“You won’t, Charlie. You’re a Youngblood.”
“I don’t know.” Charlie dropped down in a chair and sighed.
“Hey, I’ll kick you in the ass if you start acting pathetic.”
“Oh, great. Thanks,” Charlie muttered.
“Look, if I hadn’t finally admitted that I was in love with your father, I’d be the same rude and cold guy I’d always been. Stefan, well he makes me human. And he loves me. We had our roadblocks along the way, but in the end we belonged together. I have gotten so much from Stefan than I ever thought possible.”
“You’re so cute when you talk about Dad.” Charlie smiled at him.
“I think you have a real chance here, as much as I hate the fact that it’s Morgan’s son —” Charlie shot him a look. “I’m kidding. Michael is a wonderful man and it’s obvious to me he’s in love with you. I think he always was.”
“What if it doesn’t work?”
“There’s always that chance. But you can’t not try because you’re scared. Your father taught me that.”
Charlie stood and hugged him hard. “Thanks, Daddy.”
Jordan watched her walk away and shook his head. He hoped she’d let Michael in for her own happiness.
Charlie went back to Michael’s room and found him asleep. She smiled and crept over to his bed. She climbed in slowly so as not to wake him, and watched his face as he slept. He needed a shave; his face was prickly. She nestled into him and inhaled. She felt his heartbeat and smiled.
“You’re back,” Michael whispered.
“Wow, what gave me away?”
“Your boob on my side.” Michael smirked.
“You infuriate me, you know that?”
“Yes, but you love it, Charlie.” He kissed her forehead. “Stop touching me or I’m going to start with the moaning again.”
“At least it’s me and not Miss November.”
“You are so much better than Miss November.”
“Oh yeah? Why’s that?”
“I would think that would be obvious.”
Charlie closed her eyes and smiled. She held him tight and drifted off.
*~~~*
Jordan came by the room before he went home for one last check on Michael. He found them both asleep, curled up around each other. He took his cell phone out and snapped a picture, sending it to Stefan’s phone.
~*~
Jordan woke up and looked at the clock. He had slept exactly four hours. Stefan and attacked him when he got home and made love to him on every flat surface he could find in the house. He hadn’t gotten the word “Hello” out before Stefan began to ravish him. He watched his sleeping husband now and smiled. He leaned over and kissed the small of his back, running his hand over a perfect tight ass.
“Morning.” Stefan rolled over and smiled. “You going to the hospital today?”
Jordan kissed him softly. “Going to check on Michael. You want to come?”
“Sure.” Stefan sat up and stretched his arms out.
Jordan hardened at the sight of Stefan’s body. Stefan did it to him every time. They could make love for days and it wouldn’t be enough. He grabbed Stefan’s arm and hauled him back down on the bed. Jordan entered him with one quick thrust and silenced Stefan’s loud hiss with a kiss. He looked in those brown eyes and thrust slowly.
Stefan wrapped his legs around Jordan’s waist and pulled him down for another kiss. Jordan’s hand went instinctively to Stefan’s cock and he stroked him in time with his thrusts, his tongue exploring Stefan’s mouth. He was rewarded with a low moan and Stefan’s tongue invaded him.
Stefan closed his eyes as Jordan plundered his mouth. There was nothing quite like being made love to by Dr. Jordan Youngblood. Stefan moaned when Jordan hit his prostate; he grabbed his ass and pulled him in deeper. His cock swollen and on the edge of release, he pulled Jordan in further, kissing him deeply. His orgasm hit and Stefan cried out as Jordan came with force, pushing him into the mattress. He had one hand in Stefan’s hair, the other stroking Stefan as his orgasm flowed.
As they cuddled, Jordan left soft kisses down Stefan’s jaw and whispered in his ear. Stefan smiled as he ran his fingers through Jordan’s soft, auburn hair and kissed his forehead. Jordan was still buried inside him and Stefan clamped down, smiling at Jordan’s moan.
“You nasty man,” Jordan whispered, kissing Stefan again.
“Well, I’m really awake now.”
“Good.” Jordan pulled out slowly and rolled over, eyeing Stefan as he got up out of bed.
“Come on, baby — we need to get ready.” Stefan walked into the bathroom.
Jordan stayed there for a few minutes, grinning as he thought of all the stupid fights he and Stefan had gotten into over the years, only to make up just as fast. They were definitely meant to be together. No one else had what it took to put up with Jordan Youngblood except for Stefan Sanders, and Jordan was just fine with that.
Chapter Ten
Mark rolled over and spotted a small box on the bed. He looked around for Paul and then picked up the box, opened it and gasped. There was a ring inside. He pulled it out and studied it with fascination. There were two hands holding a heart and a crown.
“It’s a Claddagh ring.” Paul stood in the doorway.
“A what?” Mark sat up.
“It signifies friendship, love and loyalty.” Paul took the ring and slid it on Mark’s finger. “Always have the heart facing you; it means you belong to someone.”
Mark admired the ring. “It’s beautiful, Paul.”
“Well, I wanted to get you something for Christmas this year. So I revisited my Irish roots and got you this.”
“I love it.” He noticed a duplicate ring on Paul’s finger. “You have one, too?”
“I’ve had it for a long time. It sat in a box in a drawer. My mother bought it for me. I haven’t worn it until now.” Paul palmed his face.
“Because you love me.”
“Yes, and you’re mine.” Paul kissed him softly.
“I am yours. I’ll always be yours.” Paul lay Mark back on the bed and kissed him tenderly.
They made love slowly and with purpose. Paul took his time, wanting Mark to feel every little movement. Mark wrapped his legs around Paul and whispered “I love you” over and over.
They savored the afterglow of sex, neither wanting to move. Mark admired his hand. It was odd to see a ring on it, but it felt right.
Paul broke the silence. “I want us to go somewhere for Christmas. What’s the point of having so much money if I never use it for anything fun?”
“What do you want to do?” Mark rolled to his side and watched Paul.
“You name it and we’ll go there.”
Mark thought long and hard. Where would he want to take a vacation at Christmas with the one man he loved most in the world?
“Paris.”
Paul smiled. “Paris it is.”
*~~~*
Jay had been watching Greg for a while now; he was so cute when he slept. He had made love to Greg for most of the night, in all types of positions in every room, (except Josh’s) and was now awake after only a few hours of sleep. He ran his hand lightly over Greg’s chest and the defined muscles rippled at the slight touch of his hand. He smiled and kissed Greg’s stomach.
“Oh, please! I need to recover, Jay.”
“I wasn’t going to do that,” Jay laughed, leaned over and kissed Greg softly. “You are extraordinary.”
“I would say the same about you. Your boundless energy alone could power the city.”
“It’s because I’m young.” Jay smiled. “You okay dating an eighteen-year-old?”
“Okay, number one, you don’t look eighteen. Number two,” Greg ran a hand up his muscular chest, “you don’t feel eighteen.”
“There’s a feel?”
Jay laughed and rolled Greg on top of him. “What do you want to do today?”
“I have to go home, as shitty as that sounds, and check in.” Greg pouted.
“I can go with you.”
“Oh, babe, I don’t know. You’ve never met my mother and she is … how to say this nicely? A bitch.”
“Worse than my mother?”
“She’s up there. She doesn’t like the fact that her son is gay.” Greg smiled and kissed Jay softly.
“Then I am definitely going with you. Gotta protect my man.” Jay winked.
The ride to Greg’s was quiet. Greg was nervous. Jay had never been to his house or met his mother, and he had preferred that it stay that way. Their relationship had progressed, however, and Jay was his lifeline. He was in love for the first time and he wanted to share everything with Jay, even his shitty mother. He wanted Jay to know he wasn’t alone when it came to mothers who hated their sons.
He was about to get the full experience.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Greg glanced at Jay as they pulled up.
Jay took his hand and squeezed. “I’m with you all the way, babe.”
As they went inside, Greg silently hoped his mother had passed out in her room. Ever since their argument when he was twelve, she drank — a lot. He snuck into his room to grab clothes. He was fishing through the closet when he heard his mother in the hall.
“Nice of you to come home.”
“You know how much I love coming here and arguing with you, Mom,” Greg sighed in annoyance. She’d been drinking.
“And who is this?” She entered the room and gave Jay a once-over.
“He’s my boyfriend; has been for a while now.”
“Uh huh, and you bring him here to my house?”
“Well, I thought he should know more about my life and why I’m the way I am. Meeting my drunken mother was a step up in the relationship.”
“You made me this way!” she slurred. “Your father left because you’re a little homo.”
“No, Dad left because you’re a drunk and he’s a homo, too.”
“Why, you little shit.” Greg’s mother raised her hand and Jay grabbed her arm.
“I don’t think so.” His smile was more of a baring of teeth.
“Get your hands off me!’
“Gladly. Don’t touch him.” Jay grabbed a trash bag and handed it to Greg. “Pack up everything.”
Greg’s eyes widened. “What?”
“You’re moving in with me. I want you out of here.”
“He can’t leave. I won’t allow it.” Mrs. Farrelli planted her hands on her hips indignantly.
“Well, you really don’t have a say. I’m over eighteen, Mom.” Greg came back shortly with the bag filled with most of his clothes.
“I’ll have someone come by and get the rest of his things. I hope you’re here, or they might take things you’d want to keep.” Jay took Greg’s hand. “Let’s go.”
Greg’s mother was screaming profanities after them as Jay pulled him out of the house. Jay quickly put him in the car, asked him to stay and then returned to the house to speak with Mrs. Farrelli. Greg watched as his mother became increasingly furious and then a look of calm settled on her face. She turned on her heel and went inside.
Jay came back to the car, a wide smile on his face. He got behind the wheel and backed out.
“What did you do?”
“Oh, I told her to leave you alone from now on, or she’ll have a very large, very powerful law firm from New York making her life thoroughly miserable,” Jay chuckled.
“Vicious aren’t you?”
“When it comes to you? Hell yes, I am.”
“I love you, you know that, right?” Greg took his hand.
“Yes, baby, and I love you, too.”
“You sure about me moving in?”
“I get to sleep with you every night and wake up to you every morning? What’s not to be sure about?”
Greg leaned over in the seat and kissed Jay’s cheek. “You are the extraordinary one.”
*~~~*
Christmas was only a few days away and all the kids were making plans. Stefan and Jordan decided to host a Christmas dinner and invite them all, giving them time to spend the early part of the day with their families. Jordan always thought of them as “his” kids, regardless that most had family of their own. He wanted to spend time with as many as he could on the special holiday. The kids had spent so much time with them they had become part of the Youngblood family — especially Paul. Not only did Paul work at Santorno Shipping, but he was at every company function dressed to the nines. Women loved him. Stefan laughed his ass off every time some older woman wanting a little “fun” gave Paul her phone number.
Stefan and Jordan had talked at length with Jay and Josh about the abuse they had endured. Stefan became so emotional when he heard what they had been through, that he hugged them until Jordan had finally pulled him off telling him the boys needed air. But it made them want to protect the two even more. These young people were fixtures in their children’s lives and therefore part of theirs. Stefan and Jordan always treated them as family.
The house was full, just as Jordan liked it. Little Stefan, Logan and Lucy were running around, giggling, as Morgan chased them through the house.
Julia was on the couch with Jay and Greg. She had her hand on Jay’s shoulder, and they were looking at her with big smiles. Since she was older, she probably came off as a mother figure for Jay. He seemed quite taken with her and blushed when she hugged him and kissed his cheek. Steve was sitting with Heath and Caleb. They were deep in discussion when Michael sat down next to them and mussed Heath’s hair, making Stefan smile.
He watched Paul adjust Mark’s shirt; the love between the two of them was so evident. He was glad Mark had found Paul — that they had found each other. After a falling out, he had told Mark a long time ago that he and Damon would be friends again and he had been right.
Damon and Tyler sat near the fireplace. Tyler was sitting between Damon’s legs, relaxed against his chest as Damon absentmindedly ran his fingers through Tyler’s hair. The little things they did showed Stefan how in love they were; he couldn’t be happier. This was the best gift of all — watching his extended family gathered in one room. His eyes fell on Jordan, who had caught little Stefan and was kissing him and laughing. Isabelle and Lucy were with him and Charlie was smiling at something Jordan said. Life had blessed them with four children, and now those children had brought others into their lives.
“You look so happy, old man.” Morgan came to stand next to him.
“Pfft, looks who’s talking.” Stefan elbowed Morgan playfully.
“Look at my daughter, adopting Jay and Greg.” Morgan smiled at Julia. She caught him looking and blew him a kiss.
“She’s beautiful, Morgan, and very big-hearted.”
“I’m just glad Maggie decided to let me into her life. She and Michael have hit it off from the get-go; it’s like they have known each other all their lives.”
“Merry early Christmas, Morgan.”
“There’s my husband.” Robert joined them and kissed Morgan, before he shook Stefan’s hand.
Jordan joined the group. “Look at us old folks with a house full of kids.”
“I am not old!” Stefan protested.
At dinner, each person told the person next to them something about them that they were thankful for. Jordan eyed his extended family, took Stefan’s hand and kissed it.
“I’m thankful you stuck by me, even when I was a complete ass. You never gave up.”
Stefan leaned over and kissed him. “I love you.”
“Aww,” everyone chimed in and Stefan laughed.
They passed the food around and discussed their plans for Christmas holidays. Tanner was taking Josh to the Bahamas. Paul and Mark were off to Paris, and Jay had decided to take Greg to New York. They were going to visit his father and take a tour of the city. Tanner mentioned Quinn had invited Ja
son to go to Australia with him to meet his parents.
“Wow! That was fast.” Josh smiled. “It looks like our little love match worked.”
“I’ve never seen Jason so happy.” Tanner took Josh’s hand.
Dinner wound down and Jordan brought out multiple pies to choose from for dessert. Little Stefan clapped his hands and laughed.
“Cake!’
“Close, little man.” Heath smiled at him. “It’s pie. You want apple pie?”
“Pie!” Stefan’s little hands reached for the pie.
Logan sat in his highchair and clapped his hands and Lucy followed suit, both of them giggling.
“Kids after my own heart!” Jordan cut the pie and handed plates to each child.
With bellies full, everyone gathered in the living room and talked about things that were going on in their lives. Charlie snuck away with Michael and now she was dragging him up into the tree house.
“I’m not eleven anymore, Charlie. Slow down,” Michael laughed as she pulled him up the small ladder.
She closed all the windows and the escape hatch. She lit a candle in the corner and pulled a blanket out of a box. She smiled as she spread it out on the floor.
“I need you to do something for me.” Charlie smiled and lay back on the blanket.
“You’re not sticking your finger up my butt.” Michael lay down next to her and laughed.
“I want you to kiss me. With tongue.” Charlie pulled him on top of her.
“Whoa there,” Michael smiled. “Are you coming on to me, Charlie Y?”
“Shut up and kiss me.”
Their lips met and Michael explored her mouth, their tongues moving fluidly. Charlie moaned softly and Michael pushed in deeper. His hands played in her hair as he tasted every part of her mouth. He trailed kisses down her neck and softly kissed her collarbone.
“Are you cold?” He lifted his head as Charlie shook beneath him. He pulled the blanket over them both.
“No.” Charlie slipped her hand into Michael’s pants and wrapped her fingers around his hardened cock. He gasped and she tightened her grip. “Well, well, Michael.”
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