Page 94 of Hummingbird and Kraken

Oh, that didn’t sound bad at all. “I thought you meant a lot more people. Over here. That sounds… very good. I will not let you be lonely.”

Declan kissed the nearest tentacle. “Thank you. It means a lot to me.”

It was so easy to give Declan what he wanted. And he could even imagine another person or two around sometimes, making Declan smile and laugh in their home. “Do you want to see anyone right now?”

Declan shook his head emphatically. “No, Daddy, just you. I missed you too much while you were gone.”

Geir’s heart felt full to bursting. “I missed you, too.”

“Maybe we could go swimming, though?”

“Anything.”

* * *

Geir shifted on the couch, resting one foot up on the coffee table. He loosened his tentacles just enough to let Declan find a comfortable position and then tightened them again. One wrapped around Declan’s bare legs and the other wove under his shirt, across his chest, and then out through his sleeve.

“Daaaaaaaddy!” Declan complained, though his tone was light. “You have to let me move my hands at least.”

Geir looped his tentacle twice around Declan’s wrist instead and received a sweet kiss for his efforts.

It had been three days since the rescue, and he was never, never letting Declan out of his sight again.

Fortunately, Declan didn’t seem to mind.

“Which one do you think I should get?” Declan held up his phone, flicking between two pictures.

Each one seemed to be a set of brushes, arranged by size, but that was all that Geir understood. “Which one is better?”

“This one has more large bristle brushes for background washes, but this one has more sable brushes for finer details.”

Ah, an easy question. “Get both.”

Declan squirmed in his lap, probably trying to face him, then settled for just leaning his head back. “Are you sure you want to get me all of this? I mean, it’s amazing and I’m really grateful, but it’s a lot of money and I don’t need everything right now.”

Geir tightened his suckers all at once, the small teeth inside biting into Declan’s skin. Declan drew in a pained gasp and then relaxed completely against him, the phone dropping from his hands.

Geir nuzzled into his neck. “Does it make you happy?”

“You make me happy.”

Geir ran one broad hand over the ridge in Declan’s shorts. “So I see.”

Declan whimpered and tried to thrust up against him, which was always Geir’s clue to hold him tighter. Declan turned toward him, and he gave him a languorous kiss, his hand still moving gently over the scrap of denim.

When they were both breathless, he pulled back, patting the couch blindly until he found the errant phone. “What else do you need?”

“You.”

“I think you were going to order a computer. Wasn’t that next on your list?”

Declan groaned.

They’d been playing this game since Geir had a satellite dish installed this morning. The representative had said he’d need to wait a week, but when he’d ask to speak to a manager, it turned out to be one of the People. She’d left immediately to install it herself, and less than an hour later, they had internet.

She’d also reminded them of the party tonight, where apparently the two of them would be guests of honor. Tier had called yesterday to extend the invitation.

Geir wasn’t so sure that he wanted to go, but Declan had accepted immediately. And when Declan looked so happy, he couldn’t say no. He wasn’t looking forward to all of those people, though. Especially if it meant Declan leaving his side.