Come in From the Cold

by Tymber Dalton

  Doyle grinned. “We wouldn’t miss it. Don’t worry, just call him Mal. He needs normalcy. Doesn’t mean you can’t ask him questions, but he won’t take the spotlight off you guys.”

  “Okay. Wow. Um, thank you.”

  “Tell Connor I said congrats, and looking forward to seeing him tomorrow.”

  “Thank you.”

  Holy…shit.

  * * * *

  When Douglas returned home that night, Connor pulled into the driveway while he was still trying to get the girls out of his SUV. Douglas waited for him, loving that he actually jogged around his car to get to him and help.

  “Hey, babe.” Connor brushed a kiss across his lips and grabbed Kayleigh and Zee’s bags from him.

  “Doyle stopped by my office today.”

  “He did, huh?”

  “Him and his husband will be there tomorrow.”

  Connor smiled. “Cool. Haven’t seen Mal in a while.”

  “There’s going to be a rock star…at our fricking wedding!”

  Connor’s smile widened into a grin. “I know. Pretty cool, huh?”

  He was still struggling to process that. “And Doyle said hi.”

  Connor actually giggled. “You can’t wrap your mind around the whole rock star thing, can you?”

  “No!”

  “Get used to it, babe.” He kissed him before heading for the house. “Doyle asked me if I’d mind if Mal brought his guitar and I told him we’d be honored if he did.”

  Douglas stood there, trying to process that.

  Nope. Wasn’t computing.

  Carrying Zee, he followed Connor into the house.

  * * * *

  Connor sent Kayleigh to her room to put her bag away. When Douglas set Zee’s carrier on the couch, Connor checked to make sure she was still asleep before he copped a quick feel of Douglas’ ass through his slacks to make sure his boy was obeying him.

  He was, the butt plug in place.

  “Good boy,” Connor whispered in his ear. “You can go take it out and change. I’ll take care of her.” He gently nudged him out of the way with a smile.

  He couldn’t get over the fact that he had another daughter to raise now.

  “Hey, sweetheart.” She opened her eyes for him as he removed her from the carrier. “Yeah, there’s Daddy’s little Sunshine.” He carefully tucked her against his shoulder and headed for the kitchen to start pulling things out for dinner.

  One-armed, yeah, he could do that. Had done it, when Kayleigh was her age. He made a mental note to himself to look for the baby sling in the boxes of Kayleigh’s old things out in the garage.

  Douglas returned a few minutes later, now in shorts and shirtless, Kayleigh on his heels.

  The sight of his ring on his guy’s hand, but—

  His right ring finger was bare.

  He reached out and touched Douglas’ shoulder. “Hey,” he gently said. “Where’s your other ring?”

  Douglas shrugged and looked up at him. “She’d want me to be happy. I carry her in my heart.” He reached out and smiled as he stroked Zee’s head. “And in her. I’m your husband. Will be, in less than twenty-four hours. That’s all I need.”

  Connor cupped his cheek and kissed him. “Thank you, babe,” he whispered.

  He let Douglas take over cooking, Kayleigh helping him as Connor stood back with Zee and watched. He wanted the two of them bonding now, while she was still young, and Douglas was an absolute natural as a father. There wasn’t a hint of him needing to hold on to his patience—he was patient with her, making her laugh and smile as they worked to put together the one-dish chicken breast meal they were going to pop into the oven.

  Yeah, he’d be lying if he said he hadn’t fantasized about this kind of night more than a few times—except it hadn’t included the beautiful bonus of another baby in the mix.

  With dinner in the oven, it was bath time for both girls, and they tag-teamed them, Kayleigh laughing and giggling as she helped bathe her little sister in the small plastic tub that the men put in the tub with her.

  That done, while they were waiting for dinner to finish baking, Connor helped Douglas unpack more of their things, especially Zee’s things, since Douglas wanted to focus there first. They’d have to buy another dresser for their bedroom for his clothes, too, and Connor would need to make room in the closet for him.

  This was…real.

  This was happening. Had happened.

  But by the time they had the girls in bed and were able to lock themselves in their room, Connor wasn’t interested in being a sadist to his boy. He led Douglas into the shower and made love to him, dropping to his knees in front of Douglas.

  Connor smiled up at him. “Such a good boy today, you get a reward. Don’t want to wear you out too much before tomorrow night.” He cupped Douglas’ ass in his hands and sucked his cock into his mouth.

  Douglas tried to hold back his moans, but every noise he made spurned Connor on. And when Douglas finally buried his hands in Connor’s hair, he rewarded his boy by going deep, tonguing the front of his sac even as his seven inches of cock was halfway down Connor’s throat.

  Connor teased and drew it out a little, finally needing to make him come, wanting to taste him again. Needing it.

  Proof that this was real.

  Proof that he was real.

  And when his boy’s cock tensed, turned even harder, hotter against his tongue, Connor was already eagerly swallowing as every spurt of cum flowed from his boy.

  Douglas slumped against the shower wall as Connor stood, smiling, and pulled him into his arms. “Thank you, Master,” he softly said, sounding sweetly sated.

  “Chapter 4, Verse 1,” Connor whispered against the top of his head.

  Douglas nuzzled his face against Connor’s shoulder. “Master’s good boy is always rewarded for being a good boy.”

  “How does my good boy want to make Master come?”

  In response, Douglas draped his arms around Connor’s neck and kissed him. He also lifted his right leg, hooking it around Connor’s ass.

  Connor didn’t break their kiss as he reached for the bottle of lube in the shower caddy, slicked his cock, and easily slid home inside his boy’s ass.

  He turned them, Douglas against the wall so he could lean against it. Connor hiked Douglas’ leg higher around him and held him in place as he quickly fucked him, needing him and needing this—marking his boy.

  Need churned inside him, rapidly spinning apart and shredding him as his balls tightened and pulsed, emptying a load of cum into his boy.

  As Connor stood there trying to catch his breath, Douglas licked the front of Connor’s throat. “Thank you, Master.”

  Connor grinned, looking down into his boy’s smiling face. “You are always more than welcome, baby.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Connor lay in bed Saturday morning with a satisfied smile on his face. He’d gotten up in the middle of the night to feed Zee when she’d quietly fussed on the baby monitor, and he’d made Douglas remain in bed with a staying hand.

  His boy had fought the good fight alone for several weeks. Connor wanted to show him he had his back.

  Douglas didn’t have to do everything alone anymore.

  And as a bonus, Connor now got to lie in bed with Douglas draped over him, sound asleep.

  Other than waking up to take care of Zee, Connor had another fantastic night of sleep.

  Incredible.

  He’d forgotten how sweet and blissful sleep could feel. No delaying going to bed until he was too exhausted to keep his eyes open, and then dragging his exhausted ass out of bed the next morning after tossing and turning and waking up multiple times.

  When Douglas awakened, he rolled over and a sleepy smile curved his lips. “Good morning, Master.”

  “Good morning, boy.” Connor tousled his hair, loved running his hands through it. “Today’s the day. Any second thoughts?”

  Douglas kissed him. “No, Master.”

  “
Anything in the Book of Connor you want to renegotiate?”

  Another sleepy smile. “Nope.”

  “You’re not a teenager anymore.”

  “Neither are you, Master.” He kissed a trail across Connor’s right pec to his nipple, flicking it with his tongue. “This is even better than what we had.”

  “Well, except we could get it up almost literally all day when we were kids,” Connor said. Then, he chuckled. “I don’t know if anyone else would put up with me besides you.”

  “I’m not anyone—I’m yours. I always have been.” Another dangerous flick of Douglas’ tongue, the sensation burning an erotic trail directly from Connor’s nipple to his cock.

  He buried his hand in Douglas’ hair and hauled him back up for another kiss. “Behave, boy.” He nipped his lower lip, sucking it. “Save some for after we come home married.” He reached down and started teasing Douglas’ cock. “I have another ring for you to wear today, and it won’t be one you can show off in mixed company.”

  That was like waving a red flag in front of a bull. Douglas started humping himself against Connor’s thigh. “Please show me, Master.”

  Connor grinned. “You sure you want to start this game this early?”

  “It’s our wedding day.”

  “Okay. Don’t say Master never gives you a choice.” He climbed out of bed. “Go use the bathroom. Bring out a towel and lube. We’re going to need more sheets at this rate.”

  They’d already done three loads of nothing but sheets since Wednesday.

  While he did that, Connor went to the closet and unlocked the plastic tub. He found the toy he wanted, but didn’t let Douglas see it when he carried it into the bathroom to wash it and use the bathroom himself. The toy was clean, but it’d been sitting in the bottom of his bag for months.

  It was a one-piece toy he’d used on himself, not anyone else. The thick, silicone cockring part of it went over the cock and around the balls, too, but had an additional feature. Attached to it by a long thin “leash” was a devious bulb that slid into the wearer’s ass.

  Only when moving did the wearer appreciate what was inside the bulb—a jangling but silent rattle that buzzed with every movement. No battery needed.

  He liked wearing it when jerking off sometimes, pretending that it was Douglas fucking his ass as he did. Sometimes he wore it when at the Toucan and fucking a guy.

  When he returned to bed, Douglas sat there with an eager smile on his face. For a moment, Connor could see his boy as he’d been back then.

  He kept the toy behind him, out of sight. “On your back. Eyes closed, thighs open.”

  Douglas immediately complied, his cock already hard and dripping.

  Connor fought the urge to giggle at Douglas’ needy moans as he got the cock ring positioned on him. Then he lubed the bulb and slid it inside him, enjoying the way Douglas threw his head back and gasped at the intrusion.

  He seated the “leash” part that connected the ball to the cockring right between his ass cheeks.

  “Jesus,” Douglas gasped. “What the hell is that?”

  “Oh, wait’ll you start moving around.” He climbed on top of him and kissed him. “Don’t worry, no one will hear it, but you’ll feel every step. I expect to have a desperately needy boy by the time we get home today.”

  He reached down and tweaked Douglas’ nipples and was going to really start tormenting him when Zee let out a fussy cry on the baby monitor.

  “Ah, saved by the baby.” He swiped another kiss across his lips. “I’ll get her. You should throw on shorts, though.”

  He climbed off him, giggling as he watched Douglas’ face when he sat up and started getting used to the toy. “Be careful, boy. Chapter 2, Verse 4.”

  Douglas bit down on his lower lip as he slowly climbed out of bed. “Boy will be punished for coming without permission.”

  “Yes.” Connor waggled his eyebrows at him. “Even on his wedding day.” He ducked into their bathroom to wash his hands.

  * * * *

  Douglas noticed Connor waited to open the bedroom door until Douglas had his shorts on. Maybe they weren’t as young as they’d once been, but Connor had obviously put those years apart to good use in terms of expanding his sadistic repertoire. Plus, Connor now had the budget to buy actual kinky toys to use on Douglas, instead of repurposing his mom’s spatulas, wooden spoons, and dime-store rope.

  Douglas adjusted himself in his shorts. The cockring made him look like he had a larger bulge, and the position of the bulb in his ass had it pressing against his sweet spot.

  It’s going to be a loooong day.

  Douglas smiled to himself at that thought.

  They headed over to Niall’s a little before noon after packing for both girls for the night. Connor picked what he wanted Douglas to wear—denim shorts and a casual short-sleeved button-down Hawaiian-style shirt that, fortunately, hung low enough to cover the front of his shorts. Connor wore something similar, although his shorts were khaki and the pattern on the short-sleeved shirt he wore was a far more sedate allover abstract pattern in shades of blue.

  And Doyle and Mal—Mevi’s real name and what he preferred to be called when amongst friends—were already there.

  Connor had dressed Zee in an adorable little pink princess dress and pink headband with a flower on it that one of Douglas’ former coworkers had given him and Mackie as a baby shower gift. And Connor had dressed Kayleigh in a princess dress of her own, one of the Disney princesses, Douglas was pretty sure, although he didn’t know the character’s name.

  But still…perfection.

  As the others arrived and Connor introduced Douglas around, what Douglas realized he was feeling—other than nerves and more than a little fanboying over Mal—was peace.

  There would be no tears today. Not ones of grief and loss, anyway.

  A week ago, he’d still been driving down to Florida, heartbroken and uncertain and terrified.

  Today…

  Today he felt the Lord’s grace and love filling him.

  Thank You for answered prayers, Lord. Amen.

  Etsu had even ordered them a sheet cake from Publix but decorated in a wedding theme, blues and silvers, Connor’s favorite colors.

  It was absolutely perfect.

  And of course they took plenty of pictures.

  Meanwhile, the toy was definitely distracting him, rattling every time he moved or walked, and Connor taking every chance he could to make Douglas move around.

  Evil bastard. And boy, did he love him.

  Once all the anticipated guests had arrived, Loren called everyone together in the backyard. Before they did, Connor removed Douglas’ ring and held his hand out for Douglas to take his to hold on to.

  “For the pictures,” Connor said with a smile, kissing him.

  Mal played an acoustic version of one of his most famous songs, “Sunset Sights,” one of Douglas’ favorite songs and one that sent the good kind of chills through him, hearing Mal sing it in person.

  They gathered together in front of Loren, with Doyle and Niall standing in as the two best men for the purpose of signing as witnesses.

  “I love performing these,” she said. “Especially when there are princesses in attendance.”

  Kayleigh jumped up and down next to where Etsu stood holding Zee. “I’m a princess!”

  Everyone laughed. “Yes, you are,” Loren said, smiling. “And today we’ve gathered to witness the love of these two men, seeds first planted decades ago, which have finally matured and bloomed. Please join hands.”

  Douglas realized he’d be blinking back happy tears throughout this thing as he stared up into Connor’s blue eyes. Especially when he spotted him blinking back tears of his own.

  “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts
, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

  Douglas would forgive her skipping a couple of the verses, because he knew Connor had told her what he wanted for their ceremony.

  That Connor had included any Bible verses at all, especially I Corinthians 13, meant the world to Douglas.

  “Do you, Connor Davis, take thee, Douglas Phillip, for better and for worse, for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, honor, and cherish, as long as you both shall live?”

  Connor smiled. “I do.”

  “Do you, Douglas Phillip, take thee, Connor Davis, for better and for worse, for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, honor, and obey, as long as you both shall live?”

  Douglas sniffled back his tears even though he smiled. He caught the difference. “I do.”

  * * * *

  Connor didn’t want to start bawling like a baby, but damned if having a life-long fantasy come true right now wasn’t a worthy reason to cry in public, at least a little.

  A wedding ceremony he’d wanted to have ever since he was a kid.

  “Connor, the ring,” Loren said.

  He removed it from his right pinky, where he’d temporarily placed it.

  He realized his hands were trembling as he took Douglas’ left hand in his. “As you place the ring on his finger, repeat after me—With this ring, I thee wed.”

  He stared into Douglas’ eyes. “With this ring, I thee wed.”

  “It is a symbol of all that we have promised, and all that we’ve shared.”

  Connor repeated the vows, choking up despite the fact that he’d written them.

  “It is a reminder that I am always by your side, ever faithful, my earthly and spiritual covenant to you.”