He bit his lip. “What if I regress again, like a while back, or get all emotional and needy like today?”
Indy smiled reassuringly. “Then Daddy Miles will be there for you. And if you’re being a little brat when he’s not there, Daddy Noah and Daddy Connor will set you straight. We’ve got your back, okay?”
“Personally, I think that whole daddy-shit is hot as fuck,” Josh remarked. “And I love watching Miles spank your ass, even though I was jealous as fuck.”
Brad couldn’t help it. He laughed. “You’re all bat-shit crazy!”
“Right back atcha, dude,” Indy said, taking his seat again.
“How do you feel about this, Charlie?” Miles asked.
Charlie looked around the kitchen, then pointed toward the living room. “If we find a different spot for that mini office you have there, we could put in a second big couch. One with washable covers.”
Brad snorted.
“We also need a second cooking range,” Josh said. “And another washer and dryer. With the amount of bed linens we use every day, I can’t keep up if it’s just one.”
“I can bring mine,” Brad said. “My duplex is a rental, but the washer and dryer are mine and they’re brand new. High efficiency or some shit.”
“That would work,” Josh said.
“One thing I insist on is that Brad doesn’t do any household work. Nothing. No cooking, no cleaning, no laundry. If we were to make a cleaning roster or something, I’ll take his shifts.” Miles’ voice was firm.
Brad flew out of his chair, attacked Miles with a hug. Words wouldn’t come, but Miles hugged him so tight Brad knew he understood. “I promised I’d take care of you, and I will, sweetheart. I will not allow you to become invisible ever again.”
He sat on Miles’ lap, put his head against his shoulder. “Thank you, Daddy.”
“I don’t mind cleaning and laundry,” Josh said. “Indy loves to help with cooking.”
“I can cook as well,” Charlie offered. “And I love shopping, even if it’s for groceries, as long as I don’t have to carry all that shit inside. This body was not built to haul cargo.”
They went back and forth with ideas, plans, practical details until Brad’s head was dizzy. He couldn’t believe this proposal. They wanted them to move in. They wanted him. Noah and Connor, too. Even with all his hang ups, fucked-up as he was, they still wanted him. Indy had said Noah and Connor were even willing to be his daddies, too, if he needed them.
Fuck, the idea of Connor spanking him with those big, meaty hands excited and terrified him in equal measures. That would hurt for certain, but maybe also in a good way? Hmm, maybe he should experiment more with that Dom/sub shit.
“Are you still with us, Brad?” Charlie asked, yanking him out of his thoughts. He was still on Miles’ lap, resting against his broad chest.
“Are we really doing this?” he asked softly.
“Do you want to move in here, sweetheart? You don’t need to decide now. It’s a big step.”
“I know. What do you think, Charlie?”
Charlie got up, lowered himself on Miles’ other knee, so that Miles had his arms around them both. Brad sighed with happiness at having both his men so close. “I would love it,” Charlie said. “You know I’m a people person, so I love the idea of sharing a house with so many people. But Brad, honey, if this is too much for you, I’d be just as happy somewhere else with the three of us.”
Brad smiled, leaned over to give Charlie a quick kiss.
“What about you, Miles?” Charlie asked.
“I’d love it. It’s been surreal these last few weeks, being around people who accept me without judgment. I don’t think I realized how lonely and touch-starved I was until I came here. But as Charlie said, Brad, if you’re not comfortable with this, we’ll find a place for the three of us.”
Brad swallowed, looking down at the floor. He had to ask. Had to know for certain. “If I said no, you wouldn’t move in here with just Charlie?”
Miles lifted his chin up with one finger, forced him to make eye contact. “No, sweetheart. I’m so proud of you for asking, though, instead of assuming and working yourself up over it. We’re a family, the three of us. Families make decisions together, so if this is not what you want, we’ll find something else. But we’re together, the three of us.”
Tension he hadn’t even realized had been in his body seeped out. “I love you,” Brad said quietly, the words finally coming out to Miles as well. “I love you both so much.”
“Oh, Brad,” Miles sighed, “You have no idea how happy those words make me. I’ve been waiting forever to hear them. I love you, sweetheart.”
They shared a sloppy three-way kiss, as the others in the kitchen watched with sweet smiles.
“I really, really want to move in,” Brad said, his heart suddenly ten times lighter. “But Josh, do you think we could maybe create a small room for you and me? We’re the only introverts here, and sometimes I just need to be alone, where it’s quiet. My head gets too messy when I don’t have that.”
Miles let out a soft gasp. “Is that why you’ve been acting out sometimes? Because you needed time alone?”
Brad shrugged. “Maybe. I dunno. I’ve lived alone for years, so alone time was all I knew. Since I started coming here, I haven’t had much opportunity to be by myself. I didn’t realize it until we were talking about this.”
Indy and Josh looked at each other. “What if we built a little garden shed? I mean, insulated and with heating and cooling and all, but a quiet place away from the house?” Indy slowly said. “It would just be for Brad and Josh, and everyone else who’d want to use it would have to ask their permission.”
Brad’s mouth dropped open. “You’d do that for me? For us, I mean?”
“Brad, baby, we’d do it if it were just for you. We want you here. We want this to work, for you to be happy.”
They really, really wanted him. He belonged here. He had a family. For the first time in his life, he had a family who loved him and wanted him, who had chosen him. They saw him, all of him, and they still wanted him to stay.
“Daddy, I wanna stay here and never leave. Can we please stay?”
Amidst happy exclamations from the others, Brad only heard one thing: his daddy’s sweet, strong voice. “Yes, boy, we can.”
24
Blake was honestly happy that Charlie was up to performing again, but he’d be lying if he said he was looking forward to spending the night at Flirt. He’d go, obviously, since Charlie needed all their support. It had taken him time to find the courage to perform again, after what Zack had done to him. For a while, Blake had feared Charlie would develop agoraphobia, but luckily, he’d slowly started going outside again after he’s formally pressed charges against Zack.
Blake’s main reason why he was tense about the night was that he feared seeing Brad again. They hadn’t talked since that emotional confrontation in Brad’s house. Fuck, Blake was still reeling from the blow Brad had dealt him. He’d never known Brad had wanted to go with Benjamin, that he had deeply desired to be adopted as well. In hindsight, it made total sense, and it only reinforced Blake’s deep sense of failing him.
Aaron put his head on Blake’s shoulder. “Are you okay?”
Blake’s eyes warmed as he took in Aaron’s appearance. He was wearing the flowery top they’d picked out at Macy’s, with the ridiculously tight and low riding jeans. His puppy had bedazzled—his words—a pair of white Chuck Taylors with pink pompoms, glitter, and whatnot, and he looked absolutely edible. His sparkling pink eyeshadow matched his outfit, as did the shiny stuff he’d put on his lips.
He turned toward Aaron, kissed him softly on his lips. “Every time I look at you, you take my breath away, puppy,” he said. He had to raise his voice to rise above the thumping beats drifting up from the dance floor below them. The thin plexiglass separation filtered some noise, but the music was still loud.
Aaron’s face lit up like a lightbulb in a dark room. �
��I feel pretty.”
“You’re gorgeous,” Blake assured him.
“I agree,” Indy said, joining them with Noah, who looked positively out of his element. “Those jeans are absolutely indecent, and I fucking love them.”
Noah shot him a dark look. “If you ever show up wearing one of those, I’ll hand you over to Connor for a solid spanking,” he threatened.
Indy merely laughed. “Don’t mind him,” he told Aaron, who beamed after Indy’s praise. “He gets jealous in places like this.”
“And with good reason. I left you alone for one minute, and you had three guys on your ass, “Noah grumbled.
Indy raised a finger, his eyes narrowing. “Who I told to fuck off, didn’t I? Chill the fuck out, Noah. We’re here to have fun.”
Blake suppressed a chuckle. Fuck, he loved that kid. He literally didn’t take shit from anyone, including his own boyfriend. He still had to get used to his short hair, though. It was such a different look than the long, feminine curls he’d had before.
“You dance, Aaron?” Indy turned back to Aaron.
Aaron nodded eagerly. “I love it.”
“Good. Let’s leave Grumpy and Moody here to stew, while you and me have some fun on the dance floor. Josh should be here any minute as well, and I’m sure he’ll join us, too.”
Blake watched with amusement as Indy took Aaron’s hand and dragged him downstairs to the dance floor. “I can’t believe how far he’s come,” he said to Noah. “A few months ago, he couldn’t bear to be touched and look at him now.”
Noah’s face broke open in a proud smile. “It’s a fucking miracle. Can’t claim credit, though. It’s all him, and a bit of group effort from all of us.”
They watched as Aaron and Indy found a relatively empty spot on the dance floor, started swaying and dipping their bodies to the beat.
“I could say the same for Aaron,” Noah said.
“Hmm. True. He’s still got a ways to go, but he’s more stable now.”
“The puppy thing, is it working for him?”
There was no judgment in Noah’s voice, nor any trace of sensationalism. He was truly curious, Blake noted. “Yeah. It took me a while to realize that was what he needed, but it does wonders for him. There are days where he functions normal, so to speak, but other days he’s selfishly needy, and needs my constant attention and care. I’ve done a bit of research, and there are way more extreme versions of puppy play, but this works for us.” He smiled, remembering the hour they spent together earlier that day. “I did build him a little portable play pen, though, and he loved it. We spend an hour every now and then playing there, and it’s exactly what he needs.”
“That’s good.” Noah gave him a careful look. “You know about Brad and Miles?”
Blake sighed. “Yeah. Charlie gave me a heads up. It’s hard for me to think about my little brother that way, but I understand why he needs it.”
“Miles is a good man, Blake, I swear. We’ve gotten to know him pretty well these last few weeks, and he’s solid.”
Blake considered taking a cheap shot at the man’s insatiable dick, but let it slide. Too cheap. “Is…is it working, you think?”
“For Brad, you mean? I think so. Miles is keeping him on a pretty tight leash. He spanks the shit out of him, but Brad takes it well. He needs it, man, there’s no denying it. The way he mouths off to Miles, it’s like watching a teenager rebel against his dad. A week or two ago he had a bit of an off day, I guess, and he regressed. Miles fed him, bathed him, took him to the movies, made him take a nap, the whole nine yards. It was phenomenal to watch his patience with Brad. I respect the shit out of him, honestly.”
“That’s good. Well, it fits right in with the whole kinky thing you guys had going anyway, right?”
Noah grinned. “You heard about that, too, huh?”
“Indy and Josh? Yeah. I suspected it before, to be honest. I never could figure out what the four of you were to each other. Close, that much was obvious. You and Connor fuck-buddies, too?”
Noah laughed. “Fuck, no.”
A meaty hand slapped his shoulder with considerable force, and Blake jumped up. “Flint here is not man enough to take my cock,” Connor said, his eyes sparkling.
Blake let his eyes drop to the man’s groin. “I heard rumors.”
“Trust me. They’re all true…and then some,” Noah said. “That monster isn’t gonna get nowhere near my ass.”
It was clear Noah and Connor both enjoyed this alpha posturing they had going.
“I take it this is where us men hang out while the boys play downstairs?” Miles joined them.
Blake turned his head to watch the dance floor. Josh and Brad had arrived, joining Indy and Aaron, exchanging hugs all around. It was telling that Brad was considered one of the boys, though he was only two years younger than Miles, and older than Noah and Josh.
“Charlie is in his dressing room getting ready,” Miles said. “I can’t wait to see him.”
They all focused on watching their boys.
“Aaron looks stunning,” Miles said.
Huh, interesting. Blake hadn’t expected the FBI agent to appreciate more feminine types, let alone a bit of cross dressing. He gave himself a mental slap. Duh. The man was involved with Charlie. Of course he wouldn’t have an issue with Aaron being feminine.
“He does, doesn’t he? I love that top on him,” Blake said with pride.
“You’re not the only one,” Noah remarked, pointing to two lumberjack-type guys who were closing in on Aaron. Blake’s heart rate sped up. He’d better make it downstairs fast.
“Wait,” Noah said, grabbing his arm. “Indy’s got this.”
Blake should have known that the smallest of the four boys on the dance floor was also the fiercest, and the most protective. Indy had stepped in front of Aaron, Brad flanking him, and his body language made clear he was telling the two men to take a hike.
One of them reached out to Indy with his hand, and Blake laughed. The idiot had no idea who he was messing with. Indy’s hand shot out, grabbed the man’s hand and twisted it. His heart warmed when he saw Brad take up a defensive position as well. He only had a yellow belt, but he was ready to defend his friends. Even Josh stood half in front of his brother, a hand on his shoulder.
The guy said something to Indy, his face half distorted in pain. Holy fuck, Indy stepped even closer to him, clearly laying down the law. He let go of the guy, and the two slinked off, their figurative tail between their legs.
Aaron was shaken up. Should he go down? Blake was still debating with himself, as Brad and Indy hugged him, then pointed upstairs to where Blake and the others were standing. Blake raised his hand, then jerked his chin to signal if Aaron was okay. His puppy squared his shoulders, nodded. They resumed dancing, Aaron hesitantly at first, then with more confidence. People around them had witnessed the exchange, and some admiring and respectful glances were sent in Indy’s direction.
“That’s my boy,” Noah said with unmistakable pride.
Connor slapped his shoulder. “Damn right. Little firecracker could beat them all up if he wanted to.”
Blake sighed with relief. “Aaron, he’s vulnerable,” he said. “Men pick up on it easily. I don’t know what to do about it.”
“Nothing.” Miles’ eyes were kind. “It’s who he is. You can’t change that without robbing him of that innocence he has.”
“He was a virgin when I met him,” Blake said, surprising himself with revealing that to these men. “In more ways than one.”
“It’s precious, that kind of naiveté. Rare, too,” Noah agreed.
“Hmm.” Aaron was now dancing with Brad, their bodies plastered together. He was dipping and swaying, those hips gyrating in a highly suggestive manner, the top of his crack showing every time his top twirled. He had no idea how sexy he was, how many eyes were fixated on him.
“He’s safe with those boys,” Connor said. “Indy is protective, and Brad, he’d never interpret it the wrong w
ay. Besides, I’m surprised he can still walk after the way Miles and Charlie worked him over this afternoon.”
Blake’s face crunched. “Fuck off, O’Connor, that’s my little brother.”
Connor grinned. “Sorry, forgot for a second.”
He couldn’t think about his brother having sex too much without being weirded out, but truth be told he was grateful Brad had found a way to satisfy his needs. Fuck knew he’d been living dangerously, letting strangers fuck him left and right. This way, at least he was with men who respected him, cared for him. And the match between his insatiable brother and the man who had a sexual appetite that rivaled his was perfect. The fact that Miles could apparently fulfill the daddy-role Brad craved as well made it even better.
“I love him.”
He looked up at Miles’ quiet words.
“Brad. I’m in love with him. Thought you should know, since he’s your little brother.”
Blake blinked slowly, scraped his throat. “That’s good. Does he…does he love you, too?”
“Yes, he does.”
The man’s quiet confidence left little room for doubt. “And Charlie?”
“It’s complicated, but we’re together, the three of us. Actually, we’re moving in with these guys here permanently.” Miles shared the plans for renovating the ranch to fit all of their needs. Blake couldn’t help but smile. It was crazy in a sense, but it fit them all to a T. And fuck, he was happy for Brad.
“I…Thank you. For telling me, but especially for taking care of my brother. I love him, you know, and it’s… As I said, I fucked up terribly with him, and I want the best for him. I’m grateful you’re taking care of him.”
No Shame: The Complete Series: Including exclusive bonus materials and deleted scenes Page 111
