First Loser

by Charity Parkerson

  Gerard stepped into their path. His dark blue gaze locked on to Henry and didn’t budge. “May I speak to you in private?”

  “He is busy,” Yaro said, appearing like a large guardian angel and swooping between them. No matter how Gerard fought to get around him, Yaro blocked his path. Yaro had been a bodyguard for a mafia boss for thirty years. Gerard didn’t stand a chance. Henry had never been more grateful in his life. Before Tanner, Henry had been lonely and too scared to do anything about it. Tanner made him brave and filled his life with laughter. No one would steal that from him. At the moment, nothing mattered more than making Tanner his forever. But when they got home, Henry fully intended to fire Gerard. No one fucked with the other half of his soul. Henry was finished with people stealing his happiness.

  Nine

  No matter how hard he tried, Henry couldn’t stop staring at Tanner. He had done it. Tanner had married him. Henry couldn’t believe it. It was almost funny, but until Tanner had looked at him with his heart in his eyes and repeated his vows, there had been a small part of Henry that hadn’t believed Tanner could possibly love him. He did. Suddenly, a month-long trip to Fiji, so they could hide out from the world, didn’t seem like a good enough wedding gift. Henry needed to give Tanner more. He needed to give him everything.

  “I’d like for you to take my last name.” Tanner froze. His gaze turned from heated to visibly hanging on Henry’s every word. Henry couldn’t stop there. “Also, I’ve been thinking about the whole Gerard thing, and I realize now he always made me do a lot of unnecessary work just so he could hang around. I’m not really needed in California. We should move to Austin full-time. I want you to have your brothers.”

  Tanner shifted positions in the gigantic bubble bath they shared. He snagged Henry’s waist and towed him forward until Henry straddled his lap. “You can’t leave your staff behind. They would be heartbroken. You are their family. Gray would be crushed.”

  He was perfect. Henry couldn’t love him more. “We won’t leave them. They’ll come too. If we make the move permanent, we’ll need a much bigger place than the cabin.” His hands slid from where they were braced on Tanner’s chest to the edge of the tub behind Tanner as Henry shifted even closer until their erections bumped. “What do you say, Tanner Krill? Would you like to start a whole new life with me? New name. New home. Same old man.”

  “Pssh. Old man, my ass. You haven’t stopped wearing me out since we met.” Heat exploded through Henry’s face at Tanner’s claim. Tanner chuckled and kissed the tip of his nose. “I’m not complaining. I can’t get enough.” He changed angles and brushed his lips across Henry’s. “I’d love to stay near my brothers, but I also love making you happy. If you seriously want to move, and you’re not just doing it to make me happy, then yes. But I need you to be happy too. California is your home. Wherever you are, that’s my home.” He swiped another kiss across Henry’s lips, slowly seducing him with tiny touches. “As to your last name, I absolutely want that. Belonging to you is the best part of me.”

  Henry’s throat swelled. Belonging to Tanner was the best part of him too. He swallowed past the emotions overwhelming him, but his feelings showed in his voice when he tried to speak. “I never expected to have you.”

  Tanner nodded, looking solemn. “Same. I thought my dad had beaten any ounce of humanity that anyone could possibly love from me.” Henry held his breath. Tanner never talked about his father. Everything Henry knew, he knew because of Toby. Henry didn’t press. He held still, ready to listen. Tanner visibly swallowed. “But here you are,” Tanner said in a whisper, as if incapable of speaking any louder.

  “You will have the best life. I promise.” Henry meant the words to the bottom of his soul. He would take care of Tanner. Nothing bad would ever happen to him again. He touched his lips to Tanner’s. “Love you so much.”

  Tanner drew Henry’s hand to his, flattened his palm against Henry’s, and linked his fingers with him. It was the first time they had held hands with Tanner wearing his wedding ring. The knowledge filled Henry with pride. Tanner looked completely focused on Henry. “I love you too. You should go to bed with me.”

  Henry faked affront. “Who is wearing out whom?” Even as he joked, Henry stood. He wouldn’t miss a chance to crawl into bed with his sexy husband. Before he could fully exit the tub, Henry found himself sitting on the edge with his dick in Tanner’s mouth. Henry clung to Tanner’s shoulders while Tanner blew his mind. This was how things always were with them. One second, Henry would be doing the most innocuous thing. The next, he was in a sexual haze while Tanner stole his soul. Henry didn’t want it to ever stop.

  The moment Henry thought he might beg for release, Tanner shot to his feet. As he stepped out of the tub, he swept Henry into his arms and headed for the bed. Tanner was back in serious mode. His jaw was hard, and his eyes looked determined. Henry took a slow and steadying breath. If he knew nothing else, Henry knew he was about to get thoroughly fucked. His heart was fuller than it had ever been. Nothing mattered anymore except this man who had swept in and saved him almost a year ago. That night he hadn’t realized how much he had needed to be rescued. As Tanner settled between Henry’s thighs, holding his stare with all the same intensity inside Henry’s heart, Henry sent up a prayer of thanks. Someone had been looking out for them that night and had seen the desperation in their souls before thrusting them together. Henry fully believed that. That was the only explanation for such a perfect match. Henry would never take this man for granted. Tanner would always know love and affection in Henry’s care. Tanner would have the happy ending he deserved.

  It was a bit weird being back under the same roof as his brothers. Tanner never expected that. With their new home under construction, Tanner and Henry had decided to split their time between packing up in California and enjoying Tanner’s old bedroom in Texas. Tanner bit back a smile as he brought his coffee cup to his lips. They did have some delicious memories of that bed.

  “What’s that smile all about?” Henry asked as he carried his cup to the table.

  Tanner shook his head. “Just wondering if we should have a special room in the new house for my old bed. You know, for midday trysts and nostalgia.”

  Henry’s mouth lifted in one corner and Tanner knew he was thinking about their first night together too. Tanner would always believe for the rest of his life that they had been a case of instant love. They had been meant to meet. Fated long before they knew each other existed. Every memory they made was beautiful.

  The doorbell rang, dragging Tanner’s gaze away from eating Henry alive. “Damn. I’m probably closest. Wow. I miss Gray.”

  “Just a few days more,” Henry promised. “He’ll be with us again.”

  Tanner winked as he pushed to his feet. He carried his cup with him to the front door, sipping as he went. The doorbell rang twice more in quick succession. “Yeah, yeah. Patience is a virtue,” Tanner grumbled as he pulled the door open. For a moment, he blinked at the guy standing on the other side.

  Orion rubbed his arm, looking uncomfortable as hell. His gaze shot from side to side, avoiding Tanner. “You know I don’t like it when you stare at me.”

  “Um, no, I didn’t know that.”

  Orion’s crazy colored stare finally landed on him and didn’t budge. “Oh. You’re not Tucker.”

  “You’re here for Tucker?” Even Tanner heard the disbelief in his voice. It was just that the whole situation was odd as hell. He had completely forgotten about Orion, and now here he was…looking for Tucker.

  A stampede of footsteps banged down the stairs, pulling Tanner’s attention away. Tucker flew past him and out the door. Tanner watched the entire scene with confusion freezing his tongue.

  “You’re here,” Tucker said, sounding ridiculously happy, and doubling Tanner’s confusion. They both walked away without as much as a goodbye. Still, Tanner couldn’t look away. Tucker tried taking Orion’s hand. “We should totally hold hands.”

  Orion smacked his hand a
way. “Keep your fucking cooties over there. There’s no telling where those hands have been.”

  Tucker’s laughter had Tanner blinking and backing away. He closed the door on the pair, shaking his head. Soon, he would have to find out the story behind that one. It seemed he had missed a lot in the past few months.

  Henry appeared in the kitchen doorway, holding his coffee cup, and looking sexy as fuck. “Was that Tucker leaving?”

  Tanner nodded.

  Henry smirked. “Toby is working and now Tucker is gone too. Sounds like we have the house to ourselves. Whatever shall we do?”

  Tanner turned away and headed for the stairs. He knew Henry would follow. His old man had an appetite. Tanner had what he needed, and always would.

  Please keep an eye out for the next Cubs for Rent, Next Best Thing.

  About the Author

  Charity Parkerson is an award winning and multi-published author with several companies. Born with no filter from her brain to her mouth, she decided to take this odd quirk and insert it in her characters.

  *Eight-time Readers' Favorite Award Winner

  *2015 Passionate Plume Award Finalist

  *2013 Reviewers' Choice Award Winner

  *2012 ARRA Finalist for Favorite Paranormal Romance

  *Five-time winner of The Mistress of the Darkpath

  Connect with her online:

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  --Website: charityparkerson.com

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