by Ella Frank
He put his belongings down and stepped into the living room to seek his husband out, and wasn’t surprised in the slightest to find him standing over in the kitchen in front of a chopping board. Priest then scanned the rest of the space but didn’t spot Robbie anywhere as he walked across the hardwood to the kitchen, and as he stood there, he took a moment to enjoy the sight of Julien doing what he loved most in the world.
Julien’s broad shoulders filled out the white button-up he wore untucked over a pair of blue-grey pants, and as Priest walked around the center island, he noticed Julien’s bare feet and smiled.
“Good evening,” Priest said, and Julien looked at him with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. Immediately Priest’s alarm bells went off. Something wasn’t quite right there.
“Bonsoir, mon amour,” Julien said as he put down the knife he’d been using, and then came over to greet Priest with a kiss to his lips.
As he moved away, Priest let his eyes shift beyond Julien’s shoulder to the food preparation going on behind him, the ingredients instantly grabbing his attention. “What’s on the menu tonight?”
Julien picked his knife back up and pointed toward the bedroom door. “You’re going to have to ask your chef for the evening if you want details. And tonight, that is not me.”
Priest walked up behind Julien and trailed his fingers across the small of his back. “Is that right?”
“Oui,” was all Julien said, before he went back to chopping and filling the bowls with cheese, quite obviously avoiding any other conversation.
Once he was done, and had put the knife down, Priest said, “Is everything okay?”
Julien didn’t turn to face him, didn’t look over his shoulder, merely lowered his head, and Priest placed his palm on his back. No. By the looks of it, everything was far from okay.
“Julien?” he said softly, and smoothed his hand up to where Julien’s shoulder met his neck and began to massage it. “What’s going on?”
“It’s nothing. I’m fine.” Julien reached back to pat Priest’s hand, and Priest turned his over so he could interlace their fingers.
“Turn around,” Priest said, and Julien turned to face him. “Robert’s making us cheese soufflés for dinner?”
Julien opened his mouth to reply, but Priest beat him to it.
“Was that your idea or his? I know you don’t make this dish anymore. You haven’t since—”
“I know,” Julien said, and then shrugged. “But it’s what Robbie wanted to learn to cook today. I couldn’t say no.”
Ah, okay. Now things are starting to make a little more sense. Priest slowly nodded as he studied the lines on Julien’s strained face. My beautiful, troubled man, you don’t even know what he’s doing, Priest thought. But Robert sure does.
“What?” Julien said, when Priest remained silent.
“I was just thinking that Robert is a very smart man.”
The look of confusion that came into Julien’s eyes wasn’t one born out of disagreement but from the shift in the conversation, so Priest enlightened him.
“He knows what this dish means to you, Julien. This meal. It wasn’t an accident that he asked you to make it with him.”
Julien shook his head. “No. I don’t think so. He said he wanted to learn the meal that won me my first challenge. He never said anything other than that. Plus, I never mentioned why I picked it on the show. In fact, I was very vocal about not saying anything. That’s how I got my nickname.”
Priest brought their joined hands up to his lips and pressed a kiss to Julien’s palm. “I know. And so does Robert. He’s not stupid. He’s waiting for you. Don’t forget, he watched every episode. Saw you lose your shit on television over being questioned about this very meal. And now that he knows about Jacquelyn… He’s waiting for you to open up to him, Julien. He’s letting you know he’s ready when you are.”
Julien’s eyes blurred, and as he looked beyond Priest’s shoulder to the bedroom, Priest took Julien’s face between his hands.
“If he’s to come to L.A. with us next week, you need to talk to him.”
“I know,” Julien said, his eyes coming back and locking with Priest’s. “I almost did this morning after you left, but there was a lot going on and I changed my mind.”
“I understand, but what’s happening with me isn’t going to change anytime soon. This is,” Priest said. “And I think tonight might be a good time to talk about it, don’t you?”
“Oui, I do.”
“Good,” Priest said, and was relieved to find that, as usual, he and Julien were on the same page. “Now, where is our chef for the night?”
Julien indicated their bedroom with a lift of his chin. “He went in there to take a shower and organize space for his clothes.”
Priest looked over to the soft glow coming from their bedroom. “Should I be worried?”
“Probably,” Julien said, and a smile finally curved his lips. “He hasn’t come out for nearly an hour.”
“Lord help us all,” Priest said as he let go of Julien and headed across the living room. “How about I see if I can speed him up? Don’t go anywhere.”
“Promis,” Julien said, and Priest stopped and looked back to see Julien watching him with a serious expression. “Ma place est juste là, auprès de toi.”
My place is right here with you. Julien’s words touched Priest more than he could’ve known, especially with the reminder last night that Julien deserved so much more than a man associated with those who had given him life.
Priest inclined his head and said softly, “Bien. Je t’aime, Julien.”
“Je t’aime aussi,” Julien said without pause. “Now go find our chef, oui?”
ROBBIE HUNG HIS favorite plum-colored peacoat alongside the other jackets he’d carefully organized in the space Julien had shown him, and when he was content it wouldn’t fall off the hanger or be crumpled in some horrid way, he stepped back to admire his handiwork.
There, almost done, he thought, as he looked at the neatly folded pants ranging from jeans to leather, and the bright array of shirts, Henleys, and folded sweaters up on the shelves running around the top of the walk-in closet. Not to mention his fabulous shoe collection lining the perimeter of the floor.
As he let his eyes move to Julien and Priest’s sections of the closet, Robbie grinned to himself. He really had added a splash of color to their lives, hadn’t he? He still thought it would’ve been funny if his wardrobe had been in the middle. All his color in the middle of the blacks, creams, greys, and whites.
Oh, and these suits… Robbie ran his fingers along the expensive wool of what he knew had to be Priest’s perfectly pressed suits. Then he picked up one of the sleeves and rubbed his cheek against it. Mmm, there’s something about a man in a suit that is just so damn sexy.
“Should I be worried that you’re standing in the closet feeling up one of my jackets? Or should I just chalk this up to normal behavior and expect it from you on a daily basis?”
Robbie startled at Priest’s voice, guiltily dropped the material, and spun around on his toes. Priest was standing at the door of the closet with his shoulder up against the jamb and his ankles crossed, as he ran his eyes down over Robbie.
“I…I was just becoming better acquainted with—” Robbie stopped talking when he caught the side of Priest’s lips tug up into a grin. “You’re messing with me, aren’t you?”
Priest pushed off the doorjamb and walked forward until he was standing directly in front of Robbie, and then he leaned in and said against his lips, “I’m messing with you. But if you’d like one of my suits to roll around on naked, I’d happily give you one. As long as I can watch.”
Robbie opened his mouth to answer, but before he could, Priest wrapped an arm around his waist and took Robbie’s lips in a kiss that had him clinging to Priest’s arms, so he wouldn’t faint at his feet.
Robbie’s entire body responded to the way Priest just took what he wanted, and he most definitely took
this kiss. He slid his tongue between Robbie’s lips and tangled it with his, and Robbie moaned as he plastered himself against Priest’s front and let him have his way.
Strong hands stroked down Robbie’s back, and when Priest grabbed his ass and pulled him even closer, Robbie ground his hips against the thick cock he could feel poking up against him, and then yanked his mouth away.
“God,” Robbie managed, as Priest continued to knead his ass. “Did you miss me today or something?”
Yes, it was a shameless question, but Robbie didn’t care. He wanted Priest to miss him. He wanted Julien to also. Hell, he missed them when they weren’t there. So it was only fair, right?
“What makes you think that?” Priest asked, but the light in his eyes was a clear indicator to Robbie that his serious lawyer was playing with him.
“Oh, I don’t know,” Robbie said, as he ran one of his hands down Priest’s lapels and picked away some imaginary lint. “Maybe the fact you can’t keep your hands off me. Or that lovely, big cock that’s testing the resolve of the zipper of your pants.”
“And here I thought I hid my feelings so well.”
“Your feelings, yes,” Robbie said, and then rocked his hips forward, making Priest’s fingers clench against his ass. “Your cock? Not so much. Not that I’m complaining. I happen to like this feeling of yours, very much.”
“I can see that,” Priest said as he released his hold on Robbie, and then swatted him on the ass. “I also see that you managed to fit all of your clothes in here. I have to say, I had my doubts.”
Robbie turned so he was once again facing the clothing he’d spent the last hour or so arranging. “I did too. But it seems I fit in just perfectly with you two.”
Priest put his lips down beside Robbie’s ear and said, “I couldn’t agree more.”
Robbie shivered as Priest stepped around him and loosened his tie, and as he shrugged out of his jacket, Robbie couldn’t think of anything to say. He just wanted to stand there and watch as Priest undressed for the day, as he relaxed. Well, as much as Priest ever relaxed.
“Did you enjoy yourself with Julien at the restaurant today?”
“I did,” Robbie said, and took an empty hanger off the rack and handed it to Priest. “He taught me the meal I’m going to cook for you tonight.”
“So he said.”
Robbie nodded, as Priest put back the hanger that now held his jacket. Then he reached for his belt buckle, and Robbie took a step forward, unable, and unwilling, to quell the sudden urge he had to help Priest undress.
When Priest’s hands stilled, Robbie looked up at him and said, “May I?”
“You may.” Priest kept their eyes locked, as Robbie pulled the leather tongue of the belt through the metal clasp, then unfastened it and pulled it free of Priest’s pants.
When the strip of leather was in Robbie’s hand, Priest said, “In here,” and pulled open the top drawer of one of the dressers, where several other belts were neatly coiled and sitting flat on the top shelf.
Once Robbie placed it down in the empty spot, Priest shut the drawer and lowered his arm down by his side. “Now the rest, princess.”
And as though Robbie had done this a million times before instead of, well, never, he went about undressing Priest. He crouched down and untied Priest’s shoes, and after he removed them, Robbie stood and reached for the button on Priest’s pants.
“Is this okay?” Robbie asked, but he could tell by the fervent way Priest was watching him that he was most certainly doing something right.
“It is much more than okay.”
Robbie’s cheeks heated from the pleasure he heard in Priest’s voice, and he couldn’t believe how much satisfaction he got from knowing he was the one responsible for it.
He unzipped Priest’s pants, and when he pushed them off his hips and knelt to help him step out of them, Robbie found himself face to face with Priest’s very obvious erection.
He glanced up at Priest, who indicated the large wicker basket in the corner, and after Robbie tossed the trousers inside, he licked his lips and went up on his knees. He knew they were about to get ready to go and make dinner, but before they went, he needed to…
Robbie leaned forward and rubbed his cheek over the soft cotton molding to Priest’s thick length. The low rumble that came from above had him doing it again, and the hands in his hair had Robbie’s mouth parting so he could lightly mouth his way up the cock he’d been grinding against earlier.
“Christ, Robert.” Priest tightened his hands in Robbie’s hair and tilted his face up. “Be careful. I could get used to this.”
Robbie got to his feet and he began to unbutton Priest’s shirt. “Which part?”
“All of it,” Priest said without pause. “You waiting in here for me fresh and showered. You greeting me. You undressing me. All of it.”
Robbie nodded, loving the sound of that, more than he ever knew he would. “Yes.”
“Yes?” Priest said, as Robbie reached the final button and slipped his hands under the shirt to push it off Priest’s shoulders.
As it fell down Priest’s arms, Robbie bent his head and put his lips over Priest’s left nipple and said, “Yes.”
Once Priest’s shirt was free and he was left standing in only his boxer briefs, he took Robbie’s wrists and tugged him forward to say against his mouth, “You like the idea of that? Of undressing me?”
“Yes. I…” Robbie licked his lips, nervous about what he was feeling and saying. “I like to do things for you. For Julien. It makes me feel…”
As Robbie trailed off, Priest said, “It makes you feel what, Robert?”
“Needed,” Robbie confessed. “Wanted. I like knowing that I please the both of you.”
“You do, very much so. With or without doing this.”
“I know,” Robbie said, and gnawed on his lip. “But I never knew how good it would make me feel to do this for someone. How vital it makes me feel. How special…”
When Priest put a finger beneath Robbie’s chin and tipped his face up, Robbie’s entire body trembled at the touch.
This was powerful. What was happening right here? What he was feeling? It was on a level Robbie had never experienced before, one he’d never explored, and never had he been more terrified than he was right now in giving up this truth to Priest.
“You are very special. We all are. And each day we’re discovering another reason why. So from now on, if you are home when I get here, it would please me very much to find you waiting to undress me, without me having to ask. Do you understand?”
“Fuck,” Robbie said.
“That’s not an answer, Robert.”
“Yes.” Robbie nodded eagerly. “I’ll be waiting.”
“Good,” Priest said, and lowered his hand. “Now, I believe Julien mentioned that you’re cooking us dinner tonight?”
Robbie tried to remember how to string a sentence together as Priest took a pair of grey sweats and a black t-shirt from a drawer, and when he slipped them on, Robbie finally managed, “Yes. That’s right.”
“And what are you cooking?”
“His famous cheese soufflés.”
“Is that right?” Priest said as he picked up his shirt and tossed it in the laundry basket, and then headed out of the closet with Robbie by his side.
“It is. He said I could pick anything, and since I’m a total stalker, I wanted to learn the dish that won him his first challenge and—”
“Earned him the nickname ‘the Prick’?”
“Yes. Exactly.”
“Hmm. That might’ve been part of it. But I think you asked him for another reason,” Priest said, and when Robbie went to deny it, Priest arched an eyebrow.
“Okay…yes,” Robbie said, and looked down at his hands, which he twisted together, wondering if Priest would be mad that he’d pushed Julien today. “This morning when you left, we were fooling around in the kitchen, and…” As those words left his mouth, Robbie’s eyes flew up to Priest’s. He su
ddenly felt shy about admitting that.
“Go on,” Priest said, his expression hinting at nothing other than concern and curiosity over what Robbie was telling him. There was no anger or jealousy anywhere in sight.
“Well, he said something to me that…” Robbie paused and then shrugged. “It struck a chord. He tried to brush it off, but it was so sad, and I know I don’t know what happened with his sister and I don’t want to push him or anything. But today, when he asked me to pick something to cook, it hit me that this meal that he made on the show? It has some kind of connection to her, doesn’t it? ‘Most meaningful.’ It has to. And the fact that he hulked out when they pushed for information about who he made it for? Anyway, I thought if we made it together, he might want to share it with me. Get things off his chest.”
Priest cradled Robbie’s cheek and looked him directly in the eye. “You’re very smart, Robert Bianchi. And very sweet.”
Robbie put his hands on Priest’s chest and whispered, “He was hurting, Joel. I wanted to help him. I thought this might.”
The kiss Priest pressed against Robbie’s lips then was chaste compared to the one they’d just shared in the closet, and when he raised his head, he said, “I think you could be right. So, how about you go and find our Prick and cook us all a cheese soufflé?”
Chapter Six
CONFESSION
Sometimes the best memories made
are the ones you don’t even realize you’re making.
“UHH…SOMEHOW, I don’t think I would’ve gotten past round one of Chef Master with this effort,” Robbie said, and pouted as he looked at the deflated soufflé sitting in front of him.
For the past forty minutes, Julien had been watching over his young protégé and walking him through one of the most difficult recipes a chef could attempt. Back in his kitchen at JULIEN, he’d demonstrated the process to Robbie and had him help out along the way. But tonight, Julien had stepped back and let Robbie take the lead.
