“Ashton—”
“I’m sorry.”
He patted my thigh. “It’ll be okay. You have me. You’ll always have me.”
I smiled at him and sighed. “I know. That’s the only thing that keeps me sane these days.”
“Come on.” He reached in the back seat for the bag with smaller gifts and thrust it at me. “I didn’t bring you along for your good looks. You have to work too.”
I snorted, taking the bag from him while he got the large box with all the setup for the castle I’d bought for his goddaughter.
“There are more people here than I thought,” Callum murmured, glancing over at me. He still had that worried look in his eyes like he thought I was going to fall apart any minute.
I gave him my best smile. “Callum, I know you mean well, but if you keep looking at me like that, everyone’s going to think we just had a big argument and you’re worried if I’ll let you in my pants later.”
His loud laughter boomed across the yard and lit up his face. Just hearing the sound made me smile fondly at him.
I’m doing the right thing by staying in Battersea, aren’t I?
The recovery center in Texas might be the best, but it wasn’t as if I was home, diddling my thumbs. I went to AA meetings. So what if I hadn’t shared anything about myself yet? Or what if I was still waiting for that big moment that I felt like I was cured? For now, at least I went.
Callum raised his hand to knock but the door opened, and two boys rushed out.
“Uncle Cal!”
“Woah there, buddies.” Callum stumbled and had to work to keep his balance. “If I drop Kaylee’s super-awesome present, she’s going to sit on my spleen, and I’ll have to let her.”
“Super-awesome present?” A little girl full of arms and legs launched herself at Callum and gripped him around his thighs. “Is that for me? Is that for me?”
“Kids! Inside now. For god’s sake, let Uncle Cal breathe.”
I hung back, watching the love and warmth that I could sense among these people. Even the woman who appeared at the door had the biggest smile on her face that belied her yelling.
“Cal, you’re late.” She kissed his cheek. Then she spotted me and all but pushed him aside. “Oh, this must be Ashton. He’s so pretty.”
My cheeks heated up at her words. She didn’t give me much of a chance to stay embarrassed and awkward for long. Her arms came around me in much the same embrace that she’d given Callum.
“How nice to finally meet you,” she said, giving me a slight squeeze, then stepping back. “I’m Noelle, and Cal is like a brother.”
“Nice to meet you, Noelle,” I said. “Thanks for inviting me to your home. You have lovely kids.”
“Oh my god, Cal, he thinks the kids are lovely!” She laughed, and Callum chuckled right alongside her. “They are little rascals. Don’t take your eyes off them, or they’ll get you into some mischief of theirs. And don’t underestimate the girl. She’s the sneaky one.”
“Don’t scare him away,” Callum said. “Come on. Where’s Phil? He needs to help me set up this contraption Ashton bought the sneaky one.”
“Where are my manners?” She hooked an arm through mine and steered me into the house. “Let me introduce you to everyone. We have fifteen kids running amok and having a good time. Well, at least I think it’s fifteen. Some of the parents were kind enough to volunteer to help us monitor them.”
My stomach flipped at the idea of meeting these people. They were all parents. So responsible. The most responsible thing I’d ever done was go to an AA meeting, and that wasn’t anything to brag about.
But that wasn’t true. I glanced back at Callum, and he smiled encouragingly at me. He was home now and wherever he was, I didn’t have to feel like I didn’t belong.
Chapter Nine
Callum
Every instinct I had begged me to apologize to Phil and Noelle and bring Ashton home. The argument with his mother had to have devastated him. Not only had she been rude to me, but she’d basically given her son an ultimatum, which he didn’t receive kindly at all. Now she’d kicked him out, and Ashton was on his own.
As Noelle made the introductions to the other four women and two men sitting in the living room, I watched Ashton’s reaction like a hawk. If he showed the slightest hint of discomfort, I’d whisk him away.
But he didn’t seem bothered by what had happened with his mother. When Noelle introduced Ashton, recognition filled the eyes of the others, but at least they were polite enough to refrain from commenting on who he was. Ashton must’ve been tense about that too. After the general introductions, the tension eased from his shoulders, and he sidled up to me, his head on my chest.
“Aren’t you two just the cutest,” one of the women said, and I smiled at her, stroking Ashton’s hair.
The other two guys had separated themselves from the rest of us, but I didn’t mind. They seemed a bit assholeish, and I had my quota of bullshit already for the day. I didn’t plan to take any more.
I’d only held back from arguing further with Ashton’s mother because she was the closest living relative he had. I didn’t want them to have a bad relationship. It was already so rocky any input from me would’ve just made it worse. They needed to find some common ground. All the hostility wasn’t doing Ashton any good.
Two of the women went out back to check on the kids who played in the bouncy castle. Noelle walked back and forth from the kitchen, with Phil helping her out.
“I can help you,” Ashton volunteered when she returned, bemoaning that Phil was just useless.
“You cook?” Noelle asked.
“Callum has been teaching me.” He got to his feet. “I can do the basic stuff.”
“That’s good enough for me.”
“If you’re abandoning me, I’m going upstairs to help Phil set up this palace for Kaylee.”
“I need to make friends.” He planted a quick kiss on my lips, then hurried after Noelle.
I grabbed Phil, and we carried the box upstairs to Kaylee’s bedroom. They didn’t have a separate playroom, but her room was spacious enough for us to set up the castle.
Putting everything together should’ve been easy. Except it wasn’t. After Phil and I emptied the pieces on the floor, we sat back, reading the instruction manual, trying to figure out where what should go. The little booklet didn’t help. It just made everything look more complicated.
“Goddammit, Callum, couldn’t you have talked Ashton out of this?” Phil muttered, inspecting what looked like a bathtub .
“I didn’t realize there would be so many pieces.” I picked up a piece from the floor and examined it closely in an attempt to decide what it was supposed to be. The roof?
“Ugh, you mean you were there when he bought this thing, and you didn’t stop him?” Phil threw something at me, and I caught it, shaking my head at him. He could’ve damaged an important part we had to fit together. Somewhere.
“Come on. Kaylee will love it.” I grabbed what I thought was the base to start from there. “Stop bitching, and let’s put this baby together.”
“This thing must’ve cost a fortune. You know he’s going to make us all look bad.”
I chuckled at his sulky tone. “It was expensive, but he decided that it was perfect. He has a kind heart.”
He stared at me but didn’t say anything.
“It’s just clothes, Phil.”
“I didn’t say a thing.”
“You didn’t, but I saw that look you gave me.”
“It’s none of my business. I trust you to be happy and make the best decisions for you.”
“Thank you. It means a lot to me you’re all willing to give Ash a chance. He has a lot going on right now.”
Together we worked, concentrating on pieces that should fit together to create a castle that was as tall as Kaylee. Every now and again, Noelle popped in and checked our progress and delighted over Ashton’s thoughtful gift and helpfulness in the kitchen.
&
nbsp; “Callum, he’s perfect,” she gushed the next time she popped her head in. “He’s hot as hell, loaded, so clearly into you, good with the kids, and helpful too. You really should see him. Nobody else volunteered to help in the kitchen if you know what I mean. I swear this is the last party I’m throwing.”
Phil and I eyed each other and smiled. She’d said that the last time they had a party.
“I’m serious this time!”
With that, she disappeared again.
Eventually, we finished, and everything looked to be in its proper place. Phil and I stood back, admiring our handiwork.
“Holy shit, we did it,” he mumbled in awe.
“Yup, I had my doubts halfway through, but it seems we did it right. She’s going to love it.”
The castle was complete with a Rapunzel doll, a horse, and Eugene. Me knowing the names of the dolls was an indication of how much time I spent with Kaylee watching her favorite cartoons. The dollhouse was three floors in total with an elevator leading to the second and third floor. It also had a balcony, hot tub, garden, two-door garage, and a host of other rooms.
“We should get everyone to look at it now,” Phillip said.
We trudged down the stairs. Phil and Noelle had converted the backyard into a playground with a bouncy castle, where Kaylee and several of her friends were jumping up and down.
Noelle stood just inside the back door, overseeing the kids, but Ashton was nowhere in sight. Noelle’s friends were chattering in the living room.
“Where’s Ash?” I came to a stop beside her.
She laughed and pointed at the bouncy castle. “Look for yourself.”
How could I have missed him? He stood out from the children, smack-dab in the middle of the bouncy castle, oblivious to the adults who were watching him.
The kids shrieked with laughter, and he right along with them. He looked so carefree in that moment, free of all worry of drinking and mothers with unrealistic expectations.
“Where did you find this guy?” Noelle asked me, poking me in the ribs. “He’s a delight.”
“I think we found each other.”
I only realized what I said when I noticed the silence. I glanced at Noelle and groaned at the sappy look she had on her face.
“Oh, you’re in love with him,” she said. “How exciting! I just knew it from the way you introduced him to us when you just got here.”
“Try not to make a big deal about it, okay? We’re taking everything a day at a time. I don’t want him to feel pressured or anything, so if you have expectations, please don’t voice them.”
“What expectations? You mean like the way the guy should be wearing your ring, given the way he looks at you.”
“It’s complicated.”
I didn’t say more than that. The difficulties Ashton and I were facing were our business. His intoxication problem was his issue I was helping him through. I wouldn’t talk to anyone about it. Phil obviously knew some things.
In the month before we got together, Ashton had come to the coffee shop drunk on more than one occasion. Phil didn’t need to know how grave the situation was, though.
Phil plunged forward to get Kaylee to show her the dollhouse. All the other kids wanted to tag along as well, and he led them toward the house.
“It’s about time to eat now anyway,” Noelle said, following her husband and the kids inside, effectively leaving Ashton and me alone. “You should show Ash the bathroom and have him wash up. We’ll eat out front where we have tables set up.”
I nodded, then strode toward the bouncy castle, where Ashton was still jumping to his heart’s content. The closer I got to him, the more my smile grew. He was like a little kid who had discovered something new. He turned toward me, his grin wide.
“Are. You. Coming. To. Join. Me?” He said every word with a hard bounce, and I stared at the rocking frame, expecting it to topple over any second now.
“Can that thing even hold us both?”
“Only. One. Way. To. Find. Out.”
“You’re having fun?”
“Oh God, yes!”
Each time he jumped, his shirt rode up, showing off pale white skin. The smile he flashed me lit up his whole face. Such a stunning difference from the way he’d looked stressed after dealing with his mother.
“We’re about to eat,” I told him. “Come, let’s get you cleaned up.”
“I. Don’t. Wanna.”
“Ashton,” I said his name patiently.
“Daddy?”
He wasn’t going to listen to me. I could tell. With a groan, I resigned myself to what I had to do. I slipped off my boots and climbed into the bouncy castle to Ashton’s squeal of delight. Almost immediately I was flying in the air from no real effort of mine but the ripple effect of him springing around.
“Can’t. Catch. Me,” he challenged.
It took me just a few seconds to grab him around the waist, and we tumbled to the bed of the horrendous contraption, bouncing a few times before we settled into a tangle of limbs.
Ashton ended up beneath me, his face flushed, his eyes delirious with joy, breathing hard and slightly musky with sweat.
“Daddy’s going to punish me now?” he teased.
I brushed his hair from his forehead. “When we get home, I’ll swat your behind. How about that?”
His pupils dilated. “Now, please.”
“Hmm.” I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his. He wrapped his arms around my neck, and his legs went around my waist. The simple kiss I’d intended quickly turned into me grinding against him until I must’ve pushed a little too hard, and we bounced a bit.
Ashton erupted into giggles against my lips. “I’d love to bounce on your cock in a bouncy house.”
I groaned and shifted off him, keeping a hand wrapped around his wrist as I led us out of the contraption. “Not in the kids’ bouncy castle. Come on.”
He pouted and dug in his heels a little. “Daddy, we have a little problem?” He lowered his gaze to the front of his pants, which bulged. Then he gestured at me. “And a big problem.”
“Noelle asked me to show you the bathroom so you can wash up before we eat.”
“But I…” His lips rounded out when my meaning became clear. “Oooh, yes, we definitely need to wash up.”
Without a word, I huddled him into the house and to the bathroom downstairs. Thankfully, everyone was still upstairs checking out the dollhouse…which reminded me. As soon as Ashton and I entered the bathroom, I spun the lock on the door. He was already unbuckling his pants.
“Jesus, Ash, slow down.”
“I don’t want to slow down. I want you.”
I wrapped my arms around his waist and pulled him into me with my back propped against the door. He came willingly, clutching my shoulders, preparing for a quick, hard fuck in my friends’ guest bathroom.
“Thank you for the gift you bought Kaylee,” I said instead. “It’s extravagant. A bit too much for a kid you’ve never met, but she’ll never forget it.”
“Good, because I aim to be unforgettable.”
I chuckled at his immodesty, and then we didn’t have any more reason to wait. “I’ll have to punish you when we get home,” I murmured against his lips. “Otherwise, everyone else will hear my hand connecting with your very fine ass.”
He groaned. “There’s more than one way to punish me.”
He released my neck and dropped onto his knees before me. “Make me.” He challenged, licking his lips.
How could I resist my boy? I made quick work of my jeans, leaving it to sag around my thighs as I took out my semi. I pressed the tip to Ashton’s mouth, smearing my precum over his lips. He moaned, whimpering when I eventually slipped the head between his lips. He sank onto my cock, taking inch by inch of me until his lips were pressed to my pubic hair.
“Fuck,” I gasped softly at the tightness of his throat around my cock. “You look so beautiful with my cock in your mouth like that.”
But he would look
even more beautiful swallowing my load. “Don’t move.” I grasped him by the head to keep him steady and withdrew, then pushed back into his mouth. The wetness made a soft squelching sound as my thrusts became a rhythm, building to a crescendo of a masterpiece composed solely by his mouth and my cock.
He made no complaints, managed each thrust like a boy who knew what his mouth was made for. Not once did he gag, timing each thrust to accommodate his breathing.
Ashton’s face turned red, and his lips glistened with spit, which dribbled to the corner. He locked eyes with mine, and the intimacy of the moment triggered my response. I bit into my bottom lip to stop the cry that bubbled into my throat. With a soundless grunt I felt deep inside my gut, I came, my hips thrusting wildly into his wet mouth.
When I stilled, Ashton’s slim hand wrapped around the base of my cock, and he kissed my tip, lapping at the head slowly, cleaning me up. His hand slipped lower and fondled my sensitive balls, and I had to push it away.
“Thanks, Daddy,” he said when he released me. He moaned softly, his eyes blissed-out as if he was the one who had come.
I lifted him off his feet and deposited him on the counter of the vanity. Ashton gasped and clutched the edge while I went down on him. His slender cock looked graceful as my lips claimed him, slipping down and back up his length. He cried out softly and clamped a hand over his mouth to stifle the sound.
I pulled him forward so his ass hung over the edge of the counter, spit into my right hand, and rubbed the saliva over his pucker. Not the best lubricant of course but sufficient for slipping my finger up his ass as far as it could go. Ashton writhed against the counter, his eyes clamped shut, and his breathing hard as he tried to curb his usual noisiness when I fucked him.
Another finger was a tight fit, but I managed, twisting them up inside him. His body jerked, and then he spurted into my mouth. He moaned and collapsed backward against the wall, catching his breath.
Slowly, I removed my fingers from his body to avoid hurting him. I turned on the faucet and cleaned us up. He wasn’t about to be any help. He looked completely sated and thoroughly pleased like he could just roll over and go to sleep. But we still had the rest of my goddaughter’s party to get through.
Perfection Page 7