by A. M. Arthur
As much as Colt kind of wanted to fuck Avery—and Avery would let him if he asked—he was also well aware that Avery had already come and didn’t like being penetrated without the pleasant distraction of an erection of his own. “How about a faux fuck? On our sides.”
“Okay.” Avery snagged the lube, handed it over, and then rolled to his left side, facing away.
Presented with Avery’s finely honed ass, Colt tamped down on the urgent need to part those pale cheeks and push inside to claim his man. No, this was enough. Anything Avery gave him was always more than Colt could ever wish for, because this was Colt’s second chance and he wouldn’t blow it. He lubed his dick, then wrapped his bigger body around Avery, half pushing him to the mattress. Slotted his wet cock between Avery’s pressed closed thighs, the pressure almost as wonderful as actually being inside him.
“Fuck me, pet,” Avery whispered.
Pleasure jolted down Colt’s spine at those three simple words, and he thrust. He thrust hard into that tight channel, chasing his own release while Avery simply held on and gave himself over to Colt’s needs. The trust Avery showed in knowing Colt could pin him down and rut without any fear of Colt breaching him spurred Colt onward. He cried out as he came, coating Avery’s dick and balls with his release.
Avery hummed with pleasure as Colt collapsed on top of him, a little breathless and a lot worn out, even after such a short encounter. “I like waking up with you in my bed,” Avery said softly.
So softly, Colt almost didn’t hear the words. Had he even meant to say them out loud? Because Colt loved waking up in Avery’s bed. A lot. It sucked that this was always going to be so temporary.
Maybe.
They lazed around until Avery complained about the stickiness, and then they hit the shower. Avery had a wonderful walk-in that fit them both with ease, and Colt restrained himself from unnecessary touching. They did have a schedule to keep today, and Avery was militant about his schedules. He liked straight lines, whereas Colt preferred to squiggle like a drunk snake.
And yet somehow they were perfect for each other.
They stopped at a café for takeout coffee and bagels, and then they were on the road. The three-hour trip south to San Diego included one pit stop for stretching, and a lot of beautiful ocean views along I-5 South. Colt needled Avery into stopping twice along the way—once simply to take pictures, and again to walk on the beach for a few minutes. The one thing Colt missed the most about LA was the beaches. He’d always wanted to learn how to surf, but he’d never found time.
Avery indulged him those stops, and they still managed to hit the outskirts of San Diego by noon. “I know how impulsive you are,” Avery said smugly. “I planned extra time into the trip for your flights of fancy.”
Colt pinched him for that, then used his phone’s GPS to find their hotel. Normally, Avery would stay with his parents when he was in town, but they’d both wanted their privacy. And they’d chosen a smaller, family-owned hotel, instead of the chain that was hosting today’s party. Colt liked the charm of the place and its proximity to the coast—three blocks away, but it was chilly and drizzling, so no beach afternoon.
The party was scheduled to start at two, so they had a little time to unpack and change from their more comfortable travel clothes to appropriate party outfits. Pressed slacks and button-up shirts. Avery left his hair down in a shiny waterfall that brushed his shoulders whenever he moved his head. While Colt sometimes missed the long ponytail, this look really worked for Avery.
Colt’s nerves got the better of him when they climbed into Avery’s car for the brief trip to the hotel. He was about to meet his boyfriend’s family for the first time ever, and while Colt prided himself on being able to work a room, his brain started stuttering. Shorting out. He couldn’t remember his own goddamn last name for a few terrifying seconds.
Avery parked in the hotel’s underground lot, then reach over to squeeze Colt’s thigh. “Calm down. This is going to be fine. You are a natural conversationalist, and you can charm anyone. You’ve got this.”
Colt covered Avery’s hand with his. “Thank you. I’ve never done this before.”
“Attend an anniversary party?”
“Actually, no. But I meant I’ve never been introduced to the family before as someone’s boyfriend.”
“About that, I was hoping I could introduce you as my partner, instead.”
Colt’s pulse jumped and his eyebrows lifted. “Really?”
“Yes. The word carries so much more emphasis, and it speaks more clearly to how I feel about you. We have been true partners in this so far, supporting each other, respecting each other. Being honest at all times.”
“I…yes, okay. Partners.”
“Excellent.” He leaned over for a soft kiss, just enough for Colt to get the taste of Sir back on his tongue, but not enough to rev his engines. “Let’s go meet the family.”
Getting out of the car was the easy part. Making his legs work was a little harder, but Avery walked around to Colt’s side of the car and took his hand. The simple contact got Colt going, and they headed toward the elevator. Two other couples were already waiting, but Avery didn’t seem to know them so they stood in silence, hand in hand, for the car to arrive. All six of them got in, and then exited again in the lobby. Several different signs stood on easels announcing which room contained which event, and it made locating the party that much easier.
Avery navigated the hotel with ease, finding their ballroom with zero fuss. The doors stood open, and thirties-style swing music filtered out, along with a loud hum of voices. Avery led Colt inside a brightly lit room full of people of all ages, but definitely skewing toward the over-sixty range.
Colt didn’t recognize a single person in the room, but his gaze zeroed in on a table in the center where an elderly couple was holding court by a brightly decorated table, and he guessed them to be the guests of honor. Avery led him in that direction, stopping briefly along the way to say hello to someone. Colt clutched Avery’s hand, his insides going squirrelly the closer they got.
And then a middle-aged couple stepped directly into their path. The woman had Avery’s same mahogany hair and high cheekbones, but her hard glare ruined any prettiness in her face. Next to her, a broad, black-haired man stood demurely, his expression difficult to decipher.
“Avery,” she said with a sharp look at their joined hands. “What is this?”
“This is a party, Mom,” Avery replied calmly. “What does it look like?”
Colt bit the inside of his cheek.
“I meant this,” Violet Hendrix snapped, pointing at their hands. “You said you brought an acceptable plus-one.”
“I did. This is my partner, Colt Woods. Colt, my parents, Violet Hendrix and Mike Haddad.”
“Partner?” Violet looked like she was struggling to maintain her composure, and Colt braced to defend himself. He’d never hit a woman before, but protecting Avery was his first priority.
“Yes, partner,” Avery retorted. “We’ve been back together for months, and I wanted you to finally meet him, so you understand Colt was never an obsession for me. I loved him then, and I love him now.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Colt said, even though he wasn’t so sure yet. Mike still hadn’t spoken, but if they were in a full-time D/s relationship, maybe he needed permission.
“It’s certainly a shock to meet you,” Violet replied. Colt was taller than her, but he swore the woman somehow sneered down her nose at him. “Avery obviously kept this a secret because he knew I’d disapprove.”
“Disapprove of what exactly? That he’s dating? That he’s in love and happy? Or that he’s in love with a man?”
Avery squeezed his hand.
Violet stared at Colt with hard, angry eyes a beat, then turned to Avery. “We’ll discuss this another time.”
“Actually no, we won�
�t,” Avery replied. “My love life isn’t up for discussion. I love you guys, but you will respect my choices, just like I respect yours. I love Colt, I want him in my life, and no discussion is going to change that. So you can either accept Colt, or lose me. It’s up to you.”
Avery pulled Colt away without giving Violet a chance to reply. Colt wasn’t sure what to think or say after that encounter—Sir chose me over his parents, holy shit!—so he let Avery lead him toward Mike’s parents. Hopefully this introduction would go more smoothly. Violet was definitely not on their side, but maybe they could win her over. Hadn’t Avery said Colt could charm anyone?
Turned out that Gloria and Maxwell Haddad were the most charming people Colt had ever met in his life. They embraced both Avery and Colt, and then congratulated them on finding each other again. Avery basked in their praise and kindness, and Colt was so grateful for the elderly couple’s easy acceptance. It gave Avery the fuel to continue introducing Colt to family members he recognized.
Turned out Maxwell’s family was Lebanese, while Gloria’s was Swedish, so they had quite the mix of cultures in the room and in the catered food. Pickled herring was at the buffet right next to kabobs and pita bread, and Colt enjoyed the mix of flavors and spices. They chatted amiably with other guests while they ate, and Colt noticed that Violet remained on the opposite side of the room from them at all times.
It pissed him off a little, but he also wasn’t surprised. Avery had warned him his mom wouldn’t react well, but to hear about it versus seeing bigotry in action? Yeah, anger.
About thirty minutes after food was served, all five of Gloria and Maxwell’s children stood near a microphone and told wonderful, heartwarming stories about their parents. How they met in Korea, found each other in the States, worked hard to create a loving, nurturing home. Tales of babysitting grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Beautiful words that made Colt ache inside for the blood family he’d lost.
Would they be proud of anything I’ve accomplished?
Hell, he didn’t know if his own grandparents were even still alive.
Grief punched him in the gut, and for a moment, Colt couldn’t breathe. Avery noticed his distress and disengaged them from their current conversation. “Are you all right?” he whispered, even though no one could overhear them in the loud room.
“Yeah, sorry,” Colt replied. “Happy family stuff kind of gets to me.”
Avery’s face fell. “Shit, I’m sorry. I should have realized this would be hard for you.”
“It’s okay. You enjoy yourself. I’m going to go get some fresh air.”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to go with you?”
As much as Colt loathed parting with Avery… “Yes, I just need a few minutes. I’ll be fine, I promise.”
“Okay.” Avery kissed his cheek.
Colt wove his way through the ballroom to the open doors, grateful for a chance to get away from all the celebratory cheer. He envied this family their happiness. Maybe Colt had his family at the ranch, but his biological family had cut him out. The Christmas card Colt had sent when he first left went unanswered, so he hadn’t bothered again. It had been sixteen years since he’d been back to Texas.
Was it worth reaching out one more time?
He didn’t know.
The rain had lessened up a bit by the time Colt reached the hotel lobby. He went outside and stood under the awning and breathed in the somewhat fresh air. Tried to imagine he was back in hot, dusty Texas on a different kind of ranch, and the memories of those smells came back to him: horse and dirt and dung and wide-open spaces. He closed his eyes and could hear his sisters laughing, his brothers swearing at a stubborn horse, his mother calling everyone in for lunch. Father stomping his boots on the front porch to loosen dirt from the soles.
He’d almost lived as many years without that family as he had with them, and grief welled up from a deep-down place he didn’t like to acknowledge.
“All those people too much for you?” Violet’s voice scraped down Colt’s spine.
Shit.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Colt opened his eyes, surprised not only to see Violet Hendrix standing next to him, but she was also tapping a cigarette out of a pack. “Being surrounded by so many happy strangers can be a little overwhelming, yes,” he admitted. “I take it you didn’t come out for the fresh air.”
Violet snickered. “Mike hates that I still smoke, but I can’t seem to give it up.”
“Do you mind if I keep upwind of you? Not a fan.”
“By all means.” She lit up and took a deep drag. “I don’t dislike you, or hold any of this against you, Colt. I don’t even know you.”
“Then why are you mad at Avery? We love each other, and we’re happy. There is nothing wrong with that.”
Violet smoked silently for a few minutes, her sharp eyes watching cars drive by. “Did Avery tell you I adopted him?”
“Yes. When he was nine his mother died. You were his only family.”
“I was. My sister and I were very close. She never told Avery about his father, but she did tell me. And maybe the way he treated her left me overprotective of my boy.”
Colt straightened, curious now, and surprised she was opening up to him like this. “What happened?”
“My sister was only involved with Avery’s father for a brief time before she got pregnant. She was eighteen and scared, so he married her because it was”—she made air quotes with her free hand—“the right thing to do. But then two months after Avery was born, he ran away with his secretary.”
“Holy shit.” Colt stared at her profile where her grief over decades-old hurt showed plainly on her face. She really should be speaking to Avery, but this was a start, and he’d take it.
“My sister did her best, but she struggled emotionally. She no longer trusted men, so Avery grew up without a strong father figure until Mike. She was depressed, and when she was diagnosed with cancer, she didn’t fight as hard as she could have, not even to be here for Avery. And I blamed his father for my sister dying, because him leaving like he did broke a part of her that never mended. I love that boy like he’s my own, and as I said, I’m protective of his heart. I couldn’t stand to see him broken, too.”
“I understand. I broke Avery’s heart once, and I own that, but I swear I won’t do it again. I need him in my life, and I’d do anything to keep Avery safe. Hurt anyone who came at him.”
“I believe you. I don’t want to be the bad guy here, and I don’t want to lose my son, but I worry about the lifestyle he’s chosen.”
Colt stiffened then angled to face Violet more fully. “With all due respect, ma’am, BDSM is a lifestyle choice. Being gay is not.”
“I know, I apologize, that came out wrong.” She took a drag on her cigarette. “All I want is for Avery to be happy, but I know the challenges he’ll face in a homosexual relationship. I see it on the news every day. Prejudice exists, even in California.”
“Believe me, I know. I was SWAT for years and in the closet at work for a reason, but where I work now I don’t have to be, and neither does Avery. I love him wholly and completely, and all I want is to make him happy.”
“I can hear it in your voice and see it in your eyes, so I won’t be doing a whole ‘if you hurt my boy’ speech.”
“Good. Are you going to say all of this to Avery?”
Violet stabbed the last of the cigarette out on the bottom of her shoe. “Yes. I’ve kept it from him long enough.”
“Why did you? When he was an adult, he deserved to know about his father. Avery’s strong, he could have handled it.”
“I don’t know. I suppose it simply never came up. Avery was told his father was nothing more than a bad decision who didn’t want to be in his life, which was true enough. As he grew up, he never asked questions about the man, so I left it alone.”
“
Do you know his name? Avery might want to contact him.”
Violet frowned. “I remember it. I don’t know if that’s a good idea, but it’s certainly his prerogative.”
“Exactly. It’s Avery’s life and Avery’s decision.”
“Touché. Although I’m not sure this party is the best time to tell him.”
“I think it is, because if you don’t tell him while he’s here, I’ll have to tell him when we leave. I don’t like lying to Avery, and I won’t keep this from him.”
For a moment, Violet seemed annoyed. Then she smiled. “I think I like you, Colt Woods. You keep loving my boy, and we won’t have any issues.”
“Trust me, loving Avery is easy. He’s got his work cut out with me.”
“Oh? Is he taking up with his rope work again? I was so upset when he told me he quit doing scenes completely. He has so much talent.”
Colt wasn’t sure how to react to knowing Violet was aware of Avery’s love of ropes. Then again, Violet had taught Avery everything he knew about the lifestyle. “We’re, um, exploring things again. And you’re right, he is talented.”
“Mom? Colt?” Another voice startled Colt for the second time in ten minutes, and this time it was Avery. He was watching them with an openly skeptical look, but Colt wasn’t sure who it was directed at.
“Hey, honey,” Violet replied.
“Hi.” He glanced from Colt to Violet, and then circled her to stand next to Colt. “You feeling better with some fresh air?”
“Yeah, I am,” Colt replied. Unable to help himself, he dropped a soft kiss on Avery’s lips. “You didn’t have to leave the party to check on me.”
“To be honest, when Mike said Mom came out to smoke, I got a little worried.”
“You didn’t have to worry. Violet and I had a nice chat.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really,” Violet replied. “Colt is a lovely young man.”
Avery turned to face his mom. “Since when?”
“Since we spoke about something personal just now, and I realized something about myself and my actions. Can we speak in private?”
