by Jodi Payne
“Chomp!” Tyler squinted at Emma and leaned closer to her. “That’s wild. Some of the rats in New York are bigger than those dogs.”
Emma’s eyes went wide. “Daddy? For reals? I don’t like rats. They have the doodleonic germs. Noah said so.”
“The—oh for—seriously? That boy!” Doodleonic germs his branded ass.
“I don’t like rats either.” Tyler straightened up and looked toward the pool. “Are there doodleonic germs in the pool? No? Let’s swim!”
“Swimming!” Sophia ran for the pool, taking her sister’s hand. “Cannonball!”
Matthew chuckled and walked to the steps. Dorks. Gorgeous dorks.
“Cannonball!” Tyler followed them in, launching himself into the deep end and creating an impressive splash that set the dogs barking.
He eased himself in, the cold water sending shivers all up along his skin. It was always wild—the mixture of discomfort and oh-my-God-that-feels-good.
Tyler popped up, wet-headed and smiling, and swam over. “Oh, this is nice. Come in, slow-poke.”
“It’s amazing. I’m slow to get in, but man, it feels so good.” In fact, it felt like heaven. He hadn’t realized how hot he really was.
“This was a good investment. Does it have lights so you can swim at night?”
“Colored lights that I can program.” He grinned. “If you’re going to do this, you might as well do it.”
“Disco swimming. I like it.” Tyler dove under and circled him, pinching his butt on the way by before taking off toward the deep end again.
“Daddy! Throw me?” Emma leapt for him, and he lifted her out of the water and tossed her, laughing as Sophia climbed up his back.
“Gonna jump off your shoulders, Daddy.”
“Be careful, baby.” He moved to the middle of the pool, not wanting any accidents.
Tyler took Emma’s hand and tugged her clear. Anyone would think the man had been around kids his whole life. “Jump, jump, jump!”
Sophia jumped, legs and arms flailing before she hit the water. Splash.
“All right, Daddy Diving Board. You ready for this one?” Tyler zoomed Emma toward him, tucked under one arm.
She squealed with laughter, scrambling up his body and leaping off. He let them jump for a while, then he reminded them of the glow sticks. “Y’all can dive for them.”
They loved this game, and so did he because it wore them out nicely. He tossed the sticks for the girls, noticing after a bit that Tyler had moved to a quieter spot in the pool where he was watching and floating. The sight of the lean man right there, with his ripped belly and blond hair gone dark with the water, made him want to laugh and pounce and…hell, he didn’t know. Lasso something? He casually moved over, settling close.
“You having a good time, honey?”
“I love everything about this day.” Tyler’s smile looked happy and tired. “I was just taking it all in.”
“I’m so glad you’re here.” He let his feet float up, let himself relax. “Tomorrow I’ll introduce you around. Let you meet Krissy and all.”
“Sounds good. I might sleep in a little if you don’t mind.” Tyler flicked a little water his way. “I have a feeling I’m going to need it.”
“You can sleep as long as you want. If I’m not in the house, text. I’ll be running around. I’ve got to take the girls to Momma’s, run to the feed store, and pick up a load of shingles for one of the bunkhouses in the morning.” He had busy, busy mornings, as a rule. It was the way of ranching.
“Sure, okay. Thanks.” Tyler tangled their feet, dragging his under.
“Are you drowning my toes?” He reached out and touched Tyler’s hip.
Tyler smiled. “Just until I can drown myself in you.”
“Listen to you.” Oh, he did like that. So damn sweet and hot, goddamn.
“We got a beach ball, Tyler. Want to throw it?”
“Thanks, Emma. I was just about to get out. How about tomorrow?” Tyler set his feet down and headed for the steps.
“Aw. Please?”
“Baby girl, Tyler’s been traveling all day. Chill.”
“But, Daddy…”
“Emma Leann.”
She sighed. “Yes, sir. Sorry, Mister Tyler.”
“You know what, Emma? I’m excited too. But I’m here for a while. If we do everything in one day what are we going to do tomorrow?” Tyler climbed the steps out of the pool. “Whoa. It’s a lot cooler now. Are there towels?”
“In that tall cabinet. Feel free to hop in the hot tub and bubble, if you want to.” He kept it hot, because all the cowboys came up and used it to soak their bones.
“Yeah?” Tyler grabbed a towel and sat it close by, then slipped into the hot tub with a long sigh. “Oh. Oh that’s very nice. Don’t let me doze off.”
“The bubbler is that dial there on the right.” He focused on the girls, letting them have all his attention, racing them and splashing and laughing, letting them have their daddy time.
Tyler relaxed in the hot tub but was obviously enjoying watching them. Every now and then Matthew would turn to check on Tyler and those bright blue eyes were wide open, and right on him. Tyler was still hanging out in the tub as the sun fell low in the sky and shadows took over the pool.
9
Jesus Christ, this place was beautiful. And Matthew’s house was like a palace. It was a palace…and Tyler felt like Cinderella.
Without the evil step-people.
In fact, instead of evil step-family, he’d been greeted by real family. Family that acted like they liked him even though they didn’t know him from Adam.
He watched Matthew hauling his girls out of the pool. He’d heard something about bedtime and showers. He should probably move too, but the hot tub was heaven. Even if he felt small in it.
Not as small as he’d felt buying boxers in that gigantic zoo of a Walmart—that place was insane—but small.
It wasn’t what Matthew intended; he knew that. Matthew had been welcoming and wonderful, but he didn’t get it. Tyler had never seen enough money to buy the hot tub he was sitting in. Matthew was loaded. Like, seriously loaded.
Out of his league loaded.
Sooner or later someone in that family was going to figure out he was just a nobody bartender from New York and tell Matthew he could do better.
So, if he wanted to stay, if he wanted to prove himself to these people, Tyler had one job. To make absolutely sure Matthew understood there was no one better. Because that fact was, there was nothing left for him in New York.
Tyler sighed. He was tired, that was all. He’d get some sleep, and tomorrow he would feel less…lost. He wanted to get some Matthew first, though. The cowboy was even hotter here, in the middle of all of this crazy land and sky and kids… Matthew’s smile was brighter than the sun.
Warm hands landed on his shoulders, thumbs digging in. “You look exhausted, honey. You want to skip the steaks?”
“Mmm.” Oh, that felt so good. He leaned his head back to look up at Matthew. “Would it hurt your feelings? I’m still full from lunch.”
“Not at all. They’ll keep.” Matthew kissed his forehead, the caress sweet and gentle. “You had a killer long day.”
He nodded. “Long but good. And it’s not over yet. Did the girls go in? Give me a hand up.”
Matthew helped him out and wrapped him in a towel. “They’re showering and getting the chlorine off. They’re exhausted—they were so excited to meet you.”
“Let’s hope I live up to the hype.” He leaned against Matthew a minute.
“You’re exactly who you need to be, honey. And you’re here.” Matthew held him for a second longer, then began to shut down the lights and cover the hot tub.
“Emma’s adorable, and she looks just like you, you’re right. And Sophia has that classic beauty thing going on.” He tucked the towel around his waist and watched Matthew, not having the first idea what he could do to help.
“She’s the spitting image of her mo
mma.” Matthew brushed off the grill quickly and closed it off, turning the gas off at the tank, then turned to him with a smile. “Come on in, honey. Let’s dry you off.”
“Sounds good.” He caught the towel as it slipped off his hips and hooked it around his neck. God, even Matthew’s towels were luxurious. “The pool turned out to be a good investment, huh?”
“Yeah, I did some amazing trades for it, so I got a great deal.” Matthew opened the door, and the air conditioning was cold as fuck.
“Oh, shit.” He tugged the towel off his shoulders and wrapped it around him again, laughing. “Was it this cold in here when we went out?” He danced through the kitchen toward the bedroom looking to get out of his damp suit as soon as possible.
Matthew’s laugh followed him, and it wasn’t but a few seconds before they had gone through the fancy-assed game room to the huge master. Matthew dropped his shorts, and there was that scar, a thick white W right on his ass cheek.
He reached out and gave it a pat. “Jesus, Matt. That is definitely a W. Wow.” It was hard to believe that story was true, but there it was. Funny now maybe, but that had to hurt like hell when it happened.
“Yup. Marked for life.” Matthew turned a sweet pink and turned to pull up a pair of sweats. Oh, someone was a little shy about that.
He tugged his suit off, got his suitcase open and dug out a pair of sweats too. “What does the W stand for anyway?”
“My great-great-great-granddaddy registered this brand. He was William Whitehead, and he married a Wilhelmina Winchester. No shit.” Matthew grabbed the wet suits and towels. “There’s been a Whitehead on this land since before Texas joined the union.”
Damn. “That’s nuts. I mean, first of all, nobody should be named Wilhelmina.” Tyler laughed and grabbed his comb, wincing as he pulled it through his wet hair. It was thick and wavy on a regular day, but the chlorine made it curl up.
“The story is they called her Mina.” Matthew came to him and kissed his temple, teasing one curl up out of the way. “You want anything to drink, honey? I’m going to grab me a big glass of tea.”
“Sure, sounds great. Do you need to tuck the girls in?” He slid his hand into Matthew’s and followed along back to the kitchen trying not to ogle the game room and drool.
“I do. They’ll come down, talk about tomorrow, and have a glass of milk.” Matthew grinned at him. “Something to know—my eldest is up at five a.m., totally ready to go. Emma? Oh, Jesus Christ. She could sleep until noon.”
He leaned on the kitchen counter. “She and I will get along fine. I frequently sleep until noon. Or later.” If he slept, which he hadn’t much recently. Of course he usually didn’t get to bed before four. He kept bartender hours. “Are you an early riser? You are I bet.”
“Coffeemaker starts at five o’clock. Every morning, and I’m usually out by six. I’ll take the girls to Momma’s and drop them off. Emma never wakes up, and Sophia will ask to come with me.”
“Five o’clock.” He’d be happy if he didn’t see five o’clock in the morning ever in his whole life. “That’s how it goes, huh? Every morning? Do you ever say yes to Sophia?”
“Depends on my plans. Lots of times, yes. It’s nice to take her for daddy time alone. She needs a little more one-on-one than her sister right now.”
There was a stampede of feet on the stairs, and Emma and Sophia appeared in the kitchen in their pajamas. “All clean,” Emma declared, going straight to Matthew who was setting out two glasses of milk. “You are showing your boobies to your friend, Daddy.”
“Am I?”
“Uh-huh. I get in trouble for showing my boobies to people.”
Matthew sighed softly, the sound long-suffering. “It’s different for boys.”
“Why?”
Sophia frowned. “That’s not fair. Her chest isn’t any bigger than yours.”
“I know.” Matthew held up one hand. “I didn’t make the rules, girls. I’m sorry. I don’t have a good answer. That’s how life is.”
That was funny. At ten, Sophia’s wasn’t any bigger either. But he could tell she wanted it to be.
“My mom always said ‘life isn’t fair’. I don’t think it’s fair that girls grow up to have bigger boobies than boys, but that’s how it is. Bummer.” He kept a very straight face and picked up his glass of tea.
“There are some boys that wear fake ones, and some boys that get fake ones, but then they’re girls, but they—” Emma blinked. “Daddy, can girls that used to be boys show their boobies?”
Matthew tilted his head. “I think that, if y’all are all women, you can’t, no matter what. And that’s still not fair.”
“When you grow up and your generation is in charge you can change the rules. How’s your milk? All done, Emma?” Knowing when to change the subject was one of Tyler’s bartender skills.
“Are we going to be in charge? Really?” Sophia finished her milk. “When?”
“In eighty years,” Matthew shot back. “Y’all are going to Mamaw’s early early, so time for bed.”
“Can I hang out with you, Daddy? Please? I’ll be ready first thing.”
“Oof. So early.” Tyler rolled his eyes.
“I want to stay with Tyler!” Emma hopped over next to him. “I’ll be good. I promise.”
“Yeah?” He looked at her and then at Matthew and shrugged. “I mean, I’ll be here.”
“I… Are you sure?” Matthew blinked at him, like a big owl. “I mean, you’re welcome to help, but I want you to know I didn’t want you here for that. I wanted you to come for you.”
Sophia leaned close and whispered, “Daddy, that didn’t make sense.”
Tyler chuckled. “I came for you.” For us. “Emma and I will be fine.”
Emma bounced. “It’s okay, Daddy? You’ll let me stay home with him?”
“I don’t see why not. Still. Bed. Now.” Matthew winked at Tyler. “I need daddy time.”
Me too. Oh, man. Me too. Lots of daddy time.
“Okay!” The girls turned and dashed up the stairs. He watched them go, then raised his glass. “To daddy time.”
The look he got was pure, unadulterated heat, no question. “Yes, sir. All the way.”
He set the glass down and moved closer. “Can I touch your boobies?”
The flush that climbed up Matthew’s body was immediate and dark, and he swore he heard those strong muscles creak. “You can touch anything. Anything at all.”
“Good.” He spread his hands over Matthew’s chest, sliding them from sternum to shoulders, feeling the muscles shiver. “Should we go rinse off the chlorine?”
“Y-yes.” Matthew’s nipples went tight and hard, responding immediately, beautifully. “Go start the water, I’ll kiss cheeks, and I’ll be right down.”
He nuzzled Matthew’s fuzzy chin and kissed it, feeling himself flush too, his skin breaking out in goosebumps. He wasn’t that small, and he wasn’t weak, but he’d never been with anyone so strong. It was hard to believe he had this big, beautiful man wanting him like this. “See you there.”
Matthew nodded, teeth sinking into that full bottom lip before he turned to go. That was amazing, how much need there was, right there.
Okay. Back to the bedroom. He didn’t know about ranches and daughters and trucks, but he knew this. It didn’t matter if a bed was in New York or Texas, he was plenty confident. And Matthew had a way of blocking out the whole world for him. He shucked his sweats and tossed them back in his suitcase, took a second to turn the bed down just to give Matthew something to think about, then turned on the water and got into the shower to wait. Maybe he’d wash his hair—soapy bubbles was a good effect.
The bathroom was a goddamn wet dream—all tiled with an open shower with a seat and two huge rain heads, a towel warmer, a tub that he could imagine Matthew in…the whole thing screamed luxury and home at the same time.
Way out of his league. Like, lightyears out of his comfort zone. He liked it though, and Tyler felt okay with that becaus
e Matthew wanted him to like it. He scrubbed the shampoo into his hair trying not to worry about how he could possibly fit into a place like this. He had no idea, and he wasn’t going to solve that now, so he focused on Matthew. He’d have to figure it out that was all. He’d have to learn if he wanted to be able to stay.
“Mmm…you are the finest thing I’ve seen.” Matthew’s voice wrapped around him like a heated blanket. “I could watch you for days.”
He grinned, balls going tight for a second at the thought that Matthew had been watching him, and he hadn’t known it. Sweet. “Yeah? How long have you been there?” He turned to rinse his hair, giving Matthew a different view.
“Long enough to be hard as a rock. You want some company?” Matthew dimmed the lights in the bathroom, leaving a warm spotlight on in the shower.
“I definitely want your company.” He looked around as the lights dimmed. “Damn, Matt. Are we making a movie?”
“No, sir. You want them back up?” Matthew grinned at him, coming right into his space, hands sliding around his body. “I love the steam and the lights in the shower.”
“No, I like it. It’s just… I feel like I’m dreaming.” He loved the way Matthew’s big hands held him. Not a bit of hesitation. He leaned right into them, letting Matthew have his weight. “This is amazing.” And a lot. It was a lot.
“I feel the same way, and I’m at home. Does it feel—I don’t know, too strange? The first time I went to the Expo, I didn’t know how to process the city. It was loud, all the time.” All the while Matthew talked, those hands stroked him, finding tense parts and insisting the tension released.
It was strange, all right. He chuckled and shook his head, then caught Matthew’s gray eyes. “Honestly? It feels like another planet. I don’t understand any of this. It’s beautiful, and I like it, it’s just…” Bigger, prettier, more expensive, wild. “So different.”
“And you’re so tired, worn.” Matthew tilted his face up and took a long, slow, almost lazy kiss. “Tomorrow everything will seem easier, I promise.”
Not too tired for this. He’d wanted this all day. “It’s easier already. Kiss me again.” He didn’t wait, pulling their mouths together with a soft moan. Matthew grabbed him, dragging them together, holding him up as the man began to devour him.