by Dee, Cara
“Oh no,” Gray laughed.
“Adeline was mad but not really,” Jayden went on. “I could tell. She tried not to smile. But then we had to help clean in the garden. That was not fun. There are leaves everywhere!”
“I hope you learned your lesson, then,” Gray chuckled. “No pudding in bed.”
He had a feeling these two would keep their life up in the cabin very interesting.
“Why are you sad?” Jayden asked, sticking a French fry into his mouth. “Do you want more ketchup?”
Gray smiled and scratched Justin’s scalp lightly. “He’s not sad. It’s just been a lot today.”
It’d taken Justin a few hours and three conversations to understand that Gray and Darius wanted to give him a home too, and now, at the restaurant, Justin was clingy in the best ways. They shared the same corner of the bar as last time, and Darius had served them fried fish sliders, a shrimp sandwich for Gray, and all the fries they could eat. Justin ate a little, but mostly he was content to just sit sideways across Gray’s lap and rest his head on Gray’s chest.
The restaurant was far from packed at three in the afternoon, though it still kept Darius and his staff busy.
Two women had moved their lunch from the seating area to the bar and were flirting wildly with Darius. He took it in stride and humored them a little, while keeping his distance and looking slightly perturbed. Gray was enjoying watching him. Darius seriously wasn’t a social person, and it was easy to tell he’d much rather be in the cabin or surrounded by friends and family. He didn’t willingly venture outside of that bubble.
Gray grinned into Justin’s hair as he heard Darius say, “Nah, I’m batting for the other team these days.”
The women bemoaned in unison.
“Can you tell Darius I like this one but not this one?” Jayden pointed to the two sliders on his plate. “This one was the best ever.” He bit into one, his fingers sticky with grease and ketchup.
“You like the one without the spicy dressing,” Gray confirmed with a nod. “I’ll let him know.” He swayed Justin a bit to the country song playing in the background and brushed away some hair from his forehead. “You wanna eat some more, buddy?”
He shook his head but pointed to his soda.
Gray handed him the glass.
“Wait!” one of the women exclaimed. “You know, I heard once that bartenders sometimes say they’re gay to ward off women. Is that true?”
Good fucking God. If that were true, wouldn’t it be a good reason to back off?
“I wouldn’t know,” Darius chuckled. “Wearing a wedding ring doesn’t work, so I don’t see why lying about your sexual orientation would have a different result.”
The woman pouted. “So, you’re really not straight.”
“Nope. Got my eye on someone else.” Darius let out a whistle and jerked his chin in the direction of Gray, who tried not to look like he’d been watching the whole thing unfold already. “You wanna go out to dinner this weekend?”
Gray straightened and cocked his head. “Like a date?” He smiled unsurely, wondering what the man was playing at.
“Yeah.” Darius left the women behind and walked toward him. “Like a date.” When reaching their corner of the bar, he leaned forward and planted his forearms on the bar top. “I’ll even ask all the right questions. Favorite color, favorite band, and what your sign is.”
Gray laughed and shook his head. “Sounds perfectly cheesy.”
Darius’s hazel eyes glowed with warmth and amusement.
Jayden was watching them like a tennis match. “I like green.”
“Green is a good color,” Darius agreed.
Gray reached over and squeezed Darius’s hand. “I’d love to have dinner with you.”
“Fantastic. I’ll find a good place.” Darius slid his gaze to Jayden and his plate. “You want some more fries with that ketchup, small fry?”
“No,” Jayden laughed, “but I need more ketchup, I think.”
“Or you can finish the ketchup lake you already have on your plate first,” Gray suggested with a chuckle.
Darius glanced at Justin. “He okay?”
“Yes. He’s just processing.” Gray combed back the boy’s hair, and Justin leaned against him and played with one of the drawstrings of his hoodie. “You feel all right, don’t you? You just want some downtime?”
Justin nodded and buried his face against Gray’s chest.
Darius smiled faintly. “Let’s see if we can have the boys overnight soon. I reckon it’ll help them get settled up in the cabin.”
“I’ll talk to Adeline.” Gray picked a leftover shrimp from his plate and stuck it into his mouth. “By the way, did you get the rattlesnake story from Ryan?”
“I did.” Darius smirked. “He trampled one, and it tried to bite him. But he’d stepped far enough up its body that it only got leather. The snake couldn’t reach past Ry’s boot.”
“Jesus. Good. That could’ve ended badly.” Gray shuddered. “Is he a magnet for these things? First a shark, now a rattlesnake.”
Darius’s shoulders shook with laughter.
“Does he have a snake? Is it vemenous?” Jayden asked.
“It’s not his.” Gray handed the kid a napkin. “He was out camping and accidentally stepped on it. But yes, it was venomous.”
“That’s so cool.” Jayden wiped his mouth quickly. “Snakes are badass.”
“You hear that, knucklehead? Snakes are badass.”
Gray rolled his eyes.
“It’s true.” Jayden took a gulp of his soda. “Ryan is your brother, right?”
Darius inclined his head. “Aye, and it’ll make him your uncle. He’ll come up to visit soon with his own kids.”
Jayden blushed and grinned goofily.
Gray was just so fucking in love.
Gray grimaced when he read Mom’s text. “It’s never a good sign when my mom calls me son.” He tossed the wet towel into the hamper and trailed toward the bed. “Listen to this. ‘I’m glad you’re feeling better. Which I heard from Adeline, by the way.’”
Darius chuckled, already comfortable in bed. “Nice little dig to get in there.”
“Right?” Gray continued reading the text. “‘Speaking of, there are a lot of things I have to hear from her nowadays. I wasn’t born yesterday, son. You may not have outright told me that you and Darius are a couple now, but I’m not blind. Therefore, you and Darius will stop by for dinner on Sunday, and you’re welcome to bring your future children you’ve also neglected to be forthcoming about.’”
“Ooof.” Darius winced in sympathy. “Therefore, forthcoming, and son in the same text.”
“She’s never this formal.” Gray put his phone on the nightstand and snuck under the duvet. “So…you got plans on Sunday?”
“Aye. Looks like I’m having dinner with your folks.” Darius crawled half on top of Gray and kissed his chest. “I’m so fucking tired, but I gotta have you quick. It’s been too long.”
Gray hummed through a shiver and closed his eyes.
There was nothing quick about Darius’s seduction, though. He took his time kissing, licking, nipping, and touching him. His rough, callused hands elicited the best shudders and spiked the desire.
“Fuck,” Gray whispered. His cock was engulfed in wet, tight heat. As he searched blindly for the lube on the nightstand, his free hand came to Darius’s hair. “God, that feels so good.”
The best part about blow jobs from Darius was that he was always a handsy guy. And he knew what an ass-slut Gray was. Darius sucked him hard and rubbed his tight sac, gripped the base of his cock firmly, teased his ass, and kneaded the fleshy parts of his thighs.
“Hnngh.” Gray parted his legs and threaded his fingers into Darius’s hair. “Fuck, more. Your fingers, baby.”
Darius gave him what he needed. He pushed his thumb inside, without lube like Gray preferred it. He just fucking loved that sting. He didn’t want lube until there was a cock involved. Even then, spit worke
d fine.
Gray moaned and felt the desperation surging forward. “Christ. Fuck me. Please fuck me. Gimme your cock.”
Darius swirled his tongue around the head of Gray’s cock before releasing him. “Get on all fours.”
Don’t have to tell me twice.
As Darius slicked up his cock, Gray fetched the towel from his shower and fanned it out in the middle of the bed. Then he got into position and wiggled his ass for his man.
Darius chuckled huskily and dipped down, nuzzling the cheeks. “You have the most fuckable little ass, baby boy.”
Fuck yeah, the beast was out to play. He loved it when Darius got all dirty and rough.
“I feel like I’m gonna get loud tonight,” Gray admitted. “I wanna beg you to tear me the fuck up.”
Begging still didn’t come easy, which he’d told Darius. It remained somewhat of a hang-up from being in captivity, even though there were exceptions. Sometimes he had to, sometimes it felt wrong.
“Might as well take the opportunity to let me hear you,” Darius murmured. He stroked Gray’s spine and rubbed the head of his cock against the opening. “As soon as the boys move in, we’ll have to get sneakier.” He killed Gray’s lovesick smile by forcing his cock deep inside Gray’s ass, effectively stealing his breath and his ability to act like a functional human being. “Fuck. It’s like coming home.”
Gray gasped sharply, eyes wide, and got swept away by the intense burn.
The pleading groan followed, embarrassingly loudly, when he succumbed to all the sensations and started meeting Darius’s thrusts. He filled him over and over, his fingers digging into Gray’s hips, and his sexy sounds falling from his mouth. There were four of them, all equally hot. Low growls, hissing, whispered curses, and ragged groans. Gray had memorized them all.
Darius was right. This was like coming home. Gray would never get enough.
Twenty-Three
Three months and one white lie later, Gray and Darius picked up Jayden and Justin at the shelter for the last time.
Being approved as foster parents was no guarantee they’d be granted the final adoption later on, but it was a huge step in the right direction, and they had an incredible support system. The lie was a tiny one; they’d put down that they had been together for three years rather than six months, because the truth could be misconstrued. The truth could indicate that it’d been a rushed decision, and the mere idea had kept Gray up at night before they submitted their paperwork.
Now, after classes, meetings, interviews, and home visits, they received the reward.
The cabin was about to become the home of four misfits who’d entered one another’s lives without regard for timing or readiness. Four misfits who all needed help in one way or another, and what better solution was there than to band together as a family?
Gray and Darius had spent all spring preparing for this day. The perimeters had been secured, Darius was satisfied with the surveillance and protection, the crops’ biggest enemies were crows—but everything was better than larger predators—a low wooden fence had been erected along the stream to prevent curious boys from seeing if their Aquaman figures could swim, and two rooms had been turned into havens for goofballs.
Mom had helped. A lot.
If Jayden had to look at color samples for another shade of green again, Gray was fairly certain the boy was gonna blow a fuse. Poor kids had been overwhelmed by so many choices. Choices they’d never had before.
It was why they had decided against a welcome-home party tonight. Their parents were coming over for a low-key barbecue, but that was it. The rest would have to wait. Besides, Gray had an early shift at the inn tomorrow, and Darius hadn’t gotten off work until two AM last night.
“We ready to go home?” Gray closed the trunk and gestured for the kids to pile into the Wagoneer.
“Do I gotta sit in the back?” Jayden asked.
“Yeah, you gotta.” Justin dragged Jayden to the back. “Come on!”
Gray and Darius exchanged a grin.
It was amazing to witness Justin’s progress. Brick by brick, his shyness and anxiety had fallen away to let Gray and Darius in. Mom was probably next. Justin whispered to her sometimes. And he had formed an interesting little friendship with Willow, where they’d communicate solely in sign language.
Life was good.
Sometimes, a little too good.
Having all your dreams come true meant you had everything to lose, and Gray was still balls deep in his recovery. In between therapy, staying in touch with the other guys going through their own personal hell, nightmares, anxiety, family, work… Let’s just say he was glad he had Darius and the boys.
After saying goodbye to Adeline and the staff, and promising to visit soon, they drove toward Westslope and their mountains across the river.
“Can we go swimming this weekend?” Jayden asked pleadingly.
“Absolutely. Weather’s supposed to be nice,” Darius replied, making a turn past the Ponderosa schools.
Gray hoped Jayden would fit in here. He’d been cleared to start second grade after going through homeschooling and an evaluation at the shelter this past spring, so he was only one year behind. But he’d be enrolled in a private academy where he would have the chance to catch up.
“You wanna hit up a lake or go in the stream?” Darius asked in the rearview.
“Stream!” both boys hollered.
That was settled. The stream at home had seemed scary at first, and to grown-ups, it wasn’t much to write home about, but to children…? The current was strong enough and the water was shallow, yet deep enough, that they got a fun ride that lasted about ten seconds before the stream widened into calmer waters.
Jayden would let the current take him when he felt extra brave, though both preferred to ride in the inflatable toys Gray had bought.
Leaving civilization behind, he relaxed in his seat and rolled down the window.
Darius did the same and cranked up the CD playing on the stereo.
It always felt so harmonious to drive here, even more so now in the summer. Gray filled his lungs with clean, fresh air and let the outside world disappear in the rearview.
“You look content, baby,” Darius murmured.
“I’m so fucking happy up here,” Gray laughed softly. “I always pictured myself getting a place in the Valley or maybe in Downtown, but…” This was where he belonged. “Now I can’t imagine living anywhere else.”
“Good.” Darius rested his arm along the back of their seats and rubbed Gray’s neck. “Maybe we should move in together soon.”
Gray cracked up and side-eyed his smug little smirk. “Freaking comedian.”
“I’m known to be funny at times.” He scratched Gray’s neck lightly. “Love you.”
Gray reached across the seats and kissed his cheek. “Love you more.”
Their little moment came to a stop a minute or so later when the paved road ended and the tires crunched on gravel. Jayden knew what that meant. No more neighbors. They’d taken the last turn, passed the last mailbox, and the dirt road was better than an amusement park. Because Darius had introduced Jayden to steering the car…
“Darius, can I drive, please? Pleeeease?” he begged.
Darius grinned and slowed down the car. “Sure, buddy. Climb over.”
Gray kept his mouth shut, ’cause he knew he worried for nothing, and he didn’t wanna be the fretting parent. Not when Darius crawled forward at five miles an hour. It was safe. It was safe. Dammit.
Lately, they followed the law like freaking angels, all because it looked good to the boys’ caseworker. And, as Adeline had advised, that included making sure the kids rode in the back seat, not the front.
This part was just their little secret, and Jayden wasted no time. He threw himself over the back of the seat and almost did a nosedive down onto the cushion.
“Jesus, kid!” Gray stifled his mirth and righted him, to which Jayden merely grinned goofily and scrambled up on Darius’s lap.
“Away, away.” Jayden batted away Darius’s hands from the wheel and gripped it tightly himself. He was instantly in heaven. “Look at me, Gray! I’m driving the car! Beep, beep!”
Gray chuckled and turned his attention to Justin, who clearly wanted to sit in the front too.
“Come here, sweetheart. Do you need help with the—nope, you don’t.” Gray smirked. The belt was off in a second, and Justin left his booster seat and hurled himself into Gray’s arms.
“You’ve got this covered, kiddo,” Darius said. “You mind if I take a nap?”
“Uh…” Jayden huffed. “You probably shouldn’t sleep, man. I’m only eight and a half.”
Gray and Darius laughed.
“He’s a clown,” Justin giggled.
And that was what got Jayden going. He wiggled his butt and bobbed his head to the country song, anything to make Justin happy.
Darius sped up ever so slightly.
“Woo-hoo!” Jayden fist-pumped the air.
“Both hands on the wheel,” Darius reminded, laughing.
Gray smiled widely and just shook his head. There was nothing he could say. Oh, but he could take pictures.
“Did you have fun today?” Gray ran a towel over Jayden’s shoulders until he took over.
“Yeah! Darius’s dad is funny.”
He was. Darius’s mother was an older version of Gray’s own mom, but his dad… Heh. It was safe to say who Darius took after.
“Did you see the book your dad gave me?” Jayden asked. “He thinks I can read it now. That it’s not too hard.”
“I saw it on your nightstand. It’s a wonderful book. Do you know who it’s about?”
Jayden shrugged, then shook his head. “He just said it was about a boy and a fantasy girl with purple hair, and they go on adventures together.”
Gray smiled. “It’s about him and my mother. They grew up in the same town. We actually drove through it on our road trip. So, Aiden is the boy, and the girl with purple hair is my mom. But that’s a secret. You can’t tell anyone.” He winked.