by Sean Michael
“Good deal. Do you want a beer or a Coke? Anything?”
“A beer would send me right back to sleep. How about we bring a bottle of water with us in case we get thirsty? I just want to touch without grossing out the teenager.”
“Works for me. I’m going to check on her, tell her good night.” Talk to his oldest a second. No matter what she said, it had to be weird.
“I’ll meet you up there?” Alex asked. At his nod, Alex gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, then grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and headed upstairs.
Ryan went into the living room to sit for a second. “How’s the homework going?”
“It would be going better if you’d let me watch Project Runway or something while I was doing it.”
“You think?”
“I know. Totally.”
“You cool with Alex being here, baby girl?” That was the important question, and he wasn’t interested in beating around the bush.
“Seeing as I was pushing for you to go out with him in the first place, it would be kind of mean if I wasn’t, wouldn’t it?”
“Well, yes, but that doesn’t mean it might not happen.”
“What might not happen?” Her nose wrinkled. “I don’t want details!”
“No. No, I meant, just because you set us up doesn’t mean you might not want us to be together.”
“Oh! No, he seems nice. The girls like him—they’re usually not wrong about people.”
He’d noticed that too. As if they cut clear through the fronts and could see right to the heart of people.
“You think that’ll fade?”
“When they get used to him?” She shrugged. “I don’t know, Daddy. I want you to be happy and not alone, but it’s still kind of weird.”
“Yeah. It is. You have to promise to talk to me, huh? You’re my girl. It’s important to me that we can communicate.”
“You’re not going to stop being my daddy because he’s here, right? It’s just different. Like with the little sisters.” She said it casually enough, but he could see the real worry in her eyes.
“There isn’t a force on earth that could make me stop being your daddy. Not anything.”
She pushed into him, arms winding around him. “Love you, Daddy.”
“I love you more.” He held her, kissed her head. “Forever and always.”
“Okay.” She sat back and grabbed the remote. “Can I please watch Project Runway while I do my homework?”
“Yeah, you totally can. Just make sure and get it done, okay?”
“I will, Daddy.” She turned on the TV, already absorbed in it and the books open on the coffee table.
He grabbed his water and checked the doors, then headed up to look in on the babies. All well.
When he got to his bedroom, it occurred to him that Alex might have already fallen asleep, as tired as he clearly was.
He opened the door as quietly as he could so he wouldn’t bother Alex if he’d nodded off.
Alex had the TV on, the volume barely audible as he clicked through the channels. He turned as Ryan opened the door and smiled, face lighting up, and turned off the television. “Hey.”
“You’re awake!” His entire body tightened.
“Yeah.” Alex blushed, cheeks going pink. “I was motivated.”
“I’m pleased.” He kept walking closer like he was drawn.
“Good—it would suck if you weren’t interested.” Alex drew back the covers for him, eyes shining.
Ryan stripped off his shirt and opened his belt, his jeans.
Looking rapt, Alex watched every movement. Then he licked his lips. “I’m beginning to feel decidedly overdressed.”
“I locked the door.”
Alex squirmed out of his pajama bottoms and pulled off the top with flattering speed.
It didn’t take long for Ryan to strip down and slide into the sheets. “Hey, you.”
“Hey.” Alex rolled onto his side and pressed close. He touched Ryan’s cheek, stroked gently. “So good to see you.”
“Hey, stranger. It’s good to see you. Seriously.”
Alex wiggled closer. “Yeah? Good. We’re in agreement, then—we should seal the matter with a kiss or twenty.”
“I concur.” Ryan felt a zing when their bodies touched, a little electric shock.
Alex groaned and brought their mouths together, the kiss starting out soft. Ryan forced himself to be easy, to let Alex show him what he needed. Alex’s tongue slid between his lips and stroked his own, making something in his belly twist.
God, he wanted to pounce on Alex, rub and rub. Alex moaned into his mouth, the sound tickling through him. He reached down and cupped Alex’s hip, rocking them together.
Alex made a soft, needy noise and pressed closer. “I dreamed of this. Of you.”
“Yeah? Not too boring for you?” Because he worried a little.
Alex looked like he didn’t understand the question. “What?”
“Nothing. Silly. Kiss me.”
“I can do that.” Alex pressed their lips together again. Kissing this man was an addiction.
Ryan curled his fingers around Alex’s nape, holding them together. Alex wrapped a hand around his hip, thumb sliding along his skin.
Oh, that felt good. Damn good.
Their kisses got deeper, Alex moaning into his mouth and undulating, rubbing them together. Ryan’s body was revved up, eager for the touches, for more. Alex’s was too, cock hot and hard, pressing against Ryan’s hip.
He moaned, the sensation making his eyes cross.
Alex swallowed. “I want to make you feel so good you lose it and come all over me.”
“Alex….” He groaned and rolled atop Alex, feeling so brave, so daring.
Alex pushed up, clearly not trying to buck him off, and their bodies slid, making Alex gasp softly and grab his ass, squeeze.
“Hey, honey.” Ryan smashed their lips together, and their hips rolled, bucking hard.
Alex spread, sliding one leg up and hooking an ankle around Ryan’s thigh. Moans pushed into his mouth. It seemed they were both on the same page, horny and needing.
They slid on the sheets as they drove together, the scent of the two of them heady. Ryan was going to come quickly, and he was willing to bet that Alex would too. He couldn’t decide if that was a bad thing or just a sign of how much they needed it. Alex wasn’t complaining, just humping up against him and squeezing his ass over and over.
“Soon, huh?” he murmured, not wanting to go too fast.
“God yes. Feels like heaven.” Alex met his gaze, heat and happiness melding together in his eyes.
“Yeah. Yeah, totally.” He rolled again, his balls pressing against Alex’s.
Alex sucked in a harsh breath. “Oh God, don’t stop.” Alex’s fingers were digging in now, digging in hard.
“Not gonna.” Not a chance.
“Holding….” Alex groaned. “You… to… that.” Ryan took it as a positive sign that Alex could barely speak.
“Feel so good.” Ryan got one hand under Alex and tugged, the friction suddenly fierce.
“Ryan!” Alex shouted, going wild beneath him.
He shut Alex up with a kiss. The last thing they needed was the girls banging on the door.
Alex kissed him back, continuing to buck beneath him. Then, all of a sudden, Alex froze, and heat spread out between them.
Ryan groaned, humping restlessly, the friction suddenly eased, made slick.
“Your turn,” Alex whispered into his ear. “Let me smell you, huh?”
“Oh Jesus.” Ryan’s balls clenched, drawing up so fast that he couldn’t breathe for a second.
Alex squeezed his ass again, fingers digging in. “Please.”
That was all he needed. He shot so hard his head spun.
It was Alex who moaned like he’d been the one to come, hands relaxing and spreading out across Ryan’s ass.
“God, you’re amazing.”
He panted against Alex’s lip
s, breathing hard.
“And that was great. Thank you.” Alex smiled.
“Uh-huh. It was amazing.”
Alex nuzzled for a moment, then lay back, looking almost asleep. “I like having you to hold at night. Missed it while I was gone.”
“It was easy to get used to.”
“Yeah. It feels like I’ve known you a lot longer than I actually have. You got important fast.”
“I’m one of a kind.”
“No joke—you are.” Alex’s words slid over him like a caress.
“You look so tired.” He kissed Alex’s closed eyelids, the bridge of his nose.
“I just need a good night’s sleep and I’ll be fine. Only got a couple hours the last few nights.” Alex’s eyes stayed closed.
“Shh. I’ve got you.” Once Alex fell asleep, he’d go down to the basement and do a few hours of work, but not until then.
“M’kay.” Alex’s eyes fluttered open for a moment, then they closed again, and his breathing slowly evened out as he fell asleep.
Ryan grabbed the washcloth next to the bed and cleaned them both up, Alex not so much as moving, then covered Alex up. Sweet man.
Soft snores began as he reached for his sweats, making him chuckle silently.
He padded downstairs, grabbing himself a Coke and… oh. Cinnamon toast.
He stuck his head into the living room. “You want some cinnamon toast, Mel?”
“Uh-huh.” She took her pencil out of her mouth and looked up at him. “And tea?”
“Sure, what kind?”
“Mint, please. I’m almost done with my homework, and I’ll take it to bed with me. Why are you still up?”
“I couldn’t sleep. I thought I’d do some work downstairs. Paint a little.”
“Cool.” Her attention turned back to the television, pencil returning to her mouth.
He made toast and tea, delivered Mel’s, then headed down to paint, the music and color filling the air as he worked. It had been a long time since he’d last managed to paint, and he was full of inspiration.
When he’d painted himself out, he’d head to bed.
Chapter Eighteen
ALEX WOKE up feeling disoriented. It was quiet, it was dark, and he was lying on a soft mattress, under warm covers. He sat up suddenly. Oh. Right. He was at Ryan’s. Right.
He nodded and felt the bed next to him. Ryan wasn’t there, though, and he checked his watch. It was almost midnight.
He climbed out of bed and made the rounds of the bedrooms. All the kids were asleep. Frowning, he headed downstairs. Had Ryan fallen asleep on the couch? He hadn’t even realized Ryan had gotten out of bed in the first place. All was quiet on the main floor, but he saw light coming from the bottom of the door to the basement, so he headed down.
He heard the music about halfway down the stairs, smelled something foreign, something new.
For a moment, he wondered if he should continue, if he should refrain from invading Ryan’s privacy. Clearly the man thought he was alone. Then he decided that if Ryan didn’t want Alex down here, he could say so. He kept going, but he called out so he didn’t surprise Ryan. “Hello?”
“Hey.” Ryan looked up, surprising the hell out of him. This wasn’t the vaguely timid, gentle man he knew. This was a naked, wild man with fiery eyes.
“Wow.” He blinked a few times, then continued down the last few stairs, taking the room in. Ryan was painting. And from what he could see, the results were incredible. The paintings were vibrant and bright, the energy breathtaking.
“Hey. Everyone okay?”
“Yeah, they’re all asleep. I thought I’d find you in with someone, but you weren’t upstairs at all.” Which, duh, Ryan knew. “I mean I was wondering where you’d gotten to, if you were okay.”
“I was just goofing off. Let me get cleaned up.”
“This is what you call goofing off? These are beautiful. Stunning. You’ve got an amazing talent. And you don’t have to clean up on my account.”
No, in fact, Ryan was naked, half-erect, and looked like a warrior or a medicine man or something wonderful. Alex found himself drawn to him, and he stepped closer, wanting to touch this live wire.
“I’m a mess.” Ryan smiled though, didn’t he?
“Yeah. It’s pretty sexy. It would be a shame to mess up my new pj’s.” He stripped them off, moving slowly, anticipation like electricity in his spine.
“Especially since the girls picked them out.” Ryan’s hands clenched into fists.
“And then you’d have to explain how come there’s paint all over them.” Alex tossed the pajamas back at the stairs, where they were safely out of the way of the paint. Then he pushed up against Ryan, hissing at how cold Ryan’s skin was.
“Baby, you need a heater down here.” Alex groaned as Ryan wrapped around him, holding on to him like there was nothing else he’d rather do.
He wrapped his own arms around Ryan, rubbing his back, hoping to share his warmth even as he brought their mouths together, sliding his lips along Ryan’s. God, he was sexy.
He had never—not like this, and what was better was that he knew Ryan hadn’t either.
Groaning, he rubbed hard, their cocks hot against his belly, burning like brands wrapped in silk.
“I got you, man.” Ryan groaned and nibbled his earlobe, teasing and tugging.
Alex gasped and pressed closer. “You’re amazing. Got me so hot.”
“That’s the point, isn’t it?” Ryan surprised him with his eager need.
“Uh-huh.”
Ryan pushed against him, and he stumbled back, hitting the wall. He groaned as Ryan pressed him to it, his warming, paint-stained skin surging along Alex’s, rubbing, working Alex up higher with every passing moment.
He wrapped one leg around Ryan’s hip, dragging them closer, giving him more to hump against. They moved together, his skin slapping against the wall as Ryan drove into him.
Someone was making needy, whimpering noises, and it eventually dawned on Alex that they were coming out of his mouth.
“I want you, huh?” Ryan hissed. “You feel so good.”
“Right here. All yours.” It was true—he wanted too. Ryan was like total magic in his life.
“Yeah?” Ryan kissed him, stealing his breath and making his eyes cross.
“Yeah. Wanna give you anything you want.” He got one hand between them and touched Ryan’s nipple.
“You.” Ryan grunted and pushed into the kisses again.
It was wild and electric, and Alex had never felt anything like it. He didn’t want it to stop. Lucky for him, he didn’t think Ryan wanted it to stop either.
The mad pleasure built hard and fast, his ass hitting the wall with the rhythm that Ryan was setting. All he could do was hold on and try to give Ryan as much friction as he could.
They were starting to stick together, the paint beginning to dry on their skin. It didn’t matter, though. They weren’t stopping until they were both done.
One heady kiss led to another, his whole world seeming to spin. Alex clung to Ryan, riding the incredible waves of pleasure.
He was going to shoot again, paint Ryan’s skin with his essence.
“Oh God. I’m gonna come.”
“Please.” Ryan moaned, eyes fastened on his, staring into him. “On… on me.”
“Yes. Fuck, yes.” He nodded and Ryan drove into him, slamming him back against the wall. He cried out, spunk spraying from him and getting trapped between their bodies. “Fuck. Fuck.” He muttered and groaned, clinging to Ryan’s shoulders as his knees tried to buckle.
“Sorry. Sorry, I didn’t hurt you?”
“God no. Brains gone.” Entirely, apparently.
“That’s okay, then.” Ryan held him up, cradled him.
“Did you come too?” He could suck Ryan off if he hadn’t. He wouldn’t have to stand that way.
“Uh-huh. You didn’t notice?”
Alex shook his head. “Sorry.” He totally hadn’t. Was that bad? He di
dn’t think so—his orgasm and the build up to it had been all-consuming because of Ryan. “That was… you were… yeah.” He kissed Ryan, shutting himself up.
“Good. That’s so hot. For real. So hot.”
“You were incredible. In. Cre. Di. Ble.” And his mind was blown. He wasn’t sure how they were going to get up the stairs.
“We need a shower. I’ve never showered with a lover.”
“Me either. Two showers in one day after three weeks without any. Seems very decadent. But, baby, that’s two flights of stairs, and I’m not sure my legs are working.”
“There’s a bathroom down here. It’s not fancy, but it’s clean, and there’s a big tub.”
“Oh, that sounds like heaven, Ry. Truly.” Floating in water with Ryan, how amazing would that be?
“Come on. I bathe down here a lot so I don’t drag paint upstairs.”
“You hide this part of you away most of the time, don’t you?”
Ryan shrugged, then led him to a bathroom dominated by a huge tub.
“Oh man, you made it sound like we’d be squeezing into a little standard tub in a skanky room. This rocks.” He especially liked the paint stains that colored the otherwise mostly white room.
“No. It’s simple, but it’s clean.” Ryan started the water warming, the huge tub big enough to hold them both easily.
He stepped in, moaning happily as the hot water wrapped around him. “Oh man, this is perfect. Like really. Get in.”
“Isn’t it great? It’s like a secret oasis.” Ryan settled between his legs, back against his chest.
He wrapped his arms around Ryan, resting them on Ryan’s amazing abs. Leaning forward, he breathed Ryan in; the smell of paint was odd, but it suited Ryan somehow.
“I’m glad you’re home,” Ryan muttered.
He was home. Here with Ryan, and they both knew it. He wasn’t sure how it had happened—he’d only met Ryan a month ago, but somehow this goofy, amazing family had taken him in and simply accepted him.
He squeezed Ryan. “Yeah, me too.”
Chapter Nineteen
“POPSY! PUSH me!”
Ryan wasn’t sure whether Daffy or Rosie had called for him, since they were both swinging.
Alex was building sandcastles with Daisy—they had quite the elaborate castle going, with turrets and everything.
