Chapter 21 #2
“Extremely.” I look down at my hands, twisting them together in my lap. “So, one night we had this genius idea. We decided to sleep together. Just once. To see if maybe we were wrong.”
His mouth twitches. “That’s certainly one way to test a theory.”
I shake my head, biting back a smile. “We figured if there was any spark there, maybe all the rest of it—the way we felt about other people—was just…confusion.”
“And?”
“And we were both very gay.”
Laughing under his breath, he says, “It was that bad?”
“Let’s just say, it confirmed some things.” I pause, then add quietly, “But then she got pregnant.”
All laughter dies immediately. “Oh.”
“Yeah.” I lean back in the chair, then take a sip from my drink.
“Wolf Creek is a small town, and back then… Well, things weren’t as progressive as they are now.
We were two terrified teenagers with huge secrets and families who would’ve lost their minds if we’d told them the truth.
” I shrug. “So we did what seemed like the only option.”
“You got married,” he replies dryly. Not a question.
“We got married.”
Remington studies me for a moment. “Were you miserable? Livin’ a lie?”
I think about it for a moment. It’s a valid question.
“No,” I say finally.
“Really?”
“June was my best friend,” I remind him. “Still is, honestly. We loved each other. Just not the way people expected.” I smile. “We had Finn, raised him together. Built a life. It wasn’t fake…just not the full story.”
He nods slowly, absorbing everything I’m offering. “And Hollis?” he asks.
I chuckle. “Oh, he was planned.”
“Oh?” His eyebrows shoot up, and it makes me laugh even more.
Nodding, I say, “We wanted him to have a sibling. And honestly, we both wanted another. Given the circumstances, we made a good team. We were great parents together.”
I can practically see the wheels turning behind his eyes. “So you just…went for round two?”
“Not exactly.” Remington looks at me questioningly, and I can’t help but chuckle. “Ever heard of the turkey baster method?”
His eyes widen, and his mouth falls open. “You’re joking.”
“Nope. Not even a little bit.”
He covers his mouth with his hand, half laughing. “You two actually—”
“We sure did. Very clinical process,” I deadpan.
“Jesus,” he mumbles under his breath. “That’s the most rancher solution to reproduction I’ve ever heard.”
I grin despite myself. “It worked, though.”
Remington shakes his head, still smiling. “So you raised two kids with your best friend… Both of you knowin’ the truth the whole time?”
“Pretty much.” I nod.
“And nobody else knew?”
“No. It’s a secret we’ve kept all these years. I’m sure she told her girlfriend, and now I’ve told you. But other than that, no.”
“Why?” There’s zero judgement behind his question, but it lands heavy anyway.
I look down at the table, giving myself a moment to gather my thoughts.
“Because by the time I realized I didn’t want to live that way forever, the boys were already here.
And comin’ out in a town like this back then, when your whole identity is wrapped up in land and family and reputation…
” I shrug. “Didn’t seem worth blowin’ their lives up. ”
“So you stayed quiet.”
“Yeah. I stayed quiet.”
His eyes softens. “And now?”
I meet his gaze and swallow down my nerves. “Now, I’m realizin’ I might’ve spent a long time hidin’ parts of myself that deserved daylight.”
Remington’s gaze doesn’t falter. “You deserved that daylight a long time ago,” he says.
Something in my chest shifts at the certainty in his voice. At the truth.
“Maybe.”
For a moment, we just sit here, the weight of my secret sitting between us.
“Thank you for tellin’ me all of that,” he says quietly. “But you should tell your kids too. I know they’d love to know and be there for you.”
A smile tugs into place. “Maybe one day.”
The truth is, no matter how big of a deal it is that I opened up to Remington about this, it’s an even bigger deal admitting it to them. And I’m not sure if I’m ready for that just yet.
Standing up, I clear my throat before grabbing my empty plate off the table. “Think I’m gonna get rid of these dishes, and then we can take this somewhere…quieter.”
Remington’s gaze drags down the length of me, slowly, seductively. And my entire body lights up. “You do that, daddy.” He smirks. “And I’ll watch.”
Remington has the bottle of bourbon in one hand as he saunters into the kitchen. He leans his hip against the counter, watching me with undeniable heat. My chest tightens as he meets my gaze, confidence rolling off him in waves.
“Dinner was delicious,” he husks.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.” My voice is rough, giving away how I’m already brimming with anticipation and arousal.
The bourbon glows amber when he brings the bottle up and pours a shot directly into his mouth. His throat rolls as he swallows. I feel it low in my stomach. “I have a feelin’ dessert is goin’ to be even better, though.”
Heat spreads through my veins, and my mouth dries. “Is that so?”
Nodding slowly, he hums, taking a step in my direction, then another, until he’s so close I can smell the liquor on his breath.
Remington’s gaze drops to my mouth, lingering long enough that I forget how to breathe for a moment.
His hand comes up, knuckles brushing along my jaw while he drags his thumb over my bottom lip like he’s testing my reaction.
I don’t flinch.
I don’t step back.
And by this point, he should already know I want this. Hell, I need this, maybe more than I’ve ever needed anything.
Remington leans in, stealing the breath from my lungs as he presses his mouth to mine.
His lips move slowly, his tongue full of hunger.
This kiss is deliberate, like he’s moving with the intent of making me ache, and it’s working.
His mouth tastes faintly of bourbon and lust, and my legs tremble with every swipe of his potent, one-of-a-kind concoction.
It’s maddening.
I’ve never kissed anybody the way Remington kisses me.
Like we’ve done this a thousand times, like he knows exactly what it does to me when he takes his time…
and takes control. I shouldn’t enjoy it as much as I do.
It’s not who I am. I’m a man in charge, the one who calls the shots.
And yet, as his hand slides to the back of my neck and his fingers thread into my hair, guiding my mouth where he wants it, I can’t get enough.
I don’t want to fight him for control. Remington’s leading, and I’m happily following.
He leans back enough to look at me. His pupils are blown, piercing blue irises practically non-existent. “Have you been as impatient about tonight as I have?” he asks, voice full of gravel.
I swallow thickly. “Yes.”
“Wanna know a secret?”
“Yes.” My heart thunders.
“Every time I think about that night when I was on my knees for you, I get so fuckin’ hard, and I can’t help but touch myself.
And every time, I wish it was your hand instead.
” Remington groans, his eyes rolling back.
“Fuck, seein’ the pleasure on your face, feelin’ your beautiful, fat cock swell in my mouth, tastin’ your cum…
I think I might be addicted to you, daddy. ”
Reaching for the bottle again, Remington takes a sip, his eyes wide and his body pressed against mine, and leans in, tilting his head and kissing me, letting the bourbon follow.
It’s warm and sweet, burning as it spreads across my mouth, slipping between us with the slow caress of his lips.
A groan rumbles from my chest before I can stop it, and his grip at the back of my neck tightens.
“Mm, that’s right,” he murmurs. “Take it, daddy.”
My hand comes to his waist, while the other smooths up his chest. His breath hitches, his heartbeat a steady drum against my palm, and it’s not until right now that I notice how rosy his cheeks are. He looks exactly how I feel, and that’s oddly comforting.
“Think it’s about time we take this somewhere more comfortable,” he rasps. Holding my hand and grabbing the bottle, he doesn’t give me a chance to respond before leading me out of the kitchen.
Whatever happens tonight is going to change everything. If I were a better man, I’d end this right now before things get any more complicated.
But this was my idea, and I never did claim to be a better man.