Gideon shook and closed his eyes. Again, they shared an embrace while moving with each other on the bed. He dug his nails into Kiernan’s waist, bonding them together.
Kiernan reluctantly pulled away from the kiss and lay in the crook of Gideon’s neck. Every part of his body vibrated and the heat swirling around his head made him disoriented. As his cock spilled onto Gideon’s stomach and torso, his hearts all thumped.
Is this what climaxes feel like?
Kiernan closed his eyes, riding a wave of pleasure and emotions. He clenched Gideon’s skin, tight under his nails, sensing this euphoria wouldn’t be over anytime soon.
“Gideon?”
Kiernan’s lover didn’t say a word. Instead, he held on to Kiernan tighter, then forced their lips together.
While they enjoyed another kiss, Kiernan sensed the warmth fill him, making his flesh feel as if it were up in flames. The suctions under his skin throbbed, enjoying the sensation of his special human filling him with his seed.
Would this happen every time they copulated? Kiernan would’ve guessed so, but even if it didn’t, he now had the memories of what falling in love and appreciating that other person was like.
Chapter Twelve
“Doctor Watts?” One of the nurses tapped his hand.
“Hmm? Oh.” Gideon shook his head out of the fog. Although his body was at the hospital, his head and heart remained with Kiernan. Seeing him tangled in the sheets revealing his bare back and thigh was emblazoned in his mind.
How the heck would Gideon be able to think about anything else? Thank goodness he was only making rounds.
“Are you okay?” She asked with a wry grin.
No.
Gideon straightened his tie even though it didn’t need it. He shoved one hand in his slack’s pocket. “Yeah, I’m distracted that’s all. Is there something you needed?”
“Um, well, no. Just asking if you wanted something to eat. We’re sending out for pizza.”
“Oh sure. I can give you some money.” Gideon reached for his wallet.
“No, it’s okay. We’ve got it. Any particular toppings?”
“That’s very nice of you. I’m not picky. Whatever the consensus is, I’ll eat. Thanks for that.” Gideon’s phone buzzed in his pocket.
“Alright. Did you want any appetizers or…?”
“No. I’m good.” Gideon plucked his cell from his lab coat and ambled away from the desk. When he tapped his screen, a message from Kiernan popped up. He pressed it and nearly choked on his own saliva, looking at a picture of Kiernan still in the same position he’d left him in.
“Goddamn, babe. Stop this already.” Gideon typed a reply and held the phone to his chest. He couldn’t stop the heat rushing to his cheeks. It had been so long since anyone made him happy as Kiernan did. More like never. The high school boyfriend was cute, but nothing like he had now.
“Doctor. The pizza will be here in thirty minutes.”
“Okay.” Gideon glanced at the screen again then slipped it in his pocket. He’d made rounds once, but perhaps someone on another floor needed help. Gideon had to get his head out of the clouds right away or he’d be no good for the rest of the evening. Thankfully his colleague was due back tomorrow from his conference.
Knowing he had to get it in right away, Gideon requested three weeks off. For the first time ever, he’d be enjoying sun and sand with his new boyfriend in tow. After last night, Gideon couldn’t see himself with anyone but Kiernan. He’d captured Gideon mind, body, and soul. Didn’t matter that they hadn’t known each other that long. They had feelings for each other that Gideon was confident would last.
“Doctor?”
Gideon looked up at the nurse, as well as several others. They all grinned at him.
Oh God.
If only Gideon could get his head out the clouds, then they wouldn’t be staring.
“Did you need something?”
Two of the nurses couldn’t hold back their laughter.
Gideon sighed aloud and pinched the bridge of his nose. “All right you guys, I know I’ve been acting like a space cadet, but for a good reason.”
“Yeah. Especially since you’ve been dating one of the hottest models in the world.” One of the residents said with a snicker.
The others gasped and whispered between themselves.
Damn.
Freaking entertainment news shows and papers.
Gideon dropped his head and rubbed the back of his neck. Why wouldn’t those pictures from last night get out? He lived close to Hollywood where everyone wanted a good piece of gossip. Gideon didn’t wish to bring undue attention on himself or the hospital so he might have to avoid Kiernan’s shows for the foreseeable future.
“Is that true, Doc?”
“Yeah.” Gideon shrugged. “We’ve been dating for a while, but I won’t say any more. Let me know when the pizza gets here.” Gideon spun on his heel before he started talking. No question he wished to share his good news, but he wouldn’t be part of the workplace rumor mill.
Once again, Gideon’s phone dinged in his pocket. He clenched his fist, trying hard not to pick up. It had to be Kiernan distracting him with another sexy photo.
Or not?
Gideon’s curiosity got the best of him and he removed the cell. He taped the screen.
“Going to Elijah’s. The eggs are starting to hatch. Please do not worry. Just come when you’re able to break away.”
“Crap.” Gideon tapped the message to phone Kiernan. “Hey. They just started?”
“Yes. I had to hurry out of bed and get dressed. I feel terrible for already missing the first one, but I didn’t think they’d start so soon.”
“Don’t beat yourself up about it. I wish I could be there.”
“It’s not a problem, lover. I want you here but come when you can. We’ll be fine.”
“Okay. Things are slow here, but I’m the senior doctor on this floor so I can’t leave.”
“Again, no worries. Me and the eggs will survive.”
“Okay. I’m still gonna worry, but I’ll be over as soon as my shift is done. As long as there are no emergencies, I can be there by midnight.”
“Alright. I’ll see you then.”
“Yes, you will. I… I love you, Kiernan.”
Silence.
Gideon pinned his lips into a thin line. He was sure those words caught Kiernan off guard, but he meant them. He tended to fall for a man quickly, so this shouldn’t have been a surprise.
“I love you, too. I mean it. I really do.”
Gideon smiled to himself. Hearing his boyfriend repeat the words made his heart race. “Good. I miss you.”
“Miss you too. I’ll see you later then?”
“Yes. Later.” Gideon pushed the disconnect and slipped it in his pocket. He released a ragged breath, thinking of last night and their evenings going forward.
Gideon wouldn’t be alone anymore. They’d have each other along with the babies. Gideon wished they could keep them all.
Knowing he had someone in his corner, Gideon couldn’t stop smiling. This alien had stolen his heart without even trying.
* * * *
The moment Elijah opened the door, Kiernan dashed inside. He’d hired a car to bring him so he wouldn’t miss another minute of his hatchlings revealing themselves. “How many more have hatched?”
“Only the one so far. I started spraying them with water to keep them calm until you got here.” Elijah followed close behind.
“Oh Goddess, Elijah, thank you for taking care of them. I owe you one.”
“Hey no problem.”
“I really should’ve stayed here with you instead of…
“Hey, don’t get all upset. I’m honored to be their first keeper.”
“You’re a good one, Elijah. I… Goddess I didn’t think they’d be so early.”
“Must mean they’re eager to get back to sea.”
Kiernan stopped in front of the tub and knelt down. He rolled up his sl
eeves and scooped up his first baby into his hands. “So cute. Oh Goddess, I wonder what Gideon would think if I wished to keep them all.”
“What? Kiernan…” Elijah nearly squealed.
“I’m serious. I find a house by the beach, and raise them on my own. Then when they are old enough, they can swim back to Necetune. I’ll find someone to keep watch over them while me and the doctor are busy, but otherwise, I can handle it.”
“All one thousand six hundred thirty-three?”
Kiernan shrugged. “Why not?” When he patted the baby’s head, it mewled in response. He rubbed it against his chin. “Don’t you wish you would’ve kept all of yours?”
“Sometimes, but…” Elijah dropped to his knees beside Kiernan. “I’m not unhappy with only keeping one. Besides, they come so often, it’s almost as if I did keep them, you know?”
“They miss you. Not saying Ugele isn’t doing a fine job, but obviously they want their parent.”
“True. Well geez, what brought this on? When you arrived, you didn’t even want children.” Elijah playfully slapped his shoulder.
“I know.” Kiernan cradled the baby in his arm and lifted another that had just hatched out of the water. “It’s the doctor. I’m falling in love with him and wish to spread it to my children. Perhaps they would follow in my path and take over a human or perhaps not, but in the meantime, I want to show them the best of both worlds.”
“That’s so admirable, Kiernan. I never thought I’d hear you speak like that. Are you sure about those feelings you’ve got for Gideon?”
“Never been more sure in my existence. I’m new to this love thing, but I know how the doctor makes me feel. My heart fills with joy and he makes me weak. And, I accept that. Since I’m not ruling anything, I don’t have to be fierce. Besides, I found someone worthy and special. It’s too good to pass up.”
Elijah gripped his arm. “Aw that’s so wonderful. I can’t wait to meet this human.”
“He’s amazing.” Kiernan watched more eggs hatch one after the other. He couldn’t hold all of them, so he figured he’d leave them in the tub and clear the shells from the water. Once they finished, they could stay there until Gideon showed up. Hopefully by that time Kiernan could come up with names of at least half.
Surely this would be a tough task, but with the doctor by his side, Kiernan knew he could accomplish anything.
It took a while, but eventually all the eggs hatched. The bathtub wasn’t big enough for all, so they put some in a large bucket, while others were in the face bowl. Kiernan would have to start the search for a home a lot sooner than later.
“Wow. I never thought…” Jaxon wiped his forehead and sat next to Elijah.
Kiernan still had the first one in his arms. Apparently, the hatchling didn’t want to leave his side. “To see this many squid?”
“I mean, I’m used to it, but not from the same Necetune. Why do you think that is?”
“No clue.” Kiernan said, still stroking his firstborn’s head. He decided to wait until Gideon got there to start the naming process. It would take all night, but he was willing to do that to assure all the babies had an identity.
“Maybe it was the love the two of you shared.” Elijah blurted out.
“Wha? We were falling in love too.” Jaxon whined.
Elijah rubbed Jaxon’s arm. “I know, but Kiernan or Weshinwa has needed something like this in their life to feel whole. I always knew I’d want someone. They didn’t.”
“Yes… Clearly, I’ve been missing out on this emotional connection thing.” Kiernan interjected.
“Aw, that is so cute!” Elijah said in a funny voice.
“Stop that! I won’t have you tease me no matter what.” Kiernan looked at his transmitter again. It was close to midnight. Gideon had already messaged him asking for the address. Kiernan couldn’t wait to see his face when he spotted the babies. He hoped Gideon would accept that he wished to raise them all.
Elijah and Jaxon both laughed.
“Keep laughing if you want. I can take it.” Kiernan finished his sentence and the doorbell rang.
“Ah, must be the human.” Elijah got up as did Jaxon. They walked out of the bathroom.
“You’re finally gonna meet your daddy. Isn’t that exciting?”
While Kiernan spoke to the hatching in Necetune, he heard Gideon introducing himself. He smiled, feeling the heat rush to his cheeks. Gideon had the kind of effect on him that couldn’t be duplicated. If anyone back home knew how much Kiernan had changed, he wouldn’t hear the end of it.
“Hi.”
Kiernan looked up at Gideon and grinned. “Hey babe.” He carefully got up and ambled to him. He kissed Gideon’s lips and held up the baby. “Look. This one hatched without me. The rest are in the bathtub, on…”
“Whoa.” Gideon’s eyes widened and he gasped. “These are all of them?”
“No. Some are over here and others in the face bowl. They’re all ours, though.”
Elijah and Jaxon snickered.
“Hush you two.” Kiernan berated them.
“Sorry. We’ll leave you two alone. Let us know if you need anything.” Elijah and Jaxon left and closed the door behind them.
Kiernan glanced at his lover. “Now, Doc, don’t faint again. This time I won’t be able to catch you.”
“No, I’m not, just… wow.” Gideon walked to the other side of the bathroom and slapped his own forehead.
Kiernan watched Gideon carefully. He cleared his throat and put the baby down in the water with their siblings. Kiernan went to where Gideon stood and hugged him from behind. He dropped his hands to his lover’s waist and pressed a kiss to the back of Gideon’s neck. “I missed you, but I want to talk about the babies first.”
“Of course.” Gideon turned in his hold and met his gaze. He curled his arms around Kiernan and kissed his head. “What did you want to say?”
“I want to keep them until they’re old enough to swim.”
Gideon nodded and cupped Kiernan’s chin in his palm. “I thought that was already a done deal. Isn’t that the main reason why you got pregnant?”
“No. I didn’t want it at all. I only came to earth to have fun, but then, we got close and all that changed. I still wanted fun, but now I want it with you and the babies.”
“I want that too.” Gideon ran his fingers through Kiernan’s hair and pressed a light peck to his forehead. “We just need to find a place.”
“I was thinking a beach house like this one. If we find something near Elijah and Gideon, the babies will have playmates. Do you mind the commute between home and the hospital?”
“Nope. Anything so my man and children can be comfortable.” Gideon smiled at Kiernan.
“Oh Goddess, Gideon. Thank you.” Kiernan hugged Gideon tight, then intertwined his lips with his lover’s. The moment their lips met, all the children started mewling in unison, creating a little tremor under their feet.
“Aw. The little buggers want our attention.” Kiernan grinned.
Gideon snorted. “Not surprising. They are newborns. Holy crap we’re gonna have to name them all.”
“Yes. All sixteen hundred thirty-three of them.” Kiernan said proudly.
Gideon sank to his knees, pulling Kiernan down with him. “How will we remember sixteen hundred thirty-three names?”
“We’ll try our best. Maybe we won’t name them until they start swimming. However, this one.” Kiernan lifted the first from the water. “I already know this one is Elijah.”
“Aww. Yeah if you didn’t chase him here, we would’ve never met.”
“I didn’t chase him. I followed him and believe me.” Kiernan reached for Gideon and pulled him in for a hug. “It was the best mistake I ever made.”
Epilogue
Six human months later…
Kiernan
“No, no. 99, please don’t.” I spoke sternly to one of my hatchlings. I lifted my sunglasses and got up from the beach chair. I’d been sitting at the shore with the
children all morning, as well as Elijah’s since both were working.
After not finding names for all the babies, the doctor and I settled on numbering them. First hatchling Elijah was still intact, but other than that we gave up rather quickly.
To tell them apart, we attached small tags to one of their tentacles, or at least for Gideon to distinguish one from the other. I knew from Necetune communication which baby was which. However, the tags were helpful especially if the babies weren’t in the mood to talk.
“Now, now, 99 you’ve got to behave. Stop hitting them.” I lifted them from the water and placed them in a separate fishbowl. They’d grown fast. At times they’d follow Ugele or I back to Necetune to visit. Our local wisdom teacher told us, they might be slightly advanced because of the doctor, which was okay with me. Being extra intelligent would only benefit them in the long run.
Although the trips to Necetune were bittersweet, I still made them. Days after I had the babies, I went back to choose a successor. They were brilliant and only aspired to rule, telling me they’d be a perfect choice. I agreed, which was why I didn’t take long to decide.
As expected, most of my brethren laughed at me when I told them I’d fallen in love. In fact, much like the humans that didn’t believe Kiernan could have a boyfriend, the Nectune treated me the same way. Didn’t matter, though, because their jabs wouldn’t make me regret it.
While some shunned me, others asked if making the switch was worth it. I replied, only if it’s in your heart to try something new. Our people had old ideals that needed to be changed, but knowing that wouldn’t happen, I added they shouldn’t allow those outdated sayings to influence them.
“47? Come back here please.” I stepped in and splashed water on them, making them all gurgle. Then I dog paddled a few feet to catch my kid. This one didn’t like playing with others and constantly tried to escape. Something told me they’d return to Necetune faster than their siblings. Whatever they decided was completely fine. The reason why I kept them all was to give them that choice. That way all them could see all of what each world had to offer.
Love at First Clutch : A Gay Tentacle Romance Page 11