, resting on my knees in the water. With my body pressed to Branson’s, I reached over his shoulder and kissed Noel, swiping my tongue against his lips until they opened, and I licked inside, eliciting a groan from Noel and a responding whimper from Branson. “Thank you.”
“For what?” He whispered, chasing my lips with his own. Branson’s arms wrapped around my front until his hands were skating along my back. “For this holiday and for what you did for me and Mia. No one has ever stood up for me like that. I’m sorry I never thanked you earlier. ”
“Oh love, you have nothing to thank me for.” Noel pushed me back, then did the same to Branson, who turned around until he was flush against me. A shiver raked through me as cold air met my wet skin, which was out of the water and Bran trembled at the same time. I pulled him closer, offering some of my body heat.
Noel cleared his throat, his blue eyes piercing as he spoke, “I need you both to know that I would do anything for you, give you anything you could ever want or need. It’s my pleasure to love you, take care of and protect you. You two are the most important parts of my life - my beginning, my end and everything in between. You’re it for me.”
“I love you, you sappy romantic,” Branson said.
“I assure you, I wasn’t before. You and Milo have pulled this side out of me. Caleb finds it hilarious, and I guess that's my payback for all the shit I’ve given him and August. I’m not ashamed of it, though. I am undoubtedly, hopelessly, romance novel worthy, in love with the two of you.” We all laughed before Branson shivered again.
“Let’s get you warmed up, kitten. Shower?”