Page 20

20

DUKE GOES OVERBOARD WITH NEST BUILDING

“Duke?” Nat said faintly, tucking his phone into his pocket.

His office chair was behind his desk. That was the only thing that had stayed the same.

Cardboard boxes had been strewn across the far side of the office. Around Nat’s desk, blankets had been laid out on the floor. They were fluffy, cozy, all pastel colors, and in such a thick layer that they looked like a dream to walk on.

Behind the desk, next to Wanda’s playpen, was a beautiful new wooden sideboard. Baskets of snacks adorned its top, and its half-filled shelves contained a variety of books, candles, and even some bottles that looked like aromatherapy oil.

Nat tiptoed closer, watching as Duke backed out of the space under his desk.

“I’ve just installed the mini fridge.” Duke nodded at the other side of Nat’s desk. “In case you want cold drinks or snacks. You won’t have to search in the break rooms on the other floors.”

“A mini fridge,” Nat said faintly.

“I’ll also install a fan and a space heater, in case you get too hot or cold.” Duke gestured at two unopened boxes to the side. “If you need something cozier, I’ve put blankets and sweaters in the sideboard.”

Nat scooped Wanda out of the playpen, still staring. “Blankets and a space heater?”

“The office climate control takes a while to adjust the temperature,” Duke explained. “Having your own heating aids would work a lot faster.”

Nat gaped. “Why all this?”

Duke explained patiently, “Because I’m building you a nest.”

“ This is a nest?” Nat squawked.

Duke looked concerned, suddenly. “Is there something I’ve missed?”

“No, no!” Nat glanced at the new potted plant in the corner, and the electric kettle on a cabinet further away. That cabinet was packed with actual bowls, plates, and cutlery, and filled with fancy-looking instant food. There was even a microwave oven, and a printed stack of restaurant menus. “This is all... a lot.”

Duke stood up. Only then did Nat realize that Duke had kicked off his shoes, his feet clad in socks against the blankets. “I’ve arranged for a larger fridge to be delivered,” Duke said. “It will be filled with fresh fruits, cheeses, and sandwiches in case you want something quick to munch on.”

“But there’s already a mini fridge,” Nat said helplessly.

“Oh. That’s just large enough for a few drinks and snacks.” Duke opened the mini fridge—it was stuffed with pie, rice pudding, yogurt, juices, chocolate milk, and a jar of pickles.

“I’m really not going to look in your mouth,” Nat said.

Duke raised an eyebrow. “My mouth?”

“Gift goat.” Nat froze. He lifted Wanda so he could hide his face in her belly. “Fuck! I didn’t—I meant to say...”

“Wa!” Wanda said excitedly.

Duke snorted. “I think she might be trying to imitate you. Especially your swear words.”

“Fuck my mouth,” Nat muttered. Then he froze, peeking at Duke.

Duke smirked.

“That’s totally not what I meant,” Nat groaned. “I suck as a dad.”

“No, you don’t. You’re a lovely dad.” Duke began to install a fan next to Nat’s desk. He installed the space heater next, before showing Nat their remote controls—so he wouldn’t have to walk over to adjust the temperatures himself.

“You’re spoiling me,” Nat blurted.

Duke grinned. “When you have a spare moment, come into my office. We’ll go through the pregnancy contract together. This is all part of it.”

“I never thought being pregnant would lead to this many gifts. It’s crazy.”

“This is what you deserve.”

“Is this all because I’m your employee?”

Duke sighed, but he looked patient again. “You’re carrying my child. I’m courting you, Nat.”

Nat’s heart stuttered. “What?”

“You heard me.” Duke’s ears turned pink. “You’re capable, and you’ve shown great compassion toward Teddy and Mallie. I would like you to join my family.”

“This is moving a little fast, isn’t it?” Nat squeaked.

“You are very valuable and precious, Nat. And I’m going to offer you a place at my side before someone else steals you away.” Duke looked intently into his eyes.

It wasn’t love. It was... a good decision, Nat realized. Because then Duke would have someone he trusted around his children.

Just that Nat secretly wanted to be loved; he wanted to be someone’s most precious person in the world.

Being Duke’s trusted person was close enough, he decided.

“There are pickup lines hidden everywhere,” Hubrie whispered helpfully.

“There are not, ” Duke growled, shooting his butler a glare. “Remove them before I remove you.”

Hubrie scoffed. “You only wish you could write pickup lines like Dicky Mems’.”

Dicky Mems was the author of an extremely questionable book. Over the course of his stay at the apartment safehouse, it had become common knowledge that the Butler Brothers worshipped a particular pink book: 699 Pickup Lines For Your Wriggly Heart Muffin.

It contained the cringiest, most terrible pickup lines known to mankind; they were so terrible that they made Nat’s brain freeze up. No one could possibly think those lines were romantic.

And yet.

A slip of pink paper fluttered onto the floor when Duke shook out a fluffy blanket.

All of them stared at it.

“That’s not mine,” Duke said, hurriedly grabbing it.

“Spoiler alert,” Hubrie whispered loudly. “I didn’t put that in there.”

Duke glowered at his butler. “Don’t you have somewhere to be?”

Hubrie smirked and slipped away.

Duke’s melted shopping cart crept up to them. It had stuck around the mansion all night. This morning, it had followed them all the way to the Brimstone Industries office.

Duke patted the cart and placed the slip of paper in its cargo basket. “Take this to the other side of the office.”

The cart trembled excitedly, skidding away in its eagerness to be useful.

Nat watched it disappear behind some desks. “What was that about?”

Somehow, Duke’s ears turned redder through his glamour.

“That was a—a draft,” Duke muttered, the most awkward Nat had ever seen him.

He was surprisingly adorable like that. Nat hadn’t thought Duke could be adorable.

“You could win a blue ribbon,” Nat blurted.

Duke frowned. “Aren’t those for farming events?”

Farming? Did Duke think he meant the goat thing again? Nat whimpered. “No! Not farming! I didn’t mean the goat thing. Fuck.”

And now Duke looked confused.

“Wa!” Wanda beamed and kicked her legs.

One of these days, when Nat finally wrestled some control over his mouth, he was going to clean up his swear words. Children didn’t remember the swear words they heard as babies, right?

“I meant that you could win an award with your adorableness,” Nat said. Then he wished he could’ve swallowed those words. He wasn’t supposed to hit on his boss, damn it!

Duke blinked. “No one has said I’m adorable in... a century.”

“You can’t be older than forty.”

Duke smiled. “Try a hundred and seventeen.”

“That’s... way more than I can comprehend, to be honest.”

“That’s fine. Demons are long-lived.” Duke came closer, lightly grasping Nat’s chin and tipping his face up. “So, you think I’m cute?”

“As a doorknob!” Nat cringed the next moment. “Wait. I mean, doorknobs can be cute. I just don’t want to make you uncomfortable with my words!”

Duke rumbled low in his throat. “I’m very comfortable with you thinking I’m cute. Most people think I’m scary.”

“Oh.” Nat blushed. “Um. Yeah. That is what I think. And I really need you to forget about the goat thing.”

Duke snorted. “I’ll forget about it when you stop reminding me of it, sweetheart.”

Nat cursed himself. “Okay. Um. I need to... start work.”

He turned to his desk, then looked at Wanda in his arms.

Duke came up behind him, a solid, warm presence that made Nat’s pulse skip a beat. “Nat.”

“Y-yeah?”

Duke squeezed his shoulder. Then he leaned in and buried his nose in Nat’s hair. “Block off some time with me today. I really want to make sure you’re comfortable with this new contract.”

His breath puffed warmly into Nat’s hair, his thumb skimming Nat’s nape.

Nat could really get used to his touch. “Okay!” he squeaked.

“Ah!” Wanda said.

Duke gave her a fond smile too, squeezing the back of Nat’s neck. Then he stepped into his shoes and headed into his office, leaving the door ajar behind him.

“I guess it’s just the two of us now,” Nat whispered to Wanda. He looked around at his vastly changed work area: the tiny vase of flowers on his desk, the mini fridge humming next to him, the lush blankets under his toes. Wanda kicked and wriggled in his arms; he cuddled her and kissed the top of her head, before reluctantly returning her to her playpen.

He was about to log back into his laptop when Duke’s shopping cart rolled back into sight.

Nat smiled. “Hey. Do you need help?”

The cart flipped its wheels. Then it tried to roll onto the blankets; Nat hurried to stop it.

“Not in the nest,” he said firmly. “Your wheels have been everywhere! Just stick to the floor, okay?”

The cart lifted its flap apologetically. The action jostled the slip of pink paper that Duke had left in its cargo basket; the cart offered it hopefully to Nat.

Nat eyed the piece of paper.

It was Duke’s; Nat shouldn’t even consider touching it at all.

But Duke had said it was a draft; Hubrie had seemed certain that it was something meant for Nat.

Maybe Nat could... peek at it? And pretend that he’d never seen anything? It would certainly give him a better idea where he stood with Duke.

He glanced at Duke’s office to make sure his boss wasn’t going to step out anytime soon. Then he scooped up the piece of paper, turning it around with bated breath.