Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 27332 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 137(@200wpm)___ 109(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27332 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 137(@200wpm)___ 109(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
I smiled.
“Who doesn’t remember those days?” Greer chuckled. “That frenzy is ruthless.”
Too true. We’d all been there.
“Holy shit, we gotta go down memory lane sometime,” Tate said. “Can you imagine what River and Reese were like at twenty-one when they started hitting up the kink clubs in the Village? Or Dean or Lucian when they decided they wanted to be dirty Masters? In my head, Lucian’s always been forty-plus and dressed to kill.”
I let out a laugh—because I remembered what Greer was like fifteen years ago. He hadn’t been brand-new in kink back then, but close to it. So had I.
Greer shook his head in amusement. “I can’t even picture River and Reese in New York to begin with.”
“New Yawk,” Tate mimicked. “Can I call you Mr. Soprano?”
Oof. Shots fired.
Greer swung an incredulous look Tate’s way. “Do I sound like I’m from fuckin’ Jersey? Get the fuck outta hea’, punk! I’m tellin’ your Master!”
Tate hightailed it, laughing all the way.
I truly loved this community. I hadn’t been part of it very long, but yeah, it was everything. I’d been missing out.
At around nine, Shay and Cameron called everyone outside for hot dogs and cocoa on the patio, and Greer and I lit up when we spotted Corey there. He must’ve snuck out of the movie marathon.
“I just wanted to say hello good and proper!” He beamed at us.
“Aww, you’re sweet, baby.” Greer hauled the boy in for a hug and a loud smooch. “Aren’t you the cutest fuckin’ thing in those pajamas.”
He absolutely was, and I was even happier about the fact that he wore a coat over those PJs.
Corey opened his coat and shook his booty, showing off all the frogs. “Look at the frogs dancing!”
I chuckled and finally got my turn with him. Greer excused himself to get us some food, and I wrapped my boy in a tight hug.
“I’ve missed you all day, sweet boy.”
“I missed you more, Daddy.”
“I don’t think that’s possible.” I cupped his face in my hands and kissed him softly. I just needed to look at him for a few seconds. My beautiful, beautiful brat. “Did you get any work done today?”
He nodded proudly. “Two whole dino strips and one design for merch that Lane’s been bugging me about.”
I chuckled and brushed my thumbs over his cheeks. “Did you tell him about Ty yet?”
Oh dear. Judging by how quickly he averted his gaze, I smelled trouble. I’d had a feeling Corey was up to something. Colt’s friend Ty, who’d recently joined the community, was apparently the father of Corey’s friend from high school. And Corey’s cousin Lane had dated this friend—this girl—until he’d met the father in question. According to Corey, Ty was the reason, or the catalyst, that’d made Lane realize he was gay.
“What’re you up to, boy?” I asked patiently but firmly.
“Nothing bad,” he insisted. “I just… I wanna bring them together, Daddy. What if they’re perfect for each other? They both love snakes and lizards, you know!”
I grinned, unable to help it.
“I love snakes and lizards too!” Noa hollered from somewhere.
“And still, we adore you.” Lucian sniffed and sipped from his mug.
I refocused on Corey and kissed his forehead. “We can discuss this when we get home tomorrow. I’m willing to hear you out—always.”
He huffed. “Then you’re gonna play the devil’s advocate, aren’t you?”
He knew me well by now.
I smiled and touched his nose.
At that point, Greer returned with a paper plate full of hot dogs and two Styrofoam mugs with steam billowing out into the cold. Even with the heaters running, the patio was damn near frigid.
“You want a hot dog, kiddo?”
Corey eased away from me and scrunched his nose. “No offense, Dominus, but Archie made me fried chicken. It’s quite superior.”
Greer grinned faintly and shrugged. “More for me and Daddy.”
I chuckled and closed Corey’s coat. “You get back to the chicken, sweetheart. I think we’ll be here another couple hours. Are any of the kids asleep?”
“Both Loki and JoJo Beans,” he answered. Then he smiled, almost bashful. “It’s possible Loki fell asleep in my lap. That means he likes me, right?”
For the second time tonight, I simply couldn’t wrap my head around the intensity of my own happiness. It was overwhelming.
“He adores you, Corey.”
“Almost as much as I do,” Greer said with a nod.
The triumph in Corey’s eyes meant more to me than he’d ever know. “Good! Okay, I’m going back to the movie. See you later, painters!”
“Have fun, sweetheart.” I watched him skip off the deck and hurry down to the cabin.
Maybe it would snow tonight.
“Eat, love.” Greer extended the plate of hot dogs, and I grabbed one. “It’s overwhelming, innit?”
I exhaled a laugh. “I was just thinking that.”
One-and-a-half hot dogs later, Reese asked for everybody’s attention. By then, Greer and I had joined Lucian and KC at a table, and we were entertained by Noa scarfing down his fourth hot dog.