by Rowan Shaw
"What about Wei? School is starting soon."
Ling chewed on her lip. "School in France only starts in September."
"What are you saying exactly?"
"I'm saying this could work. What if you moved back first? Eve and I would need a bit more time to arrange everything so we could get there. Wei could join you when school starts. Eve and I would move to France later, as soon as possible. It wouldn't be that long. I'm sure Wei would be fine."
"I would need to rebuild my business," I explained. "Find a new place to stay. Moving is expensive. I can't afford to live in Nancy itself."
"Maybe the owners didn't rent your previous house to anyone yet. And you're an excellent piano teacher. Your students love you. Some will have moved on, sure, but others will probably come back."
"Maybe. But I'll have to open a bank account and go through the whole ordeal again."
"You did it once; you can do it twice. If the owners didn't rent the house, they'll give it back to you. You've always paid on time. You kept the house clean. You're quiet. You're the ideal renter. All you need to open your bank account is a French address."
"I want to discuss it with Wei first."
Ling observed me for a few seconds.
"That's a lot of changes in her life, Ling. Being moved back and forth like this. She was just getting used to being here."
"We can talk to her. But you know your daughter. Nothing matters more to her than seeing her dad happy. Besides, we both know she adores Patrick. You know she already thinks of him as her second dad."
I gave a smile. That was true. I knew she'd be ecstatic at the thought of seeing him again.
"Can you believe she outed me to my own mother?" I asked.
"Brandon, I doubt your orientation is much of a secret to anyone anymore. Wei's been going all around school talking about how her dad has a boyfriend who's awesome-cake and how she doesn't just have two moms now but two dads as well, and that people had better stop bothering her about her queer family because her two dads would kick their butts."
I face-palmed, closing my eyes as I held the bridge of my nose.
Ling smiled. "She would be as upset as you if things didn't work out with Patrick. It's not a risk I'm willing to take." Her face turned serious. "When are you considering going back?"
"As soon as I can. I need to call him, and I need to call the owner of the house. I can only hope he didn't find a new tenant. I'm going to email all my previous students, get an idea of how bad my business has sunk since I left."
Ling nodded and leaned into me to cup my cheeks. "Whatever makes you happy, Brandon. I cannot apologize enough, but I need you to know you will always be part of my family. I want you to be happy. And I want you around our daughter. I never meant to make things so difficult for you."
"I know."
She gave me a hug, then pulled back, her eyes welling up. "You're making me emotional." She stood with a long sigh and wiped her cheeks. "Let me talk to Eve. I'll text you."
Chapter 47
BRANDON
My heart raced when the plane landed. Patrick said he would be waiting for me at the airport. I hadn't seen him since June. We were now in August. I couldn't stand his absence anymore, but my grief disappeared as soon as I passed customs, grabbed my luggage, and found him in the waiting area. He was looking around, his eyes scanning every person until he saw me and his beautiful smile spread, reaching his eyes.
He ran to me and took me in his arms, lifting me up and kissing me on the mouth without caring that we might be in anyone's way or if anybody was watching. Our tongues met in a frantic reunion, his fleshy lips molding over mine until we couldn't breathe.
Patrick pulled back first. "I missed you so much. Please tell me you're here for good."
"I am," I said, beaming at him. "I'm not leaving you again."
Patrick steepled his hands in front of his chin and looked to the sky. "Thank you." He shouldered one of my bags and grabbed my hand to lead me toward the RER.
"What's the plan?" I asked.
His eyes shone at me mischievously. "We're going to the hotel. Right now. That's the plan."
We entered the train and held on to the middle bar for lack of any seats available. Patrick looked at me the entire time, his gorgeous green eyes filled with carnal hunger. I knew he was restraining himself from touching me.
We stopped at the Gare du Nord station, and I followed his lead to the hotel. No one else was waiting for the elevator when he rolled my suitcase inside. Patrick barely waited for the doors to close behind us. He pinned me against the wall and cupped my face. His kiss was needy, desperate. He was starved, and so was I. His tall frame pressed against mine hard, but we were forced to pull apart when the door re-opened on the sixth floor and someone walked in. Patrick sent me a ravenous side glance and smirked when he caught me readjusting my pants.
The ride felt agonizing until it reached our twelfth floor and we scurried out like kids high on adrenaline. I ran by his side as he took me to the room before he cursed when he dropped the card key in his haste to open the door. After two more attempts, it gave in at last, and Patrick pulled me inside by my wrist.
He didn't give me time to check the room. He shoved me against the wall right there in the hallway and slammed the entrance door shut with his foot as he sought my tongue in such hunger, I couldn't breathe. He went for my jacket first, then my shirt, and took off his tank top before I could even react. His bare chest pressed against my own, his skin so warm while he kissed my throat before taking my mouth, tugging at my lower lip, then grazing it with his tongue.
His hands dropped to my belt that he undid so expertly without ever taking his mouth off mine. My pants fell to my feet; his did too. He was already hard against me, his desire poking at my thigh.
"Let me lift you up," he panted and grabbed my ass to support me as I locked my legs around his lower back.
The room was bright compared to the hallway, blinding me for a second. Patrick dropped me on the bed and crawled over me, his green eyes filled with lust.
"Close the drapes," I said.
"No."
"Patrick..."
"Fuck the drapes. I want you now." He bent between my legs and kissed my thighs, then dug his fingers under the rim of my boxers to pull them down. His tight briefs outlined his entire length, so hard and ready, I wondered if the wait was as painful for him as it was for me. He took off my socks last and stood to remove his underwear, his long dick popping out.
Before I could move, he was back on the bed with me, grabbing my waist to lift my ass up as he outlined my thighs and crotch with kisses.
"I want to top." My words made him pause, his entire body freezing.
He raised his head to look at me. "What?"
"Do you trust me?"
"Yes." He moved over me, his face only inches from mine.
"Let me top," I reiterated.
"You know I don't bottom."
"No, I know you don't give up control because you don't trust men not to take advantage of you. I am not those other men. I'm your lover, and I want to share this experience with you."
He took a long inhalation, as if the mere thought of letting me penetrate him required all his courage.
He gave a small, hesitant nod.
"I need you to say the words."
"I...Brandon, you're killing me. I've been waiting for so long. I can't wait one more minute."
"There is a lot of power in bottoming. I want you to feel in control. Do you want me to top? Do you trust me?"
"Yes."
"Yes, you trust me, or yes, I can top?"
He gave a second of hesitation and sighed. "Both."
I curled my fingers through his hair at the nape of his neck and pulled him into a hard kiss before rolling him on his back. I wanted to tease him until he begged me to take him the same way he did me every time we made love. I needed to know that me topping was something he craved, not something he was doing to please me. I lowered my head between his legs and
teased his balls first, taking them in my mouth before pushing his legs back as far as they could go to let me feast on his hole.
Patrick let out a surprised moan. I doubted this was something he'd done with all those guys he'd fucked. He hadn't let me get anywhere near his ass before, not once since our first one-night stand. But here he was now unraveling slowly, his body relaxing the longer I played with the tip of my tongue. I rolled it over his clenching muscles before pushing inside. When he didn't seem able to take any more, his body twisted in pleasure as he let out a loud moan.
"Now, please," he begged. "I can't wait any longer."
I smiled to myself and dug the box of condoms out of my suitcase.
"We don't need a condom," he said. "We've already done it without before. I haven't been with anyone else. Have you?"
"No, how can you even ask me that?"
"Forgo the condom. I want you to come inside me."
I dropped the box without hesitation and lowered myself over him, my body not quite touching his as I handed him the bottle of lube that he opened to pour the liquid over my shaft. His firm grip made me close my eyes as precum pearled at my tip.
"This is your first time, isn't it?" he asked with a hint of fear to his voice as he grabbed me harder, lubing me up and down.
"Not my first time doing anal, no. My first time penetrating another man, yes."
When he pulled his hand away, I settled between his legs and kissed his lips tenderly. "I'm gonna make you feel good. Relax."
I pushed at his entrance, making it past his squeezing muscles. The resistance of his hole tried to push me back out, but I moved further in.
"Does it hurt?" I asked.
"It burns, yes."
"It will pass."
"I know. It's not my first time, Brandon. But it's been so long."
I smiled at him and kissed him to take away his pain as I buried myself inside him in one long, slow movement. He was so tight and warm around me, I thought I might lose it. I hadn't been inside anyone in so many years, I had almost forgotten how unbelievable it felt. Patrick grabbed my ass and pulled me in as deep as I could go. His body was like a furnace burning underneath mine, ablaze with a fire I didn't care to tame. When he seemed comfortable enough, I moved my hips, taking him deep before pulling out.
Patrick closed his eyes and bent his head back with a loud moan while I dropped kisses along the sharp line of his jaw, his one-day scruff prickling my lips just the way I liked it. Rocking in and out of him, I nibbled at his warm skin before burying my face in his neck. He reached for my ass again to guide my rhythm before I intertwined my hand with his.
"Je t'aime," I whispered in his ear, feeling myself getting closer with each squeeze of his muscles around me.
He reopened his eyes to gaze into mine. "Je t'aime plus encore."
"That's not even remotely possible," I laughed and shushed him with a peck on his lips. There was no way he could love me more than I loved him. "I'm gonna come soon."
"Go faster and harder."
I grabbed his legs and pushed them back at the knees, giving me a better angle to penetrate him and hammer my hips against him until his moans turned into cries. He reached down to jerk himself off, slowly then more and more rapidly. His orgasm took us both down like a tornado, his clenching muscles making my head spin as I released inside him so hard, I could barely see past the stars congregating in front of my eyes.
I felt myself ejaculate, the sensation making me shiver before I took a second to compose myself and look at him. Patrick wrapped his arms around my back and kissed my temple as I let myself grow soft inside him.
"Thank you," he whispered against my hair.
"For what?" I traced the lines of his pecs, feeling his chiseled abs underneath mine, his cum sticking to my skin as his hard dick took its sweet time to go down.
"For reminding me how incredibly good this feels. I wouldn't let myself remember."
I smiled against him. "You're welcome."
He ran his fingertips up and down my back. "Spend the day in bed with me."
"But we're in Paris..."
He pushed a strand of my hair behind my ear. "We can come back and visit some other time. I need you."
I nodded against his chest.
"I'm exhausted anyway," I relented. "I couldn't sleep on the flight. The guy next to me was snoring the entire time."
He gave a laugh. "At least he wasn't an ass like that guy I sat next to on the train."
When I couldn't remain inside his warmth anymore, I pulled out and cleaned myself off. "Will you let me top again later today?"
Patrick's smile lopsided on one side. "Yes. But I want to do what we did the other day first."
I looked at him, puzzled.
"I want to make you come without penetration. I don't need to be inside you to feel close to you."
"Okay." I tilted my head to the side. "Would you shower with me before I take the nap I need?"
"Bien sûr, mon lapin. Will you let me bring you breakfast in bed before your nap? I saw a pastry shop downstairs. I didn't have anything this morning either."
"As if I'd refuse such an offer."
Patrick propped himself up on his elbows, his muscles flexing in his movement, his semen dripping from his flat stomach down his side. He'd lost so much weight since June, it concerned me, though I didn't want to tell him that.
"You're gonna stain the sheets," I scolded him.
"We're in a hotel. They can change the sheets." He thought for a moment, then made a face. "Or at least I hope they do."
I shook my head at him and laughed. "Let's go shower."
He reached for a tissue on the nightstand table and dried himself off before following me to the bathroom.
"I'm glad you agreed to move in with me," he said, giving me a quick glance as I opened the curtain. "I like knowing we can do this every day."
"Well, we'll have to work. We can't stay in bed making love all day."
"I meant coming home to you, cooking for you, fucking you. I can barely wait."
"I'm pretty sure I'll be the one doing the cooking, thanks. We don't need another burnt pasta episode."
Patrick burst out laughing. He was so beautiful, I couldn't stop staring.
It was a relief to me that my daughter loved him so much too and that Patrick didn't mind getting involved. I knew these changes had to be scary for him. To go from being a single fuckboy to a family man probably terrified him, but he hadn't let those feelings interfere. Not once. If he feared those transitions, he didn't let on.
I got in the shower and took his hand to pull him toward me.
"Have I told you how much I love you?" he asked and wrapped his arms around me, quickly nuzzling my neck.
"Only a few minutes ago while I was inside you."
"Saying it during sex doesn't count." He looked me in the eyes. "I love you."
I touched my lips to his and let him draw me into another carnal round. He fucked me right there against the wall, the water dripping over us, and when I came with a loud shout, I felt myself revive at last.
Chapter 48
PATRICK
"I don't think you realize how relieved I am to finally see the real you again," Enzo signed from the armchair in his living room.
"What do you mean?"
"You know what I mean. You were so sullen, I was concerned for you."
"That's sweet of you, mon chou, but I'm fine."
"Well, you are now," he gestured.
"I know you and Jean-François went behind my back to call Brandon. I also know you told him to either come back to me or dump my ass. So thanks for that."
"I think we both know I don't use the phone. Well, not unless I have to. That was all Jean-François."
"That's not what he told me," I insisted.
Enzo's face turned apologetic. "Okay, okay. I didn't want to go behind your back, but it was becoming an emergency."
"What if he had chosen to dump me?" I signed. "Do you think I woul
d have forgiven you?"
"We knew he would come back."
"Right."
"Well, we were right, weren't we?"
"You were lucky. Difference."
"No," he protested, using his voice this time. "We knew he would come back. Because he loves you. It's obvious."
"Whatever makes you feel better, mon lapin. I guess I should thank you, even if you were just really lucky."
He gave a tiny smile, his scar digging into his cheek. "I wasn't going to let you drown in despair."
I made a face. "It wasn't that bad."
"Are you kidding me? How much weight did you lose?"
Even Brandon had commented upon that after our shower the day of his return. I'd lost over six kilos, but what pissed me off the most was that it was all muscle weight. I'd have to hit the gym twice as hard with Jean-François and feed on protein to gain it all back.
"What?" I asked when Enzo sighed, his dark eyes filling with grief. He slouched forward in his armchair.
"Did Jean-François tell you the news?"
I narrowed my eyes without a reply.
"He's moving to Spain."
I sat up in my seat. "What? When?"
"Soon, apparently."
"Why?" I asked.
"Enrique's dad is sick. Enrique wants to be close to him in case his mom needs help."
"Shit, what's wrong with his dad?"
"Prostate cancer."
"Fuck, you're shitting me. Since when?"
"Apparently, it's been a while. Enrique's going back next week. But his dad's chances are high. It's just that Enrique wants to help. Jean-François needs to take care of all the paperwork here. Then he'll go too."
"How come I didn't know about this?"
"Jean-François didn't want to tell you. Brandon just came back. He didn't want to concern you."
"Does he need help moving or anything else?" I asked, leaning forward with my elbows on my knees.
"Florian and I are going this weekend to help him pack a few boxes."
"And you were going to tell me when exactly?" I asked.
"I'm telling you now."
I had a date planned with Brandon this weekend, but that could wait. Now that we lived together, we could go wherever we wanted whenever we wanted. I was sure he wouldn't mind helping the guys pack, even if he was still in the process of unpacking himself. All his stuff was stored in the guest room of my apartment. Though he'd kept insisting he should try and contact his landlord to move back into his old house, I wouldn't hear of it. He'd caved in when I told him I had enough space for his piano and the guest room could be Wei's. She was arriving next week, but we'd started preparing already. Most of Brandon's students were happy he had returned. They came back to him for lessons that now took place in our living room.
