Chapter 3
August
Seeing as Tallis almost always picks me up from the airport when I’ve had to travel for work, I can’t be too grumpy that he couldn’t on this occasion.
I don’t have conferences more than a couple of times a year, but statistically he was bound to be unavailable at some point.
I’m so tired, I can’t even remember what he said it was. Perhaps a meeting with his editor?
It doesn’t matter. As I park in our garage and kill the ignition, I take a moment to close my eyes and breathe deeply.
Like Dorothy said, there’s no place like home.
And traveling halfway across the country might not be an ideal way to spend a birthday, but as long as I get to see my husband for dinner, that’s all I really care about.
He sent me a lovely text this morning telling me how much he loves me and can’t wait to do delicious things to me tonight. However, he was surprisingly sparse on the details.
No matter how long we’ve been together, there’s always a small voice in the back of my mind that sounds an awful lot like my parents.
As I fortify myself to get out of my car, I try not to listen as it whispers that Tallis didn’t tell me how we’re celebrating because he’s decided this is the year that he doesn’t care about my birthday anymore.
That I should have grown out of such childish things by now and probably shouldn’t be eating so much cake anyway.
A stronger voice drowns it out, reminding me that I’ve known this incredible man for over fifteen years, and he revels in making me feel special.
I trust him completely. Still, once I fetch my small suitcase from the trunk, I hurry into the house through the internal door into the utility room, eager to see Tallis for a kiss.
My slippers are waiting for me, and I sigh contentedly as I toe my brogues off to swap into them.
Then I open the kitchen and am met with the mouthwatering aroma of what I guess to be the rice cooker and a casserole warming in the oven.
Considering I only had a questionable lunch on the plane several hours ago, my stomach rumbles.
But I’m paying more attention to my heart, which swoops in my chest.
See? I tell that nasty little voice. Just because Tallis couldn’t pick me up doesn’t mean that he’s forgotten about me.
“Hello!” I cry out, moving farther into the house to look for him. I expect him to be in his office working on his latest crime thriller novel or perhaps still on a video call with whoever he had that meeting with.
Instead, his voice drifts from upstairs. “In here, my darling.”
I smile to myself. It’s stupid that simply hearing him speak is enough to give me butterflies even after all this time together.
In my defense, I’ve been in California for almost a whole week, and I’ve missed him a hell of a lot.
But I don’t think there will ever come a time when I don’t get the shivers from his presence.
It’s not lost on me that I’m one lucky son of a bitch. But then I know he’d say the same thing about me. That’s why he’s so perfect.
As we both work from home, we have separate offices on the first floor.
I dump my laptop case in mine, then I haul my luggage up the stairs.
Again, usually Tallis would run to help me, but as it’s not very heavy, I brush the thought aside.
I don’t need my Master to take care of my every need all the time.
I guess the birthday insecurities and travel weariness are getting the best of me in the moment, though, as I can’t quite stop the little flash of hurt that squeezes my chest.
I immediately banish it by wondering if my husband is waiting for me in our bedroom to do those naughty things he implied. However, when I push the door and step inside, it’s vacant. “Tallis?” I call out, placing my case down and shucking off my blazer.
I hate wearing suits, especially while traveling, but it’s important to me to look smart when I’m out in the real world. People look at me and see a teddy bear, which is correct. But I’m also fucking amazing at what I do and find it exhausting when people underestimate me.
That doesn’t mean I’m not dying to change into sweats and cuddle with my Master, though.
“In here, sweetheart,” his voice comes from across the hall in response to me calling out his name.
My heart flips. He’s in our spare room, which we usually reserve for when guests stay over. Unless…
Unless he’s planning on making a mess.
Visions of him possibly being naked and dripping with honey cheer me up immediately. So I loosen my tie to discard that as well and open the top button on my shirt. I’ll be better when I can get all this formal wear off, but at least for now I can breathe a little more easily.
I’m grinning as I march across the hall, feeling a lot less exhausted than I was a couple of minutes ago.
But nothing could have prepared me for the sight that greets me as I step into the room.
Jesus. Fucking. Christ.
Tallis is on the spare bed, dressed very similarly to me in a white shirt and black pants. His feet are bare, though, and his hands are…full.
Between his legs with his back pressed to Tallis’s chest is a beautiful, very naked angel of a young man.
His pale skin is shimmering with what I assume to be the edible glitter body paint we love to play with.
I can smell the sweet vanilla scent from where I’ve frozen in the doorway.
His sandy blond hair is tousled, no doubt thanks to Tallis running his fingers through it as he set up this scene for me.
The boy’s legs are wide, pressed against Tallis’s, and his hands are resting on his thighs.
My husband has one of his hands wrapped loosely around our guest’s neck, and the other is leisurely stoking the boy’s rock-hard cock.
“Happy birthday, my love,” Tallis murmurs, his voice low like the lights.
I barely register all the candles he’s set up around the room, flickering as I drift closer to the end of the king-size bed.
There’s Champagne chilling in a bucket on the dresser with three glasses waiting to be filled.
Beside them is a sumptuous silver platter covered in sliced strawberries, macarons, jellybeans, a bowl of nuts and pretzels, and a vat of chocolate sauce.
Deep down, I knew he wouldn’t have forgotten about me. But this is more of a surprise than I could have ever dreamed of.
“Oh,” I say softly, still looking around, drinking it all in.
“Do you like your present, darling?” Tallis asks, his gaze flicking sinfully to the gorgeous boy between his legs. “He’s ours for the whole weekend.”
My breath catches as the young man and I look at one another. “Really?”
“Yes, Daddy,” he says excitedly with a little shiver. “The Master got me for you. I’m all yours. Your little treat. You can do whatever you like with me. The Master said it would be delicious.”
He licks his lips and looks at me through beautifully long golden lashes.
My brain is still slightly stuck on how adorable he is, but also how good it felt hearing him call Tallis ‘Master’ and me ‘Daddy.’ Tallis certainly doesn’t use that name for me, and it’s been far too long since we shared a scene with someone else.
“Go on, now, darling,” my husband says, drawing my attention back to him. “Why don’t you take a quick shower, and then we can decorate your birthday cake together? Hurry. I’ll be keeping him warm for you.”
He keeps his eyes locked with mine as he leans down to kiss the boy’s neck, stroking his fingers across the treat’s throat as he gulps and gasps. I realize Tallis has moved his other hand to fondle the boy’s plump-looking balls, and that he’s wearing a cock ring that circles either side of them.
It suddenly occurs to me that if I don’t get in the shower in the next twenty seconds, I’m in danger of staying rooted to the spot until I come in my pants.
That would be a horrendous waste.
I rush into the main bathroom rather than our private en suite.
We use this one as a rule when we have a third over or are doing particularly messy scenes ourselves.
Good thing I did, as Tallis has already got a big, fluffy towel on the heated rack for me as well as hung up my favorite silk robe that he knows I feel super sexy in.
I take a second to stop and really appreciate this wonderful man I married.
The person who allowed me to fully become my true self for the first time in my life and who hasn’t stopped believing in me since.
I hate that some of my insecurities run so deep that I doubted even for a second that he wouldn't make me feel like a king for my birthday.
Hell, he somehow manages to do that most days.
Not bothering to fold them, I rip off the rest of my clothes, throw them in the hamper, then jump under the hot water, barely taking thirty seconds to wash my hair and body with a cherry-scented all-in-one gel.
I do take a moment longer to ensure my more intimate areas are squeaky clean, though.
I don’t know what my Master has planned.
For this weekend, I suppose I should think of him as ‘our’ Master.
I bite my lip and smile in delight as I hastily dry myself off.
We’ve played with a number of subs before as it’s the only way I can really satisfy my Daddy side.
But we’ve either picked those boys up together at parties or in clubs, or searched together through the apps to arrange hook-ups.
Tallis has never surprised me with someone before.
Maybe that should make me nervous, but my first impression of this boy was overwhelmingly positive.
It’s not just that I think he’s gorgeous.
But the way he looked so excitedly at me, like I was just as much of a gift to him as he is to me, has left me feeling tingly all over.
Especially between my legs, where I’m trying not to dry too thoroughly in case I accidentally blow my load prematurely.
He called me ‘Daddy’ with such eagerness and no hesitation. I wonder how much Tallis told him about me beforehand. He’s obviously consented enthusiastically to be ours for two whole days, so I’m sure he’s been fully informed of the things we like to do.
That nasty voice tries to whisper in my ear that he’s just putting on an act, but I know that my husband wouldn’t pick someone like that. Honesty is very important to us both.
So this young man is just as excited to be here as we are to have him.
At some point soon, I want to learn his name. But for now, all I need to know is that he’s our little treat.
And I really shouldn’t keep him waiting any longer.