Total pages in book: 184
Estimated words: 188108 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 941(@200wpm)___ 752(@250wpm)___ 627(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 188108 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 941(@200wpm)___ 752(@250wpm)___ 627(@300wpm)
How had things gone to hell in less than a week?
They were three grown men. They should be able to take care of themselves.
“I am washing them. They’re in the washing machine right now. I even grabbed some of Roman’s clothes and put them in the wash as well. I don’t think he’d be too comfortable walking around naked. He’s not as cultured as me.”
Cultured?
Alexei?
Dear God.
“Why didn’t you wash them earlier so that you had something to wear today?” Salem asked.
Be patient.
“You are full of so many questions today. You really should head to the club where you can ask one of your pretty subs all these pesky questions. Get up in their business instead of mine.”
But Salem would never ask a sub at the club personal questions. Because they weren’t friends. It was more like . . . a business transaction.
Fuck.
That sounded so bad. It wasn’t that he didn’t care about them . . . he did.
Just not the sort of care you had for friends and family.
More like a stranger in a vulnerable position that he was supposed to take care of. At least for a few hours. Before he sent them safely on their way.
“I’ve been working. I’ve been trying to figure out Pinky’s next move.”
“Getting anywhere?” Alexei asked.
Frustration filled him. Because he wasn’t. He wasn’t getting. Any. Fucking. Where.
He was failing in his job, and it seemed he was failing at home.
Fuck.
This wasn’t normal for him. Salem wasn’t used to failure.
Which is probably why you’re taking it so badly.
“You seem tense. Perhaps you should work out. Or get laid.”
“I don’t need to get laid.”
But maybe he needed a session at the club. He needed to feel like he was in control of something. Because he certainly didn’t have command of anything at home.
Or in his career.
Things felt like a mess. As though he was spiraling. Which was bizarre. Because Salem didn’t spiral.
It wasn’t something he allowed himself to do.
Yeah. That’s what he needed. To go to the club and find a sub to play with. Tie them up. Spank them. And then he would get them off.
Fuck.
When was the last time he’d come?
“Sure, you don’t,” Alexei drawled. “That’s why you’re wound up tighter than those weird bird clocks.”
Bird clocks?
A cuckoo clock?
Salem opened his mouth, then closed it.
Sometimes he had to learn to pick his battles.
2
Picking up an apple, Alexei leaned against the kitchen counter and took a large bite.
Was it wrong to be extremely irritated by the way he ate?
Probably.
“Can you not do that?” Salem asked through gritted teeth.
Alexei raised an eyebrow. “Eat? Kind of necessary if I want to live.”
“Can you not eat while you’re naked while leaning your bare ass against the counter.” Salem moved to the cupboard under the sink and grabbed a cloth and some disinfectant to clean the bench and cupboard.
“You have a lot of rules.”
“Rules are important,” Salem stated as he cleaned. He might as well do the whole bench and kitchen.
“Are they? Personally, I think they’re boring.”
“I don’t know how you managed to become an agent,” Salem told him.
“They needed my mad skills.”
“Or they were just mad for hiring you,” Salem muttered to himself.
“What was that?” Alexei asked.
“Nothing.”
“Really? Because I could have sworn I heard you say they were mad for hiring me.”
“You could hear that, but you never hear me when I tell you that the dishwasher needs emptying?”
“What can I say? I’m nuanced.”
“I don’t think that’s the right word.”
“It is.” Alexei shrugged as he threw the apple core away.
“I’ll order some groceries and see if the agency has someone who can come in and start cleaning next week.”
“Done and done.”
“What? By who? Roman?”
Alexei snorted. “Really? I doubt Roman has even noticed that Evette isn’t here. I ordered the food.”
Salem opened the cupboards.
“And I’ve been leaving him food,” Alexei added. “You might say I’m a model housemate . . . housefriend . . . what would be the word?”
“Roommate?”
“I don’t share a room with him, though. I don’t swing that way, even though you seem to admire my dick. I don’t blame you. It’s pretty.”
“I’m not admiring it. I’m not even looking at it. Or thinking about it. But it’s good you ordered food and made some for Roman, too. Otherwise, he’d likely forget to eat.”
Alexei grunted, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Too bad you didn’t remember the laundry before now.”
“I’m not perfect. I know, it was a surprise to me, too.”
Salem massaged the back of his neck just as Roman wandered into the kitchen, appearing confused. “It’s daylight? What day is it?”
Christ.
Evette usually made sure that Roman stepped away from his computer sometimes. She’d been his housekeeper for years. She acted more like his mother than his employee. And Salem vaguely remembered promising to keep an eye on him while she was gone.
Yeah, he really didn’t like this feeling of failure.