by Brina Brady
BABY BEAR
BRINA BRADY
M/M/ Gay Age Gap Romance
Copyright Text by Brina Brady © 2020 All rights reserved.
Cover Art by Brina Brady
Editor: Tanja Ongkiehong
Disclaimer: Any person depicted on the cover is a model used for illustrative purposes only.
AUTHOR’S NOTE: This book contains spanking and graphic gay sex.
DEDICATION
Thank you to all my awesome Beta Readers for helping me out until I finished my novel. Your help has been invaluable to me, and I don’t know how I would’ve managed without your help and support. Again, thank you so much. I sincerely appreciate your help.
Cj Lewis
Debby Demedicis Elliott
Anita Ford
Doreen Frantz
Anne Michan
Emma King
BLURB
Abel’s heartbreaking childhood contributes to his emotional baggage; his life has been one of hate, denial, and secrecy. His father, a polygamist cult leader, sends young men away from the compound in Utah so at eighteen, his mother drives him to the city. A dancing job opportunity finds Abel moving to Minnesota. Two years later he’s mysteriously fired. Without savings, Abel needs a Daddy to take care of him, and he’s found the perfect one at the Blue Diamond Diner.
Diner owner Darius Eriksen’s dream is to find a boy who needs a Papa Bear to take care of his needs. Darius belongs to the Bearded Papa Bears. Membership requires Papa Bears wanting to be a daddy to a boy; they pledge to love, care, and discipline their Baby Bear. Two years after Darius’s Baby Bear leaves him for another Papa Bear, he’s ready to find a new Baby Bear and commit again.
Baby Bear is about two damaged souls, realizing that the other is exactly what they need at the right times of their lives. This story is a stand-alone MM romance that follows their relationship. It has some D/S elements and a guaranteed HEA.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
DEDICATION
BLURB
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Connect With Brina Brady
OTHER BOOKS
CHAPTER ONE
Abel
Abel hurried across the street and pushed open the door of the Blue Diamond Diner. He couldn’t get in fast enough. It was pouring. The weather forecast had been wrong this morning. He hadn’t brought a jacket, and now he was soaked and cold. He ordered a double Americano, hoping it would warm him up. He crossed the diner to his favorite booth, then stopped dead in his tracks.
The man with the silver streaks running through his hair was here again, sitting alone in the same damn booth he’d sat in every single day this week. The older man always ordered the morning special with lots of coffee. Abel didn’t know anything about him, but his fascination had grown exponentially each day. Every night for the last week, Abel had jerked off to the image of the man, his lonely dick no longer neglected.
Abel continued to a booth behind the man, the one he’d taken the first day he’d noticed the stranger. Just like every morning, he walked past the man, but he never looked up at him. Usually, he’d observed the man from the back, but today the man sat on the other side of the booth, facing Abel, so Abel took advantage of the opportunity to study him. He had a closely trimmed beard and was brawny. He must have gained those muscles through a rugged lifestyle rather than from daily exercises at a gym. Abel bet the stranger spent his days sawing trees and chopping wood. He had to be a lumberjack. He always wore jeans with a wide black belt and plaid flannel shirts in various color combinations. He even had on those black logger boots. So hot! Today, he was dressed in a black-and-navy shirt.
The man was staring out the window, then suddenly turned his gaze around, and icy steel-blue eyes met Abel’s. The universe stopped. Everything inside the diner stood still. Everything except for Abel’s heart, which was suddenly beating like a drum. And then the man smiled, and his heart stopped too. A wave of both comfort and lust crashed over Abel, so strong it made his head spin. After a long week, they made their first contact.
His eyes fixed on Able, the bearded man walked over to his booth, coffee in hand. He stood tall, even taller than Abel had imagined. Without a word, the man sat across from him, set his mug on the table, and leaned back, making himself comfortable. He smelled like pine trees, reminding Abel of Christmas.
“My name is Darius Eriksen. What’s your name, boy?”
The sensual tone of his voice quickened Abel’s pulse. It sounded deep and smooth, music to Abel’s ears. Abel couldn’t identify the slight accent. It was nothing like he’d ever heard back home in Utah. Then again, he hadn’t been around many people before. His father had made sure he stayed in the compound with the rest of the cult members, or he’d worked closely alongside Abel whenever they’d left the compound, never letting Abel speak to other people. But that was then. He’d left and been working in Minnesota for almost a year now.
“Ah…hello, sir,” Abel said, trembling. He wasn’t sure whether it was from the cold or because of the man sitting opposite him. His commanding presence overwhelmed Abel. Darius reminded him of a big teddy bear, and he desperately wanted to sink into his arms.
“I asked you what your name is, boy. I don’t like to repeat myself.”
“Abel. Ah…Abel Gardner, sir.” He rubbed his cold hands together.
“I wanted to check on you,” Darius said with concern in his voice.
“Why would you want to do that, sir?” Abel’s voice was louder than he’d intended. He didn’t understand the sudden interest. The man had never looked at Abel. Surely, he couldn’t care about him one way or another. However, the man was sitting across from him and talking to him. That had to mean something, or at least he wanted it to mean something.
“Your clothes are wet, and you’re shivering.” His brows furrowed as his gaze shifted to his damp attire.
Thoughts about how it would be great to sit beside him so he could settle in his arms and gather his warmth ran through Abel’s head.
Darius removed his shirt, leaving him with his navy T-shirt. “Take off your wet shirt and put this on.” He handed the shirt to Abel, but he resisted.
“I don’t need your help or your shirt, sir.” Abel stared at Darius’s shirt as if his life depended on it. He wanted to wear the shirt because he was cold and it belonged to Darius, but he was afraid the man would require something of him in return.
“Put the shirt on,” Darius said. “You can’t afford to get sick.” His voice softened more this time.
Abel accepted the shirt and set it beside him, then pulled his wet T-shirt over his head and dropped it on the seat. He put on the warm shirt, which smelled like Darius. It was way too big, so he rolled the sleeves.
“Thank you, sir.” Abel inhaled the pine scent
from the shirt again without making it obvious.
“Where are you staying?”
“At the motel down the street, but it’s lockout week for me.” Abel bowed his head, ashamed of his current situation. He didn’t have enough money to pick up his towed car downtown. He should’ve gotten up earlier and moved his car before they started ticketing and towing the vehicles during street-sweeping hours. Everything had been going great until Mr. Benson fired him from his job. He hadn’t planned on that at all. Maybe he should’ve worked the back room, but he didn’t want to be with just anyone.
“Where do you stay during lockout?”
“I’m not your problem, sir.” Abel looked up, desperately wanting the man’s help, but too proud to ask for it. All week, he’d thought about the man while he was in his rented room—well, more than thought—but sitting right in front of him was very different.
“I’m afraid you’re already my problem.” Darius paused. “I’m a caretaker and fixer, and you need someone to take care of you the right way.”
“How do you know no one is taking care of me already?” Darius had spotted how needy he really was.
“I’ve seen you in here for a week, and you were always alone. No one is taking care of you.”
“I’m twenty-two, sir. I can take care of myself. I don’t understand why you would want to.” Every time Abel blinked he could visualize his face, and in the evening alone in bed, he’d imagined the man staring at him with lust and waiting for him to touch him in delicious ways, but now he was sitting across from him for real. He didn’t even know if the man was gay. He seemed chummy with the waitress; he’d kissed her cheek one day too, so maybe he was straight and out of reach. That didn’t change Abel’s intense desire for him, though.
“I told you why. You’ve been coming to my diner for a week and ordered coffee without any breakfast. I know trouble when I see it. So when trouble lands in my diner, I’m responsible.” Darius waved the server over to their table and ordered them both the breakfast special.
“Thank you, sir. I ran into some problems this week. My car was towed away this morning. If that wasn’t bad enough, my clothes are in the car. It’s all I have.” He had packed up the car last night.
“That’s not too big of a problem. Let’s get your car after we eat breakfast.”
“It’s a big problem for me since I lost my job a week ago,” Abel finally admitted. He’d probably leave him now. Who’d want to be bothered with a loser?
“I’ll pay for it. And since you don’t have a job, you can do some work at my place to pay it off.”
“Doing what, sir?” Abel hoped he’d be able to do whatever type of work it was he had in mind.
“I have a number of things you could do for me, boy.”
“I can’t accept your offer unless you tell me what I have to do,” Abel asked again. He was not about to commit to an unknown.
“Painting my cabin porch. It’s a big porch.”
“Are you sure you want to help me?”
“I have an idea that might help both of us out during your lockout time. You can sleep in my guestroom while you’re working for me.”
“You don’t even know me. Why would you trust me in your home?”
“I’ll trust you until you prove me wrong.”
They ate without talking. Abel wasn’t worried anymore. He couldn’t explain why, but sitting across from Darius made him feel safe and happy. He didn’t sense any danger with Darius. His father wouldn’t have approved of trusting anyone offering help. Maybe there was hope for Abel after all.
Like Darius had said, they picked up his car after breakfast. Abel followed Darius out of town as he was told to do. Darius turned his red truck onto a bumpy dirt road through the brilliant maple reds and golden aspen yellows, which formed a towering canopy with a mixture of trees. As soon as Abel drove along the narrow road, the dense forest covering muffled the highway sounds.
Along the roadside, a green sign pointed to Eriksen’s Cabin. They parked in the dirt driveway. The cozy cabin had a huge wrap-around porch, complete with red rocking chairs.
Abel stepped out of his car and opened his trunk. They carried his two suitcases along the path, which led to the cabin’s front door. Abel followed Darius inside and stood in the rustic embrace of the cabin’s foyer. For some reason, he never wanted to leave this cabin. Something inside him told him he belonged here, but of course, that didn’t make any sense at all.
“Welcome to my home.”
“Thank you, sir.”
CHAPTER TWO
Abel
Abel followed Darius down the hall to one of the bedrooms, and they dropped his beat-up suitcases near the shiny red dresser. The white-painted walls, like the rest of the cabin, contrasted with the red décor. The room sparked Abel’s excitement about his possible future, and he hoped Darius would be part of it.
Able needed an older man like Darius to take care of him. If Abel was honest with himself, he wanted Darius to protect him from being on the street and selling his body for money. There was no way he could survive on his own anymore. He knew the last boat had left when he’d lost his job, and if he didn’t hop on a new one quickly, he’d be lost forever. Darius was offering him the chance for a better life. If only Darius would keep him for himself.
“This will be your room during lockouts. Change your clothes and shower. Then we’ll talk in the kitchen about what I expect from you. After that, we’ll discuss your job.” Darius shot him a friendly smile, putting Abel at ease in his new environment.
“Thank you, sir.” Abel’s jeans were still damp from the rain. “What about my wet clothes, sir?”
“Hang them on the shower rod after you shower. And put all your dirty clothes in the bathroom hamper. Make sure you dry the tile and floor with your used towel. I don’t want to see water everywhere. It leads to mold.” Abel nodded, and Darius left the room.
Abel took in the shiny red twin beds with matching teddy bear lamps on each of the bedside tables. He picked up a stuffed bear from where it lay against a pillow, and hugged it against him. When he’d been a child, he never had any stuffies or toys. Why would Darius have a child’s bedroom? Did he have a son he hadn’t mentioned? He inhaled the smell of freshly painted walls and a hint of pine from the polished floor in the room. No wonder Darius smelled like trees. His home was full of things made from them. The bedroom sliding door led out to the wrap-around porch, overlooking the glimmering lake in the light of day. Abel loved the room; it made him happy. Everything had been so serious in his childhood, but this room made him feel he could go back in time and be the child he never got to be. He hoped he could figure out a way he didn’t have to leave when the motel lockup was over.
Abel’s friends at Boka Boys had told him not to fall in love with the first fuck, but he couldn’t stop himself. Nothing had happened between them yet, but Abel was head over heels in full-blown lust for Darius. He was just what he needed, an older man who could take care of him and give him some security, and hopefully Darius would want him too. It never worked out with guys his own age or even slightly older. Or maybe it was because the guys he’d met lost interest when they discovered he never wanted to top. He refused to top; he loved being a bottom.
After he’d showered and dressed, he made his way to the bright kitchen. Darius was sitting at a little round table with a cup of coffee in front of him.
“Pour yourself some coffee, then sit down.”
Abel tried to translate the tone of Darius’s voice, but he couldn’t. It was neither angry nor particularly happy, so now he was unsure whether Darius thought he’d made a mistake by opening his home to him. Had he taken too long in the shower? Did he use too much water, or maybe he didn’t like what he was wearing? His stomach tightened with fear that Darius would ask him to leave the cabin. He poured his coffee and looked around for milk.
“Milk is in the refrigerator, and sugar is in the cabinet above the coffeemaker.”
Abel quickly found t
he milk and poured some into the mug. He added two teaspoons of sugar, then sat across from Darius. Abel didn’t know him very well yet, but he wanted to please him.
“Tell me about yourself. I’d like to know who you are,” Darius said.
“I’m from Utah, sir.”
“Utah? Ah…Are your parents still alive?”
Abel stared at the coffee in his mug. He didn’t know how much he could say without Darius kicking him out of here. But in the end, the truth always prevailed, and so he decided to stick with it.
“They are, but I’m not part of their family anymore.”
“How’s that? Did they disown you?” Darius looked at him with compassion.
“I was raised by three mothers and one father with many sisters and brothers. When the boys turn eighteen, they’re removed from the family. On my eighteenth birthday, my birth mother drove me to the city. She gave me five hundred dollars and said good-bye. The only way boys are allowed back is if they return with more than one wife. I haven’t seen or heard from any of them in four years.”
“That’s a very sad story and must have been so hard for you. I can’t begin to imagine what you went through. I hardly know what to say. Do you want to talk about it?” Darius lifted his cup to drink, looking a little disturbed.
“Actually, it was a relief when they made me leave. I knew it was coming, but I thought we would’ve celebrated my birthday with my favorite meal, but no. They didn’t even allow me to eat my last dinner with them. I didn’t get to say good-bye to the other family members. I’m glad to be away from my father and the compound. We weren’t allowed to do anything but pray and read. If we were lucky, we went to work with the men on the construction site outside the compound. It was a horrible way to live.”
“Why was your family living on a compound?”
“My father is in charge of a polygamist cult. More like he thinks he’s God. He probably has more wives by now. They lived on the compound so the government wouldn’t find out what they were doing. Everything they did was illegal. I heard they moved to Mexico.”