very tactile.
Louis was almost asleep by the time Craig had brushed his hair into its usual smooth state. Craig contemplated nudging Louis to lie down for a while. He could deal with the sulking afterward. That decision was taken out of his hands by Craig’s phone ringing.
Louis jumped and raised his head. “Who’s calling?”
Craig looked at his phone. “Padraig. Hold on.” He connected the call. “Pat?”
“Don’t call me that,” Padraig grumbled. “We’ve got a problem.”
Craig went on alert. “Tell me.”
“Monaghan’s here. He’s insisting on a meeting with Louis.”
“Does Dominic know?”
“Know what?” Louis mouthed and frowned when Craig held up his hand.
“Yes. He’s on his way,” Padraig said.
“You can tell Monaghan he can come in when Dominic’s here, and not before.”
“Okay. I’ll call you when they’re coming up.”
Craig disconnected the call and focused on Louis. “You heard that?”
“Monaghan wants a meeting?”
“Yeah.” To Craig’s relief Louis looked more resigned than worried, but he had to check. “Say the word and I’ll make him go away.”
Louis shook his head. “This meeting was going to have to happen sometime. Monaghan is determined to have his say, and I can’t avoid him forever.”
“He shouldn’t have turned up on your doorstep,” Craig said.
“Have you met Monaghan?”
“In passing.”
Louis sighed. “Would you mind helping me to get dressed again? I’m not meeting him like this.”
Craig wasn’t surprised. Louis was known for his immaculate attire, and only a few people were allowed to see him in casualwear. “What do you want to wear?”
Louis picked a red button-down shirt and charcoal-gray pants. “I feel like all I’ve done today is change clothes.”
“As soon as he’s gone, you can get into pajamas,” Craig suggested, easing Louis’s arm out of the T-shirt. “Is this too painful? Do you want pain meds?”
“No. I need to keep my head clear if I’m going to have a meeting with Monaghan. I’ll need socks and dress shoes too.”
Craig snorted. “You pick the shoes.”
It had been a standing joke between them that Craig could never pick the right pair of shoes to go with Louis’s wardrobe. But as Louis had more pairs of shoes than the average shoe store, it was hardly surprising. Craig wore mainly biker boots, apart from one pair of Monk shoes Louis had bought him to go with his suit. They fitted like a glove and he would mourn when he needed to replace them.
Louis went into the closet and returned with a pair of Wingtips which he handed to Craig; the socks tucked in the shoes. He sat on the bed and waited patiently as Craig knelt at his feet and rolled on his silk socks.
“I never thought what it would be like to have to rely on other people to dress me,” Louis murmured.
“At least it’s only temporary,” Craig said.
“At least it’s you.”
Craig looked up to see Louis’s wry smile. “I wanted to kill Liam for having touched you.”
“You’re the only one allowed to ‘touch’ me.” Louis made sure Craig understood the emphasis.
Craig spread his hands over Louis’s thighs, feeling the muscles flex. “Thank you.”
It was a gift, and he knew it. Louis could have had the pick of the wealthy Daddies, and instead he wanted Craig.
“Craig—”
Louis was interrupted by Craig’s phone. Craig glanced at the screen.
“Okay. Dominic’s here. Be prepared for fireworks.” He helped Louis to his feet. “You’re moving smoother than before.”
“I only feel seventy years old, instead of one hundred,” Louis griped.
Craig laughed.
“Are you staying dressed like that?” Louis asked.
Craig looked down at himself. “I don’t have anything clean,” he admitted. “I haven’t done my laundry.”
“Take a look in the closet in the master bedroom. There are shirts and pants of yours.”
“You never got rid of my clothes.”
“I always hoped you’d come back,” Louis admitted.
Craig sighed. “We need to talk. But not now.”
He jogged into the master bedroom and looked in the closet, finding a selection of button-down shirts and pants, and even a pair of dress shoes. As he picked a deep blue shirt and black pants, he remembered why he’d left them behind. Louis had bought them for him. Craig had only left with the things that he’d owned.
The doorbell rang and Louis called out, “I’ll open the door.”
“No. Wait for me,” Craig ordered. “They can wait.”
A minute later he found Louis at the top of the stairs. “Good boy.”
Louis grimaced. “That always makes me sound like a dog.”
“I’ll scratch behind your ears later,” Craig promised. “We’d better open the door before they come bursting in here.”
The doorbell rang with a distinctly angry buzz. Dominic was