Page 69 of All Tied Up

“Cool. Um… I’m happy to help you with the next project, if you think I can be useful.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to relax? You said you don’t get a lot of vacation days.”

“No. I said the opposite. I have a ton of vacation days that I never use. And I can’t imagine a better use for them than being outside and working on whatever you’re doing. Plus, I love the mountains, even though I don’t get out here much. I kind of wish this weekend didn’t have to end.”

“Maybe you can stay another day?” Jamie asked hopefully. Butterflies fluttered around his chest.

It wasn’t like that was the same as dating or anything. But if he could have another day of Neil’s endlessly interesting conversation and another night of glorious kink, he wasn’t going to say no.

Neil froze, that emotionless mask slipping over his face. Then he seemed to have an epiphany. Had it truly never occurred to him that he could take time off?

“Um… I could look into it, I think. I have a big meeting first thing on Thursday morning that I need to prepare for. I already took tomorrow off. But I suppose I could do some of my work virtually Tuesday and Wednesday, then check out in the evening to drive home. So….” Neil looked a little hesitant. “I guess I could stay for two more days.”

“Oh, yes please! Call your boss or whatever and make it happen!”

Neil smirked. “I’m one of the partners, so I don’t quite have a boss. But yeah, I need to check with the other people on the case to make sure it’ll work.”

“Well… call them now!” Jamie wasn’t going to start to examine why having Neil stay two more days was so uplifting.

“Yeah, I guess I will.” Neil looked amused.

It was fascinating and a little sad watching Neil call his office. His voice grew faster and his words were clipped. His face was set in a mask as he demanded information and justified his plan for getting the work done remotely while he paced back and forth. For the last few minutes of the call, he just listened and then laughed a few times, but the laughter was strained. No wonder he wanted to spend the day in the sunshine with a trowel.

When he got off the phone, though, his smile was real. “So… got any rooms available for tomorrow night?”

“I don’t know about rooms, but we’ve got a spot reserved for you right between me and Daddy.” And there was Jamie offering his and Sebastian’s bed up for another night. Well, three nights including tonight.

That wasn’t their usual thing at all, but it had felt really nice waking up with Neil snuggled between them this morning. He’d been so cute and sleep-rumpled in the morning, so shy and pleasingly affectionate with lazy morning kisses for Jamie once Daddy gave them each a quick pat and headed downstairs to make breakfast.

So Jamie could do with having him in their bed for a few more nights. He loved relaxing mornings, and rolling around in bed with Neil had been perfect.

“Well, um, thank you. I hoped but I didn’t want to assume.”

“Oh, you’re totally welcome in our bed. Any time.” Jamie said that last bit fervently. Neil lived close enough that he could do some occasional weekend visits or whatever. “Unrelatedly, I think we’re done with this project.” Jamie brandished his trowel.

“Want me to get the wagon?”

“That would be lovely. It’s much better than carrying a bucket unevenly on one side, but it’s not ideal.”

They walked back up the path together, then Jamie showed Neil where to put everything away in the shed.

“What’s next?” Neil asked.

“First, we wash up.”

Neil held the hose while Jamie rinsed the cement dust off his hands, then they switched places. The sun had gotten hotter while they worked, and the water felt cool and refreshing. When Jamie got the hose back he took a drink, then splashed a bit over his head, letting it drip down his face and trickle down his shirt. Ah, that was perfect.

Even better was the way Neil was watching him, like he couldn’t tear himself away. Was that really how he felt? It didn’t seem like something Neil would benefit from faking. But at the same time, it didn’t seem possible, especially without Daddy here to control the scene.

Jamie shook his head, flinging water around and shaking off the thought.

Neil had a bit of a sunburn starting to show on his ears and cheeks, and he looked happy and relaxed. It was like he was a completely different person than the stiff, nervous man who’d walked into the lodge two days ago.

Jamie shut off the hose, then playfully splashed the last spray of water across Neil’s chest.

“Hey!” Neil looked shocked, like he’d never been splashed before.

Jamie took off, laughing as he ran. The patch of lawn behind the lodge was flat enough that he could set a good pace since he was wearing his curved prosthetic.