Chapter 26 Dad’s Superpower Is…
Dad’s Superpower Is…
Ernest
I found them in the nook in front of the bathroom. They didn’t hear me coming, so I paused in the dark hall, intent on ambushing Finlay on his way back.
“I swear, you’re worse than Matthew,” Will said. “You will apologize to Lawrence tonight.”
“It was just an innocent joke. I’m sure he gets it.”
“Timing, Finlay! We’ve talked about this.
Can you imagine how terrified he must have been?
What he’s been through during the past few weeks?
He’s tougher than he seems, which is pure luck.
He could have broken down in tears, and I swear, if that happened, I would have told Manny on you and just grabbed a bowl of popcorn. ”
I leaned on the wall and watched with satisfaction how my brother’s shoulders slumped.
“You always side with my dad, Will,” he complained. “We’re fated mates, and you always side with my dad against me.”
“Because Manny is always right.”
My brother sighed and tugged on his mate’s hand. Despite my brother’s heightened senses, they still hadn’t noticed me, fully focused on each other.
“I’m sorry, honey.”
“Don’t apologize to me. Go apologize to Lawrence.”
“I will. And you’re right. It was a childish prank, and I shouldn’t have done that.”
“You’re such an insensitive oaf sometimes,” Will murmured with no malice in his voice.
Finlay tugged Will close, which was my cue to give them privacy. It turned out I didn’t have to yell at my older brother. Will had already reprimanded him enough.
“Don’t be angry with me, Willie,” I heard my brother say before their quiet conversation got drowned out by the ruckus coming from the TV room.
The kids were playing something, four of the older ones holding consoles and the others shouting at them.
Wincing from the god-awful screeches, I quickly passed the den before they could coax me into joining them.
Lawrie wasn’t in the dining room, so I went to search for him in the kitchen. Matt stood by the sink, up to his elbows in bubbles. The sight made me smirk.
“Hi, Matt. Have you seen my mate?”
“I think he went out with Granddad. Can you call Joey in here?”
“Nope. You’re on your own.”
He grunted, and I had the grace not to laugh at his ordeal. After dinner for the whole clan, even with the dishwasher in express mode, he’d have a solid hour of work in front of him.
“I’ll check on Lawrence and come help you. How’s that?”
“Thank you so much, Uncle Ernest,” Matt said in his most polite schoolboy tone. Brat.
Peering through the curtains, I saw Lawrie and my dad sitting on the porch, wrapped in blankets. Could I go out there and join them? Did Lawrie need saving? Then my mate turned his head to the side, revealing his profile and the sweet smile lifting the corner of his mouth. My dad patted his hand.
I let the curtain fall and cover the window again. My dad’s powers were terrifying.
“Spying on your boy, are you?” Pa said from behind me.
“I was just worried.”
My pa squeezed my shoulder reassuringly. “Manny’s taking care of him. You know he’ll never make him uncomfortable, right?”
“I know.”
“How’s the project going?”
“Great. I hope for a release in May, but I haven’t told Davidson yet. I don’t want to make promises I can’t keep.”
“And then what? Will you take Lawrence with you globetrotting?”
“I don’t know. We haven’t talked that far ahead. If he wants to, then sure.”
“He’s a pleasant young man.”
“He’s only twenty-two. And here I am, taking over his life and future.”
“It’s not your fault, and he seems to be adjusting fast.”
“Lawrie has been amazing, but he’s exhausted. He’s had a terrible week at work on top of everything I’ve been putting him through. I should get him home soon.”
“You can whisk him away directly from the porch. I’ll say goodbye to the clan for you both.”
“I promised Matt I’d help him with the dishes.”
My pa smiled. “You’ve always been a softie, Ernest. Go to Lawrence, and I’ll help Matt.”
“Thanks.”
I hugged him, taking a deep breath of my father’s familiar smell. “I’m very happy for you, my boy,” he said, holding me tight.
Then he released me and gently shoved me toward the door.
“There you are,” my dad exclaimed when I stuck my head outside. He promptly stood and folded the blanket. “It’s getting late, and Edvard is staying over. We should put the little ones to bed.”
Lawrie stood too, looking at me uncertainly.
“Dad, I think we should go.”
“I think so too. Your mate is dead on his feet.”
As if on cue, Lawrie yawned hugely, covering his mouth. “I’m so sorry,” he mumbled and yawned again. “We can stay for a bit longer.”
My dad threw him a disbelieving look.
“Pa offered to say goodbye to the others for us,” I said, “so we’ll sneak out now if that’s okay.”
“He’s a wise man. I married well.”
Dad hugged first Lawrie, then me.
“I love the boy,” he whispered into my ear and grinned, patting my cheek. “Drive safe.”
Lawrie sank into the passenger seat with yet another yawn. “This is ridiculous. Sorry.”
“Sweetheart, just close your eyes. Tomorrow is a day too.”
“It’s not even ten.”
“Shh.”
He was asleep before we left the property, so I parked for a bit and covered him with my jacket. Then I drove us home, and I carried Lawrie from the garage all the way to the bathroom. He only woke up enough to brush his teeth and pee.
I cuddled my mate in bed and promptly drifted off myself, only to wake up alone.
The sun was shining outside, signaling a very late but nice morning. I stretched and looked around.
“Lawrie?”
Nothing. I went to the bathroom, thinking he might be there. Except as I walked through the living room, I saw his silhouette on the balcony. Dressed in a bathrobe and covered with a blanket, he was drinking something from a large mug, probably coffee with milk, and looking out over the skyline.
The sight made me feel vaguely apprehensive. Jittery, I went through my bathroom routine before making myself a cup as well. I inched the balcony door open.
“Morning, Lawrie.”
He turned his face up to me and smiled softly. “Hi, Ernest.”
“Aren’t you cold out here?”
“No. But let’s go inside. I want to cuddle.”
On the sofa, he snuggled up to my chest, laying his head on my shoulder.
“What do you want to do today?”
“We have the weekend to ourselves, don’t we?”
“We do.”
“Then nothing. I only want to be together.”
Nuzzling along his hairline, I hummed in agreement. “Excellent planning, as always.”
“You smell so nice,” he murmured.
I sneaked my hand under his bathrobe and brushed his nipples with my palm.
Then I cupped his left pec, and Lawrie sighed contentedly.
The lover’s milk would disappear within a few days.
I massaged his chest, feeling his body melt ever so slowly.
He stretched, leaning back, and opened the robe.
His sweet nipples were bigger now, used, and so erotic.
I took one in my mouth, slowly sucking it deeper, dragging my tongue along the underside, and Lawrie moaned.
“Suck them until I come from that.”
The taste of Lawrie’s milk and the powerful scent rising from between his legs muddled my senses, and I lost myself in my mate’s body, forgetting about time and space.
Lawrie writhed in my arms, whimpering beautifully, his untouched cock straining, his inner thighs wet with smears of slick.
He came sobbing with pleasure and flipped around, presenting me his drenched, dilated hole.
It fluttered with aftershocks in front of my eyes.
I shoved my tongue inside. Drunk with lust, I licked and slurped, gorging myself on Lawrie’s slick until he begged me to fuck him.
Instead of taking him like that, fast and dirty, I tugged him into my lap. Spooning his smaller body, I filled him slowly, over and over, making love to him with measured, deep strokes.
“Ernest… I love you.”
Gripping his hips, I thrust into him as far as his body allowed and paused there for a heartbeat. Lawrie groaned.
“Love you so much,” he said in a whimper.
Impressed by my own self-control, I made him come three times like that, slowly, gradually fucking him harder. Lawrie always brought out the best in me. Toward the end, he sounded ecstatic. Overstimulated, he twitched in my arms, mumbling broken words of gratitude.
I stayed inside him long after I came, just holding him to me and savoring the feeling of his hot, raw flesh around my cock.
We took a lazy shower and sat back down to finish our cold coffees.
Then Lawrie looked at me with an anxious frown, and my stomach clenched.
“Ernest, we need to talk.”
“Ouch. I don’t have experience with many serious relationships, but I hear this sentence is never good.”
“Um. It might be. Depends.”
“Shoot. I’m ready. I hope.”
“Don’t freak out on me.”
“Not freaking out. But I will be if you prolong it even more.”
“I don’t want to have a kid yet. I want to wait.”
I’d expected something like that and prepared myself not to show my disappointment. Except now when it came to it, I didn’t feel disappointed. Knowing Lawrie loved me truly was all I needed. “Okay,” I said and cupped his jaw.
But Lawrie still looked nervous, explaining hurriedly. “And it’s not because I don’t want to have a child with you because I do. And I think my body will probably make me pay for this decision with horrible horniness during the heat.”
“I volunteer to help with that.”
“I want to wait anyway. Because I want to be with you.”
“You are with me.”
“See, once we have a kid and then another and maybe a third…”
“Three?” The more, the better, in my opinion.
“Let me finish.”
“Sorry.”
“Once we have a kid, he’s going to demand attention, and we’ll be tired and never alone.
And I love you. I miss you when we’re at work.
I want to be with you more and only with you before we become parents.
I want Saturday mornings like today, with lazy lovemaking and loud orgasms, and I want to travel, go flying, go out for dinners, spend a whole night fucking wildly and sleep it off during the day… Is that selfish of me?”
“No. It’s the best reason to wait. I want to enjoy you, love, as much as I can.”
“So you won’t be disappointed if I have the contraceptive inserted before the heat?”
I hugged him and cupped his ass cheeks. “Can I still breed you?” I purred into his ear.
“I think so. The doctor says we’ll both crave it.”
“Mhmm. I can’t wait to roll around naked with you for a full week.”
“Last time we did that was quite fun. Even though I was dealing with some shocking supernatural revelations during that time.”
I pulled back to look at him properly. “But the shock is wearing off now, isn’t it?”
He smiled. “Yes, Ernest. I might even manage to watch you shift next time. And I’m really looking forward to being with you for the heat.”
“I’m counting the days.”
Holding my gaze, Lawrie cradled my face in his warm hands. “How do you feel about it, really?”
“I want you happy, Lawrie. Honestly, I probably would be excited about both decisions. But waiting is good. Waiting is great, even. I’ll take you to Patagonia to fly.
I still owe you dinner in Paris, and we’ll hike in the national parks.
There’s so much we can do before we have toddlers flying around the living room. ”
Lawrie’s eyes got huge. “You shift and fly as toddlers already?”
“Um.”
“Oh God. See? I’m so not ready.”
Chuckling, I kissed Lawrie’s nose. “You don’t have to be. Let’s savor each other for a couple more years.”
“I love you, Ernest.”
“I don’t seem to get tired of hearing you say that.”
“I love you.”
“One more time, please.”
“I love you. Now please, can we go out for brunch? I’m terribly hungry.”