by J. M. Snyder
Andrew squeezed Ian’s knee under the table and leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek. The table went silent for just that one uncomfortable moment. Oh God! How would this work was not only Ian’s thought around that table.
Chapter 9
Eighteen Months Later
Ian woke up without opening his eyes, initially. He was hoping to spare himself the glare from the morning light—perhaps afternoon light, actually—and feeling the aches from being in the same position for a while. Trying to move his arm, Ian found it immobile. Briefly concerned, he opened one eye to find his arm immobile because it lay under the sleeping best man at his sister’s wedding—and his new husband. He smiled and moved his arm to wake up his sleeping ginger-man.
Andrew moaned a bit but rolled on his side toward Ian and opened his eyes directly into Ian’s. “Well, we’ve been in this position before.”
“Yeah, weddings seem to bring a free-flowing drinking atmosphere.”
“Wedding. We really did this?”
“You are stuck with me for the rest of your life.” Ian leaned over and kissed Andrew on his exposed nipple.
Ian saw Andrew’s eyes grow wet and a single tear traveled his cheek. “You have no idea how good that sounds to me especially all we’ve been through. I love you Ian like no other person in the world. Ever!”
Ian opened his eyes as Andrew pulled back from the kiss. They looked at each other and Ian’s heart was filled with love and joy like he had never felt. “What are you thinking?” was Andrew’s question and so Ian lied a little.
“I was thinking that Mom had said something about lunch. Do we know the time?”
Andrew laughed out loud as both their phones suddenly exploded with chimes and alarms for messages. “This is kind of déjà vu all over again.”
Ian turned off his phone and threw it across the room and did the same with Andrew’s phone.
“They can wait a while longer. I can’t.” And he rolled Andrew onto his back and mounted him. “At least your back won’t be on the tile floor of the bathroom.” Andrew grinned.
THE END
An Unconventional Relationship by Casper Graham
Dear cubby hubby,
Your faith in me means the world to me. Thank you for being there through thick and thin. I love you. I appreciate you. I adore you.
Chapter 1
Michael Lambert strode furiously through the empty hallway. He was still wearing his well-fitted three-piece suit, including a tie, and his gleaming, ten-thousand-dollar shoes thumped harshly on the polished floor. He was seriously pissed off. He had attended five meetings since eight in the morning and had signed a few contracts that guaranteed to increase his net worth well over his current thirty billion dollars, but now he was being summoned like a naughty school boy by a preschool teacher.
He had enrolled his three-year-old daughter, Megan, in a private school, which boasted tons of after-school activities, because he did not have time to worry about what she would be up to at home. He had a personal chef and a housekeeper, but they were both too busy today. He had separately hired several nannies to look after Megan, but she had somehow managed to terrify them all. Consequently, each had resigned in less than two weeks.
So lost in thoughts, he missed Megan’s classroom and had to retrace his steps before knocking on the door. He waited impatiently for the teacher to answer. When the door opened, his breath hitched at the sight of the gorgeous man, an inch or two shorter than his own six-foot-four-inch height. The man was wearing an ordinary shirt, but his bulging shoulders and chest filled it nicely. Michael admired the fitted slacks, which left little to the imagination. He wondered what those strong-looking thighs would feel like wrapped around his waist as he pounded into this man.
“Mr. Lambert?”
“Huh? What? Oh, yeah. Michael Lambert. I’m Megan’s dad. I—”
“You’re late.”
His eyes widened at the admonishment. He was gasping a little, like a goldfish inside an aquarium. His slight embarrassment turned into irritation and he scowled at the teacher. He was the CEO of one of the most successful financial companies in the world and he would be damned before he allowed anyone to reprimand him like he was a little boy.
“Now, you listen here, you son of—”
“Mr. Lambert, my name is Lance Johnson, which I’m sure you would know if you actually bother to care about your daughter’s well-being once in a while instead of gallivanting with a ton of desperate social climbers who…”
“I did not—”
“…are merely using you to further their personal agendas. Megan is a beautiful child and she’s very polite. She behaves really well and gets along with all of her classmates. She’s also an eager learner and participates constantly.”
“That…that doesn’t sound like Megan. At home, she’s—”
“I have a feeling she’s acting up at home because she wants you to pay attention to her.”
Damn! This gorgeous man had interrupted him time and time again, and he was getting more aggravated by the second. “Mr. Johnson, you are being very rude and unreasonable,” he gritted out, trying to keep his temper.
“Mr. Lambert, the preschoolers are always dismissed at half-past one unless they have to attend after-school activities, which Megan doesn’t have, because today is Friday. She has violin lessons for beginners every Monday and Tuesday for an hour and a half. On Wednesdays and Thursdays, she has ballet for two hours.”
“Shit! I mean, sorry. I’ve been caught up in meetings and—”
“Mr. Lambert, you are an irresponsible parent who obviously doesn’t care enough to know what Megan’s schedule is like.”
“Mr. Johnson, I suggest you tone down your anger when you’re talking to me.”
“Or what, Mr. Lambert? If you want to complain about me to the school management, be my guest. This is not the first time you have abandoned Megan in school for hours after she has been dismissed from class.”
He glared at the teacher and clenched his fist. He was sorely tempted to punch the man in the cheek.
It had been a while since he’d gotten into a fistfight. When he was younger, his ferocious temper had been well-suited for the boxing ring. In fact, he had participated in both boxing and wrestling for four years in high school to channel his aggression. He had wrestled in college but had given up boxing because he needed to focus more on his studies and he could not do that if he participated in two extra-curricular activities. His hard work had paid off because he’d managed to build a financial business empire after working his ass off for the last fifteen years since graduating. Admittedly, he’d had plenty of good luck on his side as well.
Regardless, Megan’s teacher had been downright condescending, and he had never met this man before. His best friend, Jessica Tanner, had helped enroll Megan into this school since he had been too busy at work back then.
“Mr. Johnson, I think we should call it a day. I don’t have time—”
“Then you had better make the time because Megan misses her mother.”
“Her mother? Megan was adopted as a baby,” Michael replied in confusion before it came to him. “Oh, you mean Jessica. Jessica Tanner is my friend, but she is now working abroad. She got a promotion at work.”
“Yet no one has informed me about this.”
“Mr. Johnson, I fail to see how that is any of your business.”
“As Megan’s preschool teacher, I need to know who is picking her up after school to ensure her safety. The last few women, her nannies, had all dressed as if they were about to attend singles’ mixers. Megan really disliked them all. She told me they were all ‘making weird eyes at Daddy.’ I’m presuming those women had all tried to seduce you.”
Michael shifted uncomfortably, but restrained from doing anything else to display his nervousness. Those attempts at seduction were indeed another reason he’d had to terminate the services of those nannies. “Mr. Johnson, I’m really busy. Where’s my daughter?”
/> The man sighed tiredly before pointing toward a corner of the classroom. Megan was on the mat next to two other children, a boy and a girl. They were all sleeping closely to one another.
“She fell asleep about thirty minutes ago, Mr. Lambert. They all did. They were probably exhausted after playing together for more than three hours.”
“And the other two children? Why haven’t their parents fetched them yet?”
“They are my two-year-old twins, Nathan and Holly.”
“Oh!” Michael felt flush. “I guess your wife is busy at work, then?”
“Mr. Lambert, I don’t have a wife, but I do have a boyfriend. He usually takes care of them, but he had an errand to run, so here they are.”
“I see.”
This was disappointing news. It had been a while since Michael had been instantly attracted to a man. He had even entertained the thought of asking Lance Johnson out on a date, in spite of how infuriating he found him. Now it seemed he would not be able to do that. He had never been the type to intentionally come between another couple.
“Mr. Lambert?”
“Oh, yeah. Let me grab my daughter. I’ll just…I…”
“Go ahead. She’s a sound sleeper. I’ll get her backpack and water bottle for you.”
“Thank you, Mr. Johnson.”
The other man only nodded before walking away.
Michael went to the mat and picked up Megan. She whined a little at the movement, but otherwise remained asleep. He cooed softly into her ears and resolved to spend more time with his daughter. He had to find a way to do that. As much as it annoyed him, he conceded that Lance was right. Megan needed him and he had been neglecting her more often than not.
“Here are her things, Mr. Lambert.”
“Thank you. I…I’m sorry you had to stay so late, waiting for me to fetch her. I’ll rearrange my schedule and work things out somehow. Thanks again.”
“You’re welcome.”
He walked out of the classroom and headed toward the black SUV in the parking lot. He fitted Megan into her rear booster seat before placing her things on the empty seat beside her, then drove away.
He inhaled and exhaled slowly, mentally going through the various things he still had to deal with both in the office and at home. Unfortunately, he could not complete them until Megan fell asleep again after dinner. He wanted to spend more time with his daughter and he would begin tonight. This would be a long evening.
* * * *
“Papa! You’re home!”
Lance looked up from the stove in the kitchen. Holly was running toward the front door to greet a tall, muscular man, who quickly stretched out both arms to pick her up and embrace her. It was Adam Williams, Lance’s boyfriend for the past eight years. They had dated right after college and had been inseparable ever since. Now they had two kids together.
“Papa! Me, too! Me, too!”
Lance shook his head and chuckled at the sight of Nathan demanding the same treatment from Adam, who gamely lifted the boy with one arm, while the other still balanced Holly. Lance was still amazed at Adam’s strength, even after all these years.
He washed his hands and stepped out of the kitchen to greet his lover properly with a kiss. “Hey, love.”
“Hey, babe.”
“How’s the store?”
“Busy as usual.”
Adam owned a rather successful toy store catered mostly for younger kids. Granted, its size was not humongous, but it was always crowded with plenty of children around. Adam’s muscles might be huge and intimidating, but Lance knew that Adam was a giant teddy bear. The man was a fair businessman and a kind employer. All of his employees had enjoyed working there for years, while most of the children who came in did not find him frightening at all.
“Dinner is almost ready, love. Why don’t you bring the twins into the bathroom to clean up. Everything will be ready in about fifteen minutes.”
“Sounds perfect, babe. Okay, kids. Your dad has commanded. Washing-up time!”
The twins giggled joyfully and chattered a mile a minute while Adam responded only with a word or two.
Lance returned to the kitchen to plate up the stir-fried vegetables from the skillet before transferring the baked chicken from the oven. He placed everything on the table and waited patiently for Adam and the twins. When they were all seated, they began to eat.
“Dad, Papa said that Holly and I can stay up late tonight, but we need to ask you first.”
“Can we, Dad? Please? Nathan and I will be really, really, really, really, really good.”
He glared at his lover, who was sheepishly grinning at him, before softening his gaze to look at the twins. “Nine o’clock,” he intoned firmly.
“But, Dad…”
“Papa said…”
Lance’s steely gaze quickly shut down any further protests from them. “Nine o’clock,” he repeated. “And you both have to eat one extra spoonful of vegetables each.”
“Dad, that’s not fair…”
“I hate vegetables…”
“Two extra spoonfuls of vegetables each,” he remarked calmly, but the twins knew well enough not to say another word even though they pouted adorably. He scooped up exactly two tablespoons of vegetables onto each of their plates before asking Adam about his day.
“Long and tiring, but I’m not complaining. We’re able to live comfortably, partly thanks to these customers.”
“That’s true, love.”
“What about you, babe?”
“Remember Megan?”
“The one who often stays behind for hours after all of the other kids have been dismissed? That Megan?”
“Yeah, it happened again.”
“That’s…wow, this must be the sixth time this month alone.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Dad, Papa,” Holly interrupted. “Megan is nice. I like her a lot. I wish I had a sister.”
Lance noticed that his daughter was looking a little down, so he decided not to reprimand her for barging into a conversation that did not involve her. “Holly, you can play with Nathan, though.”
“Dad, it’s not the same. Nathan is a boy just like Papa and you.”
He could see this was really bothering her, so he took her hand in one of his and tilted up her chin with his other hand. Both Nathan and Adam had stopped eating as well.
“Look at me, sweetheart. I love you very much, and Papa loves you, too. You know that Nathan also loves you very much,” he assured her, noting that both Adam and Nathan were nodding vigorously in agreement, which in turn resulted in a small smile on Holly’s face. “Would you like to play with some of the girls from the preschool next week? I can call their parents and ask for their permissions.”
“Yeah, Dad.”
“Dad, can we ask the boys, too?”
“Yes, Nathan. No promises, though. I need to check with their parents first, alright?”
He sighed in relief when the twins nodded almost simultaneously, then made a mental note to arrange for the play date as soon as possible. A part of him felt guilty that he’d not realized Holly’s loneliness, with her being the only girl in their household.
When dinner was over, he gathered the twins and cuddled with them on the couch to watch one of their favorite animated movies, while Adam volunteered to wash the dishes before joining them. Lance smiled joyfully and relaxed further, enjoying a cozy and blissful Friday evening at home with his lover and their twins.
* * * *
Michael face-palmed himself. He was sleepy, yet he had been tossing and turning in bed for a while. His mind kept repeating what Megan had mentioned at dinner, that she had been happy earlier today because both Nathan and Holly were “really great.” She had friends to play with at preschool and she was not as lonely as she usually was at home.
That had felt like a slap on his cheek. He should have paid her more attention. Instead, he had allowed his own loneliness to consume him, unconsciously choosing to throw himself deeper into his wor
k, earning even more money to provide everything for his daughter and to ensure a good future for her, but consequently abandoning her to fend for herself at home.
His guilt was eating at him. He made up his mind right then that he would come home on time for dinner every weekday and spend the rest of the evenings with her. He also vowed to do some father-daughter activities on the weekends with just the two of them.
Unconsciously, his thoughts also drifted toward Megan’s preschool teacher, Lance Johnson. Maybe Lance’s twins could come to the house once in a while. After all, Michael had an indoor swimming pool in the building behind the backyard. The plan had nothing to do with his desire to ogle his daughter’s gorgeous teacher. Nope, not at all.
Chapter 2
“Thank you for coming, sweethearts,” Adam cooed to the twin girls standing next to their parents. They were about Holly’s age or slightly older. “I hope you enjoy the dolls. See you again.”
He smiled wider when they waved at him before leaving the toy store. He waited until they exited through the automatic sliding doors before turning and walking toward his private office. He had received several shipments earlier this morning and needed to make sure the items and quantities were accurate. Moreover, it was necessary to check for obvious damages, if any, so he could bring them to the attention of the suppliers.
He had a strong feeling he would be working overtime tonight, even though it was a Saturday and his normal hours were eight until seven. Sometimes he was ridden with guilt because he didn’t get to spend as much time as possible with Lance, Nathan, and Holly, especially on the weekends, but he was trying to save enough money to purchase a building large enough to house both the store and an upper floor that could be renovated into an apartment for the four of them.
“Excuse me.”
The little girl startled him out of his reverie and he squatted so they could converse more comfortably. He did not want her to strain her neck looking up at him; he was six-four and she would really have to bend her neck backward to see him properly.
