by Jamie Lake
Bad Boy: Naughty at Night Book 5
by
Jamie Lake
Note: This is Book #5 in the Naughty at Night Series. To read the previous books, go here: http://bitly.com/JAMIELAKEBOOKS
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CHAPTER 1
“Let me explain,” Chip said, rushing after his mother as she went back to the kitchen. He had his hands out, silently imploring her, but in truth, he wanted to beg her even more to listen as he followed his mom around in the kitchen. She wouldn’t even look at him as she opened each cabinet pulling out the contents to make her famous cookies.
“What’s there to explain?” she shrugged, pretending it was no big deal, though the steam coming out of her ears was almost visible. He could tell by the way she held her shoulders stiff and the way her lips were thinned that she was really upset with him this time.
“We just -- I didn’t expect anyone to be there,” Chip started to say, knowing that it was a lame excuse and that’s not really what she was upset about anyway. How do you explain getting caught by your mother fucking your boyfriend on your parents property and then having your son spot you as well? If he’d been fooling around with a girlfriend and got caught he doubted his mother would be this upset. But it was a guy, and he’d never come out to his family.
“Really? Is that how you apologize for … for doing whatever it was that you two were doing back there on our land, with your five-year-old son two feet away?” She shook her head, hands on her hips. Disapproval radiated off her and Chip visibly winced. He may have been a police detective but in his parents house, he reverted back to being just her son and she couldn’t give a flying fuck how many medals he had or what his title was.
Peter watched from around the corner, he wanted to defend Chip but he knew it would only make things worse, much worse. He knew Chip took a risk bringing him to meet his family and Peter hoped to make a good impression. Now, there was no chance in hell of that happening. Chip had always said his parents were sort of open-minded but based on his mother’s reaction, Peter wasn’t so sure of that anymore.
Just when he thought his life couldn’t get worse, moonlighting as an erotic masseuse to make ends meet, his life controlled by a mafia-style casino mogul, his roommate savagely murdered seemingly by that mogul’s hands and then only days ago, the school in which he taught kindergarten at, found out about his nighttime excursions. And now this, this to the man who had been there by his side through it all, risking his career as a police detective to be with someone, him, who clearly couldn’t get his life the fuck together. He felt like everywhere he went and everything he did all blew up in his face no matter how good his intentions were. And now he was driving a wedge between Chip and his parents to boot.
He banged the back of his head against the wall. He had to get his life together. He had to do something. Peter knew he couldn’t keep living like this. He’d thought he’d made his choice. Chip and the family he’d always wanted, but now he wondered at what cost that was going to be and whether or not he and Chip could afford it.
“Mom,” he heard Chip say as he put his hand on his mother’s shoulder, “Let’s talk about this seriously.” His voice was gentle and apologetic. Peter hated seeing how pained Chip looked.
She turned around and folded her arms over her chest, one brow arched, clearly waiting for him to begin.
“Yes?” she said, lifting her chin slightly.
“I’m … I almost don’t know what to say other than ‘I’m sorry.’ ” Chip shrugged helplessly.
“For lying to me all these years, tricking me into thinking that you liked women, or for not trusting me enough to tell me. We used to be so close,” she said laying on the guilt nice and thick, though Peter supposed she had a point.
Chip smiled. Peter knew he could see right through it. He’d always told Peter that his mother had a way of making every moment about her. “I didn’t lie, I just didn’t … tell you everything.”
“And that’s not the same as lying?” she said, her tone incredulous. She pfft’d, clearly not accepting what Chip had to say. She looked hurt too, her brow pinched, her mouth turned down into a frown.
“Touche,” Chip said, “Let’s sit down, talk. Please.” He gestured to the table and walked over to pull a chair out for his mother. Always the gentlemen, Peter thought.
She sat down heavily, still shaking her head. Her hands feathered the imaginary dust on her hand-sewn table cloth that had been in the family for generations. “I don’t know what we have to talk about, really. Just that you don’t trust your own mother. That’s all.”
Chip followed behind her and Peter tried to duck out of eyesight.
“Peter, you can’t stop hiding now. Come join us,” he said calmly and Peter’s heart almost skipped a beat. He could already feel the sweat slicking his brow and his mouth was as dry as though he’d eaten saw dust.
“Uh, sure ….” he answered, walking out and pulling out a chair for himself. Chip’s mother only gave him a quick glance and then avoided eye contact with him. That certainly didn’t bode well, Peter thought with a soft, little sigh.
“Mother, meet Peter, my boyfriend and one day, my partner, I hope,” Chip said, working up a smile. Chip laid a hand on his shoulder and gave him an affectionate squeeze.
Peter blushed. He’d never been introduced to anyone’s mother and in fact, it was the first time he could remember Chip ever officially calling him a boyfriend to anyone. He didn’t know what to say. He’d already met his mother just hours ago, but not as an official part of Chip’s life. How awkward, he thought, wishing he could melt and just sink into the floor and never be heard from again. But he couldn’t do that so he extended his hand and smiled sheepishly. In return she just looked him up and down and kept her hands to herself.
“Say what you need to say, I’ve got cookies to make,” she said, turning away from him and folding her arms again.
That stung, Peter thought, his stomach lurching with nervousness. He just dropped his hands into his lap and stared down at the table, swallowing hard. Chip snagged his hand, held it and then pulled them out from under the table and laid them on the table for his mother to see. Why did Chip have to make things even more dramatic, didn’t he know this was hard enough for him? Then again, maybe that was Chip’s way of saying that he really needed Peter’s support right now and quite frankly, after all Chip had done for him lately, it was the least that he could do.
Peter squeezed his hand back and gave Chip a thin, rueful smile.
I’m sorry for this mess, Peter wanted to say, but he couldn’t do that right now. He wasn’t sure if he ever could. His pride was the damndest thing and was always getting in the way. Peter was certain that if it wasn’t for his pride he wouldn’t have been in this mess in the first place. But it was more than that, he wouldn’t want Chip’s family to find out half the things that he’d been through the last few weeks. Any inkling of a chance of being accepted by them would have been whisked away. That, he was sure of.
“Now, here’s the deal. You’re right, I wasn’t completely honest with you,” Chip began to say, “I should have been more upfront with you about this years ago. I just didn’t … quite know how to bring it up.”
It was Chip’s turn to look sheepish. He lowered his gaze, his broad shoulders stooping.
“How about saying, ‘I’m never going to be in a wedding, Mother’? How about, ‘I’ll never give you the privilege of walking down the aisle and …’?” then she started to sob, grabbing the end of a tablecloth to wipe her eyes.
Peter started to reach out to her but Chip squeezed his hand and shook his head as if to say don’t bother, probably just another dramatic display. Besides, Peter thought sourly, maybe they could get married one day. More and more
states were legalizing gay marriage and even if they didn’t, they could, at the very least, have a lovely ceremony. His mother wasn’t being fair.
“Mother, please,” Chip said dryly. “Are you finished yet?”
She stopped her dramatics and glared at him, “Excuse me?” Her nostrils flared and her face reddened.
Uh oh, thought Peter.
“Do you want an Oscar or a Golden Globe for your performance? You’ve known I was gay for years.”
She dropped the tablecloth as if she’d finished her performance. “What do you think your father is going to say when he finds out?” His mother said, deflecting the criticism away from her and turned it right back around to Chip.
Open-minded my ass, Peter thought.
“He doesn’t know?” Chip said, raising his eyebrows, “You mean, you two never discussed the possibility that your oldest son who was hasn’t ever married, just might be gay?”
“Your father is as dumb as a tree log. He wouldn’t know gay if you came in here with a pink tutu and a feather boa. I just hope you don’t break your father’s heart. You know, he doesn’t say much but he’s a very sensitive man.” she scolded, even going so far as to wag a finger at Chip.
“Sensitive? Pop. Mother please, that septic tank out there has more sensitivity to it-”
“Not acceptable!” she said, knocking her fist on the table. “And how will you explain this to your son? Shacking up with a man in front of him. He’ll be scarred for life.”
Peter balked at how mean she was being. All of the things she said, cut him deep. It reminded him of the terrible time he’d had coming out to his own parents. No wonder, Peter thought, Chip hadn’t told his mother that he was gay, given her horrible reaction.
“I’ll deal with it, okay. I’m still his father. He knows that I like men-”
She gasped, clutching her shirt, “He knows? That poor thing.” She shook her head, again looking so disgusted and disappointed.
“Poor thing? You’re acting like there’s something wrong with being gay.”
Peter had a hard time holding his tongue and keeping still. He wanted to jump up and join in on the argument but he knew if he said anything, it would only make everything worse. Instead, he swallowed it all back like a bitter pill and kept silent. This time, it was Peter that had a hard time looking Chip’s mother in the eye. He couldn’t bear to look at someone who was being so cruel.
“I never said such a thing,” she said, re-organizing the salt and pepper shakers, “But … we may not have been a religious family but I hoped that I instilled in you some Christian principles.”
“Christian principles like banging my teacher Mr. Woods or do you mean your little affair with the postman?” Chip spat, getting up from his seat, his lip curled over his teeth. Now, his face was blotchy and red.
She gasped again, a hand to her chest as though at any moment she might have a fainting spell. “Shame on you! Airing our dirty laundry in front of perfect strangers.”
“He’s not a stranger, mother. His name is Peter and I’m going to marry him one day and I don’t give a flying fuck if you approve or not. I only wanted him to meet you to see what he’d be marrying into. Lucky him.”
She turned to look at Peter, looking him up and down, “Marrying … him?” The way she looked at him, the way she said that, it seemed that she was all bark and no bite. Her look wasn’t unkind and she even gave Peter a tiny, little apologetic smile, though it didn’t last very long.
“Yes, marrying …” Chip said, his tone firm and no nonsense. Peter knew it was the wrong time, but he couldn’t help getting a little turned on by his deep voice and the way he commanded the entire room.
“Well …” she said softening, “I certainly hope that you let me be in charge of the wedding. Your brothers’ weddings were absolute disasters and all because they wanted hire some expensive nonsense wedding planners instead of trusting their own mother,” she said standing up, dusting herself off and straightening her apron.
Chip smirked at her, “She likes you,” he whispered. “That’s just her way of saying it.”
Peter smiled back. He felt a tingle in his back, the good kind of chills as Chip and him stood up, Chip giving him a quick kiss on the lips.
“Whatever you want, mother. Just no pink.” Chip told her.
“What’s wrong with pink?” she asked, offended.
“It’s my wedding not yours,” Chip said.
She gave Peter another once over, “So, you’re a teacher are you? Well, that will have to do. It’s certainly better than nothing.”
“Uh, thanks,” Peter said, not wanting for a second to get into the drama he’d had recently being suspended until further notice once his principal found out about his moonlighting job, massaging men in the nude to make ends meet.
“I certainly hope you have ear plugs, Chip has an awful snoring problem,” she said, nodding at Peter. “But then again, maybe you know that already … Son, you better let me break the news to your father. Lord knows how he’ll take it.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Chip answered, smiling at Peter again.
CHAPTER 2
Peter lay in his bed, unable to sleep. He'd been in bed for hours now, tossing and turning. In his desperation, he briefly considered counting sheep. It wasn't that that the room was uncomfortable, it wasn't. The bed was soft, but it had a stale smell. It was unfamiliar and though he'd slept alone for most of his life, he really had a hard time with it now. He'd become used to sleeping with Chip and now he missed him horribly. He sighed, staring up at the ceiling when a knock came at the door.
It was Chip sticking his head in, clutching a pillow he had with him. “Mind if I join you?” he asked stepping inside, his smile a little sheepish and crooked.
“No, not at all but won’t your parents--?” Peter started to say, sitting up. The last thing he wanted was to upset Chip's parents, especially his mother, again.
“Fuck them, I’m a grown ass man.” Chip said, climbing into bed next to him and laying a deep passionate kiss on him. The kiss lingered but not as long as Peter would have liked. “Johnny’s in his room sound asleep.”
“I feel so embarrassed. I hope he didn’t see too much,” Peter said, feeling his face heat in a flush when he thought about the events earlier in the day. Even now, it turned him on, but the idea that Chip's son had seen them together like that bothered him. But what bothered him even more was how upset his mother had been. He hoped he'd have the chance tomorrow to make it up to her.
“It was only a matter of time. Every kid has walked in the middle of their parents fucking before. My brothers and I used to do it on purpose, just to piss my parents off.” Chip snorted back laughter, clearly bemused at his own antics.
Peter laughed too, shaking his head., “Yeah but …. it’s a little different.”
“Why? Cause we’re two men?” Chip asked, frowning and arching a brow at Peter.
“Well, yeah but aren’t you worried …. It seems stupid to ask but-”
“That somehow Johnny will turn out gay?” Chip asked.
“Well, yeah…” Peter said, ashamed he even felt that way. He just knew how hard it was for him growing up. How hard it was for him even now. The world wasn't always the kindest place and all he wanted for Johnny was for him to have easier than he did.
“Look, my son is going to be whatever he’s going to be. Kids don’t know something is wrong or bad unless they’re taught that. I made it clear from the very beginning that love is love. My son doesn’t think anything of it. Besides, we belong to this great gay parents support group so he can hang out with other kids like him that have two mothers or two fathers or a transgender parent. I told you Peter, I don’t want my son growing up ashamed of his father. Besides, his sexuality won't be affected by mine. That's just not how it works and you know it,” Chip said matter of factly.
“Yeah, I know,” Peter said sighing, running a hand through his hair. It was nice to get away with Chip, but this whole thing had b
een so stressful. He really wished they had just taken a vacation together. He was glad that he'd met his parents and that Chip was finally out, but after all the stress he'd been under it just added to the pile. He was grateful for his presence though. He could smell Chip's spicy cologne, the musky scent of his skin and it eased and soothed him. He snuggled a little closer to him.
“What? What is it?” Chip asked looking over at him. It was clear he was worried and Peter wished he was a little better at hiding his emotions.
“I just feel like ….” Peter started to say, not sure how to explain it. He huffed out another sigh, this one much larger and ran his hand through his hair again. He wished he could articulate his feelings a little better.
“Like what?” Chip asked concerned.
“Don’t you feel like since I came into your life, I’ve done nothing but complicate it? I mean-”
“No, absolutely not,” Chip cut him off. “You’ve enriched my life. You’ve given it purpose. It’s like, I was missing something before and I couldn’t put my finger on it, but ever since I met you, I knew you were it. You were what I’ve been missing and hoping and praying for all these years. I need you, Peter. Don’t you see?” He reached over and snagged Peter's hand, giving it a comforting squeeze.
No one had ever said something as kind as that to him. He normally would have pushed something like that off and just poo-pooed it but this time it pierced his heart like nothing had before. He felt his eyes watering and he blinked rapidly to try and dry the tears brimming in his eyes.
“Thank … you,” he was barely able to let out. Chip smiled and kissed him. It was such a tender kiss and this only made his heart ache more. It didn't ache from hurt, not this time. It was a good ache. It was a perfect moment and he couldn't help it. Tears spilled down his cheeks and dripped off his chin as his lower lip trembled.
“What are you crying about?” Chip asked gently, smoothing his hand over Peter's cheek.
“It’s just that… no one has ever …. I appreciate it. I needed to hear that Chip, thank you.” Peter answered, laying his head on Chip’s chest. He could hear the comforting drum of Chip's heart and it made all that had happened better. It eased all of his hurts.
