Acknowledgement

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, locations and incidents are products

of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. As such, any resemblance to any

persons, living or deceased, businesses, events, or locales is coincidental.

The author acknowledges the trademark status of Starbucks Coffee.

Because You're You (formerly published as Be A Bad Boy)

Copyright © June 2011 by Lee Brazil

Keeping House excerpt Copyright © May 2011 by Lee Brazil & Breathless Press

The Librarian Excerpt Copyright © January 2012 by Lee Brazil & Breathless

Press

Loving Jacob Excerpt Copyright © June 2011 by Lee Brazil & Breathless Press

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof

may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever

without the express written permission of the publisher

except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Printed in the United States of America

First Printing June 2011

http://leebrazilauthor.blogspot.com

Because You're You

By

Lee Brazil

Chapter 1

Furious, Devyn Strake stalked up the overgrown path to Kayla’s apartment. It

was his weekend to have Kail. Devyn was stuck with this stupid visitation agreement,

Wednesday nights and every other weekend, alternate holidays. He should have had full

custody, but instead the judge had decreed that a boy of eight months needed his mother

more than his father. Bull shit. Kail needed him as much as he needed Kail.

2C. He hadn’t been here before, but, surely Kayla could afford better on the

amount of child support and spousal support he’d been required to pay?

He knocked politely on the door, a sharp rap. A noise from inside drifted through

an open screen window. It only took a moment to recognize the sound as the pathetic

cries of a baby. He pounded his fists on the grubby door calling out, “Kayla! It’s Devyn.

I came to get Kail for the weekend.” There was no response, no sound from within but

the continued cries. He wasn’t supposed to be here. Kayla had claimed he’d threatened

her, asked the judge for a restraining order. The judge had eyed him up and down, noting

every piercing and tattoo, and the order had been granted. His expensive lawyer and his

Dad by his side in his Armani suit had counted for nothing. He looked like a thug,

therefore he was a thug.

Then again, Kayla was supposed to bring Kail to him fro his visits at a

prearranged public place. He’d waited at the McDonald’s for over an hour past the time

they were to be there. When he couldn’t reach Kayla on her cell phone, he’d given in to

the anger and headed over here. She could have all the money he could get his hands on,

but Kayla wasn’t’ keeping him from his son any more.

He could hear Kail’s frantic cries from inside the apartment, but other than that,

there was no sign of anyone being home. It was his weekend to have Kail, and Kayla

was fucking nuts if she thought she was going to get away with not bringing him to the

meeting place again. Restraining order be thrice damned.

Pain ripped through him as his son’s cries grew louder on the other side of that

door. He looked around frantically. Either Kayla had gotten a lot more tolerant than she

used to be or she wasn’t in there. If she was she was passed out. He had to get to Kail.

The manager’s office had an out to lunch sign on the door. No help from that quarter. No

one else seemed to care about the noise he made or the noise his son made.

Devyn bent forward to peer in the window, hoping to catch sight of Kayla or Kail

through the window. He couldn’t see Kayla, but he saw Kail right away. The little boy

stood clutching grimly at the bars of the play pen, screaming and crying, face red with

exertion. Tears had etched shiny tracks down his face, and he was nude except for a

bulky looking diaper.

Desperate to get to Kail, he pulled the Swiss army knife his Dad had given him

for his fourteenth birthday from his pocket. The window to the left of the door was raised

just a bit. Kneeling down, he used the sharp blade of the knife to cut the screen away

from the frame. Peeling the screen away, he raised the window, talking as soothingly as

he could to Kail as he did. “Daddy’s coming, big boy. No need to cry. Daddy’s here.”

When Kail turned to the window, and caught sight of his daddy climbing through,

his shrieks subsided to sobs. The tear drenched dark eyes ripped another hole in Devyn’s

heart. Fuck. He landed on the floor under the window knocking a withered plant over on

the way down.

Without Kail’s cries, the apartment was eerily silent. Kayla wasn’t here. Devyn

rose shakily and hurried to the play pen. Kail reached out to grab him, striving to climb

out on his own. “Shh… I got you.” He pulled the squirming little body close, grimacing

as hot liquid seeped through the soggy diaper and through his own t-shirt. He wrinkled

his nose at the scent of piss. Poor tyke hadn’t been changed in a while.

He searched the dingy room for diapers and wipes, relieved to find them and a

diaper bag on the floor by the battered sofa.

On the way over to the sofa, the sticky tapes on the side of the current diaper

caved to pressure and it fell off to land with a sickening plop on the floor. He left it there.

Bitch could clean it up when she got back. He set Kail down on the sofa, and held him in

place with one hand while he knelt next to the sofa. He patted blindly with one hand,

reaching for the wipes and a diaper.

A sudden sharp prick of pain in his finger and he glanced down in disbelief. No

freaking way. The thin glint of metal caught his eye. Way. A needle. His gaze zoomed

to the grungy coffee table and took in the other paraphernalia there. Shit. Fuck it. He

whipped his t-shirt off over his head and wrapped it around his son. Fuck this shit.

Grabbing the diaper bag, he hoisted Kail into his arms and headed for the door.

He clutched his little man to him with one arm, heart aching at the baby’s desperate grip

on his neck, and pulled his cell phone from his pocket. A few quick zoomed in shots of

the drug stuff, a few wide angle shots of the whole room, and he was on his way. If

Kayla walked through it while he was on his way out, he’d mow the bitch down.

Bad enough to leave the little man alone in the apartment for god knows how

long, but to be using again?

He slammed the door on his way out, not caring who saw him as he cuddled his

son in his arms and headed to his car. He fumbled his cell phone out of his pocket and hit

speed dial. “Dad? I’m coming over. Bringing Kail. We need to talk. Call the lawyer.”

Chapter 2

Gurgles of happy baby laughter followed by startled shrieks and the mellow hum

of a more mature voice lured Sully from sleep. He smiled. The kids were up. It only

took a moment longer for him to realize that it wasn’t his nieces and nephews making the

happy noises. He’d moved from his apartment over his sister’s garage a month ago when

he’d finally paid off his student loans. Living in the apartment complex allowed him

more privacy from his nosy though well intentioned sister and her husband, his partner on

the force, but he missed the noises of family life, the interactions with the kids.

It was the baby’s giggles that attracted his attention first. The sound was pure joy.

The husky chuckles that followed the giggles caused him to tilt his hat brim back and

search out the source of the sound. It didn’t take long. The residents of this complex

seldom used the pool, and he usually had it to himself in the early hours. After his swim

this morning Sully had dropped onto a lounger to let the sun dry him off. He must have

fallen asleep, and this was his reward for not working today. Absently, he raised his

sunglasses to his lips and nibbled the ear piece of the expensive Oakley’s.

At the shallow end of the pool a young man sat on the bottom step, his lower half

submerged in the sparkling water. On his lap he held a baby, less than a year old from

the looks of it. The baby had creamy white skin and hair a rather strange shade of dark

brown, like a bad dye job. The giggling baby slapped the water with a little starfish hand,

then shrieked when water droplets splashed on him.

While the sweet baby with his gurgling laughter was an invitation to joy, the

father, a pale skinned, wiry man was an invitation to sin. His dark hair badly needed

cutting, and he appeared not to have shaved for days. Good lord, those tattoos! Sully

wanted to lick the moist drops of pool water from every inch of inked skin as it swirled

across compact muscles in direct contrast to the creamy flesh.

He knew who they were. Kind of. Last week they’d arrived as dusk was falling,

accompanied by an older man driving a U-Haul truck. The younger man had carried the

baby in one of those kangaroo things while they unloaded a few meager possessions from

the truck. According to the white card that had suddenly appeared on the mailboxes, this

was D. Strake, his new downstairs neighbor.

“Hey,” he called, glad his voice came out reasonably normal.

The younger man stiffened, his arms tightening around the baby, who squawked a

protest. A rapid and in no way subtle scan of the area seemed to reassure Strake, and he

loosened his hold on the baby, meeting Sully’s eyes. Sully drew in a sharp breath.

Beautiful eyes, tormented eyes. The dark depths were full of fear, wary.

“It’s okay. I’m Sully Moore. Sullivan, actually, but only my Grannie Moore calls

me that. I’m your upstairs neighbor.” He jerked his chin in the general direction of his

apartment, unable to take his eyes from the man and child in the pool.

“Devyn Strake. This is my son Kail.” The tattooed man rose slowly from the

water, keeping a tight grip on the baby. Sully exhaled slowly as he took in the body

revealed to his intent gaze. He followed drops of water winding over taut muscles and

lean expanses of flesh. Devyn wore beige and white hibiscus print board shorts, but the

damp fabric clung to his semi erect cock lovingly. Devyn seemed not to realize where

Sully’s gaze had landed, thankfully, and he dragged his gaze back to Devyn’s face.

His cheeks had flushed beneath the scruffy beard, so maybe he had noticed after

all. The baby tugged and pulled at his father’s earlobe, and Sully noted the gauge there.

Interesting. He quickly catalogued the other piercings, lower lip, eyebrow, nipple.

Maybe more. He’d found a bad boy here on his own door step.

Devyn was murmuring to the baby, backing across the burning cement to the pool

gate. There seemed to be something almost furtive in his movements. Curious. “Watch

that gate,” Sully warned. “The spring doesn’t catch all the time.”

Devyn turned his back to Sully to struggle with the faulty catch. Sully paused to

admire the view before he rose and slid his sunglasses back on. He padded carefully

across the burning cement and reached down over the younger man’s shoulder. Standing

carelessly close, he let his erection brush against the damp fabric of Devyn’s board

shorts. The cool dampness felt good on his overheated flesh. Not subtle, but Devyn

didn’t react anyway.

A deft twist and he released the gate, pushing it open and urging the other tow

resident ahead of him. He was crowding Devyn, he knew it. If he were any closer he’d

feel the man’s pulse beating. But the other man intrigued him, and aroused him in ways

no street wise kid ever had before. Then again, he considered, as Devyn scurried in front

of him, he didn’t actually seem like a street kid when you looked beyond the tats and

piercings. His grammar was excellent and unaccented, his posture easy and confident.

No, definitely not a street kid. But someone who was hiding something, yeah. That he

could see.

Chapter 3

Devyn held Kail close, whispering soothing words as he paced back and forth in

front of the sliding glass door of his patio. He’d opened it to catch as much of the

evening breeze as he could since the air conditioning unit had given out this afternoon.

He’d have to close it though if Kail didn’t settle into sleep soon.

Kail cheeks were flushed and his eyes glittered with fever. He’d been miserable

for hours, screaming and crying in turns. Devyn’s own head pounded furiously and the

muscles of his back and arms ached from their cramped position around Kail’s slight

weight. He didn’t know what to do, had tried everything he could think of, but his little

man wouldn’t be soothed into sleep, and he wouldn’t be put down.

Devyn paced the short distance from the open door to the stereo and restarted the

Beatles CD. When Kail had been younger and colicky this CD had soothed him. Devyn

had spent exhausting hours walking the boy to sleep to the tune of Sergeant Pepper. The

music helped tonight as well, but not enough. He scooped up his cell phone from the

narrow counter top dividing the main room and the tiny kitchen. Hit his dad’s speed dial.

Still no answer. He was in the middle of leaving another frantic message begging his dad

to call back when there was a knock at the door.

He froze. The knocking escalated to pounding. His head pounded in rhythm…

Finally he gave in and inched closer to the door. Peered through the viewer. Swallowed

hard. It was the guy from the pool. Tall, tan, sexy brown eyes and full pouting lips.

He’d had all he could do this afternoon not to grind back against the full arousal the man

had brushed against him as he bent to undo the stuck pool gate.

Hand shaking, he unlocked the door but left the chain on. “Yes?”

The man ran a hand through his hair. “Hey. I don’t want to be the Gladys

Kravitz of the neighborhood, but… do you need some help with the baby?’

Flushing, Devyn shook his head rapidly, ignoring the pain the movement caused.

He tried to push the door closed, but the man blocked it with a capable hand. “We’re

fine. He’s just not feeling well.”

“I’m upstairs from you, and he’s been crying for hours. It’s keeping me awake.

Let me help.” The man nibbled the tip of one finger as he spoke in a calm controlled

voice.

“I’m sorry. I’ll close the doors and windows. It’s just the air is out, and it gets

hot in here.” How embarrassing.

“No. Don’t do that. It’s hot as Hades. The air conditioning unit is out for the

whole building. I talked to the manager. I wouldn’t have heard you but I have my

windows open too. The heat will make things worse.” Kail’s head turned and he

hiccupped sadly, staring at the owner of the soothing voice. Relief poured through Devyn

at the blessed quiet. Impulsively he unlatched the chain and pulled the door open,

waving Sully in. They were neighbors after all, and Kail seemed to like him.

Sullivan pulled his finger from his mouth, and Devyn jerked his gaze from the

damp tip to meet the man’s eyes again. “Come on in. You have kids?”

“Nieces and nephews.” He shook his head, bending slightly to peer into Kail’s

eyes. “Hey there baby. Not feeling too good, are you?”

“He’s a little feverish, and aspirin isn’t helping. I’ve been walking him, and

bathing him, and he won’t eat.” He closed his eyes and breathed deeply as the frustration

swelled again. The scent of chlorine and sun and man filled his nostrils.

“And you’re not too well yourself, are you? Sympathy drenched the sexy voice,

and tears welled in Devyn’s eyes. He wouldn’t cry. Just because he was tired, frustrated

and stressed over the lack of response from his lawyer, he couldn’t let a little sympathy

send him over the edge.

“I have a migraine.” He admitted, rubbing at his left temple futilely.

“Want to come to me, baby?” Devyn blinked. The migraine, he was so blaming

the migraine for the way his heart jumped at that statement. Kail, it seemed, wanted to go

to Sully. Sully took him deftly, and Devyn stretched his arms over his head with a sigh

of relief. “Go on, man.” Sully waved him away. “Go take a shower, take some meds for

the headache. I’ll wait right here with the little guy, and we’ll get to know each other.

Shower. Magic fucking word. He craved that shower. “I’ll be right back.” A last

glance at the whimpering Kail and he headed quickly for the shower. He turned the

water on to heat while he rummaged in the medicine cabinet for the prescription pills his

doctor had ordered. The little buggers hid at the back of the motley contents. Swishing

mouthwash and spitting in the sink, he swallowed two tablets quickly then brushed his

teeth and hopped in the shower. The hot spray soothed his tired muscles and he soaped

himself quickly before rinsing and leaping out.

He paused near the open bathroom door, Kail was crying again, and Sully

murmured unintelligibly to him. Hastily he pulled on a pair of board shorts, sans boxers.

More relaxed, a pang of guilt sent him scurrying into the outer room. He’d left his son

with a stranger. Granted, they’d met, twice, sort of. But still.

Chapter 4

Devyn must have the patience of a saint. Sully had held the crying baby for less

than twenty minutes, and already he was anxious and ready to drive to the emergency

room or call in reinforcements. A slight noise alerted him to Devyn’s’ arrival, and he

glanced over, drawing in a sharp breath as he took in the vision that crossed the room

toward him. Devyn’s pale inked skin glittered with water droplets from the hair he hadn’t

dried, his bare chest boasted a tempting smattering of hairs that arrowed down to

disappear beneath the waistband of his red board shorts.

A pulse beat visibly in the tender hollow of his throat and an edge of fear glinted

in his eyes. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left him with you.” He sounded so young, so

troubled as he reached to take Kail from Sully. Sully’s grip tightened briefly then relaxed.

He reluctantly allowed the worried young father to take the baby.

“What have you tried so far?” He cringed at the sharp exasperation in the younger

man’s eyes.

“Everything I could think of. I even have half a dozen calls in to my father, but he

hasn’t responded.” Fatigue and defeat returned. “I should take him to the emergency

room.”

Thoughtfully, Sully considered the situation. The young man didn’t seem to be

employed and the apartment was sparsely furnished. Money might be hindering his

search for medical assistance. Sully reached for the phone on the counter. “May I?”

He’d left his own phone upstairs when the noise awakened him, but he knew the perfect

person to consult. With six kids of her own, Talia would be more than happy to help.

Devyn nodded, then wandered away, shoulders slumped. He paused at the open

glass door, whispering to the baby.

Talia picked up on the second ring. “Talia? Sully. Listen, I’m-“

“Oh my god! Is that a baby crying in the background? Where are you Sully?

What’s happened?” Yep. Tally could be counted on to help out, all right. He just had to

prevent her from ditching her own kids with Dude and heading right over here to help in

the flesh.

“I’m at my neighbor's. Listen, Tally… the baby’s not well and” he lowered his

voice, cupping his hand over the receiver. “I don’t think he can afford to take the baby to

the clinic, Tally. I hoped you’d know some homeopathic remedies that we haven’t tried.”

“Oh, of course you don’t need to go to a clinic. What’s wrong with the little guy?

Give me the symptoms, honey.”

“Symptoms, well... he’s feverish.” Sully tried to recall what else Devyn had said.

“He’s unhappy. This morning he was laughing and playing. But he’s been crying for the

last few hours non stop. Devyn said he didn’t eat.”

“Devyn, hmm? Sounds familiar. Anyway, Sully, is the baby tugging on his ear?”

Sully peered across the room at Devyn and Kail, restarting the CD player. He’d

be dreaming Sergeant Pepper if he ever got to sleep tonight. Yep, sure enough, the baby

was tugging on his left ear. “Yes, he is. What does that mean?”

“It means he has an ear infection. Not good, but not the worst thing that could

happen either. You got garlic there? Or at your place?”

“Hang on.” Holding the phone by his side he called out to Devyn. “You got

garlic here?”

Devyn cast him a quizzical glance as he paced back to the door again. “Yeah, I

have garlic in the basket over there. Why?”

“Not sure, but I’m going to find out. Yeah, sis. We have garlic.”

“Okay, then Sully, here’s what you and your friend do. You take a clove of that

garlic and crush it into a teaspoon of vegetable or olive oil. Warm it up on the stove.

Don’t get it too hot. You don’t want to burn the inner ear. Moisten a Q-tip with that oil

when it's warm and rub the oil inside the baby’s ear. It’ll work. Trust me.”

“Sounds easy enough, Sis. Hey, I’ll call you back if it doesn’t work.” Half threat,

half begging for support.

“It’ll work. And, hey yourself. Bring your friend and the baby to dinner some

night, okay?”

“Not that kind of friend, Tally. Thanks anyway.”

“Maybe not yet. But I know you, brother. I can tell by your voice this one is

different. Bring him.” The call disconnected on that order.

Devyn was watching him, eyes brimming with hope.

“Okay. Simple. Q-tips, olive oil, and garlic. I got this, if you want to get the Q-

tips?”

Chapter 5

Devyn came slowly awake, refreshed, surprised that no cries had awakened him

during the night. He stretched his arms above his head, and turned to check the crib on

the other side of the room. His eye fell on his sleeping son next to him on the big bed,

and he cringed. What if Kail had rolled over and fallen off the bed during the night?

Seconds later the memory of Sully returned and he raised his gaze slightly from

the sleeping baby to land on his rescuer of the night before. Sully’s sister’s remedy had

worked, but not before his migraine meds had kicked in. Sully had tucked both him and

Kail into bed, and apparently all three had drifted into exhausted, but blessedly pain free

slumber together.

Sully asleep was gorgeous. His head rested on one arm as he lay on his side

facing Kail. The firm tempting lips that had haunted his afternoon after their meeting at

the pool where parted in silent invitation. The body he’d been unable to keep his eyes

from while the man slept at the poolside lay relaxed and supple, curled slightly inward.

One large, strong hand rested on Kail’s tummy protectively.

Safe. He’d felt a strange safety in Sully’s presence. The man exuded confidence

and capability. Turning to him for help with Kail, a shoulder to lean on, had felt very

right. Giving in to temptation, Devyn braced his arm on the bed and leaned forward to

caress those lips with his own. He knew after the incident at the pool gate yesterday, that

Sully was interested in him. Yesterday he hadn’t been sure he could trust anyone. Today,

after the night they’d spent, the tender care Sully had lavished on his son, Devyn knew he

wanted to at least try. It had been a long time since he’d had the luxury of touching, of

liking, another man. Married at nineteen, a father at twenty-two, he’d had to stifle this

side of himself.

Warm, firm lips, sweet hot breath, he shivered as Sully murmured sleepily. He

pressed gently, half hoping, half fearing Sully would wake. He should have known

better. Kail gave an indignant coo, and flailed his hands in protest at being trapped

between the two men. The little hand with its sharp nails caught him square in the eye

before finding Sully’s nose and grabbing it tightly.

Sully came awake with a start of surprise. He carefully peeled the baby from his

nose and licked his lips, never breaking eye contact with Devyn, who felt the heat of a

blush spread across his cheekbones.

“Devyn.” His voice was husky with sleep, a sultry caress. “You kissed me?”

Shit. Could he pass it off as a dream? Even as the thought slid through his brain,

he was nodding. The blur of movement from the corner of his eye caught him by

surprise, and he flinched before he had time to brace himself for the blow that never

came. Instead, a caressing palm cupped his cheek, a rough thumb rubbed over his bottom

lip.

“You want to try that again while I’m awake to enjoy it?” Though Sully made no

comment about his foolish shrinking, his shrewd eyes indicated he’d noted it, and field it

away for future reference.

Emboldened by the teasing, Devyn scooped Kail up and headed for the changing

station. “Maybe. Want coffee?”

“Coffee, God, yes, I want coffee.”

Devyn watched fascinated as Sully absently picked up the key that hung from a

chain around his neck and nibbled it. Plump red lips closing on the shiny metal key, and

his groin pulsed in sympathy for the metal. He licked his own lips, dragged his attention

back to diapering Kail, and offered in a husky voice. “In the kitchen. Do you mind

making it?”

He ignored the rustle of sheets, forcing his gaze to stay on the wipes and the

diaper in hand, but oh how badly he wanted to peer around and see that long sleek body

climbing out of his bed.

He started in surprise as a hard hand brushed his hair aside and a moist hot kiss

landed on the nape of his neck. He shivered as muffled footsteps wandered to the door.

“No problem. I can make the coffee. You want breakfast too?”

Only if breakfast is you. Please God let me not have said that out loud. He had a

sinking feeling it had been when Sully’s chuckles drifted back from the open plan living

area.

Chapter 6

Sully discretely adjusted himself as he padded barefoot out to the living area. In

the kitchen he checked the fridge and freezer but couldn’t find any coffee beans.

Frowning, he started opening cabinets, staring in horror at a can of pre-ground, store

brand coffee. Is there enough time to run up to my place for real coffee? More to the

point, once outside that door, will Devyn let you back in?

Reluctantly he grabbed the can from the shelf and set it on the cabinet next to the

coffee pot. Okay, he was a coffee snob. A case of bottled water sat on the floor next to

the fridge, and he pulled three of them from the plastic wrap. He filled the water

reservoir on the pot and started searching the cabinets for spices. Cinnamon, salt and

pepper seemed the limit of Devyn’s spice collection. We are so sleeping at my place next

time.

A dash of cinnamon and a quarter cup of sugar in the basket with the inferior

coffee grounds and his eye fell on a bowl of citrus fruit. Shrugging, he grabbed an

orange and started searching for a zester. Too much to hope for from a man who only

stocked three spices. Laughing he bit into the bitter peel and pulled a few small pieces

from the orange. He dropped those into the grounds as well and set the pot to go.

Absently his hand went to the key on a chain around his neck, and he drew it to

his mouth, the faintly metallic taste of the key burst across his tongue, and he stared out

the sliding glass doors to the patio as he waited for his hosts to make their appearance.

Devyn strolled into the room with Kail in his arms, the little boy peering curiously

around. When his dark eyes found Sully he crowed and clapped his little hands together,

reaching out to be held. Sully smiled in return, dropping the key.

“And a good morning to you, too, baby Kail.” He stepped out from behind the

counter and accepted the baby’s embrace, brushing off Devyn’s polite ‘you don’t have

to’. “I told you. I’m used to kids. I’ve missed this, actually.” He confided, settling on

one of the barstools with the baby in his arms. “I used to live over my sister’s garage.

She has six kids. Last month I moved out, and the quiet has been slowly driving me

insane when I’m not at work.”

Devyn’s smile of acceptance sent his pulse beating harder, and the erection that

had begun to subside was back with a vengeance. The other man puttered around in the

kitchen, doing something with little jars and heating a bowl in the microwave.

“I’ll feed him if you want to shower, or make breakfast.” He added hastily as the

image of Devyn from last night, wet and relaxed from the hot shower came back to haunt

him.

“I’m good, shower wise. We’ll go down to the pool in a bit, and then I’ll shower

after that. Fruit and cereal good for breakfast for you?” Devyn’s happy smile and

acceptance of his presence made something in Sully’s chest melt.

He gazed at Kail, spooning bites into the little mouth like a mother bird,

swallowing hard to get the sudden tension to leave his throat. What the fuck? This

should be a feel good moment. This connection shouldn’t be so gut wrenching. “Yeah.

Is that coffee done?” He winced himself at the harshness of his voice, and Kail frowned

at him while Devyn just stared.

“Shit, I’m sorry Devyn. I’m just... I need coffee. I have oral issues. If there’s

nothing in my mouth crap just spills out of it.”

Devyn burst into laughter as he set a mug of coffee with a dancing Snoopy on it

on the counter nearby but far enough away that Kail couldn’t get to it. “Okay. Let me

take him and dress him, and you can take your foot out of your mouth and fill it with

coffee.”

“I’d rather fill it with you, but I see that’s not on the menu, so coffee will do.”

Willing himself not to blush was probably foolish, but he raised his coffee to his lips and

kept his gaze locked on Devyn’s startled one as he gulped the hot nectar.

Well, it was a stretch to call this swill nectar, but it was laden with caffeine, and it

would do. A few sips later, he felt he’d got his mouth, and his libido under control

enough to put down the mug. “So, Tally invited us over today. You want to go meet the

gal who saved our night’s sleep? She and Dude are good people, have six kids, the

youngest just a little older than Kail, here. They have a pool too, so we won’t have to

miss our swim.”

He could see the hesitation on Devyn’s face, and forged ahead. “It’ll be fun.

Dude makes a mean barbeque and Tally is the original homeopathic mom. She has

remedies for everything that will every befall Kail. You can pick her brains while you

sunbathe. And thank her in person for the earache cure.”

Steamrolling on ahead, he swooped over and scooped up Kail. “Come on. I’ll get

the baby dressed and ready to go while you change then we’ll head up to my apartment

and I’ll change. Oh, and hey- let’s stop at Starbucks and get some real coffee, okay?”

Chapter 7

I’m driving him to his sister’s house, where we’re going to have a barbeque and

play with the kids. How the hell did this happen? He checked on Kail in his car seat in

the back seat, and then flicked a quick glance at the hunk of tanned man sprawled in the

passenger seat next to him. Sully had switched his pajama pants for a pair of hibiscus

print board shorts in teal and blue and a simple white tank top. He’d allowed the flip

flops to drop from his feet as soon as he’d gotten into the car, and somehow, unfairly,

even his feet were sexy and turned Devyn on.

Was he really so starved for masculine company that he fell for the first man to

smile at him? No. He wasn’t that kind of guy. Sully was special, a man to be counted

on. Maybe, eventually, a man to be trusted. The timing sucked, but he couldn’t regret

the advent of Sully into his life. If only his Dad would call back with news from the

lawyers about his urgent plea for an emergency custody hearing!

It turned out that Tally and Dude lived in one of the coastal towns, but not on the

beach itself. It was a quiet little family neighborhood with a pretty big house and lot by

California standards. The palm of Sully’s hand in the small of his back reassured him

and it didn’t occur to him until the door swung open how the posture would appear to

Sully’s sister, who greeted him with a beaming smile and an exuberant hug.

He tried to hang back, but Sully drew him forward, introducing Devyn and Kail to

a herd of children and a tall blond man with knowing blue eyes. The food was good, the

conversation was fun, and Kail clearly loved the attention and was fascinated by the

Rawlings’ baby girl. Devyn relaxed over the course of the afternoon.

He sat on a lounger watching Kail playing with little Amber in an inflated kiddie

pool when Sully strolled over and perched on the edge of the chair next to him. He

flicked a glance out the corner of his eye, and gulped iced tea from his glass when he saw

that Sully had that damn key in his mouth again. Damn. Has he got any idea how sexy

that is?

Sully played with the key for a moment or two, eyeing Devyn. “So.”

“What?” He bolted upright nervously. His heart pounded in earnest now, but

from fear not arousal. Had Sully discovered his secret?

“I’m not sure about how you’re going to feel about this, so I’m going to come

right out and say it.” Sully dropped the key and pulled his sunglasses down from his hair.

He tapped his lower lip with the ear piece, and Devyn licked his own lips, remembering

Sully sucking the ear piece by the pool the day before. What had he said? He had oral

issues? Damn.

“You’re going to come right out and say something, go ahead.” He couldn’t help

the belligerence that echoed in his voice, and the responsive spark of interest in Sully’s

eyes intrigued him. Arousal, fear, anger, pleasure that such an attractive, clean cut man

found him attractive with his piercings and tats swirled through him.

Sully shoved the glasses on, concealing the flame in his dark eyes, effectively

hiding how he felt. Devyn regretted that. At least when he looked into Sully’s eyes he

knew he wasn’t the only one bewildered by this connection between them.

“Tallia and Dude, they’re offering to watch Kail while we go out for a bit, get a

drink, maybe walk on the beach.”

Yes! His body leapt at the idea, but his mind said he couldn’t leave Kail with

people he’d just met. “I shouldn’t leave Kail.” His protest was weak and he knew it.

Tallia and Dude were clearly loving, responsible parents, and Kail was due to nap in a bit

anyway. He latched onto that as an option. “Maybe, if Kail naps?”

“No pressure.” The key was back in Sully’s mouth again, and Devyn squirmed in

the lounger, such a small leap to imagine something else in place of that key. “They’re

offering. Doesn’t mean we have to accept. We can just stay here and enjoy the patio.”

Realizing how much he wanted to go, to be alone with Sully, Devyn agreed

before he could second guess himself. “Okay. But just for an hour. I’ll leave my cell

phone number. We won’t go far?”

Sully rose to his feet in a smooth movement from the shallow lounger. Devyn

fumbled a bit getting out of his. “Dude! We’re going for a walk. You’re on deck to

watch the pool.”

The tall blond haired man obligingly ambled over from his wife’s side to take the

lounger Sully had vacated. “Okay. Y’all be careful out there.”

“My cell number…” Devyn began.

“He’ll call on my phone, all right?” The first sign of impatience he’d seen from

Sully was in that statement. Devyn wondered if he was making a serious mistake. Sully

might be putting on a great laid back act in front of his family. Closer acquaintance

might show the same unpleasant character traits that Kayla had displayed. Unreasonable

jealousy, possessiveness, selfishness, he really wasn’t up to dealing with those again.

He shook his head. “You know? On second thought—"

Sully’s hand closed on his own and dragged him away before he could utter the

words that would change their plans. Out of sight of the others, just around the corner of

the house was a paved walkway between the garage and the main house. Sully guided

him onto that walkway and slammed him up against the side of the stucco building,

covering his mouth urgently.

Devyn’s mouth opened on a gasp of surprise and Sully took the opportunity to

explore. Slightly dizzy with desire, Devyn rubbed his tongue eagerly along Sully’s,

sucking at it hungrily. It had been just this morning that he’d kissed this man for the first

time, but this made the kiss he’d bestowed on the sleeping Sully seem chaste. This kiss

claimed, it aroused, it demanded a response that Devyn found himself all too willing to

give.

Panting, Sully drew back, lips gleaming with moisture that he licked with that

agile tongue. Devyn reached out to draw him back, but Sully shook his head. “I’ve

wanted to do that all day, since you woke me so sweetly with a kiss this morning. But we

can’t continue this here.”

Intent dark eyes stared into his and Devyn shivered. Slowly he became aware that

he was grinding his erection against Sully’s taut thigh, and shuddering, tried to still the

movements of his hips. Strong warm hands closed on him, and he swore he could feel

the possessive burn of each finger through the fabric of his board shorts on his ass. He

opened his mouth, tried to speak, but could only whimper in protest. He wanted. Very

badly.

Sully pressed a thumb to Devyn’s lower lip, and Devyn sank his teeth into it.

Fucking tease. Sully was right they couldn’t do this here, six kids and Ma and Pa Cleaver

were just around the corner. He watched Sully’s eyes melt and darken, heard his breath

catch.

“I still have the key.” Sully gestured toward the garage meaningfully.

Devyn couldn’t make sense of it though. That one kiss had sent all his blood

rushing south, and his brain was functioning without. “Uh.” He managed.

Sully pulled the key on its chain from around his neck. “This key unlocks the

apartment over the garage. It’s not rented out. If you want to, that is.”

Chapter 8

Sully held his breath, his hand clenching around the key as he waited for Devyn’s

answer. He was being pushy, he knew it, but he’d never felt this instant response to

anyone before. Physical, sure, but he genuinely liked Devyn, and he more than liked

Kail.

Devyn’s brown eyes sparkled and he drew in a deep breath, pushing away from

the wall. He nudged Sully gently out of his way and stepped forward. “Up there?

There’s a bed?”

Relief surged through him. “Yes. A nice soft mattress on a full size bed. It’s

soundproofed, and you can see the back yard from a window around back. Is that a yes?”

Pushing again, back off. Soundproof? Really? You had to mention that? Like you’re

guaranteed to make him scream? Shit.

He turned his hand over palm up, and waited a bit longer while Devyn hesitated

about putting his hand into it. At last, they were moving up the walkway to the outside

stairs of the studio apartment. As they crossed the threshold, Sully peeked back over his

shoulder to see Dude’s eyes on him. He gave a little nod, and urged Devyn forward with

his palm in the small of his back.

Devyn froze a few feet inside the door and surveyed the small living space. His

voice when it came was hesitant. “I should probably tell you I’ve never done this before.”

“Oh, baby, we don’t have to. We can sit over on the sofa and have a drink and

talk, if that’s what you want.” His own voice shook with the effort of staying calm and

reassuring, but the knowledge that this would be Devyn’s first time, that the younger man

came to him a virgin, sent flames of arousal licking through his system.

“No. I want to. It’s just- I was married for so long, and it wouldn’t have been

right. So, I’ve never been with a man. I thought that was the kind of thing you should

know.” Devyn ducked his head in embarrassment, and Sully’s mouth watered. He

herded Devyn over to the window, and pointed out into the yard of the main house.

“There’s Dude with your little man. He’s keeping a close eye on him for us.”

Devyn peered through the window anxiously, and Sully wondered why he seemed

so guarded about the kid. Something to ask about later. Meanwhile, father reassured

about his son’s well being, it was time for distraction.

Sully edged between Devyn and the window, using his larger frame to nudge

Devyn back out of view. He curled a hand around the nape of Devyn’s neck, and tilted

his head slightly to the side. Devyn was temptation personified. He wanted to explore

every inch of tattooed flesh, to suck every piercing. “Made for me. You were made for

me.” He marveled at how well they fit together before covering those plump tempting

lips with his own. He lost himself in the pulse of blood, the throb of sex, as he licked and

sucked and nibbled those plump curves. The gentle scratch of Devyn’s beard, the silky

texture of his long hair, he was drowning in sensation.

Devyn pulled his mouth away, panting heavily and pressed his head into Sully’s

neck. Sully arched his neck to grant better access as Devyn licked and sucked, shivering

as he grazed his Adam’s apple with the sharp edges of his teeth.

“Yes,” He murmured. “Bite me.”

Startled silence greeted this demand, and he wondered if he’d exposed to much

too soon, then a sharp nip of teeth and he groaned, wrapping both hands around Devyn’s

head to guide him to the spot he liked best.

“Make love to me.”

A deep shudder racked Sully’s body, and he swore his cock doubled in size on the

instant his brain comprehended the words. “Not yet, not yet,” he whispered soothingly,

stroking the lean muscles under the tank top Devyn wore. He allowed enough space

between them to pull the shirt off and quickly removed his own, hissing in pleasure at the

contact of bare flesh. Oh God. This was not good. He was too aroused, too on edge. He

had to do this right, make it good for Devyn. For the first time, he cursed Devyn’s

virginity. Getting down and dirty, a bit of wham bam thank you man had its place in a

man’s sexual repertoire, but not for a first time. A man’s first time needed to be slow,

tender and careful.

Maybe he shouldn’t be doing this. “Are you sure?” He hated this. He’d be living

in torment if Devyn changed his mind. “This is big step. You should maybe not do this

with someone you’ve just met.”

Devyn answered him by dragging his mouth back for another kiss. “I don’t feel

like I just met you. It seems like I’ve known you forever. I trust you. I want the first

time to be with you.”

Jesus. He shouldn’t be so relieved, so happy. Devyn’s blind faith in him, that he

wouldn’t hurt him, put him on his mettle. Now he had to make it memorable. Tenderly,

wonderingly, he brought their mouths together again, reaching for the drawstrings of their

shorts and loosed both with a single tug.

Devyn’s husky voice whimpered into his mouth, just a trace of laughter buried

there in the thread of sound, “Sully, please.” He thrust his hips forward, and their cocks

glided together in an intimate caress.

Sully took Devyn’s hand again and led him to the bed, positioning him on his

back. This position was more intimate; it spoke of emotion, of engagement beyond sex.

It would allow him to measure Devyn’s responses through the expressions on his face,

the emotion in his eyes. He fumbled the drawer of the nightstand open and withdrew a

tube of lube and a condom packet

He climbed onto the bed, kneeling between Devyn’s raised knees. He stroked the

soft flesh over hard muscle, curling his hand around a calf and urging his legs wider.

Leaning forward he brushed his lips lightly over the tattoo on Devyn’s’ shoulder and

slowly began licking and kissing his way along the pattern. Devyn writhed and

whimpered beneath him, arching up, seeking contact for his cock.

Sully pressed him in place with flat hand on his taut belly. “Oral fixation,

remember?”

Devyn’s pierced brow rose mockingly. “Celibate for damn near a year?”

Chuckling, Sully gave in. “You win, this time. But I will have my way. Be

warned. I intend to lick, suck and bite every inch of you before either of us comes next

time.”

Devyn snorted. “Let’s deal with this time, first, okay?”

Sully popped the lid off the lube and spread some on an index finger. He reached

between Devyn’s spread thighs, and sought the opening there. With his other hand he

stroked Devyn’s cock, and then leaned down to kiss the swollen mouth again.

He needed to distract Devyn from the certainty of the pain that would come when

he first breached the untouched flesh. He rubbed gentle circles around the puckered

before daring to apply direct pressure to the tiny hole, feeling it resist then give slightly.

The nipping kiss of that delicate flesh caused his cock to surge eagerly. Devyn, make it

good for Devyn.

He trailed hot open mouthed wet kisses down from Devyn’s chin over his throat,

seeking the hardened tips of his nipples. There he bit, suckled, and played with the

nipple ring until Devyn writhed and wriggled frantically in lust. The wriggling motions

of Devyn’s body forced his finger deeper, and at last he felt the ring of muscle give and

allow him entry. The hot flesh closed tightly around him and he matched Devyn’s groan

with his own. When he judged Devyn had become accustomed to the invasion of a single

finger; he drew back and pressed forward again with two fingers. His lover convulsed

beneath him, whimpering is surprise.

“Too much…” he murmured through harsh breaths.

“Shh…” Sully soothed, stilling the movements of his fingers, pressing gently

against the tight clinging walls of Devyn’s passage. “You’re so tight, baby. It burns

now, but in a minute, it’ll be so good… you can’t even imagine….” He began slowly

withdrawing his fingers and pushing them forward again, carefully watching the tension

in Devyn’s face dissolve as the pleasure overcome the pain of his entry.

Slowly, eyes on Devyn’s face, he withdrew his fingers and reached for the

condom. Ripping the packet he clumsily rolled the latex down his length. Sully

shuddered, hands fumbling with the rest of the lubricant as he rapidly slicked the head

and shaft of his cock. He crawled forward, bracing himself with one hand against

Devyn’s creamy thigh.

Gritting his teeth, he pressed the head of his cock against the virginal opening that

awaited him, trembling from the effort of holding back. The urge to just ram forward and

revel in that clinging heat caressing his full length was almost overpowering. Instead he

pressed gently, feeling the stretch and give of the ring, feeling it constrict against his head

as Devyn tensed briefly.

“Relax,” he whispered soothingly kissing along Devyn’s jaw to his waiting

mouth. Moving nothing but his lips, he kissed and licked, sucked at Devyn’s mouth,

plunging his tongue in again and again, rubbing it against Devyn’s tongue and teeth until

Devyn’s tension loosened and he returned the kiss.

Slowly, distracting Devyn with his plundering mouth, Sully managed to push

forward until the ring gave and hot softness engulfed the head of his cock. He moaned,

stilling to let Devyn grow accustomed to this new sensation. Devyn whimpered into his

mouth and pushed up against him. Sully cursed as Devyn’s actions sent him gliding

forward, stretching untried flesh.

Devyn yelped quietly. Sully grasped his hip to hold him still. “Shh. Careful

baby, I don’t want to hurt you. Really, it would be better if you let me do this.”

Devyn nodded, his eyes closing, lips tightening.

Sully ignored the clinging heat that massaged his cock while he kissed and

soothed the tears from Devyn’s eyes. He wasn’t even sure when it happened, but soon

they were moving slowly together, and the only sounds that escaped Devyn’s mouth

were soft echoes of his own passionate moans.

Devyn tensed beneath him again, and Sully reached for his cock. Swollen thick

and hard, it leaked pre-cum in a steady stream. Sully stroked Devyn from base to tip in a

firm grip, pausing at the top of each stroke to rub his thumb across the head teasing the

opening there, gathering more slick drops. He timed his thrusts to match the strokes of

his fist, and soon the two of them cried out as they came together.

They lay side by side, breathing heavily.

“Soundproof, huh?” Devyn ventured.

Chapter 9

Devyn allowed Sully’s possessive grip on his hand as they crossed the paved

walkway to the back patio again. The silence indicated that everyone had retired inside,

and he hoped Kail was napping. He’d be cranky and everyone would be miserable if he

missed his nap. Kind of like Sully and the coffee this morning. He grinned, casting a

quick glance at his new lover. Lover. He savored the word. And truly, foolish as it

might seem, he’d felt loved as though Sully made love to him, instead of simply fucking

him. Even with Kayla it hadn’t been like that, well… aside from the fact that she was a

girl, it had seemed a burden to engage in sex with her.

On the empty patio Sully grabbed two bottles of beer from the cooler and pushed

the sliding glass door open. They stepped inside to the muffled sound of voices at the

front of the house. Devyn tried to pull his hand away, not wanting to be overt about what

they’d been doing, bad enough both of them bore marks it was impossible to hide under a

tank top. Sully just squeezed tighter, then drew his hand up to his mouth and began

nibbling at his knuckles one by one.

Devyn froze. Heat rose in his cheeks and he silently cursed the pale skin that

refused to tan. His lack of movement brought Sully to a stop, and the man raised an

inquiring brow. Devyn opened his mouth, huffed a bit, and closed it. He tried again.

“Umm… what…”

Sully grinned broadly. “Oh… sorry…Oral fixation?” He dropped their hands and

swung them between them as he led Devyn to the front of the house, where a quick

glance around brought his visions of a happily ever after crashing down around his ears.

Dude and Tally sat side by side on a long leather sofa, staring intently at a news

story on a large screen TV. Devyn trembled and shook, and Sully’s hand clenched

tightly around his own.

The news show featured a photo of him with Kail in his arms leaving Kayla’s

apartment building. The man on TV didn’t look loved and content. He looked furious

and … bad.

“Reports of a noncustodial parent kidnapping in Ocean City this afternoon. Kayla

Starke, the child’s mother, returned home this afternoon to discover the child missing.

Authorities ask that anyone with information leading to the return of Kail Starke to his

family please call this hotline number. Last seen in company with this man, Devyn

Starke, aged twenty-two.”

“Turn it off, please.” Sully sounded calm. Why wasn’t he yelling? Screaming at

him? Was he going to call the police?

“I can explain.” He offered feebly. “It’s not like they make it sound.”

“I know it’s not.” Sully soothed, leading him to an arm chair by the sofa.

“I don’t know its not.” Dude asserted. “Convince me why I shouldn’t turn you in

right now. You knew about this?” He turned a hard gaze on Sully, who simply shrugged.

“I knew something was up. I didn’t know what. Devyn was clearly ill at ease and

not used to caring for Kail alone. Now, baby, why don’t you tell us how it really is?”

“You realize, we could be reprimanded for this?” Dude was ignoring him,

addressing Sully.

“It’s not likely to come to that. He’s had Kail for over a week that I know of for

sure. They moved into my building last week. So an hour to hear Devyn out isn’t going

to make any difference, is it?”

“Last week?” Incredulous, Dude leaned forward. “Give me one of those.” He

snatched a beer from Sully and popped the cap. Sully relaxed slightly. Devyn tried to

shift off his lap, but Sully wasn’t having any of that. “You,” Dude pointed at Devyn with

the beer bottle. “Talk. I give you forty-five minutes to convince me that putting my

career and his on the line is worthwhile. Start with why you introduced yourself as

Strake.”

“What? Career?” He appealed to Sully for help. Sully seemed conversant in

Dude speak.

“Dude is my partner. We’re OCPD. Guess you missed the cruiser when we were

out by the garage. As for the name, I get it. Close enough to your own to remember,

different enough not to be a red flag.”

Shit. He was so fucked. “Let me just take Kail and go. I don’t want you to get in

trouble because of me. I’m not worth it.”

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 considering to the side. “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 no 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 here

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 in that dump.”

The three adults stared at him in growing outrage. “And this was over a week

ago? Not today? Like this 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 align

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, had made

the judge’s decision 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 form

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 court house 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 it 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 turn around.

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.”

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 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.

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 Talia. Devyn and Kail could come to him. There, Talia

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 seat 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 beers and a large cheese pizza. We’ll

be right there, I promise.”

“Okay. You sure he’ll come to me?” Talia held out her hands and little Kail

burrowed into his father’s shoulder, looking shyly up from under 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 Talia’s gas

guzzling SUV. Talia 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.

“Do it,” he whispered. It was Sully’s turn to shudder. The thrill of knowing he

could make Devyn want him even knowing that they might be caught spurred him on. “I

love your mouth. On mine, on my skin. Suck me.” He begged, “Please. Every since I

saw you put the key in your mouth, it’s all I could think of. I want your mouth on me.”

Sully bit back a groan as he opened the jeans and discovered silky smooth flesh,

stiff and hot, and unencumbered by underwear. So fucking sexy. Slowly he explored the

length and thickness, listening to Devyn’s moans, and pleas. He wanted to take Devyn

into his mouth too, but they were responsible adults, parents to a small child. A ticket for

indecent exposure wasn’t an option.

“Watch for anyone approaching the car,” he finally committed himself to the

action. Fuck the risk. Right now, he needed to reassert his claim, to remind Devyn who

was taking him home. Licking his lips, he leaned into the bucket seat, holding Devyn’s

thick cock up to meet his tongue as he licked it carefully. He knew exactly how to drive

Devyn mad this way, and he intended to use every bit of knowledge he’d gained in the

six months they’d been together to reinforce his place in Devyn’s life.

Harsh gasps and urgent murmurs told him he succeeded as he found sensitive

places and teased with teeth, tongue and lips. Satisfied, he opened his mouth over the

leaking tip and sank down, settling into a deep, hard suction while massaging the

underside with his tongue. He scraped his teeth along the surface on an upward draw,

and Devyn stiffened, choking out a garbled moan as he came.

Sully brought their mouths together again for a slow leisurely kiss. He tenderly

kissed Devyn’s moist, bruised lips ignoring Devyn’s offer to return the favor, despite the

clamoring of his dick for release, and settled back into his seat.

Staring into the darkening brown eyes, he parted his lips lightly in invitation

which Devyn instantly accepted, sweeping his tongue in broad strokes into Sully’s

mouth, leaving him gasping for breath and wanting more. The taste of Devyn’s cum,

mingled with sweat and his natural sweetness were intoxicating.

Devyn’s hand on the buttons of his fly reminded him to open his eyes and watch

for people in the parking lot. He shifted in the seat to give Devyn more room to

maneuver, relishing the strength in those tattooed hands. Sully closed his hand in a firm

grip over Devyn’s as the other man drew his cock from the confines of his jeans. He

placed the hand where he wanted it, wrapped tight around his cock.

Sully groaned his approval of Devyn’s touch into his mouth, drawing back from

the kiss to press hot moist kisses to Devyn’s rough stubbled jaw line. He guided Devyn’s

exploring fingers to a firmer touch, a faster stroke. He licked around the stretched flesh

around the gauge in Devyn’s ear. Not something he found sexy in the normal course of

events, Devyn’s piercings excited him.

His mouth free to explore, he dragged his lips, tingling from the rough contact

with the scruffy stubble, to the soft flesh behind his ear, sucking and licking along the

way. Devyn’s whimper of acquiescence was music to his ears, and he nibbled down to

the hollow of his collarbone, burying his lips in the tender flesh there, to bite and suck,

knowing the mark would be visible to all.

The pleasure of possession, of staking his claim, sent him tipping over the edge

of arousal, and Sully’s grunted warning came quickly. Devyn dropped quickly to press

his lips to the pulsing tip of Sully’s cock, licking and sucking hungrily.

Sully’s choked, “I’m cumming,” barely preceded the spurt of thick creamy liquid

from the blushed mushroom head of his cock. Devyn shuddered as the warm liquid

filled his mouth, swallowing, humming in pleasure. “You closed your eyes.” The husky

purr was followed by the gentle clack of the tongue stud against Devyn’s teeth,

something he only did when he was nervous, or couldn’t find the words he wanted.

Panting for breath, Sully pulled Devyn away from his cock, rubbing at the

piercing in his bottom lip with his thumb. “I love you.” The gruff statement brought a

sparkle of confidence to Devyn’s eyes, and he nipped sharply at Sully’s thumb.

“I love you. You know that. There’s absolutely no reason to get jealous over

every one I talk to.” Devyn stretched, spine cracking as he slithered back into his own

seat.

“It’s not everyone.”

Head tilted to the side, Devyn studied him. “No, it’s not is it?”

Feeling a little foolish, Sully forced the words out. “It’s just women. I know

you’re bi. And they can give you something I can’t. I’m afraid if you ever leave me it’s

going to be for a woman.”

Devyn’s disgusted snort pleased him. “Drive. Our son is waiting for us at the

pizza place with your sister and brother in law.”

Comfortable silence filled the little car on the short drive. When Sully found a

parking space at the back of the crowded lot, Devyn stopped his exit from the car. “I

won’t you know.”

“Won’t?”

“Leave you for a woman. Being married to Kail’s mother was pure hell. I was

sixteen and stupid. When she miscarried the first baby, I thought I owed it to her to stick

around. Kail is the only good thing that came out of that decision. That, and meeting

you. I love you, Sullivan J. Moore.” He pressed his hand on Sully’s chest, directly over

his heart. “The person here. I don’t love you cuz you’re a guy. I won’t stop loving you

cuz you’re not a woman.”

Embarrassed to be read so easily, to be reassured by the younger man, Sully

pulled away. “We’ve got to go inside.” He mumbled. He was older, damn it! He should

be the wise one. He made a show of locking the door in a blatant play to get more time to

get his emotions under control.

Devyn waited for him patiently at the hood of the car. “Okay?” he asked

solicitously.

Sully nodded, holding on tight when Devyn grabbed his hand. “Good, cuz I’m

starved.”

They entered the pizza place together, and Sully felt as though every eye in the

place focused on them. Dude’s mocking comment carried across to them easily, “Well,

now, don’t y’all just glow.”

Kail’s babbling calls for Daddy distracted him from the urge to punch his brother-

in-law, and Talia’s children noticed their arrival at that exact moment. The air was full of

excited laughter and he had duties to perform, kisses to dispense, and later, a man to take

home.

THE END

Excerpt

Keeping House

Prologue

Poker Night at the Blakes'

The door slamming behind Mischa Blake drew all his brothers’ eyes to him. He

sauntered slowly into the room resisting the urge to run his hand over the hair he knew

damn well still stood in four inch spikes down the center of his head to the nape of his

neck. He met each pair of familiar green eyes defiantly, refusing to look away.

“Hey,” he ventured, hoping his voice wouldn’t squeak.

“Damn it, Mischa!” Terry, Chief Financial Officer of the family-owned

production studio that employed every member of the Blake family—except Mischa—

immediately leaned away as Mischa took the seat at the green baize game table right next

to him. “You stink! Where the hell have you been?”

Dan, the creative brother, studio scriptwriter, the brother most like Mischa in

personality—though even that was a stretch—leaned in and sniffed appraisingly.

“Somewhere that beer and pot are readily had in great quantities judging by the smell.”

Brandon, eldest brother, CEO of the studio, and all around royal pain in Mischa’s

ass, frowned in disapproval. “Are you hanging out in those clubs again? Damn—the

fucking paparazzi would love to catch you in some club. I can see the headlines now.

Blake’s Youngest Son—Underage Alcoholic and Drug Addict—Caught in Gay Sex Club

Scandal.”

Mischa scowled in return, clicking the stud in his tongue against his front teeth,

just because he knew it annoyed Terry. “Fuck you all. Are we playing poker or not?”

Wednesday night poker games between the Blake brothers were a long-standing

tradition. With all the other traditions Mischa rebelled against, he couldn’t even fathom

why he’d rather die than miss this weekly game with his brothers. Not that he’d let them

know that, though. He made it a habit of either showing up late or insisting on leaving

early—as though they were an added burden he could scarcely make time for in his busy

life.

He reached to his back pocket for his wallet and realized almost immediately that

he must have left it behind. Instead he reached for Terry’s wallet on the table to his right

and rifled through it for cash to buy in.

“What the hell?” Terry demanded. “Are you broke already? I just deposited

money in your account yesterday!”

“No. I’m good, for a while anyway. Just forgot my wallet. And you wouldn’t

have to deposit money in my account all the time if you’d just loosen up the controls

there and give me direct access to my accounts.” Millions of dollars in trust funds and he

had to beg for cash from his brothers before he could make a purchase, at least until he

was thirty-five—fifteen long years from now. He pulled a wad of hundred dollar bills

from the leather wallet and tossed them on the table in front of him.

Terry grabbed the wallet back muttering dire insults under his breath. “You’re

paying that back.”

Mischa smirked and clicked his piercing loudly. “You’ll end up owing it to me in

a few hours anyway!”

Brandon, Dan and Terry did the older brother thing. Their eyes met in a circle

around the table that excluded Mischa, and he flushed.

“Want to put your money where your mouth is, kid?” That was Brandon, pushing

his buttons as only an older sibling can. He hated being reminded he was so much

younger than his brothers.

“I’m not a kid. I’m an adult, a licensed driver, and a registered voter.” He forced

the words out trying not to scream them. He’d made the same protest so many times

before.

“When you support yourself and don’t live off a trust fund, you’re an adult. Until

then, you’re another rich kid with too much money and time on your hands.”

“Hey! You guys all have trust funds, too! If having one makes me a kid, then

you’re kids.” He fucking knew he wasn’t going to win this one, he never did.

“We also have careers with futures. You have nothing but a trust fund.” That was

Terry, putting in his two cents worth. Fuck that. Terry knew the value of a dollar—

probably figured his two cents worth was actually worth two dollars.

“I’m an artist.” That was the answer he gave his mother every time she asked,

and it always resulted in an indulgent smile. She and his father had taken it into their

heads to retire in the French Riviera last year, but they had traveled and been on set so

much during his childhood that Brandon had really stood in more of a parental role than

his parents had.

“Bull shit.” Brandon spoke again.

Mischa glared at Dan who was busily shuffling cards and had been for the past

five minutes. “Fucking deal already so these assholes have something to think about

besides my life and how they can ruin it."

Dan cleared his throat and swiftly dealt the cards around the table. “You guys up

for a little side bet?”

Mischa peeked at his cards then turned to Dan. His face was impassive, but there

was no denying the fact that he was up to something.

Terry chimed in, equally impassive. “Money means nothing to us all, as the kid

has pointed out, so how about we play for Truth or Dare?”

Brandon was nodding before Terry had even finished speaking. “Yeah, last hand

of the night. Winner’s choice, loser pays a penalty to each of the players if he chickens

out.”

It was a plot. Somehow, they were all in it together, and he was going to come

out on the bottom of this someway. He picked absently at the loose threads in the rips of

the five hundred dollar black jeans he’d bought, cut and pinned back together while he

considered his options. He had to make some move to salvage the situation, because

protesting the game would mean he really was just a kid. The rules had to be established

in the beginning and he had to find a way to slant them in his favor.

“And if the loser follows through, he gets to claim a boon from each of the other

players.” It was the best he could do, and he knew exactly what boon he’d ask for too,

because he was damn sure his brothers were going to manipulate him into losing. No way

could his brothers come up with a dare he wouldn’t fulfill. He’d do anything. There was

no truth he wasn’t willing to tell. This could definitely be worked to his advantage either

way the chips fell. And if the cards fell in his favor tonight, they’d better look out

because he had some pretty good dares he could lay on his superior older brothers.

Two hours later his chances of being the big winner of the night looked good.

Despite losing the last hand, he’d turned Terry’s thousand dollars into twelve thousand,

and was easily way ahead of his brothers for the night.

Terry shoved his chair back from the table. “Ok, guys, I’m done. That was the

last hand.”

Brandon and Dan made agreeing noises and Mischa stiffened in shock. Fuck. He

was screwed.

“Wait a minute… You guys usually play a lot later than this. I mean, it’s only

eleven o’clock!”

“Nope.” Brandon shook his head. “You usually leave around this time, and we

always quit when you leave.”

If that was the last hand, which he’d lost, that meant he’d really lost.

Dan nodded in agreement. “And I make Brandon out as the winner of that hand,

and you as the loser, squirt. So what’ll it be, Brandon, Truth or Dare?”

It was so fake. So fucking staged, it was obvious. He’d been set up. The first

hand he lost was destined to be the last hand they played no matter how many it took or

how few.

Brandon was a terrible actor. He smiled as he spoke lines that had probably been

written by Dan expressly for the occasion. “Well, brother, I’m going to have to say Dare.

But we should name the penalties before I tell him the dare, don’t you think?”

“Oh, yeah,” Terry was outwardly smirking now. “You owe one penalty per

player, kid. If you welsh on the dare, I get to give you a complete makeover, new clothes,

new hair, whole new style.”

Surveying his brother’s “style” - navy blue Brooks Brothers suit, crisp white

cotton shirt, Italian silk tie, and neatly trimmed blond hair, Mischa shuddered. He turned

to Brandon, next brother in the row seated at the round table, and quirked his pierced left

brow in what he hoped was a sardonic Spock-like inquiry and not a laughable dumb

younger brother affectation.

Brandon smoothly responded with an elevated right brow and cough into his fist.

“If you welsh, you take the assistant producer’s job I’ve been holding open for you since

you graduated high school. Join the family business and make yourself useful.”

Damn. That was even worse. He held his breath momentarily before turning to

Dan. Dan could swing either way. He was the brother who understood Mischa best, but

he was also the cleverest, most devious, and creative of the brothers. No doubt he was the

mastermind behind this whole plot.

Dan smiled broadly, tapping the playing cards against his chin gently as he

considered his youngest brother. “If you welsh, brother, you attend the college of my

choice for a full four years—or until you attain a degree, whichever comes first.”

“That’s a bit harsh!” Mischa protested. “In exchange for a single hand of cards,

you guys expect to be able to run my life to suit yourselves for an infinite amount of

time?”

“Oh, no,” Brandon interjected smoothly. “We expect you to honor your debts

brother. Are you saying that you can’t meet the dare? You don’t even know what it is

yet.”

Good point. Given the penalties though, Mischa was pretty sure the dare was

going to be something he would really hate.

“Ok. What’s the dare?”

They did it again, the older brother silent communication thing. This time Dan

broke the silence.

“We dare you to get a job and support yourself without resorting to your trust

fund for a whole year.”

Mischa’s mouth fell open. “That’s all I have to do? Get a job?”

Terry shook his head. “No. You have to support yourself. No more sending your

bills to me to pay. No more monthly deposits into your account. Take care of yourself.”

If Terry had deposited his usual allowance into his account yesterday, that meant

he had fifty thousand, plus the twelve on the table in front of him to get through the next

year. “What if I can’t find a job? I mean, I’ll make every effort to find one, but I don’t get

one?”

“Nope. Have to get a job.” Brandon was insistent.

“But I have plenty of money to get through a year… even if I don’t find a job.”

Terry shook his head again. “No. You don’t. You don’t even have any idea how

much your lifestyle costs, do you? The money I put in your account this morning won’t

last you a month at the rate you normally spend it. If you don’t find a job you’ll be living

a very different lifestyle next month, with a new hairstyle and a new wardrobe to match.”

No freaking way. He’d find a way to beat his brothers at their own game.

Excerpt

The Librarian

Prologue

Adrian sat on his bed, statistics book open in his lap, studying for the test he had

in the morning. The subject matter fascinated him, but his attention kept drifting to the

clock on the desk across the room. The closer midnight came, the more frequently his

gaze returned to the red numbers. Where had Val gone? He'd said, but Adrian had barely

listened, absorbed in his book. What if something had happened to him?

His hand drifted toward the cell phone on his night table, and he picked it up. He

stared down at the little device, the latest technology available. His parents had bought it

and brought it up to him with his clean laundry last Sunday. They'd been so proud of it,

Dad explaining all the neat features of the phone, Mom insisting on snapping a few

pictures of him with it.

Adrian had stayed in their dorm room since he'd left the library at five. Val hadn't

called. He flipped the phone open and checked anyway. Fully charged, as always. No

messages, no calls. Except the three from his mother earlier, making sure he'd hung up

the shirts she'd ironed for him, reminding him to keep the phone charged, and to eat

vegetables with his dinner. He saved the messages. She would like that.

He tried to turn his attention back to his book and the test that loomed, but

thoughts of what Val might be doing, and who he might be doing it with, kept intruding.

They hadn't made any commitments, but he and Val had shared a bed for the past week,

and he'd known he loved Val since October, when he'd kissed his blue-haired roommate

for the first time. A spontaneous, awkward, drunk kiss during a dorm Halloween party,

neither he nor Val had mentioned it when they sobered up the next day, though Adrian

treasured the memory as the most wonderful kiss he'd ever experienced.

That had been a month ago, and in the last few weeks Val had broken up with his

boyfriend, and Adrian secretly thrilled to hold his friend and offer support. One thing had

led to another, one fumbling kiss to a caress, the caress to sex. From that night on, they

had slept here together, exploring and learning each other's bodies, wants, and desires.

But this morning, Val had mumbled something about not waiting up for him.

Adrian, too busy rushing to get ready for class and his upcoming exam, paid Val little

attention. Now he wished he had. It might have saved him this anxious, sharp pain in his

stomach, the heaviness of his heart. Events were scheduled all over campus. He had no

chance of finding Val at any of them. Pep rallies, concerts, lectures, study groups. He

wouldn't even recognize any of Val's punky friends if he ran into them.

The thump of feet in the hallway stopping outside their door drew his attention.

His gaze fastened on the door and he heard the click of Val's key in the lock as the knob

turned. The sight of his roommate's flushed cheeks, plump, red, kiss-swollen lips, and

crazily mussed blue hair sent his heart plummeting and his stomach churning. He

swallowed to keep from throwing up, and forced himself to speak.

"Where have you been?" Adrian cringed at the whiny need in his voice.

Val's head turned in slow, languid fashion and Adrian flinched. Fuck. He tried the

word out inside his head, ignoring the heat along his cheekbones. His mother would freak

if he ever said it out loud. It fit though. He knew that look. Val had just that look when he

came. When Adrian sucked his cock, or stroked him to orgasm, he looked exactly like

that: sated, flushed, and happy. But Adrian hadn't put that look there tonight.

Val's eyes lit up when he saw Adrian watching him, and he stumbled forward to

collapse in a heap across the neatly folded quilt Adrian's grandma had hand stitched for

him as a graduation gift. "I'm in love." He moaned, twisting onto his side gingerly to face

Adrian.

Adrian struggled to keep his face interested and not show his devastation. He was

in love too. "You went on a date?"

Val nodded, his eyes drifting closed dreamily. "He's so awesome, Adrian. He's on

the football team. Blond hair, blue eyes, the broadest shoulders..." Voice trailing dreamily

away, Val's own blue-eyed gaze snapped up and locked on Adrian's. "And man, he's got

skills. I've never felt like that before."

Adrian nodded, keeping an encouraging look on his face, and he closed the

statistics book in his lap. No studying would happen now. He listened, his heart breaking

slowly, as Val described his new boyfriend in elaborate detail.

Excerpt

Loving Jacob

Prologue

Malcolm Jenner kept one eye on the silent, dark-haired man standing at the rear of

the room as he made his way toward the glass door leading to the riotous explosion of

color that was Penny's garden. Jacob didn't look like he was doing very well. Against the

smooth blue paint of the walls his face was pale, his violet eyes red-rimmed and damp-

looking. Disarrayed dark curls testified to the fact that he'd been running his fingers

through them, a habit that Malcolm remembered well from their time together. Malcolm

had no intention of allowing Jacob to leave the reception until he'd spoken to him, but the

other man did a very creditable job of keeping people between them and avoiding eye

contact with Malcolm.

Malcolm eased his way around the room, dodging chatting guests in their

wedding finery and caterers in black pants and white shirts alike, moving ever closer to

his target. He'd engaged his brother Rick, the neurosurgeon, to capture Jacob's attention

and unobtrusively lead him to the patio doors, where they now stood engaged in

conversation. Rick now watched Malcolm's approach and attempted to keep Jacob from

doing the same.

He slipped behind the other two and reached out to grasp Rick's hand in a quick

shake. "Thanks, Rick, I'll take him from here."

Jacob whirled around, dark curls scattering. He raised his face, and Malcolm's

heart ached at the pain in those violet eyes. He extended a slightly shaky tanned hand to

brush the hair away from Jacob's forehead, but pulled it back quickly when Jacob

flinched visibly.

"Jake, baby, I'm so sorry. I know how hard it must be to be here without Peter.

Come outside and talk..." He broke off as Jacob began shaking his head.

"No. No, I can't be around you right now. Don't want to talk to you, Malcolm."

Tears leaked in a tiny silvery stream from Jacob's eyes, and his slightly muscled frame

appeared to vibrate, he held himself so tensely. The slender hands that had once stroked

his flesh with urgent need rose to push him away, then run again through the overly long

black curls nearly touching his shoulders. Malcolm wanted to embrace the other man, to

absorb all the hurt this day had brought his beloved, and replace it with warmth and

security.

"I have to talk to you. There are things you need to know; things we need to

discuss." Malcolm's heart broke for many reasons: to see the desolation on Jacob's face,

not least because he knew that deep inside he actually felt a glimmer of happiness that

Jacob was unattached again. He knew it had to be difficult for Jacob to be here,

surrounded by Peter's family at his sister's wedding. He had a distinctly uncharitable wish

that some of the obvious sorrow and anxiety Jacob so clearly felt was on his behalf.

"Not today, Malcolm. Today is for Peter, his family and friends." Jacob didn't

seem like he could handle much more stress on top of the wedding, and Malcolm was

willing to wait; he had, after all, been waiting for Peter and Jacob to end their relationship

for the past five years, hadn't he? He had been highly skeptical that it would even last that

long, had been positive that Jacob's relationship with Peter had been a deliberate attempt

to hurt himself. He frowned. He hadn't ever wished for Peter's death, though. The traffic

accident the previous year that had taken Peter's life had been traumatic for Jacob, and

he'd wished fervently that he could be there to help the other man through the devastation

of the loss. Loss was something he had felt fully capable of dealing with.

"I was surprised. Penny and I both were, that you accepted the invitation. We

appreciated your coming." Especially since it gave me the chance to be here with you, to

establish contact again.

"Of course I came. This is about family. Peter would have wanted me to come.

Family was everything to him. Penny practically raised him, you know, after their parents

died." Jacob's confidence that he was doing the right thing showed in his steady voice.

Malcolm understood that, too. How could he not? For so many years family duty

and responsibility had been his guiding force. Every decision he'd made had been

considered from their perspective. What would his father, the neurosurgeon, think? What

would his mother, the society wife, have to say? How would their society friends and

neighbors view his actions? Since he'd married Penny twenty years ago, her brother Peter

had been a part of his family. At one time, he'd considered his responsibilities to his

family more important than even this man before him today. That time had passed,

though it had taken a boot in the ass from an unlikely source for him to see it.

"How about if I come by in the morning with breakfast? Will someone be staying

with you? I don't think you should be alone after this." Attending Peter's sister's wedding

without his husband of five years had been a surprising action on Jacob's part. He and

Penny had fully expected that Jacob would say good riddance to bad rubbish without a

backward glance at his deceased spouse's remaining family. Hardly a charitable view, but

Jacob had plenty of reasons to dislike Penny and him.

Jacob nodded and gestured toward a fair-haired man in his midthirties. "Peter's

cousin, James, is staying at the condo with me. He's taking care of things." The condo he

referred to had been Peter's when they first met, and Peter had kept it as a vacation rental

property after moving to Vermont to teach in the education department at the University

of Vermont.

As though sensing he was the topic of conversation, the blond man turned in their

direction, and seeing Jacob talking to Malcolm, broke off his conversation with the group

of people where he stood and headed in their direction.

"All right, early tomorrow morning. I'll bring you breakfast from the Black Forest

Deli. I really want to talk to you and clear the air between us." He wanted more than that,

but was unwilling to speak of the want and desire that pulsed through him in the blond

man's presence. Mentioning the gooey cherry stollen from the deli they had frequented as

a couple was a deliberate, and he admitted, slightly underhanded way of bringing their

past to the present. In the months that their affair had run hot, he had made a habit of

gifting Jacob with the sweet treat on lazy Sunday mornings after long hot nights of

steamy sex.

"Excuse me," the blond interrupted them. "Jacob is needed in the other room."

Jacob nodded and took the other man's hand in a white-knuckled grip that didn't

escape Malcolm's notice. Good, Jacob had feelings for him still, even if they weren't the

warm fuzzy kind of feelings he'd once denied wanting from Jacob. That white-knuckled

grip denoted the strength of the feelings involved. Given half a chance, he'd turn Jacob's

hatred into love again. He could battle anything but indifference. "I'll see you in the

morning, Malcolm."

James's blue eyes burned into Malcolm's. He possessively raised Jacob's hand to

press it into the crook of his arm. Stepping fractionally closer to the younger man, he

smiled disdainfully. "Not too early, Jenner. We need our sleep."

Malcolm followed the other two men with his eyes as they left the room, his eyes

locking on that spot where the two hands clasped together. Fuck. Had Jacob already

moved on from Peter's death? Not again, he vowed. You're coming back to me, where

you belong. He wouldn't take a backseat for another man in Jacob's life ever again. Once

before, that beautiful man had been his, and he would be again. Malcolm had learned a

lot in the last five years, and most of that learning had been done the hard way.

An attraction unlike any he'd ever felt for another man in the years before and

since, Jacob still pulsed between them. Just being in the same room with the slight dark-

haired man sent prickles of awareness rushing through his body and thickened his cock in

anticipation. Though he'd tried like hell to deny it, he'd known when he first set eyes on

the younger Jacob, newly hired to work in the technology department at his office, that

they were meant to be together, and this time out he would do anything and everything in

his power to guarantee that outcome. He'd made the mistake once before of putting

another's needs before his love's, of believing that only he could direct their future. The

duty and responsibility that his parents had drummed into him from birth to carry on the

family name had been fulfilled. The price it had cost him had been more than he would

have willingly paid if he'd been aware of the consequences of honoring his family name

above all others.

So yeah, he'd bring up the past any chance he got, remind Jacob as often as

possible how good things had been between them from the start.

END EXCERPTS

Author Bio:

I’m an avid reader and former teacher of grammar and composition who believes that

falling in love is the grandest adventure anyone can have. In a nutshell, that’s every story

I have to tell.

Relocating from the crazy pace of life in Southern California's Orange County to the

beautiful and leisurely atmosphere of the Illinois countryside has given me the time to

indulge the desire to write that I set aside when I started teaching fourteen years ago.

Readers can find out more about me and my writing by visiting me at my blog,

http://leebrazilauthor.blogspot.com/

or finding me on Facebook at

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001551666797

. Feel free to drop me a line

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