“Charlemagne always was a show-off.” Was Wills impressed by that—
“Wow. Eighty-seven years? Who’d have thought they’d be going on for so long?”
I blew out a breath. So it wasn’t Chuckles he was impressed by. “Nothing stopped them,” I said easily, not wanting him to know how insecure I was being. “From what I was led to understand, not even the First or Second World Wars, although attendance was sparse during those years.”
“Makes sense.” He closed the box and put it back in his bag. “Are we gonna go again next year?”
“You’d want to go?”
“Yeah. I mean, I know it’s supposed to be for escorts, but it was fun, and if you don’t have a problem with it…”
“No problem. Elections for the next Le Roi are in February…” And did that get cutthroat. “I’ll run it by him, but I’m friendly with most of the boys.” No, definitely no problem. It never failed to amaze and surprise, and yes, thrill me—he was looking to the future. I pulled him against me and rubbed my groin against his. “Trick or treat, little boy?”
Thanksgiving was just around the corner. Vince had been able to get Wills that day off but not the day after, so we wouldn’t be able to spend the holiday with either of our families.
“Want to invite the ladies from downstairs to join us?”
“Why?”
“Because it’s Thanksgiving?”
I sighed. “Okay, babe.” I didn’t want him to know I was reluctant to have those man-eaters around him. Plus there was Sable, who was French, and a Cordon Bleu-trained cook.
“Cool. I’ll go down and ask them.”
“I’ll go with you.” I followed him out of the apartment.
He gave me an amused smile. “Think I can’t protect myself?”
“It was a good thing you weren’t wearing those 501 jeans of yours when you fixed the drain. I saw the way Gus was looking at you.”
“Oh, yeah? And how was that?”
“Like you were Red Riding Hood and she was the Big Bad Wolf.” Plus she was a redhead.
“I can take care of myself, babe.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
We could hear a good deal of bustle going on in the apartment on the second floor. Wills pressed the doorbell. Unlike our chimes, it was an ordinary “ding dong.”
Gus answered the door. “I’m sorry, didn’t you get the message? We’re not…Oh, hi, guys. Hey, girls, it’s our landlord and his cutie.”
“Well, tell them we said hi and get back here and finish packing!” That was Layla, not that I’d normally have recognized her voice, but it couldn’t have been Sable—no French accent.
“I am finished.” Gus called back, saccharine laced with strychnine. She fluttered her lashes at Wills. “What can we do for you, sugar?”
He smiled at her, and I cleared my throat, folded my arms across my chest, and tapped my foot.
He turned his smile on me and bumped his shoulder against mine before turning back to Gus. “We just wanted to invite you up for dinner on Thursday.” He didn’t notice her blank look, but I did.
“It’s Thanksgiving,” I informed her.
“Already? My, this year has flown.”
“Yeah, it’s really zipped by.”
Wills sent an admonishing look my way, then turned back to her. “Would you like to join us?”
“Thank you; that’s really nice of you, but we’re going up to Killington for the week.”
“I’ve skied there.” Wills skied? In the snow? I shivered at the thought of him flying over moguls and curving around downhill turns. “Beautiful place to spend the holiday.”
“It isn’t a holiday. Not for us anyway. We’ll be working.” She smiled faintly. “We’re supposed to sit by the fireplace in the lodge and look delectable.”
“That shouldn’t be too difficult a job.”
“Oh, well, too bad.” I frowned at Wills. “They have plans, Wills.”
“You’re so sweet. I’d ask you and Sweetcheeks to come in for a…drink…” She fluttered her lashes more. Jesus, she was going to stir up a windstorm! “…but—”
Wills’s easy-going smile vanished. “Theo,” he corrected sharply.
“Of course.” She sighed, and her expression became a combination of wry and wistful. “Well, our ride will be here any minute now.”
“We’ll just be going.” I started to back away.
“Happy Thanksgiving, boys.”
“You too.”
Wills trotted up the stairs, and I took the time following him to admire his ass. He paused at the top of the stairs, glanced over his shoulder, and caught me staring. That grin curled his lips.
“You’re glad we’ll be spending the day alone together, aren’t you?” he asked.
“Busted. Are you disappointed in me?”
“Why?”
“Because I’m selfish when it comes to you?”
“Never. Inviting the ladies downstairs was the right thing to do, Theo, and you were willing to go along with that because I asked you.” He pulled me against him, his hands warm on my back, and rubbed his lips back and forth over mine. “I’ll tell you a secret, babe. Well, maybe not really a secret. I’m glad they had other plans. I’m glad we’ll be alone, too.”
* * * *
Although we wouldn’t be able to see our families, we called them, and while Wills spent more than an hour on the phone, settled on the couch with the phone under his ear, grinning at the ceiling and talking to each member of his family, my call home was relatively brief and stilted.