Beautifully Backed

by Charity Parkerson

  “I want to retire.” Once the confession burst from his lips, the rest came pouring out. “This season has been hell. I don’t get along with anyone anymore, and all I can think about is coming home to where I’m wanted. At the beginning of the season, I was determined to stay because I knew everyone wanted me to quit. Now I just don’t care anymore. I’m passing the age where most guys retire and everything that I have hurts. Being with you, that’s all I care about. I’m done.”

  Tobin nodded. “Okay.” A smile exploded across Tobin’s face. “I can’t wait to have you home all the time.”

  Something about Tobin calling this place home and pouring out his heart undid Sergio. He rolled and buried his face in the crook of Tobin’s neck. Sergio always felt safe and at peace when he held Tobin like this. He was on the verge of falling apart. He needed to be in Tobin’s arms. Tobin held him and stroked his back.

  “I love you. I’m so sorry I almost ruined us by being dumb.”

  He could hear the smile in Tobin’s voice when he spoke. “Mark my words, I’ll be the dumb one, eventually. Plus, I shouldn’t have left. I love you. You’re everything to me.”

  Sergio didn’t deserve Tobin. Tobin was sweet and loving. Sergio liked to have his way and would likely always run roughshod over Tobin. Except that Tobin was so amazing that Sergio wanting his way meant he wanted Tobin to have everything Tobin’s heart desired. He wanted to spoil Tobin and be present for every breath Tobin took. He was done with soccer, but he wasn’t done living. They would be happy for the rest of their long lives. Sergio would make sure of it.

  Tobin stared at the ceiling while Sergio’s breathing deepened. A smile kept tugging at the corners of his mouth. The night had started as complete shit, but this part was heaven. They had survived their first fight. Tobin felt pretty good about that. They might have had a moment of stupidity, but they were strong. Tobin knew they could face and survive anything together. It was odd but seeing Lucky’s bruises had startled Tobin back to reality. He knew Sergio. Sergio wasn’t controlling. He wasn’t like Tobin’s ex or whoever had hit Lucky. Sergio was good. That meant Sergio was going through something that Tobin didn’t understand, and Tobin needed to be there for it—the way Sergio had been for him since day one. They had been so good together; it hadn’t really occurred to Tobin to think about the baggage they had brought into this relationship. From now on, though, they would be better. This crazy night would make them stronger.

  “Baby?”

  “Hmm?”

  Tobin smiled at Sergio’s hum against his throat. “We should get ready for bed, if you’re falling asleep.”

  “I’m not sleeping.”

  Tobin’s smile grew at the obvious lie. After another minute passed, Sergio’s body jerked, as if he had been startled awake.

  “Mi alma?”

  “I’m still here.”

  “We should get ready for bed before you fall asleep.”

  A snort escaped Tobin. “I love you. How did I end up with such a hardheaded man?”

  Sergio shifted onto his elbow and touched his lips to Tobin’s. It was such a sweet kiss that Tobin immediately forgot everything else. Sergio was beautiful—inside and out. He left Tobin breathless. Tobin couldn’t wait to spend the rest of his life with Sergio. That sounded like the perfect future to him.

  His insides trembled as Sergio stroked his stomach. It was the lightest touch, but it set Tobin’s skin ablaze. He could not be more in love with this man who was like still waters.

  “You looked so fucking sexy tonight in your tux,” Sergio said, moving to kiss Tobin’s ear. “I’m not surprised at all that everyone tried to flirt with you. Everyone kept looking your way.”

  “They were trying to figure out why you’d marry a bald guy.” Even to Tobin’s ears, he sounded breathless.

  Sergio leaned away and held Tobin’s stare. He looked serious again. “Is that really what you think?”

  Tobin shrugged. He hated that Sergio wasn’t being Tobin’s laughing boy tonight, but he didn’t want to lie. “I guess I don’t see what you see in me right now. My hair is gone. I’ve lost all the weight I could possibly spare. This definitely isn’t the height of attractiveness for me. I’m kind of broken down right now.”

  “You’re still you. There’s no one more beautiful. You’re my soul.”

  Damned if Sergio didn’t sound like he meant it. “And you’re mine.” No matter what life threw at them, that would always be true. Tobin believed that to the deepest recesses of his heart. They were meant to be.

  “I’ll make you see what I see,” Sergio promised as he lowered his head once more.

  Tobin believed. He knew Sergio was full of magic and light. Sergio could do anything, and Tobin had years and years left to watch the beauty unfold. Their forever looked more beautiful every day. Right now, Tobin wanted to focus on their kiss. This moment. Their next breath. They were strong and happy. Most of all, they couldn’t be broken.

  Eight

  Inside the cavernous ballroom at one of L.A.’s oldest and most expensive hotels, Damon unabashedly watched while Sergio “nom-nomed” on Tobin’s cheek. Tobin shook with laughter. Reporters snapped pictures alongside family. Sergio and Tobin were completely oblivious to everything but each other. Their wedding and reception had happened around them. The couple were in a bubble of blindingly beautiful love. Everyone and everything else were nothing more than background noise and scenery to the couple who were obviously lost in each other. It was everything Damon had ever wanted for Tobin.

  Tobin’s hair had grown back, and he looked healthier than he had in years. Mack would have been thrilled. Damon knew Tobin couldn’t look back on Mack with any fondness, but Damon also knew his son had genuinely loved Tobin. Mack had done terrible things that couldn’t be excused. Damon hoped he had made up to Tobin for his son’s sins. But Damon also—in a way no one would understand—got to hold on to a small piece of his son through Tobin. As long as Tobin lived, Mack did too. As long as Tobin was happy, Damon got to believe Mack was at peace. In life, Mack never had peace beyond the small bits Tobin gave to him. No one had been strong enough to save him, but Damon loved Tobin more than anyone else still breathing for trying. He understood better than anyone how much it cost Tobin.

  Damon’s eyes skimmed through the room, catching sight of a few more familiar faces. Lucky was getting chatted up by someone Damon had seen before but couldn’t place. He didn’t take the time to figure it out before looking away. Lucky was... something else. Damon hadn’t quite figured him out. He was a custom body decked out in chrome and specialty paint over burned-out wiring that had also been caught in a flood. His incredible beauty and youth hid a money pit labyrinth of unfixable bullshit. Damon didn’t know why he hadn’t given up on the guy. Any other sane person would. Maybe it was because he couldn’t live with himself if he lost another soul because he wasn’t strong enough to save them. Someone had to be there for the ones who were a little broken.

  A cheer and whistles rent the air, pulling Damon’s eyes back the happy couple’s way. After all, he was here for Tobin. Sergio had tossed Tobin over his shoulder and was headed for the door. A smile snapped to Damon’s lips and a chuckle stuck in his throat. Even from across the room, Damon experienced a blast of secondhand embarrassment. Tobin had his face hidden, but even his ears were red. It seemed Sergio was done sharing Tobin for the evening. Damon was surprised they had lasted this long.

  A hand landed on Damon’s shoulder and squeezed. He glanced over to find Lucky staring back at him. His steel-colored eyes shone bright with laughter. As always, Damon fought the strange flutter in his gut when Lucky was around. “Are you feeling like the proud papa tonight?”

  Damon fought the urge to immediately hide his heart. He knew Lucky didn’t know about Mack and Tobin. No one did. Lucky was simply making a correlation between Damon’s age and his care of Tobin over the years. Still, he fought the urge to tell someone how much he wished his son could be there and be happy. He wished thi
s had been his son’s life with Tobin without all the ugliness. “Somewhat. It’s good to see Tobin like this.”

  Lucky nodded. He kept his gaze locked on the happy couple while Damon couldn’t look away from Lucky. Without looking Damon’s way, Lucky kept up his end of the conversation. “I’ll go with you, if you’d like.”

  Damon blinked at the odd statement. “Where?”

  “To your son’s grave.”

  Damon refused to show an ounce of surprise. Lucky had an odd way of always knowing everyone’s secrets. It was like he saw too much. Maybe that was why the guy never dated anyone who didn’t hurt him. People didn’t like having their souls exposed. Damon tore his gaze away from Lucky. Tobin and Sergio were gone. It was time to go. “Nah. You’re young. Go do young shit.”

  “You act like you’re an old man.”

  Damon snorted. He couldn’t keep his gaze from swinging back Lucky’s way. “I definitely am by comparison.”

  Lucky’s eyes swam with laughter. “All right, old man. Then you should definitely go do something with me and make sure I don’t end up in trouble. You know how I can be.”

  Damon groaned as he draped his arm across Lucky’s shoulders and steered him toward the door. “Fine. You win. Let’s find something semi-adultish to do before you end up in god only knows what kind of trouble.” Damon just prayed the scent of Lucky’s cologne didn’t land Damon in even bigger danger. Sometimes he could be pretty damn dumb like that.

  Retiring so he could spend every day with Tobin was one of the best decisions Sergio had ever made. He was also glad they had decided to wait to have their big wedding until Tobin could enjoy it. Tobin hadn’t stopped smiling all night. Sergio didn’t want to look away. Happiness radiated from Tobin, making him glow. Sergio had always been the type who liked to play. He was a kid at heart. Carrying Tobin through the hotel and to their room—for all to see—was a blast. He loved the sound of Tobin’s laughter.

  By the time he dumped Tobin on the bed in their suite, Tobin’s face was as red as it could get. Sergio didn’t know if it was from embarrassment or all the blood rushing to his head from being over Sergio’s shoulder. He didn’t stop to find out before covering Tobin’s body with his and claiming Tobin’s mouth.

  If he got any happier, Sergio would burst. It didn’t matter that they had already been married for months. Today had been about celebrating them. Sergio wanted to make every day like this one for Tobin. That was the only way he could think to give Tobin a quarter of the happiness Tobin had given him since they met.

  Sergio pulled away and brushed noses with Tobin. “Do you think anyone noticed we left?”

  A laugh burst from Tobin, making Sergio’s heart smile. “You’re ridiculous.”

  “Meh. I prefer to think of myself as hilariously efficient. You weren’t forced to say goodbye to everyone, and we can send cards later.”

  Tobin wrapped his arms around Sergio’s neck. His light green eyes flashed with devilry. “Is that what happened? You saved me? And here I thought you couldn’t wait to get me in bed.”

  Sergio reached between them and went to work on undoing Tobin’s pants. “Nope. It was all about the not shaking hands thing. I know you’re in remission, but you shouldn’t be touching everyone.”

  Tobin’s arms fell away in exaggerated mock surrender. “Fine. I won’t touch anyone. I’ll just stay right here, lonely and neglected. Starved for human touch.” He sniffed loudly.

  Sergio shook his head at Tobin’s antics. He didn’t slow in divesting Tobin of his clothes. “I’ll just take these uncomfortable clothes off so you can suffer—naked in your isolation.”

  With his gaze locked on the ceiling, Tobin sniffed again. “If you must.”

  With his bottom lip held between his teeth to keep from laughing, Sergio stripped Tobin bare. The moment he had every inch of Tobin’s perfect skin on display, Sergio stood and stripped. Tobin’s heated gaze slid Sergio’s way, so Sergio went slow. He purposely teased Tobin with each newly bared inch. Tobin was hard and his cheeks were flushed. Sergio became the victim in his game. He tortured himself by moving slow. Sergio couldn’t take it any longer. He needed Tobin’s kiss. His heart demanded it.

  Sergio crawled onto the bed and straddled Tobin’s body. He held Tobin’s stare as he lowered his head. Sergio swore he felt their emotional connection like it was a physical thing. As their lips met, Sergio’s eyes fell closed, but he felt like he could see clearer than he ever had in his life. He saw years and years unfolding before them. Each one happier and brighter than the next. Sergio knew in his heart that they were soulmates. They had been born to be together. Not only would they always watch each other’s back, they had saved each other. There was no one else out there for Sergio. They should have gotten married the day they met, since they had been fated to end up like this. He knew happily ever after didn’t mean there would never be bumps in the road, but they were strong. There was no battle they couldn’t win together. They were the only team Sergio needed. This was his forever home.

  Keep an eye out for the next Candied Crush, Beautifully Unfixable.

  Please consider leaving a review at the retailer where you purchased this book. Reviews really help with a book’s visibility, which allows me to continue writing more stories. Thank you, Charity.

  About the Author

  Charity Parkerson is an award-winning and multi-published author with several companies. Born with no filter from her brain to her mouth, she decided to take this odd quirk and insert it in her characters.

  *Eight-time Readers' Favorite Award Winner

  *2015 Passionate Plume Award Finalist

  *2013 Reviewers' Choice Award Winner

  *2012 ARRA Finalist for Favorite Paranormal Romance

  *Five-time winner of The Mistress of the Darkpath

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