Chapter 7
Six
Sam
I hope Dalton couldn’t tell how little experience I had with that kiss. It’s been almost an hour since we left the coffee shop, and he hasn’t brought it up. I haven’t either. I can’t believe I moaned like that. Did it embarrass him? I can’t let myself do that in front of his family.
When he pulls into a long, circular driveway, I do my best not to stare up at the huge house. It’s decorated for Christmas, with wreaths in every window, icicle lights hanging from the roof.
Dalton had mentioned he came from money, but he made it sound like they were in the well-to-do category. Not the own-a-mansion category.
“You grew up here?”
“No. No, I grew up in a different neighborhood. I bought this for my parents with my first big paycheck. They wanted a big house for us to fill with grandkids. So far, only Sophia has followed through on that.”
“How many does she have?”
“Two so far. Twins. A boy and a girl. She and Grady are trying for more, though.”
“Do you like Grady?”
He smiles. “Yeah, he’s a really good guy.”
I unbuckle my seatbelt and take a breath.
I’m so much better one-on-one. Groups are so much harder for me.
I just need to keep my focus on what I’m getting out of this.
At the end of the week, I’ll have enough money to pay all the bills and keep food on the table for a few months while I find another job. It’ll be worth it.
“You ready?” Dalton asks.
I give him a nod, so he turns the car off and pushes his door open. When I step out of the car, Dalton’s at my side with the coat I brought held up.
“Put this on,” he says. “I may not have ever brought anyone home with me before, but they know how I’d act around a boyfriend. Do me a favor and try not to resist too much when I take care of you this week.”
“I can promise I’ll do my hardest not to resist.” That’s probably going to be tougher than pretending we’ve been together for months. It’s been a really long time since someone took care of me. Nathan tries to watch out for me, but I’m his protector and provider, so it’s different.
“Is that the best I’m going to get?” Dalton asks as he buttons my coat.
“Yes. I hate this already. I can button my own coat.”
“I know. You’re perfectly capable.” He leans close and kisses my cheek. “My mom’s watching from the window.”
Oh. Of course.
He reaches back into the car and pulls my duffle bag out with his suitcase.
Then he takes my hand with his free one and starts leading me up the walk.
I take a couple deep breaths, trying to calm my nerves.
I need to remember this isn’t real. I’m not actually meeting the parents of a guy I like. This is just a business arrangement.
“Just be yourself,” Dalton murmurs as we reach the front door.
It’s flung open the second our feet hit the porch, and a smiling woman. Dalton looks just like his mother. Same dark hair and eyes. Same high cheekbones. He even holds himself a little like she does.
But where Dalton is more reserved, his mother clearly isn’t. She envelopes me in a hug before I’ve even had the chance to cross a foot over the threshold.
“It’s so nice to meet you,” she says, putting a hand on my cheek when she pulls away. “I couldn’t believe it when Dalton said he was bringing someone. And you’re just so cute.”
“Mom.” Dalton’s voice is a warning mixed with exasperation, but I don’t mind it. It’s been years since someone other than Nathan has hugged me. It’s been years since I felt the last hug from my mom.
“I’m Ronnie,” she continues as if her son hadn’t even spoken. “I’m so excited you’re here, Sam. Come in. Come in.”
I move into the house and get hit suddenly with a blast of heat. The scent of cookies baking hangs in the air, and I can’t believe Dalton doesn’t come home more often. The warmth in this place is so obvious.
A younger woman around my age meets us in the foyer, her smile wide. She hugs me too, then moves onto Dalton. They hold onto each other for a while, and I think it might be the first genuine smile I’ve seen on Dalton’s face.
“Hey, Sophia.” His voice is low, bittersweet. “You look good. How’re the monsters.”
“They’ve missed you.” She pulls away and puts her hands on his shoulders. “I’ve missed you. I’m glad you came this year.”
Instead of responding, he reaches out to pull me closer. “This is Sam. We haven’t been dating long, but he bravely agreed to come meet you guys.”
Sophia turns to me again, tucking her brown hair behind her ears. “It’s so nice to meet you. I’m glad my brother’s found someone who makes him happy.”
She and Ronnie both sound so genuine, like they really want Dalton to be with someone who’ll be there for him. Guilt tries to rise up in me, but I push it back down. I can’t feel bad about this. I need the money. And my lack of it is partially Dalton’s fault.
“You made it.” A new voice joins the foyer, and Dalton’s whole body stiffens. He wipes any emotion from his face before turning the man approaching. “Dad.”
Dalton’s father has his son’s height and build and none of the warmth Ronnie has. Both she and Sophia take a step back as he approaches, but it doesn’t seem to be from fear. More like this isn’t a moment they want to intrude on.
I try to take a step back too, but Dalton squeezes my hand. A silent request to stay beside him.
“This is Sam,” Dalton says. Even his voice is stiff. It’s like he doesn’t want to show his dad any emotion, like he might regret it later. “Sam, this is my dad. Levi.”
“Sam.” Levi holds out a hand to me. “It’s good to meet you. Dalton’s barely told us anything about you.”
“Levi,” Ronnie chastises.
“What? I’m just stating a fact. I’m not allowed to talk about how he doesn’t visit?” There’s the smallest hitch in Levi’s voice. I’ve heard my father’s anger enough to know it, and this isn’t it. Whatever’s going on between them, Levi’s hurt.
“Sam, maybe we could show you to the guest room,” Sophia says, her smile tight.
I glance at Levi, then Dalton. I should probably go with her.
Dalton even loosens his grip around my hand.
But I find that I can’t pull away. I don’t want to.
It doesn’t matter that Dalton’s dad isn’t going to hurt him; Dalton brought me here to be his boyfriend.
What kind of boyfriend would I be if I left him?
“No, I’m okay here,” I reply.
Levi’s gaze shifts from his son to me, the hard look in his eyes softening. “Forgive me. You must think . . .”
“I don’t think anything,” I say when he trails off. “Dalton has always spoken very highly of you.”
At least, Dalton didn’t speak ill of him when he was telling me about his family. I think if his father were abusive or dangerous, Dalton would’ve said something. He stopped Bryce from touching me at the club; I doubt he would’ve taken me around someone who might hurt others.
Levi’s face softens even more, and he looks back at his son. “I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you too.” Dalton’s voice still has an edge to it, but his body isn’t as tight with tension.
I can still feel the restlessness coming off him, though, especially as we make our way to the guest bedroom together. I don’t have the right words to say, especially since I don’t know what’s truly going on between him and his father.
But I do know how to help someone relax and forget about whatever’s going for a while.
Seven
Dalton
“I’m sorry,” I tell Sam as soon as we’re alone in the guest bedroom Mom directed us to. “I was hoping to save that awkwardness for later tonight, after you’ve had the chance to get to know them.”
I sit on the edge of the bed and run a hand through my hair. “I just need a few minutes before we go back out there.”
“Okay. Take your time.” He puts a hand on my shoulder, his fingers massaging lightly.
It feels really good, the way he touches me. While I’ve slept with plenty of guys, I’ve never actually been emotionally intimate with any of them. I never let them see when I’ve been upset or bothered, and they definitely never comforted me in any way.
“You’re so tense,” Sam murmurs. His hands move down my shoulders, over my chest. Lower to my stomach.
I tilt my head, and it feels strange to be looking up at him. Maybe that’s why it takes me a second to realize what he’s doing. He’s trying to help me relax. Almost like a real boyfriend would.
Sam’s fingers reach the button on my slacks, and he pops it open. There’s no hesitation, no fear on his face.
Still, I say, “Whatever we do in private is your decision.”
He gives me a crooked smile. “I know.” Then he drops to his knees and lowers the zipper of my pants all the way down. My cock springs free, and Sam leans forward immediately, licking a long stripe from my balls to the tip.
“Fuck!” I grab the edge of the mattress because I’m worried if I don’t hang onto something, I’m going to wrap my hands around his head and thrust into his mouth.
Sam licks me again before sliding his tongue along my slit, gathering the precum beaded there. He moans, and I can’t resist lifting my hips just a little so the tip of my cock slips between his lips.
He braces his hands on my thighs and lowers his head, stuffing his mouth full with me.
“Fuck, Sam.” I close my eyes, escaping into the feel of Sam’s mouth wrapped around my cock, his lips stretched to accommodate my girth.
He pulls away for a second, just long enough to say, “You can hold my head and fuck my mouth. I’ll tap your thigh if I need to stop.”
It’s all the invitation I need.
I release the mattress so I can sink my fingers into his blond curls, and then I thrust hard into his mouth.
He gags just a little, but he doesn’t tap my thigh, so I keep going.
I fuck his mouth, feeling the head of my cock on the back of his throat.
I’m careful to guide him off frequently enough that he never gasps for air, but it nearly kills me every time.
When I pull him off this time, he lifts a hand and swipes his index finger along my cock, gathering spit and precum. Then his hands move up my thighs to circle my body. One of his hands slides down the back of my pants, and I feel that slick finger in my crease.
I grunt and shift forward enough to give him access.
Sam’s long finger pushes deep in me, and my hips buck of their own accord.
I usually like being the one to shove some fingers in another guy’s ass, but I’ve never shied away from being the one to receive it either.
And Sam is fucking perfect at it. He doesn’t tease or give me any build up. He knows exactly what I need.
His finger wiggles further inside, and I lift my hips to grind against his face.
“God fucking damn,” I groan, holding his head in place as my balls draw up. I tug on his hair to let him know what’s coming, though I’m sure he’s already well aware. He doesn’t back down. If anything, he redoubles his efforts, sucking harder and working his finger as deep into me as it can go.
My hips snap one last time, and then I’m coming with a shout, spilling my load down Sam’s throat. He takes every drop I give him, sucking all of it down as my ass spasms over and over around his finger.
He doesn’t pull away until I’m completely soft, and even then, it’s slow. Like he doesn’t want to let go.
He sits back on his heels to look up at me. His lips are swollen and red, and his pupils are blown wide. His cock is straining against the zipper of his jeans, but he doesn’t make a move to touch himself.
I don’t take the time to put myself back together. I get down on the floor with him and give him a push to get him to lie back on the white rug underneath him.
“You don’t have to—” It’s all I let him get out before I’m wrestling those tight jeans down his legs. I bring his boxers with them, and then it’s just pure Sam. His hands immediately move to cover himself, but I catch his wrists.
He stares up at me, his eyes wide. He looks so vulnerable, and it’s obvious he feels that way too.
“It’s all up to you,” I say, even though I’m pretty sure I might spend this whole week doing nothing but taking cold showers if I can’t touch him.
Sam hesitates a second longer, then he nods quickly. When I move his arms to his sides, he doesn’t try to cover himself again.
What I really want is to sit here for a few minutes and admire his gorgeous body, but staring would only make him uncomfortable.
Instead, I lower my head and swirl my tongue around the head of his cock, teasing him with little licks and sucks that have his thighs quivering on either side of my head.
He sucks in a startled gasp when I move down, licking the underside and the large vein that runs along it.
I swipe my thumb along the head of his cock, gathering precum. “Look at me, Sam.”
He lifts his head to stare down at me, and I watch his face as I press my thumb into his ass.
He cries out, his body trembling. His cock juts up between his legs, begging for attention, so I go back to it. When he lays his head back down again, his legs relax on either side of me, giving me more room.
I suck on the head before taking more into my mouth. His hips lift, so I apply the slightest amount of pressure with my thumb, and he drops back to the floor with a whimper.
I move my mouth down, licking his balls before gently tugging one into my mouth to suck on like the sweetest piece of hard candy I’ve ever tasted.
“Oh, God.” His voice is shaky, his fingers digging into the rug.
“Sweetheart, you haven’t felt anything yet,” I murmur before taking his cock in my mouth all the way down to the base.
“Fuck, ah!” His legs jerk, but I ignore the movement, focusing on the precum coating my tongue and the back of my throat as I pull him in deeper.
Sam’s hips buck again, his ass clenching tight around my thumb. He’s caught between fucking my mouth and wanting to grind down on my thumb. He alternates between the two, his breath coming in short pants that have me growing hard all over again.
He grinds his ass against my thumb, and I press it in as deep as it can go so I can brush his prostate.
Sam whimpers and lifts his hips again, shoving his cock further down my throat. My eyes water from the pressure, but I don’t back down. I want him to know I’ll take care of him. I’ll do this for hours if he wants me to.
I wiggle my thumb in his ass, and I’m rewarded with a spray of warm liquid down my throat. His whole body tenses, and I press my face as far down on his groin as I can, pushing him against the floor.
Trapped between me and my thumb inside him, Sam abandons his hold on the rug to grip my head. His legs widen even more, and he rides my face as his orgasm rips through him.
When his thrusts slow, I keep sucking, wringing every last drop out of him. Only when he collapses back on the floor with a contented sigh do I release him.
His skin is flushed, and his chest rises and falls rapidly as he comes back down from the high.
I’ve never been one for holding or cuddling after, but right now, the only thing I want to do is pull Sam against me and never let go of him.