Sully shook him. Devyn gasped. “I’ll decide what, or who is worth my effort and time.”
Devyn stared at him, shocked. “You don’t see it, do you?”
“See what?”
“The tats, the piercings, they don’t’ scream bad boy to you do they?”
Sully’s head tilted as he considered the question. “You want to know what they scream to me? Here? Now? In front of my sister and her husband? They scream lick me, bite me, suck me—”
Devyn slapped his hand roughly over Sully’s mouth, eyes widening as he continued to mumble against the palm. “Okay I get it. It’s just, the judge, he took one look at the tats and piercings six months ago, and he decided to grant Kayla custody. I get visitation four days every other weekend until I’m out of school.”
He answered the unasked question. “I’m in my fourth year at UCI studying premed. I have up to eight more years of school. I can’t be a part-time Dad for eight years. I’ve been working with my Dad and my lawyer on appealing the custody arrangement. Kayla—she’s not a good mother.”
Sully removed Devyn’s hand from his mouth by simple force. “How do you come to have Kail now, if you don’t have custody?”
Devyn stared deep into Sully’s eyes. There truly was not judgment there. Interest, understanding, demand for truth, yes. And sympathy. And… something else. “I was supposed to meet her a week ago Saturday to get Kail for my weekend. She didn’t show up. She blew me off on Friday, which is when I was supposed to get him, and then Saturday she didn’t even call to say she wasn’t coming. I was pissed. Well, wouldn’t you be?” He hated the pleading tone of his voice as he met Dude’s eyes. Ice blue eyes vouched him no reassurance, but Tally murmured what sounded like an affirmation.
Emboldened, even by that feeble show of support, he continued. “So I went on over to her place. It wasn’t the kind of place to raise a kid. It was trashy and I know the support my Dad and I pay her is enough for a much nicer place. Anyway—I could hear Kail screaming and crying on the other side of the door, but no one answered when I knocked. I looked through the window, and there he was, in a playpen, no one else around. I broke in.” Defiant now, he declared, “I’d do it again. She had no business leaving him alone.”
The three adults stared at him in growing outrage. “And this was over a week ago? Not today? Like these news people make out?” Even the stoic Dude seemed appalled.
Remembering, he pulled his phone from his pocket and brought up the photos of the drug paraphernalia. “Here.” He shoved it at Sully. “I went to change his diaper and found this stuff by the couch, next to his diaper bag.”
Silence reigned as the phone was passed around. As Tally stared in horror at the pictures of needles and the white baggie of coke, it rang startling them all.
Devyn leapt from his perch on Sully’s lap and grabbed the phone. “Sorry, I’ve been waiting for my Dad to call.” He thought about asking for privacy, but figured they already knew the whole story. They could turn him in if they wanted to.
“Devyn, I’ve got it. A few rounds of golf with the right people this afternoon and we’ve got your custody hearing moved up to tomorrow morning at eight sharp. Oh, and son… Don’t watch the news. Got to go. I’ll meet you there, okay?”
“Thanks, Dad.” He spoke to empty air. His Dad was a busy man. He’d always been busy. Devyn had spent years rebelling as a teen, hence the tats and piercings, trying to get a tiny fraction of the man’s attention, his time, to no avail. This though, had brought out his father’s protective instincts. As soon as Kayla started divorce proceedings, Dad had been right at his side, supportive emotionally and financially. Would that still be the situation when this was resolved? Maybe not. But at least he knew he could count on his Dad when he needed him these days.
He peered desperately around the room. “I took him from that apartment for his own safety. Please. I have a custody hearing tomorrow morning to appeal. Don’t turn me in.”
“I cannot believe it took that fucking bitch,” Tally spit out, "a week to realize her child wasn’t there.”
Dude wrapped an arm around his wife’s shoulders and eyed Devyn up and down assessingly. “You look bad, all right, but your heart’s in the right place. Sometimes doing the right thing is more important than doing the legal thing.”
Sully rose from his armchair and crossed to Devyn. Devyn met his eyes stoically, waiting for condemnation that never came. Instead, Sully passed a light kiss over his brow, flicking the stud there with his tongue in passing. God bless that oral fixation! “I’ll go with you. We’d better get Kail and head on home now, Tally.”
And that was that. How did they make support seem so simple?
CHAPTER 10
Sully clung to Devyn’s hand, indulgently smiling at the stunned expression on the young father’s face. “Full custody Devyn. That’s what you wanted, right?”
“Yeah, it is. I just, it seems unreal that it was so easy. After the hell I went through just to get visitation with that last judge, I can’t believe this.”
“Believe this asshole!” Kayla shrieked. Devyn’s petite blonde ex swung her Coach bag in a wide arc, attempting to land a blow to Devyn’s head, but Sully reacted on instinct, crushing her wrist in a bruising grip and slowly forcing her hand back. “This isn’t the end of this! Let go! Let me go, you… you… Fag!”
Devyn backed up, bumping into Sully who stood his ground for both of them. He flung Kayla’s manicured hand away and wrapped a protective arm around Devyn’s middle. “I have to inform you ma’am that you are assaulting a plain clothes policeman.”
“He kidnapped my son!” She raged, glaring hatefully at them.
“You abandoned Kail!” Devyn’s recovery pleased Sully. “He was alone in a drug den! You didn’t even know he was gone for over a week.”
The blonde pouted. “I knew. I just couldn’t do anything about it yet.”
By that, she must mean she needed time to clean out the paraphernalia before calling the cops over. Fortunately the lawyer had the photographic evidence, and a mandatory on the spot drug test, coupled with the needle marks that just couldn’t be hidden made the judge decide to allow Kayla only supervised visits with Kail, at Devyn’s discretion.
Alligator tears welled in the baby blue eyes and trickled slowly down rouged cheeks. She was pretty enough, but the drugs and hard life style would age her before her time. “I miss him. I miss you Devyn. You aren’t really gay. Remember how good things were between us? We can have that again. Can we please try again?”
Devyn’s chest swelled on a deeply drawn breath and air whooshed audibly from his lungs. “Kayla, please. We’re done. We’ve been done a long time.” He twisted his head to press a light kiss to Sully’s cheek. “I’m with Sully now.”
“You aren’t gay, Devyn! You bastard! You’ve forced him into this somehow! He’s straight!” Vitriol burned in the acid tones and ugly color mottled her face under the make-up. She didn’t look so sweet and innocent now as she had standing beside her lawyer in the demur Chanel suit. Now the true nature of the beast showed through as her hands curled into lethal looking claws and she tensed as though to strike.
Sully stiffened. His arm tensed. Devyn was his. He knew it in his soul. Slowly, deliberately, he met those scornful blue eyes, unwrapped his arm from around Devyn’s waist and raised both hands in the air. “I’m not forcing him to do anything. My help is freely given, in and out of the courtroom.”
“Oh for the love of God!” Devyn burst out. “I’m not gay, okay Kayla? Happy now?”
Searing pain. Unbelievable. Had Devyn been using him? Had he read too much into a few hours of companionship and caring for a sick child? Too much into the gift of Devyn’s virginity? He waited patiently, tense and nearing panic.
“I knew it!” Triumph echoed in the voice he was beginning to hate.
“You know nothing, Kayla.” Devyn cut her off sharply. “I’m bisexual. I always have been. And I’m not blinded by you like I was at sixteen.
You’re not missing me, you’re not missing Kail. You’re freaking out about where you’re going to get the money to support your habits without child support. Well, I don’t know where that’s coming from, and quite frankly, I don’t give a fuck. Back off, I’ll call you when my lawyer contacts me about the results for your drug test. When and if you’re clean and sober, we’ll talk about a visit.”
Devyn turned, and right there, on the courthouse steps, in front of any bystanders who happened to pass, embraced Sully and tilted his head up for a kiss. Eagerly, Sully obliged, pressing the lips he’d been chewing nervously to Devyn’s, taking time to lick and suck the piercing in his plump lower lip, shuddering as Devyn ground slowly against his thigh.
“Argh!” The rapid click of heels on marble signaled Kayla’s exit. A loud throat clearing dragged him back from the passionate haze that had begun to cloud his vision.
“I don’t want to interrupt, Devyn. But I’ve got someone here who has a vested interest in the outcome of the hearing.”
Devyn jerked out of his arms so fast he nearly fell backwards. Sully steadied him with a hand on his waist that Devyn shook off abruptly. Fuck. Not again. Light dawned as Devyn began speaking. “Dad, this is Officer Sullivan Moore. He … well… I….”
Sully laughed. The older man looked interested, not condemning. He had to have understood what Devyn was stumbling over explaining just from seeing that kiss. Reaching out to take a gurgling Kail, Sully cut through Devyn’s babbling. “I live upstairs from Devyn. Came this morning to lend him some moral support. Not that he needed it. The situation was pretty clear cut.”
The older man offered him a hand to shake, eyes twinkling in amusement. “So. You’re just neighbors?”
Devyn stilled, “No. We’re dating Dad.” He turned pleading eyes on Sully, who nodded, and wrapped his free arm around Devyn’s waist.
“Well, then. If I’m not needed here, Devyn, I have things I can do.” Mr. Starke pivoted on one shiny heel and marched sharply off to an illegally parked Mercedes sedan. He took a diaper bag from the passenger seat, set on the pavement, and headed to the driver’s side. “Bring Sully and Kail to dinner one night. Your stepmother would like that.” He called as he slid behind the wheel and peeled out of the turnaround.
Sully gazed after him in astonishment. For a coming out moment, that had been… weird. “Devyn?”
“Yeah?” Devyn seemed bemused as well.
“Does he know you’re bisexual?”
“No. I barely knew before I married Kayla. Then afterward, there was no point. Oh… You mean because of his reaction? He’s always like that. I did find out in all this over Kail that he’s always been there when I really needed him though. When I was younger, I thought it was because he didn't care. Now I know it's because he trusts me to let him know when I need him.”
Sully pondered. “So, does that mean he’ll watch Kail if we want to go out? You know, for a real date?”
Chuckling, Devyn nodded. “Probably. Do you want to have dinner over there? We don’t have to.”
“I want to. I want to know the place you grew up, the people who raised you to be such a wonderful father to Kail.” Words trembled at the tip of his tongue, dying to be said. He reached for the key around his neck, thought better of it, and just let them go. “I’m not trying to pressure you, you know. Honestly, if you just want to be friends, I can handle that. Maybe.”
“No! I’ve never felt like this, Sully. Not about Kayla, not about anyone. It’s different. I think it could be special.” Devyn flushed and worried his lip piercing with his tongue.
Reassured, hating the doubt that Kayla had created with her vicious remarks, he bent and kissed the top of Devyn’s head. “Yeah. Me too. I’ve been around the block a time or two. You don’t get to my age and not do that, you know? But it’s never been like this.” Solemnly, he contemplated Kail’s sleepily content face. “I think this could be something big, baby, for all of us.”
EPILOGUE
HEA ~ Six Months Later
Who’s Taking You Home
Sully looked up from the ball at his feet and nearly stumbled into his teammate. Devyn sat in the bleachers watching him, little Kail snuggled neatly on his lap. Warmth bloomed and a ridiculous smile spread over his face. It took a cleat to his ankle to draw his attention back to the game at hand, and when he looked up again the good feelings, the pride in his game, the thrill of knowing the man he loved watched him, all drained away.
On the third row of the bleachers, Devyn sat next to a big-haired blonde woman, who was smiling and laughing so loudly that Sully could hear her on the soccer field. His lip lifted in a snarl as he saw a hand tipped with blood red spikes land on Devyn’s knee. The snarl became verbal when Devyn’s husky laugh echoed hers. The tattooed man made no move to discourage the woman’s grip on his denim-clad leg.
Fury mingled with unease as Sully jerked his attention back to the game. He couldn’t afford not to focus out here. But the niggling worry of a voice at the back of his head reminded him, Devyn is bisexual. He might find that woman a real temptation. When the opposing team called a time out, Sully took the opportunity to check on Devyn again. To his relief, the young man still sat in the third row, the woman next to him made a show of playing with a clearly uninterested Kail. Way to go little man! He waved and called out to the baby from the field. “Hi! Kail!”
The baby bounced in his father’s lap, clapping his hands and reaching for Sully. He should feel guilty, about that, but Sully just waved some more, then raised his eyes from the giggling baby’s face to meet his father’s dark eyes. He grabbed the chain around his neck, the chain with the key to their apartment, and lifted it to his mouth. A bad habit, but he had no interest in breaking it. His oral fixation was deeply rooted, and hell, he fucking enjoyed it. Locking eyes with Devyn’s dark gaze, he watched the other man’s pupils widen as he licked the little key with the barest tip of tongue.
It was enough, a reminder, flirt all you want, baby, you go home with me at the end of the day. Devyn’s face flushed and his lips parted, Sully could almost swear he saw the other man’s breath come faster, heard the rush of his pulse.
The harsh tweet of the ref’s whistle dragged his attention back to the game, and he played out the last five minutes, anticipation building, and adrenaline flowing. He knew he was distracted, but he couldn’t help it. He refused to give Devyn the satisfaction of looking over and seeing him flirt with that woman any more, but he couldn’t ignore the knowledge of what was going on either.
When the final whistle blew, he stalked over to the cooler, grabbed a bottle of water and scanned the crowd for Tallia. Devyn and Kail could come to him. There, Tallia prissed her way across the grass in the ridiculous heels she affected, as though anyone would believe she was an inch over four–eleven no matter what she wore on her feet.
“Sis!” He called, wiping sweat from his brow with the t-shirt he’d just stripped off.
“Sully, you coming for pizza? I can’t hang out. I got the kids in the car. Just need to get Dude and we’re on our way.” She made an incomplete air kiss gesture in his direction as she looked for her husband, Sully’s best friend and partner in crime.
“Yeah, hey listen, Sis. Can you take Kail with you? Devyn and I have something we need to do before we get there, but it’ll only take about twenty minutes.” He felt their presence behind him even before the baby’s sweet giggle reached his ears and the tiny hands grabbed at his arm.
Devyn’s warm grip on his hand as he came up next to him didn’t surprise him. “Twenty minutes, Sully? That’s all you think it’ll take?” The challenge in Devyn’s voice sparked the banked fire, and he nearly groaned. His hand tightened in a crushing grip on Devyn’s hand.
“Twenty minutes, Sis. Order us a pitcher of beer and a large cheese pizza. We’ll be right there, I promise.”
“Okay. You sure he’ll come to me?” Tallia held out her hands and little Kail burrowed into his father’s shoulder, looking shyly up from un
der his brows at her.
“Allow me,” Sully couldn’t resist showing off, even though he felt like he’d explode if he didn’t get relief soon. The need to lay claim to Devyn here and now was nearly overwhelming. He held out his hands to Kail, and smiled with pleasure when the little boy came willingly to him. “Start the car.” He ordered Devyn. Not waiting to see if his little rebel obeyed his command, he strode off across the grass toward Tallia’s gas guzzling SUV. Tallia made little running hops beside him, trying to keep up, and both of them called out to Dude as they passed him.
At the SUV, a little shuffling of children from seat to seat emptied a built in car seat for Kail, and Sully spent a few precious minutes giving kisses and Dutch rubs to his favorite nieces and nephews. Another promise to be at the restaurant as soon as possible, and he was waving them away.
He jogged swiftly over to his own little energy efficient car. As ordered, Devyn sat behind the wheel, staring defiantly at him. “Slide over. I said you could start it, not drive it.” Devyn wiggled a little as he complied, and Sully groaned at the sight of the fine ass encased in tight denim.
He slid into his own seat, slammed the door with a little more force than necessary, and dragged Devyn immediately into a kiss. The meeting of their lips set off the arousal that he’d battled since he’d first seen his beautiful man across the soccer field. Devyn was always gorgeous, but never more so than when he held his son in such a tender manner. Devyn’s thin lips were soft, and hard, salty and sweet. Sully found that once again, having started, he couldn’t stop. He cupped Devyn’s head in his hands and realigned their mouths. The kiss went from simple to intense in seconds as Devyn met his lips with a hot open-mouthed response. Tongues tangled as Sully stroked deeper, brushing against soft, wet, heated places with the firm intention of asserting his ownership. Mine. Flirt with whoever you want, you’re mine. Mine to kiss, mine to touch.
His wandering hand slid into the crease of Devyn’s thigh, rubbing and stroking tiny circles on the fabric of his jeans. The denim was rough and thick, but he could feel the heat of Devyn’s body through it. He ran his questing hand up, to press firmly against Devyn’s urgent erection, growling into the kiss as Devyn responded with an eager moan. Sully gently squeezed the hard shaft through the denim. He dragged his mouth away and looked deep into dark brown eyes. Devyn shuddered under his touch.
Don't Read in the Closet volume one Page 17