by Webster, K
“Christmas, Dad.”
I groan as I drive. “Fine. I’ll be there.”
“Mom is bringing a date,” she says softly. “Are you going to be okay?”
Stifling a yawn, I shrug. “Honestly, sweetheart, I’ve never been better. How are you and Stan?”
“We’re doing well. It’s one of the reasons I wanted you to come over for Christmas,” she says, her voice soft and unsure.
Stan is an okay guy. Kind of nerdy. My girl could get someone better but, for some reason, she likes this guy. They’ve been dating a few years now. Met in college and now live together.
“I’ll be there. You know I will.”
She sighs. “I know. I know I can always count on you. It’s Mom who…” She trails off. “Mom’s new guy is kind of an asshole. Don’t tell her I said that.”
“I’m hard to beat,” I tease.
“You’re irreplaceable,” she agrees. “See you soon, Daddy. Love you.”
“Love you too, Mel.”
We hang up and I can’t wipe the stupid grin off my face. Mel and I are busy with our lives but any time we talk, I feel like we’re back to when she was nine, sitting on my lap while we binge-watched I Love Lucy reruns. Mel’s always been my little sidekick. When she went off to college, though, she grew up on me. Got her own life. It was truly the moment when Janice and I began to fizzle out completely. Without Mel bringing us together, we weren’t anything.
I pull into the parking lot of a bar and climb out. The blistery wind is too fucking cold and I rush inside as quick as I can to avoid the elements. The weather says we’re about to get pounded with a snowstorm.
Inside the bar, it smells like smoke. And fried cheese. The jukebox is playing some old Led Zeppelin tune. This place is for old men like me.
Not drunk ass young men.
Especially not snoring ones.
“Stop,” the pink-haired bartender says, swatting at some guy sitting next to Nick.
He’s trying to balance his cup on Nick’s head. What a dick. I stalk over their way and the moment the bar patron sees me, he slides off his stool and stumbles away, taking his cup with him.
“You must be the dick,” the bartender says, waving.
I frown. “Dane.”
“That’s the one,” she chirps. “I’m Foxxy.”
I try not to cringe at that name. “Great, Foxxy. How much do I owe you for his tab?”
She slaps the bill down and I settle it with a wad of cash, making sure to tip her well for texting me from this drunk ass’s cell phone.
“Hey,” I grunt, running my fingertips through his hair. “Wake up.”
He mutters out something unintelligible. Then, he sits up and stares at me. Even with his eyes bloodshot and hooded, drool smeared across his chin, and his lip swollen and split, he’s fucking hot.
“What the hell happened to you?” I growl.
He shrugs and nearly falls off the stool. I slip an arm around him and help him to his feet. His body slumps against mine, his fingers clutching my coat. Speaking of coats…
“Did you bring anything warmer to wear?”
“I’m hot,” he slurs. “You make me hot.”
People are beginning to stare and normally, I might be a little freaked out to be seen with a man, since this is still all so new to me. But right now, Nick’s well-being is my primary concern. The other people here can go fuck themselves.
“Let’s get you home,” I grumble as I guide him out of the bar.
“I can’t go back.” His words are sharp and punctuated.
“You’re coming home with me.”
He looks up at me with the saddest fucking eyes I’ve ever seen. Once I get to the bottom of why he’s like this, I’m going to help him. Whatever has him upset, we’ll deal with together. He may have started as a random fuck in a hotel, but that’s not what he is to me now.
The snow pelts us and he bitches at it. I bite back a chuckle as I help him into my Porsche. He rests his head against the headrest and starts snoring before I have him buckled in. Once I’m in the driver’s seat and have the car started, I stare at him. Sleeping, he looks just like he did the weekend we met. Since then, he’s been tense as fuck at the office. I didn’t want to push him since he’s clearly uncomfortable with my being his boss, but I’m tired of sitting back and watching him be so unhappy. He needs someone to talk to. I want to be that someone.
I drive us home and for a brief moment consider going to my cabin by the lake. If we weren’t threatened by a damn near blizzard, it’d be the perfect place to get him away, and for him to unwind. But, for now, he’ll have to settle for my house. It’s the same one Mel grew up in. The same one where I spent all those years with my wife. She left and got a fancy loft, in August’s building of all places. It’s more to her speed. Sleek, over-the-top expensive, with a spa on the bottom floor. I’m just glad to get her out of my house.
I pull into the garage and my stomach grumbles. I was working late when I got the text about Nick. Missed dinner too. He’s heavy as hell passed out, and I nearly drop his ass a few times getting him inside. Once we step into the warm kitchen, he wakes up and stands on his own two feet.
“Where are we?” he murmurs.
I help him into the living room and onto the sofa. “My house. You hungry?”
He nods and rubs his eyes with the heels of his hands. I leave him be to shed my coat and search for something to cook. It’s not my first choice, but I settle for popping a frozen lasagna in the oven. Since we have to wait an hour for it to cook, I brew a pot of coffee to sober Nick up. Once I’ve made us both a cup, I walk back into the living room.
He’s kicked off his shoes and wrapped up in Mel’s favorite blanket for when she visits. It’s pulled over the top of his head, and right now, he looks a lot younger than his twenty-five years. Instead of wanting to jump his bones, I want to fix whatever is making him look so small and lost.
I hand him his mug and set mine down on the coffee table. “I’m going to change. I’ll be right back. Bathroom is first door on the right in the hallway. Make yourself at home.”
Quickly, I changed out of my suit and settle for a pair of dark gray sweats and a long-sleeved white T-shirt. Since I’m still cold as fuck, I pull on my old man slippers Mel got for me last Christmas. At the time, I’d thanked her but thought hell no would I be caught dead wearing Sherpa-lined house shoes. But my girl knows me. They’re comfortable and I love them.
“You have a lot of pictures,” Nick says when I enter the room.
I glance around the living room. Half of them are missing. Janice took as many as she could of Mel. I had to fight her over some of them. All that’s left are ones of my daughter and I, and a few of just Mel.
“Yeah,” I agree and plop down beside him. “Are we going to discuss why your lip is split and how come you’re shitfaced on a weeknight?”
He sips his coffee. “My dad’s an asshole.”
“Your dad hit you?” I grit my teeth together.
His brown eyes sweep my way and he frowns, giving me a slight nod. Fuck if he doesn’t look like he’s about to cry.
“Did you hit him back?” I growl.
His head shakes and he drinks another sip of his coffee. “Nah. He’s my dad.”
“And you’re his son,” I hiss, fury bubbling as hot inside me as the cup of coffee in my grip.
When he doesn’t reply, I sip some of my coffee before setting it down on the coffee table. Reaching over, I clutch his shoulder. “It’s not okay for him to hit you,” I say as calmly as I can. “I’m sorry.”
He blinks at me several times before darting his gaze away. “Mel’s pretty.”
Following his stare, I find my daughter smiling back at me from her high school senior picture hanging over the fireplace. “She takes after her mom.”
At this, he snorts. “She has the same intense stormy gray eyes you have.”
“I guess she has my personality too,” I say with a chuckle. “Mel’s determi
ned.”
He reaches forward to set his mug down on the table. “I’m sorry I started something I couldn’t finish.”
I take his hand in mine and my stomach does a flop when he doesn’t pull it away. Whatever it is going on between Nick and I since the day we locked eyes in that bar hasn’t shown any signs of stopping, no matter what he tries to do to push me away. This all feels backwards—the fucking first and then the feelings. But I don’t care. Right now, holding his hand as he unloads his problems feels good. Better than good.
“Why can’t we finish it?” I ask, squeezing his hand.
“My dad…” He trails off and winces. “I’m a fucking embarrassment to him.”
I release his hand to pull him to me. At first, he’s stiff in my embrace and then he relaxes, clinging to me like I’ve just pulled him from a churning ocean. “Listen to me, Nick. Your dad is a piece of shit. End of story. He should feel lucky to have a son like you. I’m sorry that he hit you and makes you feel like you’re unworthy of his love. But fuck him, babe. Fuck him, because his opinion doesn’t matter. You’re an intelligent, hard-working guy who’s nice to people. Your dad isn’t even a quarter of the man you are.”
He pulls slightly away and his brown eyes sear into mine. “I have daddy issues,” he snorts. Then, his drunk ass plucks at my whiskers on my face. “You think that’s why I like this salt-and-pepper shit? Because I get some sort of sick satisfaction from it?”
I grip his wrist and pull his hand away. “I’m not your dad, Nick. You don’t fuck me because I remind you of him. You fuck me because we’re good together. And you’re going to continue to fuck me because you feel that insane burning inside your chest like I do. Like you can’t get enough.
“It’s been hell having to watch you walk around the office with your sexy-as-fuck pouty face, and not drag you into my office. I’ve given you your space because for some crazy ass reason, you think we need to stay away from each other. But I’m done. I’m done waiting around for you to wise up. Seems like you’re never going to get it through your thick skull that you’re able to get what you want in this life. Nobody else dictates you. Only you.” Leaning forward, I rest my forehead against his. “And I want you. I know you want me back too.”
His lips crash to mine as he pounces on me, pushing me back against the cushions. Our mouths part and his tongue that tastes like liquor and coffee swipes over mine. My dick is hard as stone from a simple kiss and by the way he rubs against me, I can tell he’s hard too. His hands are desperate to touch me everywhere as he devours me. I slide my palms to his toned ass and squeeze, pulling his ass cheeks apart. He moans into my mouth, making me even more hungry for him.
“Dane,” he groans against my mouth. “I tried to stay away but I don’t want to.”
“Then don’t.”
He bites on my bottom lip and tugs before releasing it. “You don’t understand. It’s not just about my dad. It’s about me. I’m not this relationship guy you’re looking for. You’ve seen what kind of family I come from.”
His lips hover over mine as he stares at me. Those deep brown eyes implore me to understand. But all I see is his desperate need to be accepted. To be loved and adored and fucking cared for. Well, this stubborn ass came to the right place. I’ve been looking for the same thing for twenty-six long years.
“You think you’ll get involved and then get bored?” My brows furrow together as I admire his handsome face. His hair has lost the gel and hangs over his forehead into his eyes. A rosy blush has spread over his cheeks from our fevered kiss. But it’s those lips I crave. Even with the split lip, looking angry and tender. I want to lick it until it heals. I want to lick him until his heart heals.
“It’s what I do,” he rasps out, shame flickering in his eyes.
“Because you hadn’t met me yet,” I tell him confidently. “I’m not stupid, Nick. There’s something tethering us together. It’s as tangible as our physical connection. You have things I need and I have things you need. Let’s give them to each other. Let’s take from each other. Be a greedy bastard with me.”
He smiles, crooked, and it’s fucking adorable. “I like taking from you.”
“You took my virginity,” I say with a smirk.
A chuckle rumbles from him. “Tightest ass I’ve ever been in. What kind of glutes exercises are you doing? I’d say you’re doing them wrong, but hell, I’m not complaining.”
“Smartass.” I run my fingers through his unruly hair and grow serious again. “Stay with me until you get back on your feet. If you decide you want to move on, then I won’t hold it against you. But if things work out…” I kiss his supple mouth. “Let it, Nick. Just fucking let it.”
I don’t get a response.
Just his crushing kiss. Hard enough I taste blood from his injured lip. I think it’s his promise to try.
That’s all I’m asking.
After two heaping plates of lasagna and a half a pot of coffee, my buzz is nearly gone. The cold reality of my situation settles heavily in my gut. It’s snowing hard outside and I’m nursing yet another cup of coffee while Dane cleans up the kitchen. He’s so happy in his environment. His house is warm and cozy. Everywhere you turn, there’s something that’s family oriented. Something that indicates this house has been well-lived in and filled with love over the years.
Dane walks over to the back door and stares outside. His hands are on his tapered hips and I get a nice view of his ass in his sweatpants. Earlier, we’d kissed until I just about came in my pants like a fucking teenager. We didn’t make it much further because dinner was ready.
But now…
Now, I want to get this man naked.
To turn off my mind and let my body go.
Just like that weekend we met. That weekend was bliss. One of the best I’ve had in ages. And with every passing second in Dane’s house, I can feel the tension bleeding from my shoulders.
“I doubt we’re going anywhere tomorrow. It’s coming down too heavy,” he says, his back still to me. His T-shirt is molded to his frame and I admire his physique. My mouth waters, and I’m desperate to peel his shirt off and run my palms down the muscles on his back. He turns toward me and I rake my gaze down to his cock. He’s not hard at the moment but even flaccid, his cock is thick and hangs heavy. The bulge in his sweatpants makes my dick hard.
“I like your sweatpants,” I admit with a half grin.
He smirks and drags his stormy eyes along my front, settling his stare on my cock that strains against the material. “I like yours too.”
I rise from my chair and cross my arms over my chest. “What now?”
“Now we shower. I miss seeing your naked body.” His grin is devilish and my cock twitches.
“Lead the way, old man.”
He chuckles and saunters past me. “Old man,” he grumbles. “You’ll never let that go, will you?”
“Never,” I tell him with a laugh.
I follow him down the hallway to a bedroom at the end. It’s masculine and the décor looks newer. I’m guessing when his wife split, she took a lot from here. He pulls off his T-shirt and I’m graced with looking at his impressive back. I watch him disappear into the bathroom and then the shower starts. When he returns, he’s naked and stroking his hard dick with a devious glint in his eyes.
“Time to get wet,” he says.
I rip away my shirt and then shed the rest of my clothes on the way to the bathroom. He stands in the doorway, blocking my path. When I get near him, he grabs my hips and pulls me to him so our stomachs are pressed together. Our erections are like stone smashed between us. His palms squeeze my ass cheeks as he tilts his head, seeking a kiss from me. I grip his rear end too and return the kiss with all the passion I can muster. With Dane, passion comes easy. It’s like my mind shuts off with him and I can just…be.
“You drive me crazy,” I groan against his lips. “So fucking crazy.”
“You deserve it for the hell you put me through this week,” he complains. �
��You want to know how hard it was to not go into your office, lock the door, and force you to your knees to take my cock in your pouty mouth?”
My dick thumps against him. “You’re the one who still needs to learn how to suck dick.”
“I’ve been looking forward to that lesson all week,” he rumbles. “You’ve been a prickly bastard and I’ve been patient. I’m no longer patient, Nick. Tonight, I’m going to swallow this big dick of yours.”
I’m about to shove him down to his knees to keep his smart mouth busy, but then he’s pulling me into the shower. I want to turn him around and fuck him, but he has other plans in mind. In a teasing manner, he begins soaping my body down. His strong hands are gentle as he strokes over my most sensitive areas. He makes sure to avoid my dick and it practically weeps from neglect. Our eyes are locked in a heated battle, neither of us willing to back down.
“You’re a walking dream come true,” he murmurs, once again teasing me on my lower stomach. “You know that, right?”
I snort. “Why?”
He shakes his head, flashing me a wicked smile. “Surely you’ve seen a mirror, asshole. You’re fine as fuck. This body…” He lets out a low whistle. “Turns me the hell on.” Then, he smirks. “Plus, you’ve got a pretty face.”
“A pretty face?” I laugh and shake my head at him. “Fuck you.”
Finally, his hand grips my aching dick. “Soon, pouty, soon.”
“Pouty.” I flip him off but he just grins. “I am not pouty.”
His roar of laughter echoes off the walls. “Careful, Pinocchio. That nose of yours is going to grow as long as your dick.”
“I’m not a liar. And I’m not pouty.”
Smirking, he hands me the soap. “Don’t drop it.”
“You’re an asshole.”
“One that’s been inside yours,” he retorts back.
Ignoring him, I set to soaping him down. His dick juts out proudly in front of him, bouncing ever so slightly as it begs for attention. Down, boy. I tease him like teased me until his smile is gone and he watches me much like a lion would as it stalks its prey.
He’s hungry for me.