Chapter 22 #2
“That may be a difficult position to fill, and I don’t know of anyone here in Bear Creek at present. Let me make a few calls and I’ll contact you when I have news. Allow me to offer congratulations on the boys. Are they from the Cub House?”
Dash nodded.
“Yes, and exactly what we need. It all started with Zuzu and the Cunninghams, but now the McCoys are planning to adopt a sibling pair, and Orrin and Zak Hall are interested in a little cub named Kip and a quasi-shifter girl named Rayn.”
DeeDee nodded, smiling at him.
“I saw Orrin the other day, and he filled me in. There won’t be anyone left at the Cub House soon, but I’m happy for all the families involved. I know Gruff and Dustin are excited about giving Zuzu a home. That girl is pure sunshine.”
Before Dash went his way, DeeDee brought up the new housing developments in Bear Creek—something she and her mate, Sunny, had heavily invested in.
“I understand you’ve hired a property manager for the Pine Meadows apartment complex, but do you have anyone for Scarlet Oaks?”
Scarlet Oaks was a new tiny home community under development near the library. By late spring, the first houses would be ready for occupancy, and they were having trouble finding the right person to oversee the property.
“We had a candidate chosen, but he backed out at the last minute. I’d prefer to hire someone local, but no one responded to the posting.”
DeeDee leaned forward slightly, eyes gleaming.
“Knox McCoy. He has the experience you’re looking for, and adding two cubs to the family means he’ll need something more stable than odd jobs. I think if you present it the right way and offer him flexible hours, he’d listen.”
Dash chuckled at the woman. She’d probably already tried to convince Knox and somehow failed. Dash wasn’t sure he could do any better.
“All right, DeeDee. You find my housekeeper and I’ll take a crack at Knox. Who knows? We both might succeed.”
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The Cub House, Wednesday, March 5th
Though Dash was delayed at the resort, Aiden arrived right on time to pick up Griffin and Fort.
For the time being, they’d settled on Wednesday supper and all day Sunday to spend time with the boys.
It wasn’t ideal, but the cubs understood that it was a temporary compromise.
As the little ones changed clothes upstairs, Aiden had some exciting news to share with Orrin and Zak, who was there visiting his man and the kids.
“We’ve found a housekeeper! Actually, DeeDee found her for us and we interviewed her the day before yesterday.
Her name is Cora Middleton, and the family she’s been caring for no longer needs her.
Dash is going to have his human resources team follow up on the references and do the background and credit checks.
The only problem is that there’s no housing available in town.
The new apartments are all full, and Scarlet Oaks won’t have anything for a few months.
We’ll offer her a bedroom in the meantime, but it’s not ideal for her or for us.
“Anyway, once she starts working, we can see the boys a lot more often. Dash and I decided to submit the adoption paperwork so Griffin and Fort can move in sooner. We’re going to tell them tonight!”
Orrin and Zak were thrilled for their friends, and even more so for the cubs. Zak’s expression changed, as though he’d just had a brilliant idea.
“You know, I might have a housing solution for you. Let me talk to Orrin first, but if it works out, I’ll give you a call.”
The boys rushed in at that point, raring to go and wondering where Dash was. Aiden made sure their coats were zipped up and off they went for a few hours. Orrin started to ask about Zak’s housing idea, but it was time to get supper on the table and they agreed to discuss it later.
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After the kids went to bed…
Orrin squirmed and purred with Zak’s hands and mouth all over him, and his dick responded.
“Mmm… if you keep doing that I’ll need to cum soon. I thought we were going to talk.”
Zak switched to playing with his hair and licking the side of his neck—tongue rasping on a day’s growth of stubble.
“We are, but it’s been three days since we shared a bed, and I need my Orrin fix.”
Orrin chuckled, still purring contentedly, but distracted by the idea Zak had promised to discuss earlier.
Whatever it was must involve him in some way, but he wasn’t sure how.
Using his shifter strength, he flipped Zak over, covered him like a blanket, and held his hands above his head.
Now groin to groin, Orrin slowly frotted while his helpless lover groaned.
“I’ll let you cum, but only after we talk. What’s this idea you have about a place for Dash and Aiden’s housekeeper to live, and what does it have to do with me?”
The slow tease down below made Zak achingly hard, but the limited movement wasn’t enough to get him off. He didn’t mind sharing his plan with Orrin—in fact he couldn’t wait, though it seemed the orgasm had to.
“I want more time with you, Rayn, and Kip, but it won’t happen while we have separate homes. What if I moved in with you? That would free up my house, and Cora could live there until something permanent came along.”
Heart pounding, Orrin hadn’t even considered such an arrangement. The idea sounded wonderful to him, but did it mean…
“Are you asking me to mate with you?”
Zak pulled him in for a kiss, hoping to let him down gently.
“I want to, Orrin, but we’d need at least a week for bonding and there’s no way I can take that much time off until early May. If having me here every day would be too hard on you and your bear, then we’ll keep things as they are for now. I’m sorry.”
Orrin growled, holding Zak’s face in both hands while he delivered hot, claiming kisses. That wasn’t the expected reaction, but it was better than hurt feelings. Orrin finally spoke, clearing up Zak’s confusion.
“No! I mean, yes, I want you to move in, but no, I’d rather have you here, even if we can’t mate yet. Kip and Rayn will be so excited.”
They sat crossed-legged on the bed, facing one another to hash out the basics.
Orrin’s bedroom would still be off-limits until they were ready to mate, but the fully furnished guest bedroom they’d been using would be just fine.
Kip and Rayn could move in when Zak did, since there was no way they’d want to keep living in the Cub House with their papas right next door. Orrin fairly trembled with excitement.
“When? Please say it’s going to be soon!”
Zak pulled the man onto his lap, cradling him in his arms.
“You have Sunday evening off, so why don’t I move in while you’re working? It won’t take long to bring my stuff over, and then we can have supper together and help the kids get settled in their new room.”
Orrin nodded eagerly.
“Sounds good to me, and now we need to celebrate. Do you have any good ideas?”
Zak did, and they finally wore one another out—way past their bedtime.