Page 104 of Governor

I’m good with that.

Unfortunately, I’m also sort of embarrassed that I’m…

Well, hard.

Like,reallyfucking hard. That’s despite already coming twice today. It wasn’t quite so mortifying that morning after class, because Mr. Happy Bone was concealed inside my briefs and shorts.

I can’t hide from her what effects all this has on me now.

Worse?

I’m kind of leaving a trail. Or, would be, if I wasn’t kneeling on a towel, where Carter’s put me in Primed and is keeping me there while he and Susa have a very animated discussion about one of her father’s votes that week.

Carter’s like a conversational mongoose tonight, coming at her from different angles, flipping perspectives to play devil’s advocate, and generally tying her in knots in a way I’m not used to seeing her or him.

I don’t know why tonight is different, why he’s doing this now. Usually he takes a more methodical approach to their debates, and Susa’s normally unflappable no matter what arguments or tactics he engages in.

I listen and ignore the twinges in my back and the way my knees are protesting.

“His vote basically is a budget cut for education, Susa, and don’t try to argue otherwise.Loyalty. I mean, really? Cutting STEM program funding like that in the name of charter schools? A sneaky side-run?”

It took a moment for the command to percolate through my brain. I breathe a sigh of relief and drop into the more relaxed position, which also allows me to reposition my feet.

“Good boy,” Carter immediately says. He stands and walks over to me, resting his hand on my head. “That was a trick, yes. Excellent listening, boy.” He ruffles my hair. “Five minutes like this, and then I’ll let you up and you can relax. Susa needs to catch you up on the class today. I’m sure you weren’t able to pay attention very well.”

I can’t see his face but he sounds amused.

“Thank you, Sir.”

One more head-pat before he returns to the couch.

When he releases me from Loyalty, Susa has me grab my notes, my textbook, and my towel.

“Right here,” she points at the floor in front of her, against the sofa.

I sit where she tells me, between her legs, my back pressed against the sofa. Then she drapes her legs over my shoulders and I realize maybe I’ll need a make-up session for my make-up session.

Carter laughs. “Susa, that’s just cruel.”

She reaches down and ruffles my hair. “Dinner will be ready in ten minutes. This is his reward for being such a good boy.”

“Ahhh. Very smart.”

“I have my moments.” She quizzes me on a few things, which I stammer my way through. When the timer on her phone goes off, she pats my head. “Let’s go eat.”

Once we finish with dinner, and after I have the kitchen cleaned up, I return to the living room. This time, she sits in the same place, only turned sideways, legs stretched out on the couch.

Then she pats the space right there, her meaning obvious.

Swallowing hard, and unable to miss Carter’s evil grin, I lie down on my back where she indicates, snuggled against her with her legs on either side of me. My head rests against her chest, and she holds her notebook in front of me, where she can read it to me.

This isn’t much easier than before. I spend the first ten minutes or so reveling in the fact that she’s snuggling with me like this.

Sure we’ve all snuggled together on the couch before for movie nights, but we were all clothed and there definitely wasn’t such a blatantly sexual overtone to the situation as there is right now.

My legs are draped across Carter’s lap, and he’s propped his feet on the coffee table. His laptop sets on a padded lap desk on his thighs, and his elbows rest on my shins.

“Owen?”