by M. A. Innes
Laughing at us both, Sawyer finally came up onto the porch, shaking his head. “I think you broke him.”
Wiggling my eyebrows up and down, I leered at Sawyer. “I did.”
“I’m not even going to ask what you said to him.” Shaking his head, Sawyer poked us both in the sides. “Feed me. I was promised dinner.”
Reaching out, I pulled Sawyer close, trapping him there with my arm. “I think I promised you all kinds of things tonight.”
As he blushed but didn’t deny it, I leaned down and kissed him gently. Pulling back, I whispered low. “And the first thing I promised you…” Sawyer’s expression was heated but nervous as I paused, dragging out the silence. “…was biscuits.”
“You’re terrible.” He laughed, probably relieved that I wasn’t going to talk about his spanking at the moment.
Cooper, on the other hand, grinned. “Biscuits? You’re really going to make them? Like from scratch?”
Cooper’s excitement was contagious, and smiling at him, I nodded. “Yes. Do you want to learn how to do it?”
“Yes!” Cooper was nearly bouncing in my arms, so I gave his ass a pat and let him go.
“All right, then. We need to get started, so we can feed Sawyer. I can’t have my boys starving to death before we get to the fun part of the evening.”
Sawyer’s blush deepened, but Cooper started dancing around and chanting. “I’m getting a spanking…I’m getting a spanking…”
Rolling his eyes, Sawyer gave Cooper a frustrated look as I started to open the door. Cooper didn’t seem to mind a bit; he just grinned even wider. “Come on, you know you’re just as excited.”
“Come on, you two. Dinner.” Not wanting Sawyer to get any more upset, I looked at Cooper. “Behave.”
Neither confirming nor denying the sexy accusation, Sawyer headed into the house. Herding everyone into the kitchen, I had Sawyer dishing out the stew, so it could cool as Cooper and I made the biscuits. Cooper was just as excitable making the biscuits as he was doing everything else, and I was starting to get an idea of how they’d killed the other ones.
But before long, the meal was ready, and we were relaxing around the table. A cloud of flour and some sticky countertops in his wake, Cooper was thoroughly pleased with his creations, even if they were slightly misshapen.
“This one looks like a dick…a tiny, slightly lumpy one.” What made Cooper’s words even funnier was how serious his expression became—right before popping the whole thing into his mouth.
Frowning at him, I shook my head. “You’re going to choke.”
Sawyer’s response came out dry and perfectly timed. “Not on a dick that small.”
Cooper thought it was so funny, he started to laugh. Unfortunately, it was midswallow, so he started to choke. I wasn’t sure what I was more worried about, the spray of biscuit all over the table or how red his face was getting.
He’d be able to breathe if he stopped laughing and just swallowed the damned thing, so I didn’t feel too bad. “If you choke to death on that, I’m going to put ‘Died by dick biscuit’ on your headstone.” That was evidently funnier than Sawyer’s comment, because the laughter flared up again, and even Sawyer finally joined in.
In all the chaos, someone started knocking on the back door. As I got up to check, I heard Melissa’s voice over the laughter. “When did you start locking this door?”
Opening it, I gave her a look that said just how stupid that question was. She shrugged and stuck her head in. “They’ve got clothes on.”
“And what if they didn’t? Don’t just look.”
“If they were naked, you wouldn’t have opened the door, dumbass. Oh, biscuits! Thanks for dinner.”
“I didn’t offer.” But the words were lost as the boys greeted her, and she started helping herself to the food.
Rolling my eyes, but not caring enough to toss her out, I went back to my seat. Melissa was at the table in seconds, a large bowl of stew in hand as she started to speak again. “Mom said she was going to call you this week. Something about having dinner over at their house next Sunday.”
“Anything special?” I couldn’t think of anyone’s birthday or a holiday I’d missed.
“Um, I think it’s pure curiosity.” Melissa shrugged and took a bite. “When you mentioned going on a date, it evidently didn’t sound casual enough, so she wants to have a chance to grill you. Politely, though.”
“Mom’s always polite. Just nosy.”
Melissa shrugged. “You brought it up.”
“Because they’re not a secret.”
“Then bring them. She’ll love the idea that you’re finally serious about someone…” She paused and got a faraway look as she poked at her stew. “Somethem…? Serious about them…is there a plural of someone? ‘Some people’ isn’t personal enough.”
Cooper and Sawyer were watching the exchange like we were an interesting sideshow, but I wasn’t sure what was so odd—besides her stupid question. Giving her a “You’re being ridiculous” look, I shook my head. “How the hell would I know?”
She shook her head like she was trying to clear out the cobwebs between her ears. “Sorry, I spent all day editing, and it makes you insane after a while.”
“So coming over here was just an excuse to get away from your computer. I feel loved.”
She pretended to be offended. “Hey, at least I gave you a heads up about the call.”
“You have an ulterior motive. I just haven’t found it yet.” With her, there was always something else going on.
Melissa tried to look innocent, but Cooper laughed. “Your eyes give too much away. That’s never going to work.”
Melissa glanced over at Cooper and grinned. “How about I take you out to lunch this week, and you show me how, then? I could use some pointers for work.”
Cooper gave me a quick glance, but I just gave the tiniest shrug, so he turned back to Melissa and nodded. “Sure.”
I wasn’t sure if Cooper thought it was a casual offer or not, but he seemed slightly surprised when she started nailing down a date. “I normally take lunch between one and two, but I have some flexibility if that won’t work for you. What days do you have lunchtime off?”
He gave her a wide-eyed look before clearing his throat. “Um, Wednesday?”
It came out more like a question than a statement, but Melissa just charged right past it like his nervousness wasn’t an issue. “Great. Do you want me to pick you up, or can you meet me somewhere?”
Still slightly surprised at the direction the conversation had taken, Cooper took a moment to answer. “Um, I work late, so I’ll have the car. I can meet you somewhere.”
“Great.” She took another bite before continuing her interrogation. “When you work late, does Sawyer stay home alone?”
“God, you’re so nosy.” I rolled my eyes. “Sometimes he and I go out while Cooper is working. Is that what you wanted to know?”
She perked up, nodding. “Yes, I’m thinking about writing a bo—”
“If you finish that sentence, you’re a dead woman. I’ll tell Mom you turned down a proposal from that accounting geek she loved if you even mention writing a book about my family.” I was dead serious, but she just laughed.
Looking slightly impressed she nodded. “That’s fighting dirty. All right, I won’t mention anything else about it. But that asshole never proposed, and you know it.”
“It doesn’t matter. Mom loved him and thought he was perfect for you. So she’ll keep bringing it up for years, and you know it.”
“Cheater.”
“If it shuts down that conversation, then absolutely.” I loved her, most of the time, but I was not going to sit back while she wrote a book about our life.
Especially when everything was so new, and Sawyer was still so unsure. My bouncy boy seemed to know exactly how he felt, not that he’d said anything, but I could see the hesitation in Sawyer. There was a fear deep inside that everything that was growing between us would evaporate
one day.
I couldn’t see the future, but I also couldn’t imagine walking away from my sweet boys. I just needed to show him that. He needed to see how serious I was taking the relationship and how much I needed them in my life. It was happening quickly, but I’d never been more sure of what I wanted.
Chapter 4
Cooper
“This is so sticky, and it just gets everywhere.” Cleaning up took forever.
The damned stuff was everywhere.
“Then don’t wave your hands around next time you’ve got raw dough on them.” Sawyer rolled his eyes and went back to loading the dishwasher.
“It didn’t seem like that big of a mess while I was making the biscuits. But this crap is like old cum. It’s everywhere and sticky.” Balancing on a chair while I cleaned flour and dough off a cabinet door, I ignored Sawyer’s groan.
Jackson had cooked, so we’d volunteered to clean up. Well, Sawyer had volunteered us since I’d made such a mess with the biscuits. I hadn’t been able to think up a good argument fast enough, though, so I was left wiping down every surface in the kitchen.
“I didn’t go on this side of the kitchen. How is there so much flour?”
Sawyer didn’t even look at me. “You talk with your hands. We’ve had this conversation three times in the last five minutes. Just wipe down the flour. I’m almost done, and you keep dawdling.”
Because if I took long enough, I was hoping he’d help me. Duh.
“It’s so hard.”
He turned and stuck his tongue out at me. “I’m not doing it. I’m going to go cuddle with Master while you scrape cum off the ceiling.”
“Meanie.” But I had to laugh because the picture in my head was too weird. “How hard do you think I’d have to orgasm to get cum on the ceiling?”
“Cooper.” I could hear Sawyer rolling his eyes.
“What? It’s a legitimate question.”
“We’re not going to try, pup. Got it?” Jackson’s voice startled me as it came from behind the chair. His hands grabbed my hips and steadied me. “Why are you up on a chair?”
“Because I’m too short to reach the flour at the top of the doors?” I thought it was obvious.
Jackson shook his head and took the rag from my hands. “Come on. You’re never going to finish without killing yourself.”
“Hey, you startled me. I was doing fine until you went all stealth to scare me.”
“You were staring at the ceiling, not holding on to anything, trying to decide how turned-on you’d have to get before you’d get cum up there. You almost falling was not my fault.” Jackson helped me down, giving my ass a smack. “Now, hurry up. Sawyer’s right—turtles could go faster.”
Then he gave me a suspicious look. “Unless you don’t want to cuddle and then get a spanking?” He sighed like it was sad, but he understood. “You just have to tell me if you’re not horny and needy and ready to be fucked. There’s no need to—”
I stretched up to kiss him. “That’s just mean.”
“Is it going to get you to go faster?”
Sighing, I nodded. “Yes.”
“Wonderful. I’ll get the top of the cabinets. You sweep the floor, and then I think that should be all of it.” As he started cleaning, Jackson looked over at Sawyer. “Why don’t you go get the movie ready? We’ll be out there in just a minute.”
Sawyer gave him a teasing pout. “How come he gets help with his chores?”
That sounded dirty. Jackson must have had similar thoughts, because his gaze heated, and he started looking at Sawyer like he wanted to do wicked things to him. “How about as a reward for being good, I let you sit on my lap while we watch the movie?”
Jackson’s voice dipped lower, and it sent shivers down my spine. I loved it when he went all Dom and dirty. Sawyer started nibbling at his bottom lip but nodded. “Thank you, Master.”
I was going to get a spanking tonight, but I had a feeling Sawyer was going to go first. My dick liked that idea too; we both loved watching.
Jackson glanced toward the door. “Go get ready then. I want to be able to hold you and…cuddle you right away. I’ve waited all day to really…cuddle with you.”
I couldn’t wait to see what he did to Sawyer while we watched the movie. Those two were like free live 3-D porn when they got going, and Sawyer let his worries fade away. Reaching down to carefully adjust my hardening cock, I felt Jackson’s hand smack my ass. “No playing with yourself.”
My stupid cock wanted to know what would happen if we didn’t listen. But he was a moron, so I kept my mouth shut. I wanted to come and get a spanking, so I was going to behave. “Yes, Master. I’m sorry.”
Jackson’s hand rubbed slow circles where he’d smacked, and I knew he was thinking about what would happen later. We both were. His rough voice sent shivers down my spine. “My sweet boy clearly needs to be punished.”
Biting off a moan that wanted to escape. I wasn’t sure how to respond. “Please, yes” didn’t seem like the best idea. Luckily, I didn’t have to say anything because Jackson gave me a nudge. “Sweep.”
Nodding, I hurried over to the pantry where the broom was kept. They were right; once I stopped dawdling, it went quickly. In just a matter of minutes, the kitchen was clean, and we were curled up on the couch with the lights down low.
Before Sawyer turned on the movie, I had a few questions that were pushing at my mind. Pressing into Jackson’s side, with Sawyer’s legs draped over my lap, I leaned my head on Jackson’s shoulder. “It was okay that I said I’d have lunch with Melissa, right?”
Jackson had given me the impression that he didn’t care one way or the other, but I was starting to second-guess it.
Jackson pressed a kiss to my forehead. “It’s fine. If you don’t want to, then I’ll cancel, but I think she just wants to get to know you guys. It’s her way of trying to be your friend and probably just be a nosy-ass that’s curious about stuff that’s none of her business.”
“I don’t mind the nosy part. I’m comfortable with who I am and what I like…but she’s your sister, and that’s…” Serious.
I hadn’t dated much, but even I knew hanging out with your boyfriend’s family was much more than simply dating behavior. And with us being so much more than just boyfriends, that made it even bigger in my mind.
But how did Jackson feel about it?
“I want you to get to know my family.” I heard him kiss Sawyer and then felt another peck on my forehead. “You guys are an important part of my life. I know we haven’t been…dating isn’t the right word…together long, but this feels right. I’m not going to hide you away. If you want to get to know Melissa, that’s fine with me. If the crazy woman scares you, then you can avoid her. My remembering to lock the doors will go a long way with that.”
I was still the only person who remembered to lock his doors, so I had to laugh. “Yes, that would help.”
The first thing I did when we got to his house was make sure the doors were locked. It had quickly become a habit after seeing how easily Melissa had let herself in. Walking in on dinner was one thing, but when we were playing or getting spanked, that was another. And I did not want to have to stop midscene and check the back door to see if Jackson bolted it.
“Okay, then I think lunch will be fun. I don’t have real people in my life besides you guys that I can talk about the puppy stuff with.” I had no one I talked about it with besides Sawyer, but that wasn’t the point.
“Share what you’re comfortable with, but draw clear boundaries if it’s something that’s none of her business, and you don’t want to tell her. Don’t feel bad about that.” I could hear the concern in Jackson’s voice, and it made me smile. He was so cute when he hovered.
“Yes, Sir.”
“Good boy.”
Sawyer finally spoke. “What about next weekend with your family?”
I felt Jackson shrug. “Well, my mother might want something sit-down, but I was thinking about talking her into barbecuing. I
thought something casual might be easier. Steaks or burgers—which do you guys prefer?”
Lifting my head to look at them both, I didn’t try to hide my grin. “Um, I don’t think that’s what he meant.” It was cute that Jackson was just thinking about the plans and food, but Sawyer’s barely restrained smile said that wasn’t what he’d been trying to ask.
“What did you mean, then?” His earnest confusion seemed to relax Sawyer, because he curled into Jackson, smiling.
“Um, I was actually curious if you really wanted us to meet your parents. I know you said us hanging out with Melissa was fine—and by the way, I’m good being left out of that. She makes me nervous—but I wasn’t sure if you were ready to tell your parents you were dating two guys.”
Jackson’s eyes widened as Sawyer spoke, and he started to connect the dots. “I’m planning on you guys being a part of my life for a very long time, baby. I’m not going to hide you. Sure, there’ll be times and people that we’re more careful with what we say, but not with my family. Now, I don’t plan on mentioning the puppy play, because I’m not talking to my mother about my sex life and personal stuff like that, but I can’t wait to show them what wonderful people you are.”
It was my turn to pop in. “And they’re really not going to be upset by the fact that there are two of us?”
Jackson shrugged again. “She’s going to be surprised, but she always said she just wanted me happy and settled down with someone. Once she gets past the initial shock, she’s going to be fine.”
His firm answer, like there was no question in his mind, soothed my nerves, but I could see Sawyer wasn’t quite as relaxed. Jackson’s parents hadn’t lost their shit when he’d come out, and they dealt with Melissa’s crazy on a regular basis, so as long as we didn’t talk about the puppy play, I figured we might look reasonably normal compared to her.
Jackson gave us both kisses again. “So you’ll come with me next weekend?”
“Yes. I’m voting for steaks.” I knew Jackson wouldn’t bring us into any situation he thought would be upsetting. “You said you were going to show me how to grill.”
Sawyer groaned. “You’re going to set your hair on fire again.”