Page 131 of All Tied Up

They’d spent hours pouring over financial plans. Neil was content to advise and suggest, but he was very firm that the lodge was Sebastian’s business and he was providing a loan to help it succeed.

The foyer to Neil’s office was, if anything, more expensive than the downstairs lobby. Sebastian’s eyes lit immediately on a fresh bouquet of tropical flowers with sprigs of orchids and birds of paradise. He imagined it cost at least a hundred dollars, and it would have to be replaced each week.

Before they could announce themselves at the desk, Neil came out to greet them. He looked as stiff-necked and official as he had the day they met, but now Sebastian knew what was underneath.

“Sebastian, Jamie. Come right this way.”

It was funny to hear his full name on Neil’s lips. Usually Neil worked so much that they only saw him on weekends and the occasional late evenings, when he could devote his time just to them. At the lodge, Neil almost always called him Daddy.

Seeing him now soothed Sebastian’s worry. He was both dreading and looking forward to this meeting. It would be both the end of an era and, hopefully, the beginning of a new one.

Naturally, the first thing that Sebastian checked was Neil’s eyes, the way he carried himself. He was exhausted again, like he always was by the time Friday came around.

He had a tight rein on it, and likely no one but Sebastian and Jamie would notice. He looked alert and moved quickly, capably. But that tenseness didn’t belong in his shoulders, and Sebastian wanted to kiss away the bruising under his eyes.

For vanilla folks, Sebastian figured that seeing each other every weekend might be a lot. But as a Daddy, he hated letting Neil out of his sight for even a day. Not when he was so miserable at his job, working too many hours and forgetting to eat.

The eating part Sebastian could at least do something about, calling him every evening at exactly seven-thirty. Whether Neil was at home or still at work, he made time to talk for half an hour while he ate.

At home, it sometimes turned into naughty video calls, with Jamie teasing and cajoling and putting on a show, or Sebastian giving Neil rough commands that he followed with breathtaking obedience. But just as often it was quiet evenings, a soft moment of reflection. If Neil was especially tired, Sebastian even stayed on the phone with him until he fell asleep. Whatever it was, Sebastian treasured the time he had to take care of his boy.

With only an hour and a half drive between them, it shouldn’t have felt like a long-distance relationship, but it did. Weekends were the busiest times at the lodge, and as lovely as it was to have Neil accompany him on his rounds of making beds and replacing towels, it wasn’t exactly the relaxation he deserved. Sebastian also worried that Jamie didn’t get enough time with Neil, unless the two of them were taking on some repair project or Neil was joining him on a climb.

At some point, they’d need to find a balance where Sebastian and Jamie could each have their own dates with him, but it was difficult to just see him at all and he was greedy for whatever time the three of them could have together.

This weekend was the first time Sebastian and Jamie had made the reverse trip into Portland, leaving the lodge to Maria and Ty, with some help from Maria’s girlfriend. Sebastian was eager to see Neil’s apartment, even though Neil swore it was nothing worth seeing. He wanted to know everything about his boy.

But first, they had a meeting to get through. At least seeing his boy had taken his mind off the reason they were here for a while. His stomach tightened with stress, though he wasn’t sure if he was worried or elated.

Neil led them to a wide conference room with a polished oak table and at least a dozen chairs. Its most important feature, though, was that it was private.

Sebastian grabbed Neil’s arm, turning him with a light tug until he landed against his chest. “Hey, baby boy.”

“Hey, Daddy,” Neil whispered back. “Are you ready for this?”

“I need a kiss for good luck.” Sebastian tugged Neil’s beard and fit their lips together. God, there was nothing like feeling his boy melt in his arms when he was dressed like the legal powerhouse he was.

That was it. That was what they both needed. Neil kissed him like time stopped. Like he’d forgotten his job or where he was. Like he trusted Sebastian to give him everything that he needed.

Sebastian had been joking, but after that kiss, he felt like he could tackle anything.

Jamie snuggled in beside them. “Oooh! I need lots of luck, too!” Neil chuckled and turned to Jamie’s candy pink mouth for another lingering kiss while Sebastian held them both.

“Are you sure we have to do this?” Jamie asked, just this side of a whine.

Neil pulled back and Sebastian could watch his armor go back up, but not all the way. He still wasn’t tense like he’d been when they walked in, just professional. “You really don’t have to Jamie, if you don’t want to. Sebastian can sign now and you can add your signature later.”

“No,” Jamie looked determined. “We’re going to do this.”

Sebastian dropped a kiss on Jamie’s head and took his face in his hands. “Dragonfly, you are one of the strongest people I know. And I love you.”

“I love you too, Daddy,” Jamie told him sweetly.

Sebastian never hid his love for Jamie when he was around Neil, but he was starting to notice how… unbalanced it felt. He wasn’t quite sure what to do, though.

When he looked up, Neil was watching them with quiet adoration. So maybe just seeing the two of them in love was enough for right now.

Neil stroked a hand down Jamie’s arm. “I hate to push us on this, but we actually should get started. Are you ready?”