his dick in Gabby, I'd stick my foot in one of his holes."
I shrugged. "I'd prefer she waits, but I'd rather she felt like she could talk to me about it, you know? I mean, I remember being her age."
"All those years ago?" he teased as he turned a bit to let me lean on him even more. "Say it isn't so. Was that back when the dinosaurs walked the earth?" He grinned. "I'm not that much younger than you."
"Ten years, Ian. That's a pretty big difference."
So he leaned close enough that his lips brushed the shell of my ear. "Means I can keep up. And I like this. Hanging out like a bunch of old people?"
"Jerk," I teased, reaching back to jab him with my finger.
He caught my hand easily. "If you keep poking me, I'll start to get ideas, woman. We're keeping this very PG, remember?"
"And yet you keep pulling me closer," I pointed out.
"Mhm. Because I really like the way you feel up against me. I also decided that if you won't let me take you out to dinner, I would have dinner brought to you, and you fell for it." Gently, he ran a fingertip down my arm. "Seth says I'm trying too hard, but that's the thing. I'm not trying. Neither are they. This is just us, and you just fit with us."
I eased myself back up, then turned to face him. "And what happens later, Ian? In five years, when I'm wanting a husband and you're wanting children?"
"In case you missed it, you're a packaged deal. All in one. Complete with a pretty amazing daughter."
"But you actually like children," I told him. "That means you'll want some. I've seen you with the neighborhood kids."
"Exactly. I don't give a damn if they're mine. I know some guys do, but I never have." He tilted his head. "And marriage isn't off the table. It's kinda my long-term goal."
"With me?"
He paused for just a second, then continued. "It's more that I'd like to settle down with the right woman. You seem to fit in that category, but believe it or not, I've had psycho girlfriends before, so I know exactly how bad this could end."
"The extra assistants might have something to do with that," I whispered.
He chuckled once. "More than you know. My love life has been a string of either one-night stands, money chasers, or those who want status by proxy. And I happen to have a thing for mature-minded, sensible, and gorgeous women. Not a lot of those out there. Imagine my surprise when one moved in beside me."
"And here I thought you were just going for easy pickings."
"No," he promised. "When we met, I knew you thought of me as just some little boy. That's why I asked you out the first time, so you'd realize I'm serious about this. I knew you'd say no. I just wanted you to realize that when I look at you, I see something worth chasing. Someone worth putting in a little extra effort for."
"But what about them?" I meant his roommates, and I knew he understood.
"I'm a packaged deal too, Elena. You don't get one without the other four. Just like you and Gabby. I know it doesn't make any sense to you, but it does to us. We've talked it over, and we're comfortable with our arrangement."
Ok, so he had a point. I could even see where he was coming from, but that didn't mean it would be as easy as he said. "What about Gabby? How would you explain it to her?"
"I'd tell her I was dating her mother, and that my roommates are her close friends."
"And when she catches me in the hot tub with someone other than you?" I countered, trying to subtly reference what had happened the other night. "Because I have no intention of sneaking around for the next however-many years. Or what if Pax wanted to be the boyfriend? Would you be ok with taking the role of 'just a friend?'"
He made a noise that proved I'd slipped up somewhere. "The guys and I talked, and we think it makes more sense for me to wear that title, since it explains a few things. That's the only reason I brought it up. It was a group decision."
"Yeah, and it still doesn't even touch on how to explain me fooling around with your friends," I pointed out, "and you seem to assume that's part of the deal."