The Diva and his Daddy

by James, Rebecca;

  “Not to swim, but you can sit on the dock until I come out,” Julianne said.

  “I think Dante’s got some fishing poles, if you want to fish. He’s outside,” I told the boys and they raced for the door.

  Gavin skidded to a halt halfway out of the kitchen. “Which one’s Dante again?”

  “He’s the one with long wavy hair who looks like he should be on a movie set.”

  When the kids had gone, I turned to find Julianne and Nick staring at each other. Lake had just finished wiping down the table and, looking back and forth between Nick and his cousin, he excused himself and went upstairs. I couldn’t blame him as things had suddenly gotten tense, but I wasn’t going to leave Nick to face another possible verbal attack about his behavior at their grandmother’s party.

  “Nick.” Julianne pulled him into a hug. When our eyes met, I could see Nick was surprised. “I was unfair to you. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay,” Nick said. “I was pretty obnoxious. I’m sure that gets old.”

  “But you have every right to want your father to acknowledge you. I talked to Grandma, and she’s not inviting him or my parents to any more get-togethers.”

  “What?” Nick stared at her. “But they’re her sons!”

  “She’d rather have you there. She’s sick of the way they act.”

  Nick shook his head. “I don’t know. I think it might be best if I just don’t go.”

  Julianne touched his arm. “Hey, don’t worry about it. Grandma’s with them today. There will always be holidays they can spend together.” She looked behind Nick at me, and I nodded to her. No need for Nick to know I’d spoken to her about Nick’s distress over the situation.

  “I put the macaroni salad in the refrigerator, and the cookies over there on the counter with the other desserts,” I told her.

  Nick moaned. “Don’t talk about food. We just ate a huge pancake breakfast.”

  “Glad I missed that,” Julianne said. “I’ve put on five pounds in the last couple of months. I think it’s the sweets Kevin’s girlfriend keeps sending to the studio.”

  Kevin was one of Blaze’s cameramen. He’d recently started dating a young woman in culinary school and, according to Tease, the baked goods she’d been trying out on them were out of this world delicious. The guys had been doing extra reps at the gym because of it.

  The dogs started barking, and Julianne went to see if anyone had pulled up in the driveway. Wrapping my arm around Nick, I tugged him back against my chest and licked a stripe from his collarbone to his ear. He shivered and melted against me.

  “Christ,” Nick murmured into my shirt.

  “Anywhere we can have a little privacy?” I asked.

  “Not without everyone knowing exactly what we’re up to.”

  “I’m willing to take that chance. How about you?” I nibbled between his neck and shoulder, loving the way his knees buckled, requiring me to hold him up.

  Nick turned devilishly demure eyes to me. ”Yes, Daddy.”

  Fuck, yeah.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Nick

  Could everyone tell that every bone in my body had turned to goo and my hole screamed from having taken Jeo’s dick? I did my best not to flinch as I gingerly sat down on a folding chair beside Tony. Thankfully, Tony’s attention lingered on Cane stripping down to his swimsuit, or I was sure he would’ve noticed.

  How unfair was it that Jeo managed to be everything I’d always wanted in a Daddy? After so long trying and failing to coach Royce—someone who’d chosen the role as a lifestyle—to be what I needed, Jeo, a man who’d never tried the role before other than in sex play, had knocked it out of the ballpark on the first go.

  And now I was questioning myself. Before, I’d sworn I’d only wanted the dynamic in the bedroom. Now I was finding it not only turned me on out of the bedroom as well, but it also brought me a kind of peace from the turmoil that sometimes overtook me.

  It wasn’t like I wanted Jeo to call me “boy” in the grocery store or even right now, with our friends, although I think I wouldn’t mind that. I wanted—no, needed—him to take charge of me. I’d never felt more grounded post dealing with my father than I had when Jeo had “punished” me after my fit of rage. And how screwy was that? Trusting Jeovanni Mendoza to guide me in life?

  “What are you frowning about?” Tony’s voice sent my thoughts scattering.

  I glanced at him before turning my gaze back to the guys on the dock, although I hadn’t really been seeing them before.

  “What? Oh, just that Cane’s looking hot.” It was the only thing I could think to say to get Tony’s mind off me, and it worked.

  “Yeah.” Tony sighed, gazing at his boyfriend with open adoration. “He really is.”

  It was the truth. The muscles along Cane’s broad back rippled as he grabbed Adam and tossed him into the lake. Adam surfaced, bellowing that Cane had better run. But I preferred Jeo’s slightly lankier form as well as the caramel color of his skin and his rich, dark eyes.

  “Should Cane be throwing Adam in the water?” I asked. “Couldn’t he have a seizure?”

  “All the guys are aware how Adam feels how different things are now. They try to make things as normal as possible while still keeping an eye on him. Cane’s watching him like a hawk, I promise.”

  I nodded, and now that he’d said it, I could see Cane never took his eyes off Adam while Adam remained in the water.

  “How are things going between you and Jeo?” Tony asked.

  “Good. We’re still having fun.”

  “Jeo has never been in a relationship like this in his life. I still think he’s feeling more than you know.”

  I opened my mouth to argue, but Tony cut me off.

  “I love you, Nick, but you’re being an idiot. Watching you and Jeo today really drove it home. Open your eyes and see what’s happening right in front of you, and if you really want more with Jeo, go for it. I’m telling you, you might be surprised at his answer.”

  “Nick!” Jeo shouted from where he sat on the giant blow-up swan floating in the lake. “Come join me!”

  I shook my head and yelled, “Duck poop!” Jeo made an exaggerated pouting face that made me smile.

  “See? I’ve never seen him act that way with anyone,” Tony said. “Hell, I’ve never seen him even interact with a lover out of the bedroom or a bar.”

  “Tony, stop.” The last thing I wanted was to get my hopes up, and I wasn’t about to ruin things by trying to make what Jeo and I were doing out to be more than it was. “You got your happily ever after, but not everyone does.”

  Tony sighed and fell silent.

  I watched, smiling, as Jeo splashed Gavin and his friend. The boys went under and surfaced at the back of the swan, grabbing it and motoring Jeo around the lake.

  The sun was dipping low in the sky, and I got up to help bring out the food to the table under the tent.

  “Get those burgers done,” I said to Tease, who was manning the grill. “You don’t want to see me hangry.”

  Tease chuckled. “I definitely don’t. You’re a handful as it is.”

  I smirked at the big man, so handsome with his dark skin and light green eyes.

  “You keep your hands to yourself.” Jeo’s voice held humor, but also some warning. I hadn’t seen him get out of the lake and jumped when he touched me with wet hands.

  “Man, you know I’m straight,” Tease said, rolling his eyes.

  “I’ve seen straight men go gay at less tempting morsels.” Jeo wrapped his arms around me in a way that made my heart pound while at the same time sent a chill down my back because he was fucking cold.

  “Give me a break. I’ve got a girlfriend.”

  “So you say,” Axel said, approaching with a plate of raw hot dogs. “We’ve yet to confirm she’s real.”

  Tease plated the cooked burgers. “If you were ever at the clubhouse, you’d have met her by now.”

  “Burn,” Jeo said, smiling against my neck.
>
  “Go get a room.” Lake squeezed around us to get to the grill. “Those burgers ready? I’m starving.”

  “Get a room?” Jeo said. “Excuse me, but I’m pretty sure it was you and Blaze I walked in on fucking in the laundry room.”

  “That was a room,” Lake shot back.

  Tony’s eyes were on me as I passed him on my way to the picnic table, the look in them plainly telling me to pay attention to how Jeo was acting. But I knew Jeo was only fooling around, acting like he was jealous of Tease.

  One by one, we all sat at the two long picnic tables with our plates of food.

  “I think Jeo had to use two paper plates because one would collapse under the weight of all that food,” Axel teased. “Better be careful, bro. At your age, the metabolism slows down.”

  Jeo made a face. “Very funny. And you’d better get your ass to the gym, or all that muscle’s gonna turn to flab.”

  Laughter ensued as the guys volleyed jibes around the table.

  “How the hell do you keep up dating with someone half your age?” Adam asked, clearly still annoyed by the dunking Jeo had given him in the lake.

  Jeo stiffened beside me. “His isn’t half my age, fucktwat.”

  Under the table, I placed my hand on Jeo’s thigh. I’d learned in the past couple of months that he was definitely sensitive about his age. Also about money, which puzzled me.

  “Hey, T,” Jeo said a moment later. “Remember that job you had where you kept the books at that department store after hours?”

  “Yeah. Why?” Tony slapped Cane’s hand as it went for the pickle on his plate.

  “Is the owner LGBTQ friendly? I’m trying to come up with a fundraiser for Rainbow House, and I thought maybe a department store might be willing to make some special coupons or something.”

  “I don’t know. I didn’t see much of him with my hours. Now, if you need something from one of the night security officers, I’m your man.”

  “Nah, thanks anyway.”

  “Why don’t you do something fun for the fundraiser?” Lake asked.

  “Such as?”

  “Well, like a concert.”

  Jeo raised a brow. “Know a good band willing to work for free?”

  “What about a talent show?” Blaze asked.

  “Hey, that’s a really good idea!” Morgan said.

  Zeke pointed a celery stick at Dante. “Pretty boy can play his guitar.”

  Heads turned to look at Dante, who spoke around his burger. “I’m game.”

  “Who else do we know with talent?” Morgan asked.

  “I can sing,” Tease said.

  “Keep telling yourself that,” Adam said, and Tease tossed a handful of chips at him.

  Tease definitely could not sing. He was so tone deaf, when he belted out a song, the neighborhood dogs started howling.

  When I had come out of the house after being fucked to within an inch of my life by Jeo, I’d found Flynn and his son had arrived. Tony had told me that, by weird coincidence, the guys all knew Flynn. He hadn’t known my friends were Hedonists. Evidently, Flynn and Matteo had once been an item. Tony didn’t know the details; just that they’d dated quite awhile. Only after Blaze had assured Flynn that Matteo was spending the holiday with his grandmother did he agree to stay.

  B and Cooper kept jumping up from the table to turn somersaults or throw breadcrumbs to the ducks, and Flynn finally informed them if they didn’t sit down and eat their meal, they’d have to take a nap afterward. The boys settled down after that, and when Flynn turned back to the table, he winked at Sarah, who gave him a thumbs up.

  “Can we swim now, Mom?” Gavin asked.

  “Throw your trash in that can over there first,” Julianne said.

  “Hey,” Caleb said suddenly, “Nick and Jeo could dance in the talent show!” He looked at Axel. “You said they’re really good, right?”

  Axel nodded. “They are.”

  I looked at Jeo, whose eyes were already on me.

  “What do you think?” he asked.

  I didn’t get stage fright—I always enjoyed being the center of attention. And dancing with Jeo at the club had been a blast.

  “Sure,” I said.

  “And you could dance, Morgan,” I said.

  “We could hold auditions if we don’t have enough acts,” Axel said.

  “You guys would help with the fundraiser?” Jeo looked surprised, though I wasn’t sure why.

  “Of course,” Blaze said.

  “I’ll have to run it by Gabe, but a talent show sounds like a great idea.” Jeo smiled, looking happy.

  Glancing around, my eyes snagged on Adam, who was staring blankly into space, hand holding his fork resting on the edge of his plate and body still. As I watched, his eyes rolled upward and his lashes fluttered for several seconds. No one seemed to notice. Alarmed, I was about to say something, when Adam blinked a few times and looked around, expression normal again. I quickly focused on my food before he caught me staring.

  “Sounds like one of those petite mal seizures he has,” Jeo told me later when we’d finished with the cleanup and were lounging on the dock, our feet dangling in the water. “I’ve never seen one, but Blaze says they happen fast and are over with quick.”

  “Damn,” I said, feeling sorry for Adam. He couldn’t ride his bike anymore, and he never knew when he was going to blank out like he had at the table. “This has got to be hard on him.” And all because he was doing Morgan a favor and got ambushed by some fucks from another club.

  “I’m sure he appreciated you not calling attention to him, but you need to pull him aside privately and let him know. He’s trying to keep track of how many he has,” Jeo said.

  I nodded. “I will.”

  After a moment, Jeo asked, “You really okay with dancing in the talent show?”

  “Sure. You know I love to dance.”

  “Should be fun,” Jeo agreed. “I meant to ask you before. All the flips and stuff you can do—did you take gymnastics as a kid?”

  “Yup,” I said. “Years of it. For a while I thought I wanted to be in the Olympics. I’m sure my father would have had heart failure if I’d gone that route, calling public attention to all the gay.” I gestured at myself from head to toe.

  “Is that why you didn’t do it?” Jeo asked, looking at me intently.

  I sighed. “I don’t know. Maybe. I’m not sure I would have had the discipline anyway. I was always making my coaches mad at me for something.”

  “Hey, Hung!” Zeke yelled from behind us. “Come help us with the fireworks.”

  Jeo sat up, and I touched his arm. When his dark eyes turned to me, I said, “Be careful lighting those things.”

  “Aw, my boyfriend’s worried about me.” With a devilish grin that sent my pulse racing, Jeo leaned over and kissed me, soft and tantalizing. As I watched him head for the group standing around Hugh’s car, I warned myself for the millionth time not to romanticize things. But, yeah—that had been one of those real moments I’d told Tony about.

  I watched the group as they unloaded the boxes of fireworks from the trunk of Hugh’s car. Mick was clearly flirting with Hugh, standing inches from the tall blond and touching him unnecessarily. I hoped he’d snag the good-looking veterinarian.

  I got to my feet and headed for the table with the bug spray. Mosquitoes fucking loved me, and I didn’t want to be their Fourth of July feast.

  ****

  Sprays of color splashed the night sky and a series of pops and whistles filled the air. Caleb had shut up the dogs in the shelter in case the noise frightened them, and everyone sat on blankets on the grass while Axel and Dante manned the fireworks.

  I lay on a quilted blanket, head resting on Jeo’s leg, Flynn and Cooper sitting beside us. Stomach full of food, I could barely move.

  A screaming whistle, followed by a blast of exploding stars high above brought oohs and aahs from the audience.

  “Be careful!” Isaac called to Dante, who prepared to light another
firework. “I heard of a guy who blew off his thumb with a cherry bomb!”

  Blaze, who sat with Lake and Isaac not far from us, chuckled. “He must be pretty old. Cherry bombs were outlawed fifty years ago. Dante’s fine; he knows what he’s doing.”

  “Lighting small bombs is always dangerous,” Isaac grumbled.

  “Wow, Daddy, look at that one!” Cooper pointed to the brightly colored cone-shaped fountain that Dante had shot into the sky. Cooper was sitting on Flynn’s lap, eyes big as saucers as he watched the display.

  “It’s beautiful, isn’t it, buddy?” Flynn kissed his young son on the head. Seeing them together tugged at my heartstrings. I’d never thought I wanted children, but at that moment, I wondered if someday I might change my mind.

  Someday. When I settled down with someone. I glanced up at Jeo. Dark scruff on the sharp line of his jaw continued downward to just above his Adam’s apple. He leaned back on his hands, legs spread with me between them. If I turned my head slightly to the left, I could nuzzle the outline of his cock in his jeans. If Cooper wasn’t only a few feet away, I would.

  What kind of a father would Jeo make? He was good with kids—infinitely patient with Coop and B when we’d finger painted with them earlier in the day and then later when we’d played ball. But did he want any of his own? And why was I thinking about this? Jeo wasn’t in it with me for the long haul. My mood plummeted. How long did we have? It was only going to get harder for me the longer it went on. I imagined a day when Jeo announced it had been fun but he was moving on to someone else.

  It would fucking destroy me.

  I sat up and crawled over to the cooler, pulling out a bottled hard lemonade. Knocking off the cap, I took a long drink before getting to my feet and telling Jeo I had to use the bathroom. Isaac and Dante’s house was quiet, and I hurried to the bathroom under the back stairs to relieve myself. When I’d finished, instead of returning outside, I moved around the living room looking at things. Several photos sat on the mantel. A couple of them were of Isaac and Gus, the old man who used to own the house. Another was of two of the dogs that Isaac had told me had belonged to Gus. One was a hound, and the other a Pomeranian/Shih Tzu mix. Another picture was of the terrier mix, Banjo, that Isaac had adopted from the shelter. He was sitting beside Marmalade, the big orange cat, with Fred, the cockatiel, in the background.