The brunet was a natural, modeling for Lil with a playful glint in his eye and making one suggestive move after another. The final pose had Grier with his arms and legs spread out against the wall. He leered over his right shoulder and winked at Lil, just before he snapped another shot, looking every bit the bad boy. Lil sank to his knees with a soft moan, too aroused to continue, and he tossed the camera off to the side, intent on partaking of Grier’s fine ass. He stripped him of the flimsy thong and parted Grier’s succulent cheeks, burying his tongue in the puckered flesh as Grier expressed his approval. Lil tugged on Grier’s hand, coaxing him down onto the floor, and Grier complied, resting his head on his forearms and spreading out without prompting. Lil slid his hand underneath Grier’s thighs and wrapped strong fingers around Grier’s cock, stroking him slowly while he continued to fuck his asshole with his tongue.
Now it was Grier who was moaning, in addition to thrashing and pounding on the floor, as he rutted against Lil’s face. “Like that, oh fuck….”
“Umm,” Lil garbled against the heated skin that twitched uncontrollably.
“Yes, yes… go, babe, don’t stop.”
Lil applied more pressure, twirling his tongue in and around the tight spot that clenched when he probed through the stubborn rings. He withdrew his tongue and began to nibble on Grier’s heavy scrotum, sucking a ball into the wet heat and rolling it around until Grier began to beg.
“Will you please fuck me?”
“I don’t have anything handy.”
“Do it raw.”
“No,” Lil said adamantly. He resumed the rimming and wrapped Grier’s stiff cock with a strong hand and began to jack him off in rhythmic strokes until the brunet exploded in a fountain of warm spunk. The smell of raw sex and the tactile sensation of the semen were so intense Lil climaxed spontaneously.
“Grier.” Lil’s voice came out strangled.
“Fuck, Lil….”
“Love you,” Lil whispered.
Grier flipped over and gathered Lil against his chest, holding him so tight it was almost uncomfortable. “How am I going to leave you?”
“Consider it temporary.”
“I have to, or I’ll go nuts.”
“I’ll be thinking of you every second of the day.”
“Ditto.”
Sebastian watched the lovers from his spot on the six-foot carpeted scratching post, twitching his long tail and narrowing his bottle-green eyes. He’d warmed up to Grier and had allowed him to pet him a few times, but he had yet to give him the final blessing by sitting on his lap.
“Your cat’s a voyeur,” Grier noted.
Lil laughed. “Like father like son.”
“Did you enjoy my show?”
“Very much.”
“We’ll have to do this again sometime. I’d like to see you in lace as well.”
“Yeah?” Lil’s face lit up. “That sounds intriguing.”
“Thank you for these last few days. I had a great time,” Grier said tenderly.
“My pleasure, love.”
“I’d better get in the shower. Lil?”
“Yes?”
“I’d like to leave the lingerie―for when I come back.”
Lil was heartened by that statement and smiled agreeably. “Of course.”
THE GOODBYE kiss at San Francisco International was difficult because Grier clung to Lil instead of making it fast and painless. “I’ll miss you,” he whispered, just before parting. The light from the oncoming traffic revealed Grier’s sorrow as a lone tear slid down his cheek. “Take care, Lil.”
Lil remained stoic until Grier slammed the car door and walked into the terminal. When he was sure that his lover was in the building, he pulled away from the curb and let his tears flow as he drove back into the city.
GRIER SLEPT all the way to Chicago and only awoke when the flight attendant accidentally bumped his knee with the refreshment cart. She apologized and offered him coffee. “We’re about forty-five minutes away from O’Hare.”
“Thanks,” Grier replied, sipping at the hot brew that was surprisingly good. He unbuckled his seat belt and went to the restroom to wash his face and take a leak. As soon as the plane touched down, he turned on his cell phone and dialed Santino’s number.
“We just landed.”
“I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
SANTINO ARRIVED in Grier’s red truck. He hopped out of the driver’s seat and greeted him with a hug and a loud thump on the back. “Have a good time?”
“Yes.”
“That’s great, son. Let’s go and have some breakfast, so you can tell me what the hell is going on.”
Grier took the wheel and didn’t start the truck until his dad was buckled up. “Rose Garden okay?” Grier asked. It was a small restaurant in Elk Grove that served a kick-ass breakfast at reasonable prices. They ate there often because Santino was hooked on the skillets that were basically a mountain of hash browns drowning in cheese and eggs.
“That’s a good idea. I’m in the mood for the Irish skillet.”
“What a surprise,” Grier quirked.
“Just drive, boy.”
Grier barely touched his breakfast and drank cup after cup of coffee while Santino ate his meal with a heartiness that seemed wholly inappropriate considering the state of Grier’s nerves. He knew his stomach would pay for this caffeine abuse, but he couldn’t seem to say no when the perky waitress offered to pour. Eventually, Santino reached his saturation point and topped off the last bite with a satisfied burp.
“Dad!”
“What? It’s just gas, for Christ’s sake.”
“Just?”
“Enough stalling, Grier. What the fuck is so damned important that you cut your trip short?”
Grier tried to get the words out but froze.
“Spit it out, son. Nothing can be that bad.”
“Do you remember when you asked me if I’d ever had sex with a girl?”
Santino’s eyebrows practically crossed in the middle of his forehead. “What about it?”
“I slept with a woman one time and fathered a child.”
“I’ll be a son of a bitch!” Santino guffawed with pride and punched Grier playfully on his shoulder. Still smiling, he said, “Who’s the girl, and where’s the kid?”
“Luca.”
“No!” Santino pulled back abruptly. “That’s impossible.”
“Dad,” Grier reached for his arm. “Please calm down.”
“All this time it was you?”
Grier nodded and haltingly explained. When he finished, the older man was shocked beyond words. “Dad, say something.”
“So you’re not gay?”
“Of course I’m gay. What happened with Jillian was a one-time thing.”
“How could you get it up if you don’t like pussy?”
“Jesus, Dad. Do you mind?”
“I’m just saying, Grier. I don’t understand.”
“It was a fluke. I was drunk and horny. She offered.”
“And poor little Luca is the product of your experiment?”
“Please don’t call him that. He’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I don’t ever want to hear you call him names.”
“Lighten up, Grier. I’ve always loved that kid, and knowing he’s my grandson makes me care for him even more.”
“I’m glad.”
“Why didn’t Jillian admit you were the father?”
“She couldn’t face Tita Nita and Tito Enteng. You know how she is, Dad. Jillian has always been an overachiever and refused to admit she’d been wrong about me. When she finally acknowledged my orientation and admitted that sleeping with me wouldn’t change anything, she lost it. I offered to marry her, but she turned me down.”
“I find it hard to believe she never told Nita or Enteng the truth.”
“Nobody knows except for you and Lil.”
“Why reveal this on the eve of her wedding?”
“Are they really in love, D
ad? It seems so sudden, and besides, she’s talking about having Ali adopt Luca. I won’t stand for it. I want Luca to know I’m his real father.”
“Your newsflash may destroy their chance at happiness. Can’t you let things remain the same? ”
“No. I want to be acknowledged as his father. I’ve been asking Jillian for a long time, but she’s refused, and once she and Ali are married, it may be too late.”
“Can you prove he’s yours?”
“Not without DNA testing. This is why I’m hoping you know a good lawyer, Dad.”
“Maybe you won’t need one,” Santino observed. “Let’s go home, son. I have to show you something.”
“What?”
“An envelope.”
“Why?”
“Mom added a codicil to her will about a month before she died that neither the lawyers nor I could understand.”
“What makes you think I will?”
“I’m hoping that the explanation is within the envelope addressed to you.”
“Why didn’t you tell me about this sooner?”
“Honestly, it took months for the lawyer to get the paperwork together, and when he handed me the packet, I shoved it in my desk and forgot about it.”
“But didn’t he tell you about the letter?”
“He told me your mother left you something extra.”
“Were you ever planning on telling me?”
“Don’t judge me, Grier. It was hard enough dealing with her death, and the last thing I wanted to face was her final bequest.”
“You have no idea what’s in the codicil?”
“No.”
“That’s kind of fucked-up, Dad.”
“So is your lie.”
“You’re right.”
“There was one sentence in your mother’s will that I found very curious.”
“What was it?”
“She asked me to be sure to hand you the documents if you ever came to me for help.”
“How did Mom know that I would need your help?”
“Apparently her mothering instinct was on full alert before she died. Did you tell her about Luca?”
“Yes,” Grier admitted. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”
“You should have,” Santino grumbled. “It would have explained many things.”
“I made a lot of mistakes when it came to Luca.”
“Hindsight is twenty-twenty, Grier. There’s no sense in beating yourself up over the past. Let’s fix the future.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
“You’ve put me on the spot, kid. Choosing between what’s right and your brother’s happiness isn’t my idea of a good time.”
“I realize the timing sucks.”
“It couldn’t be worse, but I agree that it needs to be addressed before the wedding.” Santino stood and threw some bills on the table. “Let’s go home, son.”
“Okay.”
GRIER SAT across from his father in the kitchen with the manila envelope sitting on the table unopened. His stomach was in knots from the coffee overload, the miniscule amount of food he’d managed to shove down his throat, and the anxiety over what was in the envelope he’d been staring at for the last ten minutes.
“Open the damn thing already,” Santino urged. “This waiting is killing me.”
Grier nodded and tore at the envelope with a shaky hand and pulled out the piece of paper with his mother’s handwriting. An additional enclosure, some official-looking document with a seal, he ignored.
Darling Grier,
They say that forewarned is forearmed, so I hope you’ll forgive me for what I’ve done. After you told me about Luca, and everything that transpired between you and Jillian, I decided to make sure you had not been deceived. It’s the simplest thing in the world to claim that a child was created in a moment of passion, but another matter entirely to prove it. We know for a fact that Luca is Jillian’s, but is he really yours? I’ve known you were gay since you were a young boy, so this revelation has caught me by surprise. The thought of having a grandson and leaving a part of me to continue on in the universe is comforting, but I need to know if it’s the truth. Jillian has always had a tendency to claim the spotlight, and I must confess I was as guilty as Nita in allowing it. She was the daughter I never had, and I spoiled her rotten, as did everyone else. Her obsession with you started out as a joke, and we all climbed on board, imagining a future between you two. It was unrealistic and completely irresponsible of us to encourage her. Nita and I both saw the peril of it as you grew into young adults and hoped that somehow things would work themselves out. Now I’ve done something reprehensible and invaded your privacy, as well as little Luca’s. I had my nurse save the straw Luca used with his drink when he came to visit, along with your can of Coke, and I sent them off for a DNA test to establish your paternity. The test was positive. He really is your child, Grier, and I hope you’ll forgive me, but I had to know. I’ve left him a small trust fund for his future. Tell him his grandmother Meredith loved him very much, and even though we never got a chance to do all the fun things I would have liked, he has you, which is far more important. Claim him, Grier. He’s probably the only child you’ll ever have, but what’s more significant is that you love each other and have a wonderful bond. It was quite obvious to me when he came to visit. Don’t ever let him grow up wondering who his father is because he has one, an amazing one at that.
All my love,
Mom
Grier put his head down on his arms and began sobbing. His mother’s letter had triggered his desperate need for support and guidance, and knowing that she had his back all along was a huge relief. The rush of memories of her loving smile and unconditional love overwhelmed him. He would have given anything to be held in her arms one last time, but this final gift she’d bestowed, saving him from his own stupidity, was the weapon he needed to fight for his rights, and to claim Luca. Santino hurried over to his side of the table and gathered him in his arms. Grier melted into his father’s embrace and cried even more.
“Shh… son, it’s okay.”
Grier clutched at Santino and let it all out. The fear of losing Luca erupted into a flood of tears that were unstoppable. Santino murmured words of consolation, but Grier had his cry, which was long overdue. Eventually, the tears dried up, and Santino settled Grier with a stiff drink.
“Dad, it’s not even noon.”
“You could use something to calm you down.”
“I’m fine now that I know I have proof that Luca is really mine.”
“Let me see that,” Santino asked, reaching for the letter. “I’ll be a son of a gun,” he exclaimed. “Your mother left Luca twenty-five grand, and this piece of paper proving your paternity.”
Grier nodded. “She was the best.”
“She loved you very much, Grier.”
“I know, Dad, but she loved Ali as well. What do you think she would advise given this current situation?”
“It’s perfectly clear that your mother wanted you to claim Luca. We have to overlook the fact that it’s your brother in the picture. Our primary concern should be the child’s welfare.”
“You think Mom would want me to hurt Ali deliberately by stopping the wedding?”
“Of course not, but Meredith would expect you to do what’s right. Who’s to say that the wedding won’t go forward? Ali claims he’s in love with Jillian, that he’s always had a thing for her, but he never got to first base because all she ever wanted was you.”
Grier shook his head. “I wish he had said something at the time. I would have tried to discourage her much sooner. She’ll flip out when I present this piece of paper.”
“Well, sure, I can only imagine. Why the fuck did you sleep with her, Grier?”
“I told you, it was a one-time thing. I was drunk, it was prom night, and things just got out of hand.”
“I’m sure you discussed the circumstances with Meredith,” Santino said begrudgingly. “I don’t understand why you didn
’t come right out and tell me.”
“I thought you’d be angry. Believe me; I’m not proud of that entire phase of my life.”
“Yet you had no problem talking to your mother about it.”
“It felt like the right thing to do, Dad. She was so sick, and I wanted to comfort her in some way. Knowing she had a grandson gave her a mental boost, and she rallied for a few more weeks, almost as if she had a new purpose in life. Now I realize that she stuck around to protect me and make sure that she proved my paternity. Mom could evaluate people and situations much better than any of us.”
“She knew you better than you know yourself.”
“That’s true.”
“Honestly, I don’t know what to think of Ali and Jillian’s relationship, but this information might clear it all up. If they really love each other, nothing should matter but being together,” Santino said.
“Jillian’s afraid that he’ll leave her if he finds out I slept with her.”
“Christ! It wasn’t even a romance. It was a one-night stand.”
“I know that, but Ali, Tito Enteng, and Tita Nita will freak out.”
“Ali should be relieved that Luca won’t be his responsibility. Frankly, I don’t see Ali as father material, not yet, at least.”
“Neither do I.”
“I think you need a good lawyer, Grier.”
“I think you’re right.”
“I’m calling Bob Sterling.”
“Now?”
“When else? We need to know how to proceed before we go over to the Garcias’.”
Dreamspinner Press Year Four Greatest Hits Page 151
