by Xenia Melzer
“I know. The story of my life. Just pour me another glass.”
When Richard lifted a brow, Martin shrugged. “Oli’s driving. I can get rip-roaring drunk if I want.”
“As you wish, old friend.”
“LOOK AT you, handling Emily like a pro.”
Julio grinned at Dean when he came out of the nursery and closed the door behind him. The nanny had accompanied Dean upstairs when it was time for Emily to go to bed. Even though Julio still looked after Emily three days a week, he didn’t see much interaction between Dean and his niece because those three days, Dean was writing like a madman and rarely came out of his office.
“I learned from the best.”
“Oh, cariño, you make me blush.”
“No, really.” Dean turned serious. “I don’t think I would have made it without your help.”
Julio embraced him, and they stood for a moment in silence. “You look happy, Dean.”
“I am. Insanely happy. Richard is my life, and when he turned his back on me, I thought I would die. Having him back is like a miracle.”
“No.” Julio shook his head firmly. “Seeing him transform into Superdad is a miracle.”
They both giggled. “To be honest, I never doubted he would be a good father. Whatever he does, he’s perfect in it. Emily is one lucky girl.”
Julio thought about that. “You’re right. Once he’s gotten an idea into his thick head, he pursues it with admirable single-mindedness.”
“I’m glad it’s you who said that. If it had been me, I wouldn’t get out of the playroom for days.”
Laughing, the two men went downstairs to join their friends.
LEELAND WAS standing on the veranda, gazing up into the night sky. As spectacular as Dean’s new home was, the most remarkable thing was the yard with its wonderful view. He was really happy for his best friend, who had now everything Leeland dreamed of himself.
A partner who truly loved him and a child to take care of. Leeland was in no hurry to become a parent, but he longed for a special someone in his life, somebody who was there for the long run. Leeland heaved a sigh.
Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder and reacted without thinking. He grabbed the wrist of the person who had snuck up on him, dug his elbow in the man’s abdomen, and threw him over his shoulder. The moment Jonathan landed on the planks of the veranda with a solid thunk, Leeland realized what he had done. He paled.
“Jonathan? Are you okay? I’m so sorry. You startled me, and I thought….”
Jonathan groaned and lifted his head. “Man, Leeland, that hurt.”
Leeland helped Jonathan to his feet, inwardly cursing. He had already known that his chances with the man were slim to nonexistent, but after this little show, they had certainly evaporated into thin air. Leeland wondered if such a thing as negative chances existed.
Jonathan shook his head like a cat that had gotten wet and then stared at Leeland. “You tossed me.”
It sounded like a statement, not like an accusation.
“As I said, I’m sorry, Jonathan. You startled me, and I kind of reacted instinctively.”
“You tossed me.”
Leeland flinched. He couldn’t quite read the look in Jonathan’s eyes, but he was sure it didn’t bode well for him.
“I didn’t know you could do that. It’s kind of cool. Do you train? Karate? Judo?”
Taken aback by Jonathan’s enthusiastic reaction, Leeland answered truthfully. “My parents are both cops, and they didn’t want me to be helpless. I do MMA and knife fighting. I’m also a good shot.”
Jonathan stared so intently at Leeland that he started feeling nervous again. “But you’re a submissive.”
“I am. I mean, with my looks and my build, what else could I be?”
Jonathan shrugged. “Whatever you want, I’d say. Do you have the urge to dominate sometimes?”
Leeland sighed. “I’m not a switch, if that’s what you mean. I like to submit. It’s just….”
“Just what?”
“Sometimes, just submitting isn’t enough. I want more. But the type of guy I fall for—they want what is promised in the advertisement.” Leeland gestured along his slim body. “Unfortunately, the wrapping and the content differ greatly.”
“Hey, that’s okay. I think I like that.”
Leeland stared at Jonathan in disbelief. “I’ve been trying to get you on a date for weeks, and you always turned me down.”
“I didn’t know you could toss me around back then.”
“And that’s your reason for suddenly flirting with me?”
Jonathan shrugged. “We have one thing in common. I don’t want my submissives to be just submissive. I turned you down because I thought you were just another twink who couldn’t stand a chance against me. Now, I want to get to know you better.”
“Are you asking me out?”
“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m doing.” Jonathan grinned. “What do you say?”
Leeland knew he had to be dreaming, but he had no intention of ever waking up. Not when he could have a chance at Jonathan White. And since he had nothing to lose, he decided to be himself. “I’m warning you, I’m high maintenance.”
Jonathan winked. “My kind of guy. How about we meet at the gym where I’m working out, do a few rounds, and then have dinner.”
“Sounds like a perfect first date.”
TWO HOURS later, Richard waved their last guest goodbye before returning to the house. Dean was standing at the bottom of the stairs, ready to go to bed. Richard slung his arm around his boy’s shoulders, pressed a kiss on Dean’s temple, and led him upstairs.
“Are you happy, boy?”
Dean beamed at him. “Happy is too weak a word to describe how I feel. I have the man of my dreams, a cute little daughter, and a group of close friends. Back when my parents tossed me out, I thought I would never have any of those things. I’m truly blessed.”
Richard held Dean closer, partly to prevent his boy from seeing the wet sheen in his eyes. “As am I, Dean. As am I. I love you, boy.”
“And I love you, Master.”
Chapter 28
“COME ON, Emily. You can do it again. Do it for Dada!”
Dean tried to coax his daughter into walking again. She had been trying to walk since the day after the housewarming party and now, two weeks later, she had finally managed her first steps alone. Dean had cheered her on and then gotten his cell to film her. Unfortunately, she didn’t seem to be in the mood to repeat her heroic deed. She only stared at Dean with her amazing blue eyes and held out her hand for the cell. Wilma and Fred watched the proceedings from the couch, too lazy to get in on the fun.
“Really, princess, you could try again. Richard would love to see this.”
Emily grinned, showing the set of eight tiny teeth in her mouth. Dean wanted to say more when the doorbell rang. He furrowed his brow. They weren’t expecting anybody, and Richard would be late today. He had a business meeting with some investors. He got up and checked the screen of the surveillance camera. It looked like some kind of delivery man. Dean pressed the intercom button.
“What do you want?”
The man stared into the camera and held a manila envelope up. “Delivery for Dean Connelly.”
Dean gulped. He had a sinking feeling in his stomach. “Come in.” He activated the buzzer and then opened the front door. It took the man about five minutes to reach him. He held out the envelope. “Dean Connelly?”
Dean nodded.
He handed the envelope to Dean. “You’ve been served. Sign here.”
His hands shaking, Dean signed the paper that said he had accepted the document and then went inside.
Emily was happily playing with Wilma and Fred, tossing them balls of yarn across the living room. Dean ripped the envelope open and started to read through the papers. When he reached the second page, they fell from his lifeless fingers and he had to sit down. Shaking, he took his cell and pressed speed dial. Richard answered on the
second ring.
“Dean? Is everything all right?”
Dean trembled so hard, he had problems holding the phone. When he spoke, his voice shook. “Master.”
Richard must have known from his tone of voice that something was terribly wrong. “Boy? I want you to sit down and breathe. In and out. Long, steady breaths. Can you do that for me?”
Dean closed his eyes and did as his master instructed. After a few minutes, he felt calm enough to talk. “I just got some papers from the family court. My parents demand custody for Emily. They claim a gay man is not suitable to raise a child.”
“Fucking shit!” Richard cursed. “It’s fine, Dean. Everything will be okay. Put those papers aside and go play with Emily. I’ll be home in forty minutes.”
“Tell me they can’t take her away! Please!” Dean was on the verge of a panic attack.
“They can’t just take her away. I’ll get us the best lawyer, and we will sort this mess out. I promise. Now go to Emily. I’m coming home.”
Still frightened but feeling a little better, Dean did as his master had instructed. He sat down on the floor next to Emily and helped her to exhaust Wilma and Fred while his thoughts ran a mile a minute.
RICHARD RUSHED to his car, dialing Martin’s number. When the other Dom picked up, he didn’t waste any time.
“Martin, I need a full background check on Christopher and Faith Connelly. They are Dean’s parents and trying to take Emily from us. I want everything, you hear me? Every dirty little secret, every bank account, every ticket for speeding. I have a feeling we might need all we can get.”
“On it” was all Martin replied before he hung up again. Once again Richard was grateful for having such wonderful friends.
He entered his car, started the engine, and made the next call, this time on speaker and to his lawyer.
“Richard, what can I do for you?”
“Seth, I need a lawyer for family matters. Can you recommend someone?” Richard didn’t add that the person had to be the best in their field. Seth and he had known each other long enough for it to be obvious.
“Let me see…. The best choice would be Peter Lake, from Lake and Partners. His office is here in Miami, and you can’t get a better man. Shall I send you his contact info or put you through?”
“Put me through. This is urgent.”
“As you wish.”
Seth didn’t waste Richard’s time, a trait Richard appreciated in all his business partners. While he weaved through traffic, trying to get home to his boy as fast as possible without endangering his life, he listened to the beeping of his phone. After what felt like a million rings, somebody finally picked up.
“Peter Lake.”
“Richard Miller. How much has Seth told you?”
The man on the other end of the line chuckled. “Not much. Only that you’re in need of a family lawyer and that I shouldn’t be intimidated by you.”
Richard grinned. He already liked the man. “The problem is as follows. My partner has recently been appointed guardian for his late sister’s daughter and is in the process of adopting her. He also controls the trust the daughter will inherit and the legacy of the sister. Today he got papers from court stating that his parents demand custody of the child, saying that a gay man can’t take care of her properly. I have already sent a PI to find out everything he can about my partner’s parents.”
“So you’ve already done your homework. Very good. I think it would be best if we met in person as soon as possible. Demands for custody can get ugly pretty quickly. Where do you live?”
Richard rattled off the address.
“Would it be acceptable if I dropped by this evening at about six?”
“I would appreciate it. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
They ended the call and ten minutes later, Richard parked in front of his home.
Dean yanked the door open, a troubled expression on his face. Richard approached him, his arms held out. Dean sank into his embrace with a sob.
“Oh, Richard. I can’t lose her! I just can’t.”
“And you won’t.” Richard spoke with his Dom voice in an attempt to soothe Dean. “Tonight a specialist in family law is going to drop by, and I have already arranged for somebody to go through your parents’ lives. No matter what they are hiding, we will know about it and use it to our advantage.”
Dean snuggled closer into Richard’s embrace. “If they have something to hide. I hate to say this, but except for their ultraconservative tendencies, they’re model citizens.”
“Everybody has something to hide, boy. Trust me. And my gut tells me it has to be something big. You say they are conservative, so why would they want a child their daughter conceived without being married? A child whose father is unknown? There is more to this, and we will drag it all out into the open.”
“Thank you, Master.”
“You’re very welcome, boy. Now tell me, where is my little princess?”
PETER LAKE was a friendly looking man in his early fifties with a tiny paunch and big green eyes that seemed to miss nothing. He wore his hair short and was dressed in an expensive yet unobtrusive suit. Richard asked him in and introduced him to Dean.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. Is this the child in question?”
Peter looked over Dean’s shoulder to Emily, who was curled up on the couch with Wilma and Fred. Dean smiled softly.
“Yes, this is Emily.”
“She’s beautiful. How old is she?”
“Almost a year.” Richard couldn’t keep the hint of pride from his voice.
“Ah, that’s a wonderful age. When they’re not teething.” Peter made a face.
“You have children yourself?” Dean looked at the lawyer with renewed interest.
“Yes, three. My oldest is already seventeen, the middle fifteen, and the youngest twelve. They can be a handful, but it’s such a joy to see them grow up.”
“Which is our cue, Peter.” Richard hated having to bring the topic up, especially now that Dean seemed to have relaxed a bit, but there was no use in procrastinating. “I have gathered all the documents concerning Emily here. If you would follow me.”
Richard led the way to the kitchen, where the three men sat down at the table. They could have gone to the big table in the dining room, but Richard like the coziness of the kitchen, and he knew Dean would feel better in here. Peter didn’t seem to mind. He read the papers that had been delivered earlier that day and then glanced at Tricia’s will and the documents stating that Dean had full custody.
“You have no ties to Emily?” Peter looked at Richard.
“Not yet. I was planning to adopt her, though.” He squeezed Dean’s hand while saying this. His boy flashed him a weak smile.
“Well, this does not look too bad. Of course, a conservative judge can always cause problems, and here in Florida, there are still a bunch of them, but since custody over Emily always includes her trust, which, by the way, is impressive, the court will look very closely at who wants to claim her. The only problem I see at the moment is your D/s relationship. If the Connellys have a good lawyer, he will most certainly use that to emphasize their claim.”
A dark red had crept into Dean’s cheeks, and Richard stared at the lawyer with narrowed eyes. “How do you know about this?”
Peter raised his hands in a conciliatory gesture. “Don’t worry, nobody talked. I’m a sub myself—not 24-7, obviously, but when you’re in the scene, you learn to recognize the telltale signs. You two are quite obvious to somebody who knows about the dynamics in a Dom/sub relationship. I don’t think outsiders would see more than a couple where one partner is very dominant, but you have to be aware that you’re not the only one who can hire a PI.”
Richard exhaled, stroking Dean’s hand in a soothing motion. “We’re not exactly hiding it. I’m a successful businessman, and one of my businesses is BDSM clubs. I’m the owner of Whisper.”
Peter cocked an eyebrow. “It’s an hono
r to meet you. Although your club is gays only, its reputation is very good. I have only heard the best.”
Richard grinned. “For the annual fees I charge, it had better be the best. I’m working very hard on keeping the club at the top.”
“Of course.” Peter smiled back but turned serious almost immediately. “Concerning Emily, this can become a problem. Your businesses are no secret, and when things get ugly and Dean’s parents don’t back off, they might use the club as ammunition against you. I’m sorry to ask this, but do you have a dungeon here in this house?”
Dean tensed again, but Richard stayed calm. He knew the lawyer had to have all the information if they wanted to stand a chance against the Connellys. “Yes, in the attic. It is secured with a handprint scanner and two locks only I have the keys for. Plus there’s a door in front of the stairs leading up to the attic, which is also always locked. I take Emily’s safety very seriously.”
“That’s good to know. Depending on what your PI finds out about the Connellys, it may be enough. But you should maybe get used to the idea of not having a dungeon at your home.”
Peter cringed when he spoke those last words, clearly expecting an outburst from Richard.
It didn’t come. Richard had suspected from the beginning that it might come to this. He placed one hand on Dean’s back, his boy a lot more agitated than he was.
“But this is our way of living! We would never allow Emily to witness anything—perverted.” Dean was breathing hard.
Peter held up his hands again. “I know that. You know that. But the people who are going to decide whether Emily can stay with you or not will most probably not be in the lifestyle and know nothing about it except for the things they have learned from the media. Perhaps not even that. Or, worse, they have read Fifty Shades of Grey.”
Dean groaned. “Oh no.”
“You understand the problem, don’t you, Dean?” Peter was talking in a soft voice now. “You don’t have a problem with me working for you, even though I told you that I’m a sub. Because you know very well what being a sub means and that there are a lot of different kinds of subs. How many vanilla people do you think would employ my services if they knew about my preferences in the bedroom?”
