A Sweet Man

by Jaime Reese

  A window he could actually slide open.

  After a few hours, more birds would come for their breakfast from the small feeder Ben had hung on the limb of the tree.

  Their tree.

  Bull was officially broken in to his family-man role and loved it. He had trees that needed trimming and a lawn to cut. Panoramic ocean views couldn’t compare. With Ben in his arms, he always felt at home.

  The rhythmic snoring from the neighboring room faltered. Soon, Wooky would wake and demand he be released to the backyard to take care of business.

  Another change.

  Wooky. A guard dog and gift from Dylan with an easy-to-pronounce name Ben chose for those times he felt comfortable enough to speak.

  Even though Dylan had been pissed at Aidan for pulling Wall away from their peaceful ranch life, he couldn’t hang on to the anger for long after hearing that it was to save Bull, the man who had been initially tasked to guard him nearly two years ago. Dylan said he was duty-bound to give them a gift since fate had brought them all together.

  Regardless of Aidan’s insistence that this was actually Dylan dishing out punishment, Bull easily saw beneath the snarky facade at the man’s passion for finding a forever home for the overgrown brindled Bullmastiff puppy. Dylan swore it was a perfect match.

  “A Bullmastiff for a bull. That makes enough sense even Aidan could understand,” Dylan had claimed with a teasing smirk.

  After a feigned sneer from Aidan and a few chuckles from their friends, he and Ben had welcomed the new addition into their family. They loved the large pup and spoiled him. And with their new addition guarding Ben almost as fiercely as he loved him in return, it was another win in Bull’s mind.

  Bull pushed his nose into Ben’s hair and took a deep breath, smiling when the lingering scent hit his senses. Regardless of Ben’s efforts, the man couldn’t wash out the sweet smell of the shop’s sugary ingredients. With a stroke of his fingertips along Ben’s back and another kiss to his forehead, Bull slowly worked to rouse him. He chuckled at the expected grumble of protest.

  Early rising was the only drawback to baking. And nothing set Ben off more than the vibration of his alarm going off while it was still dark outside.

  Except for being tickled.

  Bull stroked his fingertips along Ben’s side. Ben instinctively curled into Bull’s body and fought the building laughter. That joyful, life-filled sound—even masked with sleep—was a beautiful symphony to Bull’s soul. He pressed another kiss to Ben’s forehead and stroked the back of his hand down Ben’s torso.

  That was enough to wake Ben from his sleep. He slapped away Bull’s hand and narrowed his eyes into the cutest menacing glare Bull swore he had ever seen.

  “Groundbreaking is today. You have a lot of prep and don’t want to be late.” Bull slowly spoke and signed, knowing the message would reach Ben’s caffeine-deprived mind one way or the other.

  Ben stared and blinked.

  Then blinked some more.

  Sometimes…it took a little while.

  A few seconds later, Ben’s eyes rounded and his head whipped to the side, over to the alarm clock on the nightstand. He glanced back at Bull with a scowl. “I have thirty minutes until my alarm goes off,” he signed. “Thirty. Minutes.”

  “I know,” Bull signed. Ben loved baking, but sometimes Bull wondered if sleeping would win if Ben were pressed to make a choice.

  But there was one thing Ben loved more than sleep.

  The scowl faded into a frown and then vanished when the meaning of Bull’s words registered in Ben’s sleep-fogged mind. That teasing glint in Ben’s eyes finally appeared. “We have thirty minutes. But I only need ten,” Ben signed, not even bothering to disguise a laugh.

  Bull slowly shook his head. He wasn’t ready to share Ben with the world yet. “I want my thirty minutes.”

  Ben raised his hands to sign something, then stopped. He bit his lip and did it again until he finally signed, “I want more than thirty.” There was hesitation in Ben’s expression, almost as if he had wanted to add something more. Instead, he reached out and flattened his hand against Bull’s cheek.

  With a deep sigh, Bull leaned into Ben’s palm, enjoying the tender caress. He had always savored their time together, but since that day when he had nearly lost it all, Bull treasured every second for what it was…

  A gift.

  A gift of life, love, happiness, and every dream fulfilled all rolled into a sugar-scented, lean package of tight muscles, snarky humor, and overwhelming kindness.

  He turned his head and kissed Ben’s palm as he reached out and slid an arm around Ben’s waist, pulling him close.

  I love you.

  Ben’s breath hitched, reading Bull’s thoughts as he often did. He cupped Bull’s face and pressed their lips together in a kiss.

  That single point of contact lit a fire in Bull’s heart. He surrendered, losing all sense of time and place. Nothing existed but the taste of Ben’s lips, the tiny sounds of pleasure that escaped him, the warmth of his body, and the fingers now digging into his shoulders, tugging him close. He reached behind himself, into the nightstand, refusing to break the kiss as he felt his way around in the drawer until he found the lube.

  Fingers scraped against his scalp and another moan echoed in their room as he stretched Ben. One finger, then another until Ben slung his leg over Bull’s waist, signaling him to move on.

  With their bodies aligned and finally joined, they stilled, reveling in the connection.

  Bull closed his eyes and pressed their foreheads together. It was more than physical. There was something deep within that settled and spread peace and rightness throughout his body each time they came together.

  A smile pulled at his lips when Ben traced a finger along his jawline and down his throat.

  He slowly pushed their bodies together. The tight heat welcomed him and the moan hitting his ears encouraged him to deepen his thrust. They held each other close as their bodies moved in sync.

  With each deliberate slide into Ben’s body, the desire and need escalated, fusing with the love in Bull’s heart and his soul’s demand for more.

  More time, more…everything.

  He thrust faster, harder, crushing the slightest centimeter of space between them. His pulse triple-timed as sweat burst from his pores. This spark between them was a connection that spoke a million words that never needed to be said.

  And he wanted it forever.

  He quickened his pace, desperately craving each touch and sound that escaped the man he loved writhing beneath him.

  Ben gasped a breath and dug his fingers into Bull’s shoulders. Each breath came quicker, shorter. Ben was close.

  They were close.

  Bull tightened his arm around Ben’s waist and drove his hips forward. He struggled for control, harnessing the current zipping through his body. He hooked his arm under Ben’s leg and angled their bodies.

  Ben gasped and moaned as he gripped the headboard behind him, welcoming each thrust.

  Bull glanced up, something inside him snapping at the tiny bullhead tattoo inked on the inside of Ben’s wrist.

  He drove his hips forward…harder, faster, his rhythm faltering as electricity shot up his spine, jolting him deep into Ben one final time. He threw his head back, surrendering when his release tore through him just as warmth filled the space between them.

  He fell forward, huddling their bodies close as he huffed each breath. They held each other until their breathing settled. With a gentle kiss to Ben’s temple, Bull rose from their bed and warmed a towel in the bathroom. He wiped their bodies clean and lowered himself back onto the bed next to Ben.

  He took Ben’s hand and pulled it close, pressing a tender kiss to the penny-sized bullhead on the inside of Ben’s wrist. Though the tattoo was small, its meaning was not.

  Just like the mark Ben had left in Bull’s heart, the inked symbol was permanent.

  They were permanent.

  They faced each oth
er, gazing into each other’s eyes. This was their world. A world where words weren’t needed because every thought and emotion was in their touch and glance. The keeper of his heart was everything he had always wished for and everything he never knew he had wanted.

  Ben was the promise of forever, a conduit of an endless supply of love and kindness and proof there was goodness in the world. And Bull would do anything and everything to never let the darkness taint that special, sweet light within his Ben.

  He closed his eyes when Ben’s fingertips brushed through his hair. The caring gesture enough to let Bull know he was loved, and the rhythmic stroking enough to lull him back to sleep.

  Bull startled awake at the shake of the bed a few minutes later. He must have nodded off, likely part of Ben’s ultimate plan to steal a little more sleep. But the vibrating pads linked to Ben’s alarm clock system were enough to shake even the deepest of sleepers back to reality. With a groan, Ben reached out and slapped the alarm clock on the nightstand at his side of the bed to stop the shaking.

  Bull chuckled as Wooky bounded into the room and pushed his big head against Ben, nudging him to wake while Ben retreated deeper under the covers. Wooky was on a mission. On those mornings when Ben had the morning shift and their bed shook with the alarm, that shaking was the equivalent of a starting pistol for their pup. He wanted to play their morning game…and Wooky would win where Bull and the bed shaking alarm had failed.

  With the bedsheets firmly locked in his jaw, Wooky yanked and pulled the fabric as Ben tried to keep them covered. After a failed tug-of-war, Ben jolted up the moment the cold air hit his skin. He sat still, a blank expression on his face as he slowly woke while Wooky sat next to the bed with a triumphant look on his face and his tail thumping against the hardwood floor.

  “Good boy,” Bull said to their pup just as Ben reached out and petted his large head.

  With a dramatic pout and a final grumble of protest, Ben finally rose from the bed, gave Bull a quick peck, and stumbled into their bathroom to get ready for work.

  Bull smiled, wondering if Ben would ever get used to waking early. “C’mon, boy,” he said, getting out of bed and setting Wooky free into the backyard. Even though it was still dark outside, he heard a few more chirps coming from their tree and the distant sound of a car starting.

  He strolled into the kitchen and started the pot of coffee.

  The world around them had awakened.

  And it was time for Ben to share his sugary goodness with the world.

  = ♥ =

  Ben covered the freshly mixed icing in the bowl and pitched his gloves in the trash bin. Glancing up, he took a few seconds to enjoy the event. Matt chatted with Shaw and Drayton under the canopy, smiling and nudging each other as Julian watched over the catering staff at the grill and Wooky patiently waited to see if anything fell to the ground.

  Cal stood in the distance with Rachel, holding hands and whispering into each other’s ears. Over the last few months, they had gotten closer. After a full renovation and heightened security improvements, they had moved in together—into Gabriel’s old penthouse. It hadn’t taken much convincing to get Rachel to move down to South Florida and relinquish some control to Anthony at the corporate office. And while having a record had been a hindrance in Cal finding a traditional job, his skills had provided unexpected insight and perspectives when it came to security. Enough to transition him into taking over Gabriel’s role doing security assessments for the company.

  Anthony had formally welcomed Cal to Davenport’s lead security team.

  And Rachel had welcomed him into her heart.

  Ben couldn’t have been happier for his friend.

  A huge red ball rolled across the grass, stealing Ben’s attention.

  He smiled at the kids running across the field, throwing the large ball and chasing each other. Wooky quickly joined in on the fun, running circles around the children and shoving the ball with his oversized head. Ben wished he would have had a place like this growing up. Now, because of Shaw, the neighborhood had a youth center. It had taken years of county hearings and tireless work. But Shaw had ultimately won over the neighbors who had initially protested the loss of their golf course. Ben had barely been able to hold back the excitement the moment Shaw had asked if they would cater the groundbreaking event.

  To prepare for the task, Shaw had tagged on a few warm-up jobs—all of which had ended with success. They were now the official caterers for the local D&V Infinity events—both in-house corporate events and those they sponsored. It was daunting yet exciting. And the more events they catered, the greater the number of referrals and new agreements they secured.

  Ben didn’t know the extent of the referrals or number of companies. They left the business side of things in Gabriel’s capable hands.

  A tap to his shoulder pulled him from his thoughts. Turning, there was Natalie with a huge grin on her face.

  “We’re out of a few of the cake slices, but we still have enough of your other treats to hold people over.”

  Panic crept in. “We’re out?” he signed.

  “Only because people are getting second and third servings.”

  He blew out a sigh of relief. As long as everyone had at least one serving, he was happy. He would be happier if people had enough to fully satisfy their sweet tooth.

  “Do you want me to take inventory of what’s out? I know you have extra at the shop.”

  He quickly nodded and signed a thank-you in response.

  “Hey, that’s what sisters are for.”

  He wrapped his arms around Natalie and gave her a squeeze. He screwed his eyes shut, holding on to her. He may have severed ties with his blood-related sister, but through the odd twist of life, he had gained another. Natalie had taught, supported, and encouraged him so much that he would always be grateful.

  She pulled out of the embrace, smiling. “If you make me cry, I’m going to have you doing all the morning prep for the next month.”

  They laughed. Ben’s struggle to wake early in the morning was no secret.

  “Did you see Dad?” she asked, the devilish grin on her face a giveaway there was something behind her question. She stood on her tippy-toes and pointed over to the crowd in the distance.

  Ben craned his neck, searching, and then bit his lip to hold back a smile when he spotted Frank with his chest puffed out and his arm slung around the shoulders of a very red-faced smiling Gabriel. To his credit, Frank had made every effort humanly possible to make amends and repair their relationship and often took trying to a whole other level. But it was worth it to see that huge smile on Gabriel’s face.

  Jessie appeared at the table near Ben’s area where an assortment of cake balls and cake pops were on display. He stuffed a cake ball into his mouth and closed his eyes, obviously enjoying the dessert.

  Aidan sidled up next to his partner and gave him a peck on the side of his head. Chuckling, he glanced over at Ben. “The man is obsessed with balls. Don’t ask,” Aidan signed. Aidan slid his arm around his partner’s waist and pulled him away when Jessie tried grabbing another ball from the display.

  Emotions swelled in Ben’s chest. Aidan had taken the time to learn ASL in the last few months. Ben was amazed at how fluent Aidan had become in such a short time.

  Natalie squeezed Ben’s shoulder, pulling his attention before signing, “I’m going to circle and see what we need. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  He nodded, scanning the large crowd as she walked away. He blew out a steadying breath. Returning to his task, he slapped on a fresh pair of gloves and pulled out the cakes from the storage bin in their small food truck.

  After a handful of onsite catering events left Ben frazzled and racing back to the shop for multiple trips, Gabriel insisted they needed a mobile solution that would allow them to set up a small baking station on short notice and stock a batch of cakes.

  Neither Ben nor Natalie had argued. Gabriel was far better at handling the business end of thing
s than they were. He worked with customers, negotiated with vendors, and forged partnerships, slowly expanding their business and services. He worked on the permits, licenses, logistics, and planning details for every catering event, handling all the details involved so Natalie and Ben could focus on the baking they loved.

  Natalie was ecstatic to have her brother so close again. And Ben thought the sweetest treat of the entire deal was having Gabriel with him all day long.

  With a smile lingering on his face, he set the cakes on the table and uncovered the icing mix from a few minutes ago. After icing and decorating the cake, he covered it with a dome and moved on to the next. Completing the task, he cleaned up the area and grabbed a few of the serving trays.

  Glancing up, he caught sight of Gabriel walking toward him.

  He couldn’t help staring at him.

  He chuckled when Gabriel blew him a kiss. Busted. He couldn’t break the staring habit and didn’t bother trying, especially where Gabriel was concerned.

  But he wasn’t alone.

  They hadn’t needed a near scare to appreciate each other, but since that day, Gabriel’s gaze lingered, he held Ben a little tighter, kissed him a little longer, and made love to him a lot slower.

  Ben definitely wasn’t complaining.

  About any of it.

  His pulse quickened. That teasing smile aimed at him always unleashed a swarm of butterflies in his tummy. “I talked to Nat. Don’t worry about her list. I’m going to the shop and picking up the extra cakes you made this morning. We’ll serve those. Do you need me to bring any supplies for icings and decorations?” Gabriel signed.

  Ben shook his head as relief eased the tension in his muscles. Gabriel knew him well. Without enough time left in the event to bake a new cake from scratch, a list of anything he didn’t already have available would likely have stressed him out.

  His mind wandered back to that morning in bed.

  He mentally kicked himself for having missed the perfect opportunity. They didn’t need fanfare or twinkly lights or big productions. But he wanted to give Gabriel that magical moment, especially since he had received so many from him in return.