Chapter 26
Riley
“Scootch forward, baby.”
Without opening my eyes, I sat up in the tub and wiggled forward. Deacon climbed in behind me, stretching his long legs out on either side of me. I sighed happily as I leaned back against his chest. “Have I been in the tub too long?”
He laughed. “I don’t know, is two hours too long?”
I turned my head to stare at him. “Two hours? Seriously?”
“Yep,” he said.
“I’m sorry. I lost track of time, although I should have realized it with how many times I’ve had to add hot water to the bath.”
He pressed a kiss against my temple. “It’s fine. I like having you naked in my tub.”
“I like having you naked in your tub with me,” I said.
I could feel his cock pressing against the small of my back, but he simply trailed his finger up and down my arm. “How’s your pussy?”
I laughed. “Fine.”
“I know you’re sore,” he said before rubbing my thigh under the water. “It’s been a couple of years for you.”
“You remembered that?” I asked.
“I remember everything you tell me,” he said.
I leaned against him, warmth that had nothing to do with the water temperature making me flush. “It’s sorer than I expected.”
He rubbed my thigh again, and I said teasingly, “It’s because I’m not used to such a large dick.”
He didn’t laugh, and I twisted to stare at him again, a little surprised at the guilt on his face. “Hey, it’s no big deal.”
“It is,” he said. “I don’t like that I’ve hurt you. I should have been more gentle with you, shouldn’t have made you have sex with me three times.”
“You didn’t make me do anything, and I’m the one who initiated sex this morning. Besides, it’s not that sore,” I said.
He just frowned and pulled me against him again. I rested my head on his chest and closed my eyes, enjoying the feel of his body and the warmth of the water.
“I have a present for you,” Deacon said after a few minutes.
“You do?”
He nodded and reached over the side of the tub to hand me a brown paper bag. “Sorry, it’s not wrapped. This was the best I could do for a gift bag.”
I smiled and sat up, taking the small bag from him. “I don’t care. When did you have time to buy me a present? You don’t even have a car right now. Wait,” I gave him a suspicious look, “did you drive Marvin?”
He laughed. “God, no. I prefer my cars to have power windows and power steering.”
“Hey, be nice to Marvin,” I said. “He can’t help it if he doesn’t have fancy bells and whistles.”
He also doesn’t have a horn, a working muffler, or airbags,” he said.
I just wrinkled my nose at him. “Seriously, how did you get me a present?”
“Prime delivery is an amazing thing,” he smiled. “Open your gift, please.”
“Don’t mind if I do,” I said tartly before reaching into the bag. I pulled out the book, gasping with surprise. “Oh my God, the new Lisa Gardner book! Deacon, you bought me the new Lisa Gardner book!”
“I did,” he said.
I carefully put the book back in the bag and set it on the floor before turning and kissing him. “That was so nice of you. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He linked his hands together at the small of my back, and we kissed, a slow, deep one that made me forget all about my sore pussy.
He cupped my breast, teasing my nipple lightly as we kissed repeatedly. I rubbed against his erection, and he placed a hand on my hip. “No, baby.”
“I want to have tub sex,” I said.
He shook his head. “Even if you weren’t sore, sex in the water isn’t good for you. It washes away all of your natural lubrication.”
I wrinkled my nose at him. “Shouldn’t I get to be the one to decide that?”
“Not in this case,” he said. He played with a curl tendril that had escaped my messy bun. “Your job is to be my good girl. My job is to take care of you.”
“I’ve always taken care of myself. I’m not sure I know how to let someone else take care of me.”
He smiled and kissed the tip of my nose. “Maybe it’s time you learned.”
We sat quietly in the tub for a while longer before he said, “The mechanic called. They fixed my car this morning.”
“What was wrong with it?” I asked.
“Honestly, I have no idea. I just hear Charlie Brown adults talking whenever cars are discussed.”
I laughed hard. “Deacon, are you serious?”
“Yep. I have zero interest in cars beyond - is it fancy, and can it get me to where I need to go. It drives my father crazy. He’s a huge car fanatic.”
He linked our fingers together. “I think my attitude toward cars was my very quiet teen rebellion toward my father. Show zero interest in something he loved, you know?”
“I get it,” I said.
“He’s very blue-collar,” he said. “He’s the drinks beer, loves football, cars, and hunting type. He didn’t know what to do with a son who wasn’t good at sports, refused to hunt, and spent most of his time reading. It’s why he pushed me into accounting rather than the restaurant with my grandparents or construction with him. He figured it was a pansy job for a pansy kid.”
I squeezed his hand. “I’m sorry he did that.”
He shrugged. “I’m not. Again, I’ve done very well in the business world, and ultimately, it was the right decision for me. I love cooking as a hobby, and I’m not sure I would still enjoy it if I did it for a living.”
“You’re very good at what you do,” I said.
“Thank you.” He smiled at me before his eyes went hazy with memory. “My dad asked me once if I was gay. The look on his face when he asked… like it would be the worst thing in the world if I were. I was eighteen and just getting ready to start university, and I remember thinking how much I wanted to hurt him for that look on his face. So, I lied and said I was bi. He didn’t speak to me for a year.”
“I’m sorry,” I said, turning in the water to stroke his chest and press a kiss against his mouth. “I’m so sorry.”
“He got over it. Told me he wouldn’t talk about it with me, and as long as I didn’t bring home any of those,” Deacon’s face made a moue of disgust, “pansy boyfriends, everything would be fine.”
“What an asshole,” I said.
I was still stroking his chest, and he studied how my fingers traced his skin, his gaze still distant with memories, before he said, “I’ve had a few sexual experiences with men at the club. I enjoyed them a lot. After the first one, I remember lying in bed and thinking, ‘Huh, I guess I wasn’t lying to my dad after all.’ It was a very… surreal moment for me.”
I kissed his chest, and he blinked a couple of times before meeting my gaze. “Does it bother you that I’ve been with men?”
“No,” I said.
He studied me and then pressed a kiss against my mouth. “You asked me before why I wasn’t close to my parents. I said it was the money, but I want you to know that not sharing my grandparents’ wealth wasn’t because I was angry with them, or because they were absent parents, or because I was trying to punish my dad for not accepting who I was.”
“I don’t think that,” I said.
“My father owns a very successful construction company, and he and my mother are not hurting for money,” Deacon said. “If I thought they needed my grandparents” wealth and weren’t just after it because they believe I don’t deserve it, I would give it to them. I don’t care about the money.”
“I know, honey,” I said, rubbing my hand in circles on his chest. “I understand how complicated parental relationships can be, trust me. Your grandparents left the money to you because they wanted you to have it. You don’t have to feel guilty about that.”
His tense body relaxed a little, and he nodded. “I tell myself that, but…”
“Sometimes it’s good to have someone else tell you, too,” I said.
He nodded, and I smiled at him. “You’re an amazing person, Deacon Cross, and I’m so happy we’re… friends.”
Christ, I’d almost said ‘dating,’ which would have been beyond humiliating.
He just said he wants to take care of you, Riley. You’re more than just friends.
Ignoring my inner voice would be the smart thing to do. Instead, I nurtured that small voice and let myself believe that maybe she was right.
We sat silently for a few minutes before he kissed me again. “Thank you, Riley. Sorry to dump my parental trauma on you.”
“I don’t mind,” I said.
“Can I ask you for a favour?” he said.
“Sure.”
“Can I get a ride to the mechanic to pick up my car? Or do you think Marvin will even start after sitting all night in the cold?”
“Oh, he’ll start,” I said. “The cold only makes him stronger.”
He laughed, and I kissed his chest. “Marvin and I are happy to give you a ride, Mr. Cross.”
“Thank you, Ms. Gates.” He cupped my breast and gave it a gentle squeeze. “If we get out of the tub right now, I’ll have time to eat your sweet pussy before we have to leave.”
I sat up so quickly that water nearly surged over the tub’s edge. Deacon laughed again as I pulled the plug and gave him a saucy grin. “Get the hell out of this tub, Mr. Cross.”