by Trina Solet
Jack shrugged. "Been there. I've had lipstick all over my beard, been roped into beauty pageants. I ace the talent competition with my mad juggling skills, but I never win. How is that fair?"
Ned smiled probably thinking of all the crazy, silly things he was willing to do for his Mina.
Seeing his goofy look, Jack nodded in agreement. "You know how it is."
"You want to meet Mina?" Jeff asked his mom.
All of them headed to the gazebo and Jeff told Jack about building it.
As they came within earshot of the girls, Jack hushed him. "You'll give them ideas."
"We want one," the oldest girl exclaimed as soon as they got there to find the girls all sitting in a circle with the kitten in the middle, swatting at their shoelaces.
"Kitten or gazebo?" Jeff asked since it looked like both were a hit.
"What's a gazooby?" the youngest girl asked.
"It's nothing. They don't exist," her dad told her.
Glenda contradicted him right away and told the little girl, "You're sitting in it."
"I want it," the middle girl said.
"And a princess kitty," the youngest girl added.
"And a horse," the oldest girl said.
"Cici goes to riding school," Ned said as Jack went into panic mode.
Jeff finally saw his chance to do the introductions. "Hey, Mina. This is my mom. Her name is Kathy."
Mina said a shy little "Hi."
"Oh, my goodness," his mom said seeing how Mina scrunched herself up and peered at her curiously. "Hi, Mina. It's nice to meet you."
"She's shy, but we made her play with us," the oldest of Jack's girls said and the younger two grabbed hold of Mina possessively.
"Just remember that she's not a doll," their father reminded them.
"I want a little sister," the youngest girl said.
"You are a little sister," her father informed her but Jeff's mother winked at her and mouthed, "Soon."
As they walked away from them, Ned was shaking his head. "Three of them, how do you do it?" he wondered seeing how spirited they were.
"He has me now," Jeff's mom said.
Jack nodded. "Yes. For a while there I was outnumbered three to one. Now the girls have a stepmother who always takes their side so I'm outnumbered four to one."
"I like that guy," Ned said of Jack after they introduced him and Jeff's mom around and left them to mingle.
"Of course you do. He's like a tall, blond version of you," Jeff told him. He hadn't made the connection until he saw them together, both of them dads to little girls, both of them with beards.
"He's way older than me and his beard isn't nearly as luxurious as mine," Ned pointed out.
Jeff didn't disagree. He just kissed Ned on the cheek.
When it was time for Ned to open his presents, Mina's gift basket was a big hit.
"Did all this come from vending machines?" Ned asked.
Jeff and Mina nodded.
"Wow. This is the best present ever," Ned told her and gave her a kiss and a hug.
That's when Mina whispered, "Happy Birthday, Daddy."
Ned was silent and choked up for a moment. "That is better than the best present ever," he finally said, but just barely. He hugged Mina for a long time and did his best not to cry.
Then it was Jeff's turn to give him his present. Ned opened his gift then gaped at Jeff, red-faced. "How could you let me open this in front of all these people?" he muttered into his beard.
Only Jeff heard him.
"A tool belt? I thought Jeff was the handy one," Professor Alvarez said.
"I'm learning," Ned said quickly and shot both Jeff and Nora deadly looks.
When the party started to wind down, it was time for Jeff's mom and her bunch to head for home. Jeff said a long goodbye to her and promised that he would visit soon and bring Ned and Mina with him. He couldn't believe that Ned thought to invite them or that they drove all the way over there. It made Jeff's heart feel full. He thanked Ned again once they were alone.
"It was the least I could do. But you should have given me your gift in private," Ned told him now that the party was over and they were cleaning up. By the time all the guests were gone, it was late and Mina was already in bed.
"It's not a sex toy," Jeff told him.
"You know perfectly well that it is too a sex toy," Ned insisted. "I don't know how Nora managed to keep her mouth shut about it."
"To some people a tool belt is just a tool belt. Maybe you have a dirtier mind that she does," Jeff suggested.
Ned denied it out of hand. "Are you crazy? That isn't even possible."
Jeff laughed, but he was planning to prove him right one day soon.
As they were filling a trash bag with napkins and paper plates, Ned looked up at the sign Mina and Jeff made. "Happy Birthday, Daddy." Ned gazed at the banner and smiled wistfully.
"I think I'll miss hearing her call you Professor Daddy," Jeff said.
"That was just a transitional name," Ned told him.
As Jeff threw an arm over his shoulder, he felt Ned lean against him and heard him sigh happily.
Chapter 30
It was very late when they locked up and stood just inside the sliding glass doors, looking out into the back yard. Lit by the moon, the gazebo was still decked out in pink. They didn't have the heart to take down the decorations Mina loved so much. Looking at the brand new structure, Jeff was proud of his handiwork.
Ned was in his arms, his back against Jeff's chest. It felt wonderful, but Jeff wanted more. First his lips brushed Ned's ear then he took his earlobe between his teeth. Ned moaned and said his name. Spinning around, he faced Jeff and stared into his eyes.
"God, you're beautiful," Ned told him.
Jeff shook his head. He didn't understand why Ned would say something like that, but he didn't get a chance to question it. Ned was taking hold of his face, smiling at him and kissing him.
"Come with me," he said.
They kissed and stumbled their way out of the kitchen and down the hall. Jeff was surprised when he found himself in Ned's bedroom. He expected they would go to his room since it was at the end of the hall, but Ned shook his head.
"Tonight we need a bigger bed," Ned said as he cupped his face and smiled.
Jeff liked the sound of that. Turning away, Ned reached to flip on the light switch, but changed his mind. Jeff saw why. There was plenty of moonlight coming in through the window.
Jeff took a good look around. Though he was familiar with Ned's bedroom, he didn't spend much time in there. The bed was big, but Ned's room was dominated by a wall of books. The decor was casual, light beige and welcoming.
While Jeff looked around, Ned dove in for a kiss and moaned the whole time. Jeff loved the feel of him in his arms, so solid and eager.
"I love you so much," Ned said as soon as his mouth was free to speak.
"It's your birthday. You should have let me say it first," Jeff scolded him while Ned kissed his throat. Ned's lips trailed down his neck and then found his t-shirt getting in the way.
They shed their clothes and let them lie wherever they happen to land. As they stood naked, staring at each other as if entranced, moonlight cast long shadows into the bedroom and shone out of Ned's eyes.
"You taste like sunshine," Ned told him.
"That's where I've been all day. I guess some of it got on me," Jeff said as he swung him around to maneuver him toward the bed.
Ned pulled him in tighter and they stayed upright for a while. The length of his body pressed against Jeff as he moved his mouth over to nibble along the edge of his jaw. Then Ned laid him out on his big bed.
"You and this bed are a perfect fit," he told Jeff as he kissed his chest.
"You mean you and me," Jeff corrected him. He felt Ned smile then mouth the word yes against his skin before he bit him lightly.
While Jeff writhed under him, Ned tortured his overheated flesh and skin. A light kiss, a lick or a bite, he never knew which one
would be next. It kept him on edge and begging for more.
Ned's mouth drifted down, meandering, like he had no destination in mind. But then his mouth was where Jeff wanted it most and his cock was in heaven. His eyes locked on Ned's and he shuddered at the incredible intensity of his gaze. The desire in his eyes drove him wild. He stopped him though and pulled him up. His face in the crook of Ned's neck, he breathed him in, and then he told him what he wanted.
"I need to be inside you," he told Ned, his throat tight, his voice a growl.
Jeff rolled them over and pushed Ned back on the bed. For a moment, he hovered above him then he swooped down to kiss him hard. Blindly, his hand groped in Ned's nightstand for condoms and lube.
No good. He had to stop kissing Ned to get what he needed from the mess of things he kept in there. When he turned back, he saw that Ned had turned over face down on the bed. He pulled his knees under him and raised his ass for Jeff.
"Perfect," Jeff said as he took in the sight of Ned bend double, ass in the air, waiting to be fingered then fucked. Jeff couldn't wait. He wanted to be sheathed in his body. He wanted to bury himself inside him.
*
Ned leaned his forehead on the mattress and just waited. Coming up behind him, Jeff leaned over him and spoke in his ear.
"You look so sexy like that," he said, his hot breath in Ned's ear.
Jeff put his arms around him, spread himself on top of him. The feel of his muscled body against his back made Ned breathe hard and moan. Then Jeff kissed his neck and Ned growled. Jeff gripped his arms tight, pressing himself hard against his body. The tight embrace and his lips on his neck felt so good. Ned was shivering from the feel of him. The hard and the soft contrasted – muscled arms and chest, Jeff's firm legs against the back of his, and the wet heat of Jeff's mouth on his neck.
Jeff's kisses moved down his body to the base of his spine. Hearing him uncap the lube, Ned took in a deep, shuddering breath. That first, light touch of his fingertips made Ned roll his head on the bed. He clutched the sheets right in time for Jeff's fingers to push inside him.
Already hard, Ned wasn't sure how much he could take as Jeff's long fingers stroked him inside. Jeff's free hand moved over his thigh then over his ass and up his back. Then Jeff's hand reached higher and rubbed the back of his head.
"You feel too good already," Jeff told him and Ned felt the same way about what he was doing.
Fingering him deeper all the time, Jeff almost made him come.
Ned raised his head and turned to look at him. "Enough, please. That's enough," he said in a begging voice.
With a groan, Jeff pulled his fingers free and kissed Ned's back as he collapsed to the mattress. Jeff kissed his way up his spine and to the back of his neck, but he didn't let Ned stay like that.
"Turn over. I want to look at you," Jeff demanded then manhandled Ned until he was lying on his back, shuddering with anticipation.
Dizzy with lust, Ned groped him all over until his hands settled on Jeff's ass. Ned dragged his big, muscular body down on top of him. Finding himself under him, Ned knew there was nowhere he would rather be. Sliding his hand down between them, Ned reached for Jeff's cock. But soon he had to take his hand away so Jeff could roll on a condom.
That didn't mean that he left him alone. His grasping hands were everywhere as was his mouth kissing and biting. Ned couldn't remember ever having this urge to bite, to devour, not with anyone else. But he only let his teeth scrape over Jeff's throat and down the side of his neck, then a little nip at his shoulder. All of it was a way of telling Jeff how much he wanted him, that he couldn't wait.
His need was out of control. Jeff was leaning over him, his blue eyes sinking into his soul. Pushing his legs up, Jeff got into position. With his cock in his grip, he let the head rub up and down, teasing Ned's hole.
Ned moaned low then threw his head back as he felt Jeff press in. Breathing through the intense sensation of being penetrated, he called Jeff's name in desperate gasps. Jeff's rock-hard cock pushed in, relentlessly slow, powered by the strength of Jeff's entire body behind it. Already sweating from the effort, Ned urged him in deeper until Jeff was in all the way.
Ned let out a shuddering moan as Jeff pulled back then thrust in once more. Jeff kept that up for a while, fucking him deep and slow. But Ned couldn't take it. He bucked under him. His arms and legs locked Jeff against him, driving him on harder and urging him to speed up.
Jeff didn't deny him. His amazing body glistening with sweat, every muscle hard and perfectly outlined, Jeff slammed inside him over and over again. The hard pumping of Jeff's cock driving him wild, Ned gripped the sheets. Not good enough. He grabbed hold of the headboard, but nothing could anchor him when Jeff drove into him so hard. Finally Ned held on only to Jeff and they rocked together.
It was too good, too much. As his moans grew louder, Ned knew he had to clamp his mouth shut. Then he had a better idea. He grabbed Jeff's hand and sucked two of his fingers into his mouth to silence himself.
Jeff grunted and only fucked him harder. His body arching, muscles straining, Ned rose up to meet every thrust. He was losing his mind, breaking into a million pieces while Jeff rammed inside him with unrestrained desire until they were both spent. His orgasm shattered him and bathed him in pure pleasure. In a hoarse voice he called Jeff's name until his mouth found Jeff's and they were kissing.
They collapsed, sweat-drenched into messy sheets. Panting, clinging to each other like drowning men, they were one heartbeat, one breath, one life. That's what they shared and this incredible, devastating love.
"It's kind of scary how much I love you," Jeff said echoing his thoughts.
"I know. That's how I feel too," Ned told him while holding him tight.
Turning his head, he just gazed at Jeff for a while as moonlight shone off his damp skin. Lying there, drinking him in, Ned knew he could never get enough of him. But how could Jeff feel the same way about a guy like him?
As if to answer him, Jeff leaned in for a kiss and rubbed Ned's beard with his fingertips. "You're amazing. I can't believe I found you when I wasn't even looking," Jeff whispered while gazing into his eyes.
"Found me?"
"The one."
"You believe in that?" Ned asked.
"I never really thought about it. But you don't have to believe in something once you see it for yourself. I have proof," Jeff said with a smile and a soft kiss on Ned's parted lips.
"That means you'll never leave us. Remember that if things ever get tough," Ned warned him in a gruff voice.
"Here with you guys is where I want to be. There's nowhere better. I'll stick with you no matter what," he vowed.
"Maybe our life won't be perfect..." Ned started to say but Jeff cut him off.
"No. It will be. If we're together, our life will be perfect."
Ned couldn't help but laugh at such insane optimism but he felt it too. "I was trying to ground this in reality."
Jeff pointed out the window that looked out onto the back yard. "You have a pink gazebo in your back yard. Where do you see reality?"
"Fine, I give up. I love you. I want you and only you. Lets be insanely happy forever."
"Now you're talking," Jeff told him and grabbed him around the waist and kissed him. "I love you too. And one day soon, I'll marry you in that gazebo."
"You mean that?" Ned asked, amazed that this wonderful man would be his forever.
"I do."
The End
Books by Trina Solet
Key To His Heart
Phillip Morton is a disciplined and self-assured young executive, but that's only on the surface. His heart is in turmoil. He has just discovered that his late brother might have left behind a child. This child is only a rumor, a possibility, but Phillip sets out to find him.
To help him with his search, he brings along Leon, his assistant. Leon is very young and new to his job. Phillip doesn't want things between them to turn too personal, but he needs Leon to keep him sane.
<
br /> Even as he searches for his nephew, Phillip is afraid to hope. After the heart-wrenching loss of his estranged brother, it seems too much to expect that this child could be real.
It turns out that Ant, short for Anthony Morton Junior, is very real indeed. He is a sweet three-year-old living in precarious circumstances with an elderly relative. Phillip has found them just in time.
As Leon lends a hand with all the new challenges in Phillip's life, the two of them are growing closer every day. If only Leon can free himself of the demons from his childhood. While Leon's past still haunts him, he and Phillip can't rush into anything.
Will Phillip's love and patience win out in the end so they can all become a family?
Golden Days
How can a nerdy, young dad hope to attract his hunky new neighbor? And if he can get his attention, does he have any hope of making it last?
Kyle only recently became an adoptive father to a vulnerable little girl. He's a devoted dad, and Viv is a spirited and loving five-year-old. With the help of his little dog, Kyle worked hard to gain Viv's love and trust in record time. Now they are a family. That doesn't mean he has no room for a man in his life.
Luke has been working in a string of nightclubs for most of his adult life. It was an exciting life, but Luke had enough of it. A recent loss sends Luke into suburbia in search of a more peaceful life. The loss of his brother is still fresh, but spending time with Kyle and Viv brings him so much joy.
In the past, Kyle hasn't been lucky in love. He always goes for the wrong kind of guy. But with Viv in his life, he can't afford those kinds of mistakes.
When Luke moves into the neighborhood, Kyle ends up with two wounded souls on his hands. Good thing he has room in his heart for both of them. If Kyle can get past his fears, he might just get everything he has always dreamed of.
Staying True
Freshly out and with no experience under his belt, Troy just wants to have fun. His roommate is the first guy he has been with.
When he and Spencer get together, it's strictly casual, or so they tell each other. But the truth is that with every kiss and every touch, they are becoming too close.
