Chapter 22
TWENTY-TWO
Okay, he can’t get any hotter. It’s just impossible. He comes home wearing coveralls, grease on his face, and his hair a little messy, and I’m ready to strip naked for him right here and now.
So not a good idea because the house is full of his siblings and Tatum. It’s Halloween, and I just made it here after my office Halloween party, but I made it. Kellan sent pictures to me today from Braylen and Kieran’s class parties—both boys dressed up in mainstream superhero costumes, but I loved the subtle nod to Raegan and Cason’s costumes Kellan told me about.
“Kellan, that’s not a costume,” Braylen whines when he sees him.
“Of course it is,” I argue, still dressed from my own office party as a vampire.
“No,” Braylen says, folding his arms over his chest. “That’s what he wears for work.”
I grin. “And who says I’m not a vampire on my days off?” I tease and hand Kellan a plate with sliders Tatum grilled before I got here. I have to say, the man is an asset for sure. He’s there when Kellan can’t be—he had to work a little later today, since he went to both parties at the school. And Tatum stepped right in and was here for the kids.
It’s clear he cares about this family as if it’s his own.
Kellan quickly eats, and then Tatum leaves—apparently, he has a date—before Kellan and I take the younger kids out to trick-or-treat. Something I haven’t done for a long time but I enjoy quite a bit. Cason and Raegan stayed at the house but were there to go through Braylen and Kieran’s candy when we got back.
When the kids are in bed, I take a few moments to sit on the couch with Kellan, but we can’t touch. It feels like ages since he’s been inside me, even though it’s only been a week.
“When’s our next date?” he asks, reading my mind.
I turn to look at him with a sly grin. “When’s the next time you can get away?”
“Soon, I hope.” He leans into me, his deep voice rumbling in my ear. “I can’t wait to be inside you again.”
My whole body is racked with pleasure, and I have to move my hand between my legs, pushing on my erection to try to calm my raging libido. “When is your court date again?”
He sighs. “Seven months.”
We both groan. “It’ll go by quick, right?”
“I hope so. This is torture.”
I smile and look back at the hallway, seeing it’s empty, and then risk a quick kiss before standing up. “I need to go.”
“Any chance you’re free for Thanksgiving?” he asks as we walk toward the door. The question catches me off guard, and I nearly trip over my own feet. Kellan is quick though, bracing my shoulders with his hands. “Sorry.”
I chuckle, trying to laugh it off. “You want to spend Thanksgiving together?”
He looks nervous, reaching for the back of his neck the way he often does. “I want to give them normalcy. I want them to have what they never had before.”
I smile, losing another piece of my heart to the man. “Well, believe it or not, my mom wasn’t big on large Thanksgiving meals. We always volunteered at shelters, but I bet I can figure out how to make a turkey.”
His eyes light up so bright, it’s blinding. “Really?”
“You’re not alone in this, Kellan. We’ll give them a fantastic Thanksgiving.”
He surprises me by sweeping his hand to the back of my neck and turning me so I’m pressed up against the door. His lips press against mine, while I groan into the hungry kiss.
We should stop—someone could walk in—but I melt into the kiss, letting my body sag against his as he feasts on my lips before pulling back, his breathing ragged. “Thank you.”
I nod my head slowly, super slow, as if in a daze, because that’s what his kisses seem to do to me.
And I don’t stop thinking about that kiss all the way home, back to my lonely quiet apartment and away from the beautiful chaos I’m growing to love more and more every day.
* * *
We do manage to make Thanksgiving absolutely normal, as Kellan called it. Tatum brought a date—a nice woman he met at the gym, apparently. I didn’t burn the turkey or any of the sides, and really, there weren’t any snarky remarks from the kids.
It’s strange, but everything seems quite calm at the moment. Kellan sneaks away when he can, and I still go to the house to help out as much as I can. As far as I know, the kids don’t have a clue we’re dating, and that’s how we have to keep it.
It’s Friday after Thanksgiving, and I’m lying in Kellan’s arms, cum still on my stomach. He fucked me so good, I came without even needing to touch myself—the friction of his sculpted abs and him pounding my prostate providing more than enough stimulation.
I know he has to go soon, and I’m starting to hate that more and more. “Who the hell decided to put so many holidays in such a short about of time?”
I snort at that, letting my hand drag over his muscled stomach. “That’s what you’re thinking about right now? I’m going to have to up my game.”
He pinches my bare ass. “Nothing wrong with your game. I’ve never come so hard as I did watching you come without touching your cock.”
I shiver, swallowing hard as said cock twitches between my legs. “Good to know.”
He grins and kisses my temple. “I’m sorry. I guess my mind will always go back to my responsibilities.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that.” They’re his life. It’s good he thinks about them, though I do wish he could relax sometimes. For his own sake. “You’re worried about Christmas?”
“Yeah, just like Halloween and Thanksgiving. It’s not something we ever really had growing up. Mom didn’t do presents, and it’s not like I have a lot of money now... but I want to do something.”
“It’s not about the presents.” He gives me a look—as if saying really? —and I laugh slightly. “Okay, it’s not just about the presents. Anything you get them will make them happy. Do the younger ones believe in Santa?”
He shakes his head. “I highly doubt it. When Santa never comes to your house, you tend to lose hope.”
I frown at that, sad for all five of them. Not that everyone has to be raised with Santa Claus coming to their house—it all seems a little exhausting and dishonest, if you ask me—but the lack of joy around the holidays is what I mourn for them.
“How about we make Christmas just as normal as we made Halloween and Thanksgiving?” I suggest, leaning up to kiss him, stroking over his cheek with my hand.
He smiles against my lips. “I really do have the best boyfriend.”
I stiffen, and then he follows my lead and does the same, looking tense and terrified. We haven’t really talked about labels before. Hell, it took forever for me to agree to just a date—but it sure feels like that’s what we are. I decide not to overthink it and give him a great big smile. “I don’t know, my boyfriend is pretty damn great.”
He finally relaxes and pulls me into him, letting my head rest on his shoulder.
“Kellan, will you do something with me?”
“Anything,” he says easily.
“Come take a bath with me.”
I feel his chin on my head when he nods, and I don’t waste any time, pulling him to my bathroom. I run a warm bath and put in my best bubble bath before letting him sink into the water, leaning his head back against the curved edge. I slide into the bubbles with him, my back to his front as his large arms swallow me up and hold me close.
“Okay, you win.” His breath tickles my ear, and I close my eyes. “Bubble baths are nice.”
“You just needed your boyfriend with you,” I say with a sleepy smile, relaxing into him.
“You have no idea how true that is.” He holds onto me tighter, and I hold his arms, not wanting to let him go.
I’m more than happy to lean into this whole boyfriends concept.