Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 100301 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 502(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100301 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 502(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
“I…” I gave him my back, walking around, trying to stop the pictures from forming in my head of what I could do with this house.
“It would help me out, Ian. But I won’t blow smoke up your ass either. I respect you too much for that. I’m doing this because I care about you and I want you to be happy, but it would also help me out. You deserve a chance. Plus, it’ll give you more time to volunteer at the center, and more time on your knees for me, as you won’t have two jobs.”
I was surprised when I laughed. Turning around, I looked at him.
David walked over but didn’t touch me. I had to look up to see his expression. “Say yes, pup. Remodel this house for me, and when it’s done, if you still want your independence and to move out, then you’ll rent this from me—or you and Jordan can rent it from me. Say yes.”
Jesus fucking Christ. My vision blurred, tears filling my eyes. I didn’t understand how someone could do something like this for me, how they could trust me so much, but I wanted it. I wanted it so damn bad, I hurt with need.
“Yes.” I put my arms around him, pressed my forehead to his chest, and…cried. “Thank you, Sir. Thank you,” I said over and over again.
David held me, kissed the top of my head. “You’re welcome, pup. Your Sir is very proud of his good boy.”
I was a good boy, wasn’t I? I liked that more than I should.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Jordan
“Granny, I found a recipe for these mint-chocolate cookies, and they’re freaking incredible. I brought some over for you. It’s seriously amazing cooking in David’s kitchen. He has two ovens. I’ve only seen that on cooking shows.” Two ovens was badass.
I’d just come back home after spending a few days with David and Ian. The day after we’d volunteered at the center, they’d taken me to see a house Ian would be remodeling for Daddy. He said I could help too and he’d teach me some things, which I thought was pretty cool. I wasn’t really a work-with-your-hands kind of guy, but I was definitely a spend-as-much-time-with-Ian-or-David-as-I-could kind of guy, so it worked out.
“You sure do spend a lot of time with that man,” Granny said, taking a cookie.
“He’s a good guy. Why don’t you like him?”
“I don’t know him, so I don’t dislike him. I just think he’s old for you. And then there’s the other boy too, and you might think I’m naive, but I’m not. I know there’s something funny going on. What does he want with two young men?”
I went for honesty. “The same thing two young men want with him, I guess. We like each other. We have fun together.” It was more than that, of course. David made me feel loved and important. He made me feel cared for. Ian also made me feel loved and important, albeit in a different way—like he needed me, like I brought a lightness to his world. And I cared about them both more than for a random fling.
“Three of you? Oh, Jordan. I just don’t want things to be harder for you. How will you explain two men? And what about school? Don’t tie yourself too much to…this. I don’t want you to get hurt. I don’t want you to push aside your dreams because it’s fun to play house.”
“What do you mean—what about school? It’s summer. I’m not quitting. I know you want me to have a nursing degree, and I will, I promise. Plus, David…you don’t know him. Even if I wanted to quit school, he wouldn’t let me.”
She frowned. “Let you? Does he try to control you?”
Shit. Totally used the wrong words there. For a brief moment, I thought about trying to explain it, but I knew it would be difficult for her to understand. “No, Granny. David doesn’t do anything to me I don’t want him to. What I meant was, he wants what’s best for me, but everything is always my choice.”
She gave me a sad smile, walked over, and squeezed my hand with her wrinkled one. “I just love you so much. I don’t ever want you to lose yourself. Your mama, she lost herself. She found a wealthy older man, and she walked away from her dreams, from us.”
“I would never.” I shook my head.
“You’re special. You’ve always been special, my boy who can make everyone happy. I want you to be happy and to follow your dreams.”
The thing was, I didn’t know what my dreams were. Yes, I wanted a degree because no one in my family had one. I wanted to be happy. I wanted David. I wanted Ian. I wanted to make my grandma proud. But the nursing thing… I couldn’t say how much I wanted that. Not anymore or maybe not ever, but I had nothing else to fill its place. Had I ever had an actual dream, or just told myself that Granny’s dream for me was mine? “I won’t ever lose myself,” I promised her. “They make me happy.”