Page 46 of A Case of You

Brandon kissed the back of his neck, morning stubble feeling scratchy against Stuart’s flesh. “For the duration, it’s okay to call me by name or just saySir. We don’t need to scare the ’nillas, or antagonize your brother. I don’t want you to forget and call me Master in front of them.”

When the girls weren’t around, Stuart preferred to call Brandon Master, even though Brandon had relaxed that rule with Emma and Grace present nearly all the time. Except Stuart preferred to call Brandon that.

Hewashis Master.

And he’d been looking forward to doing that all weekend…except Brandon had a point.

Yes, Sir,” he finally said.

Better start now and get used to it.

Brandon closed his left hand around Stuart’s, lacing fingers with him, their wedding bands touching. “It doesn’t matter what we call each other. We’re still husbands.”

Stuart stared at the two simple wedding bands that, better than anything, quietly explained to the world what and who they were to each other. “Yes, Sir. I hope Jeff’s okay.”

“He’ll probably be calling pretty soon and begging me to tell Emma and Grace to stand down, if I know our boy.” He nuzzled the nape of Stuart’s neck. “I might have left the girls with orders to not let Jeff lift a finger to doanythingaround the house, except personal care stuff and to watch TV on the couch. Unless he wanted to take them out to eat, or they needed to go to the store. Then Emma could drive him.”

Stuart snorted. “That’s evil, Sir.”

“I know. Hey, I have to get my sadistic fix with him where and how I can, when I can.” He squeezed Stuart’s hand. “It’s not all about canings and sex. Although that is a lot of fun, too.”

No arguments from him there. “Yes, Sir.”

He’d slept…beautifully. All night. No bad dreams at all.

“How do you feel about showing me around after we find something to eat?” Brandon asked.

“There’s not a lot to see around here, Sir.”

“That wasn’t exactly a request.”

Stuart had been afraid of that. “Yes, Sir.”

“I thought we could stop by your parents’ place and you can introduce me to them.”

Now he felt wide awake, his pulse pounding. He rolled over to face Brandon. “Why?”

Brandon wasn’t so sleepy he couldn’t arch an eyebrow at him.

“Why, Sir,” Stuart corrected.

“Again, this isn’t exactly a request.”

Shit. Stuart had been afraid of that, too.

“How’d you sleep last night?”

Stuart had to struggle to think to answer him while still processing what Brandon had just said they were going to do. “Good, Sir.”

“And how did last night’s dinner go?”

“It…went well, Sir.”

“Rather than waiting until tonight, and piling your nerves on top of nerves with me meeting your parentsandJake and everyone at the same time, let’s chip away at it. Your parents might be less defensive about us if we meet them alone.”

“I…” He swallowed hard. “I don’t have any idea how it’ll go.”

“Exactly. If it goes bad, you’re already anticipating that. If it goes okay, then it’s one more worry off your plate. And Idowant to see where you grew up. It’s part of who you are.”