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When he raised his head, I stroked his mussed hair back from his handsome face, loving relaxed he seemed. His shoulders weren't shrugged upward, and his jaw didn’t tic where it was clenched tightly with stress, the way it had before.
"I'll make sure you're up in plenty of time for me to drive you home."
"I can get a ca—"
I cut him off with a quick kiss. "I'll take you. Daddy wants all the time with you that I can get." I patted his hips, and he struggled a bit to his feet. I got to my own as he pulled up his pants and underwear. I grimaced at the uncomfortable feeling of my release. Ignoring it, I took his hand in mine, we both grabbed a wineglass, and I led him into the house. Hopefully, in the light of day when the afterglow wore off, he wouldn't try to talk himself out of spending time with me—out of being mine. Nothing about my need had changed since the first night I met him except I now needed more, but I had to rein in my usual inclination to dive in headfirst.
Chapter 6
Brian
The week had passed with regular phone calls and texts, even a few stops by the office just to give me a kiss and leave. Everyone who worked under me in the legal department found great amusement in that. Stanton was much loved by everyone at Sander's Investments and there never seemed to be an end to funny stories, hell, even heartwarming ones, where Stanton starred as the hero. He was, by all accounts, nearly perfect and that was really my problem; all of it felt too good to be true.
A night didn't go by where he didn't simply call to tell me goodnight even if he had to sneak away from work to do so. After our Sunday together my brain kept going back and forth between ‘this is great’ to ‘when will Stanton get bored?’
I couldn't imagine what a twenty-seven-year-old successful man could want with me. He was gorgeous and witty, smart and funny. Stanton didn't take much seriously, but surprisingly, it wasn’t really a bad thing.
My mind kept going back to the end of our first date and how gentle he'd been with me when he asked for a kiss and then dropped to his knees. He hadn't tried to be rougher because I was bigger and older than him. What had me in a chokehold the tightest, though, was when he'd awakened me Monday morning with enough time to get another shower and make it home to change into my work suit. He kissed me awake while his hand spread over my belly, petting me as he gently eased me into consciousness. I couldn't remember the last time that happened, not even with my ex-husband. Part of me always swore my marriage and relationship with Tanner was as perfect as it could get, but I hadn’t realized how wrong I was until it had all ended.
We'd both been hyper-masculine men of a certain age. The beginning of our relationship had started off as secret hookups because we'd both still been in the closet—our supposed straightness above reproach.
Stanton had kissed me in public. He held my hand as we'd strolled down the street and through the park. He'd teased me until he'd talked me into getting on the swings and letting him push me.
I'd gone through my teens in the nineties. We'd been a more liberal generation than the ones before us, but sexuality was something we’d agonized over. Me especially, as a large, muscular man. I'd even dated girls in high school, telling myself my attraction to some of my male classmates was wrong—a phase that would fade if I ignored it hard enough.
I'd been out longer than my husband, but in school and at work, I'd never mentioned the men I was dating. I'd policed my mannerisms, the way I spoke, and even when Tanner and I were out of the closet it still wasn't well known outside our group of friends. Sometimes I wondered if I'd ever been happy at all in my relationship and marriage. Outside gay spaces I'd never have allowed some stranger, or anyone, to kiss me like Stanton had. My ex-husband had seen all those silly public displays of affection silly and unnecessary.
With Stanton, I could tell things were different—I was different, and I desperately wanted everything to work out.
I was too much of a worrier to let go. The dates and see where everything would go stepped outside my comfort zone. Yet I needed to try. That's why I'd agreed to meet him and some friends on a rare Saturday night off. His schedule was ridiculously busy with planning and attending parties, keeping everyone happy. How much work went into event planning had never crossed my mind.
Stanton had called me earlier that day, told me he'd been invited to a night out with a group of friends and acquaintances. They were meeting up at a well-known gay pub for dinner and drinks. He'd tried to talk me into letting him pick me up, but I'd had to go into work for an emergency and said I'd just meet him. Stanton hadn't been all that happy about me making my way there on my own, but he'd relented after I promised I'd be careful.
I paused a few feet to the right of the door, smoothing the dress shirt that I'd paired with dark jeans. The soft linen conformed to the curve of my belly and I prepared to spend an evening with people Stanton's age. I entered the chaos slowly and let my gaze scan the room until I spotted Stanton. His gorgeous face brightened with a smile. As if he sensed me entering, he looked up and a sweet smile that seemed to be meant only for me curved his lips. He instantly stood up from the table and started making his way through the crowd to meet me.
The second he was within touching range he wrapped one arm around my waist and tugged me against him. Not once did I hesitate to lower my mouth to his when he'd tipped his head back.
"Hey, baby boy, you didn't answer my text." He drew me down until he could whisper into my ear.
"Sorry, I was running behind and just didn't want to be later than I already was."
"That's okay, I was just getting worried. Just make sure you check and answer, so I know you're safe. Come on, everyone is giving me shit about my secret boyfriend. Telling me you don't actually exist because no one can be that perfect."
The way he flattered me made my cheeks heat and in some ways, I thought I should be used to the compliments by now, especially seeing how generous he was with them, but maybe I never would be. He laced his fingers through mine and led me back to the table, introducing me around, and I was happy to see a few men closer to my age than his.
Always a gentleman, Stanton pulled out my chair and motioned to it. He asked what I wanted to drink, and I told him a beer was fine. As he rubbed my chest, he brushed his lips to the top of my head and said he'd be right back.
"Stanton has been singing your praises." Tyler, a man maybe in his late thirties, cuddled his boyfriend who was about the same age. The man was much larger than Tyler and looked as if he'd lived a hard life. Although, the smile he gave Tyler changed his features, completely softening them with adoration. "We told him he was making you up."
"I don't even want to know what all he was saying." I glanced around nervously because I wasn't the best in social situations. Small talk wasn't my strong suit.
"Nothing bad, I assure you. He just told us that you were so perfect we weren't going to believe it."
I lowered my chin to hide what I knew would be a silly grin but raised it when Stanton returned to take the seat beside mine. He stretched his arm along the backrest of the chair. I thanked him for the drink with a quick kiss. When I tried to pull away, he cupped my cheek to keep me in place.
"Someone has Stanton by the balls." An amused voice broke us apart and I turned to find a built guy who looked as if he lived in a gym. The smile that formed disappeared when I saw who was with him—Tanner.
"Clark, don't start. You're late, that means you're on for the next round. Baby, this is Clark, don't believe a word that comes out of his mouth. And Clark, I told you about Brian the other night." Stanton introduced me to his friend while I tried to act normal.
