Page 25 of Fated Mates and How to Seduce Them (Fated Mates #4)

She waved this off. “Ian, in my line of work, we create a lot of samples for clothes. Sometimes they’re mock-ups.

Sometimes they’re for model shots or samples sent to different boutique shows, et cetera.

In the end, I always have far too many clothes stacked up in a warehouse, and I’m not sure what to do with most of them.

About once a year, we hold a huge warehouse sale for cheap just to clear out inventory.

My thought was, why not let the kids at your group home have the first choice of them? ”

That sounded good to Ian, but… “Is that really all right?”

“Of course! They’re just sitting there going to waste otherwise. And kids grow so quickly. I know from raising these three. If you give me a time, I can drive out there with you and bring everything we can stuff into a vehicle.”

She genuinely wanted to help. It was obvious from her sincere expression. Ian also felt at least part of this came from her curiosity. She wanted to see the group home for herself, the one her son had invested so much in, and this was a neat excuse to do it.

Still, it was kind of her to offer, and Ian wasn’t about to turn her down. “I think they’d love it, especially with Christmas right around the corner.”

She clapped her hands in delight. “Good! When can I come?”

“Well, weekends typically work best. Is tomorrow too soon? Or sometime next week?”

“Tomorrow is fine.”

André made a noise of objection. “Uh, I have a commitment tomorrow.”

His mother wrinkled her nose at him. “It’s fine. I don’t need you. Ian will escort me.”

“Mom, you cannot take off with my boyfriend.” André pouted.

“I can and will, and you best get used to it, as I’ll continue to do so in the future.”

Why did Ian feel like the brand-new toy being fought over?

Benedict cleared his throat. “How about I go with you too? I’ve been curious about the place, and if I know Mom, she’ll pack her SUV to the gunwales. It’s better to have a third person to help haul it all in.”

She shrugged, not embarrassed at being caught. “Fine. I won’t turn down help.”

André pointed to himself. “I’d help if you just chose another day. Why is Benedict welcome and I’m not?”

“Because I want to ask Ian questions and make sure you’re being a good boyfriend, and he won’t answer truthfully if you’re there,” his mother informed him bluntly.

“Mom!” André howled in protest.

Ian lifted a hand to cover his mouth as he choked on a laugh. Okay, he might like her after all.

“See? He’s laughing. Ian, out with it. What’s my son done?”

Ian’s nerves fell by half at this banter between family, making it easy to turn to her now and respond. “Not a thing.”

Her lips pursed in a disbelieving expression. “But it took him a while to convince you two to date. I don’t know if I believe you. Surely he showed some major drawback.”

How honest could Ian be with her? He didn’t know, so he went with the safer option. “I didn’t think he was serious the first time he asked me out.”

“Oh.” Their mother blinked, obviously not expecting his answer. “Was that the problem? André, do I need to teach you the basics of wooing someone?”

“Mother.” André buried his face in both hands, utterly in despair. “I promise you. I know how to ask someone out.”

She tsk ed. “You apparently don’t if he didn’t believe you. For shame, André.”

“It’s fine.” André waved this off, dismissing the concern with an airy wave of a hand. “After Ian, I won’t need to ask anyone else. I’m set now.”

Eh? Ian’s head whipped around, his eyes wide on André’s face. What did he mean? It sounded like…Well, it sounded like André had no intention of being with anyone else other than Ian. Which was, well, crazy? After them being together a whole twelve hours?

Had André taken one look at him and decided the only one he’d ever want was Ian?

Surely not.

“Honey,” Mr. Castor chided. “Stop teasing. We don’t have a lot of time before we leave.”

“Oh, true. Well, I can ask Ian more later.”

Ian started to worry for himself. Just what was she going to ask him? And could he get at least buzzed before the conversation hit him?

Probably not, dammit.

Mr. Castor looked sideways at Felix. “And why is your phone out at the table?”

“Oh, just nipping a problem in the bud,” Felix answered lightly. He set the phone down again before beaming at the table in general. “Well, Ian, bon appétit.”

Food did seem the safer option.

This morning had been a bit of a shock to Ian, meeting the family all at once as he had, but as expected of him, he’d risen to the occasion just fine. André’s parents had been utterly charmed by him. André was beyond pleased.

Ian had work later, so André knew he had to take him back to his dorm at some point, but he wasn’t willing to let go of him just yet. They snuggled on the couch together after breakfast, the two of them comparing schedules. Ian still wanted to take him on a date, and André was all for it.

“I think Wednesday is the only time we can both do it,” Ian said thoughtfully, looking at the calendar on his phone. “Unless you want to delay it another week.”

“Boo, no. I can just sleep over at your place after.”

“Oh, you can, can you?”

André leaned farther in, stealing a kiss. “What, I can’t?”

Ian’s eyes danced as they looked into his. “I didn’t say that.”

“As you can see”—Felix’s voice sounded oddly like a sports commentator’s—“these two are beyond gushy. No, they have no idea. They’re just like this.”

André twisted to look, frowning at the phone in Felix’s hands. “That suspiciously looks like you’re filming us.”

“You’d be half correct,” Felix agreed, fully in mischief mode.

Sweet heaven above, now what was he up to? André sighed. “Felix. What are you doing?”

“I told you, nipping a problem in the bud. I posted a pic of you and Ian earlier, and people didn’t believe you’re actually dating. I had a lot of comments about it.”

André’s brows twitched. What? People didn’t believe it? How dare they. The outrage he felt was tangible enough to choke on.

“It’s not the first time someone said something like that, either.” Felix added this like he knew he’d added fuel to the fire. “There were a couple of girls who said it right to Ian’s face.”

They did what? The irritation André felt snapped at him, demanding a response.

Felix was the soul of cooperation as he batted innocent eyes at the two. “Don’t you think a video announcing things is a good way to clear things up?”

“I now understand why my brother sent a video around campus,” André growled. He looked right into the camera’s lens. “Ian is mine. Any of you have an issue with it, take it up with me.”

Next to him, Ian sighed. “Felix, do not egg him on. I don’t care what anyone else says.”

André turned and frowned at his boyfriend. “I do. I don’t want people hassling you.”

“Anyone who hassles me is petty, and I can handle petty people.”

“You can do anything, sweetheart, but it doesn’t mean you need to.”

Felix cleared his throat. “Now now, couple on the couch, no bickering. We’ll take five questions from our audience.”

André turned his frown back at him. “Wait, are you live right now?”

Felix gave him a downright evil grin. “I am, so pay attention. First question, are you two really dating? Okay, that one’s too blatantly obvious. I’m ignoring it. New first question: Ian, how did you catch André?”

“He petted a very cute cat,” André answered honestly. “Basically, all it took.”

Ian grinned at this answer, shaking his head at the memory. “In other words, other way around. He caught me.”

“Question two: André, don’t you normally just hook up with people?”

“I did, yes, but don’t you dare think that’s what I’m doing here.” André shook a firm finger at the camera. “I’m serious. He’s my boyfriend. Don’t even try to convince yourselves otherwise.”

Felix smiled, approving of this response. But then, he got it. He’d been in this situation with Benedict. “Question three: Are you open to a threesome? Wow, that was bold.”

Ian immediately shook his head. “Uh, no. Sorry, no, not comfortable with that.”

Neither was André. The possessive side of him, normally dormant and on life support, sprang forth with the energy of a superhero who had encountered the final boss.

His vampire side had definite opinions about sharing his Ian, none of them kind.

“I’m not the sharing type. Also, note that I have zero chill where Ian is concerned.

You proposition him, and there will be hell to pay. ”

“Huh, this fourth question is for me. Felix, how serious are these two? Look.” Felix switched the camera around to face himself. “I have watched this play out, okay? I have seen André moping on the couch for weeks because Ian wouldn’t agree to a dinner date.”

André rolled his eyes to the ceiling, praying for patience. “For fuck’s sake, don’t tell them that—”

Felix ignored him and kept rolling. “I have watched on the sidelines as André basically did backsprings in order to get his attention. I watched Ian fall for him, step by step, over the course of weeks. Yes, they’re serious about each other.

No, you do not want to cross a Castor man where his lover is involved.

Okay? Trust me on this. They spoil their significant others shamelessly, and they will ruin you if you piss them off too much”—Felix shot the camera a smug look—“and André is no different than Benedict when it comes to this. Last question. Make it good, people.”

Felix flipped the camera back around. “Ian, aren’t you nervous dating the most famous playboy on campus?”

That was just hurtful. Not without foundation, granted, but hurtful. Curse past him.

Ian looked completely exasperated by this question. As if, in his mind, it had no foundation. It was rather heartening.

His boyfriend’s expression firmed into one of steel before he answered. “Look, I don’t know about the rest of you, but I don’t date someone I can’t trust. André has completely earned my trust. No, I’m not nervous. He’s given me no reason to be.”