Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
Shea
My arms felt empty without Theo. I kept reaching for my soother, desperate to have something on my tongue again, but it wouldn’t be the same as suckling them.
I hadn’t realized how long I was asleep.
Not until they woke me up, grimacing with overstimulation.
They wouldn’t accept any of my apologies either.
They simply cleaned themself up and hoisted me onto the changing table since I was wet.
They offered to let me rest in their bed or come with them while they dealt with some admin issue that Jordan insisted he needed them for, but there was something I needed to do.
I wanted to go to the bonfire, and I wanted to go with Tyler.
I hadn’t seen him since that morning when Jordan ushered him away from all the chaos, and I needed to make sure he was okay.
Despite praising me for making the right decision, Theo’s eyes swam with nerves.
They were a Da to their core, unwilling to let me out of their sight at the best of times, much less after something so scary.
The first time they saw it in high school, they slept on my floor for a week—even after my parents kicked them out.
Twice.
It had taken some convincing to separate Tyler from his new Daddy.
It was the most regressed I’d seen him the entire week.
He seemed less pale and hungover after some rest, but he was still wary of leaving Jordan.
As we walked from the cabin to the bonfire, Tyler had his finger in his mouth.
I reached for my soother out of habit, only to realize I couldn’t talk with it in my mouth and nerves immediately flared to life.
“I’m sorry,” I blurted.
Tyler released his finger with a pop. “For what?”
“That…” I sighed. “This morning couldn’t have been fun for you. I’m really sorry you had to see it.”
One of the caregivers supervising the bonfire handed us a bag of snacks each and a blanket. Tyler spread out the blanket away from everyone else, giving us some privacy. “You have nothing to be sorry about,” he said.
“I made you cry!”
“Well, yeah, it was scary, but I was already sensitive from the hangover. Besides, you didn’t get stung on purpose, did you?”
“No,” I laughed. “Trust me—if I was going to do that, you should worry about what I’m trying to avoid.”
When I was met with silence, I looked over to see Tyler crooking a brow at me, wrist deep in a bag of marshmallows.
“You’ve been secretive enough, Shea. Spill.”
Heat rushed to my face. My parents never did figure it out, and to this day it was one of my favorite stories.
“I got stung on purpose once to get out of bible camp.”
“Bible camp?” Tyler garbled. “Gross. I’d rather die than be put through that too.”
My bottom lip rolled between my teeth. If there was ever an opening to tell Tyler about my past, this was it.
“Oh, shit, was that the wrong thing to say?”
“Tyler, language,” a caregiver scolded.
“Sorry—why are you laughing at me?”
I laughed so hard my belly hurt and tears formed at the corners of my eyes. Tyler only continued to eat his marshmallows.
“That’s probably the realest thing anyone’s said to me in years. Most people get scared with the dark humor—Theo included.”
“You’ve known them that long?”
“Mmhmm…” I nodded, blushing at the memory of that week I spent with them.
In the distance, the door to the dining hall opened, capturing my attention.
I hadn’t realized Theo was sitting on the steps watching me.
Kaylee joined them, sitting behind Theo with her legs to either side of them.
“I skipped camp because Theo’s parents were out of town. There were so many firsts that week…”
I told Tyler everything. From the way my parents raised me, to meeting Theo and figuring out I wasn’t the perfect, obedient God-fearing daughter they always wanted.
When I got to the part about being sent to the conversion camp, Jordan emerged from the dining hall and handed Theo a drink.
I swore they locked eyes with me when they brought it to their lips.
Tyler listened intently, with only the occasional rustling of the marshmallow bag breaking the conversation. I picked apart my bar of chocolate, feeding small bites into my mouth and only wishing Theo was there to do it for me like they had that morning.
“Woah…” Tyler said once I finished. “That’s a lot.”
A laugh bubbled out of me. “That’s one way to put it.”
“Wait.” Tyler set his snack aside, which I guess meant he was getting serious. “You said you didn’t know that Theo owns Playhouse.”
“That’s right. I didn’t find out until the day we got here.”
“So you didn’t come here for Theo.” I shook my head. “How did you know they were… them?”
“You ever seen the tattoo on Theo’s ribcage?” Tyler nodded and after finishing off my chocolate, I raised my shirt enough to expose my own.
Tyler snickered but before he could ask for the dirty details, I continued. “I had an accident like… thirty seconds after I got here. Theo helped me clean up and that’s when they knew. Neither of us recognized each other at first.”
“Wow, that’s like… something out of a romance novel.”
I shrugged. “Romance novels have a happy ending.”
“And you don’t deserve one?”
My heart kicked up its pace as Theo accepted a kiss Kaylee planted on their cheek, then stood up and headed our way. “There’s no way of knowing if they—”
“I’m going to stop you right there. This whole damn camp knows that Theo wants you. If it’s a case of who’s moving where—”
“It’s not. I’d follow them anywhere.” Theo was definitely beelining for me, and I didn’t take my eyes off them as they approached, taking another sip from their drink.
I wondered what was in it. What their drink of choice was and if I’d be pouring them one after a long day… “I come with a lot of baggage.”
“I think they’re strong enough to carry it. Have you seen those arms?” I did my best attempt to glare at him for checking out my Da, but even I couldn’t be angry. Theo was hot, and everyone knew it. Tyler snickered and collected his snacks. “And it looks like you two have a talk to have.”
Theo tried to stop Tyler from scurrying off by simply raising their hand. “I’m not here to chase you away.”
“It’s okay. I’m going to steal some of Benji’s marshmallows.”
“Are we okay?” I asked Tyler.
“Yeah, of course we are.” A dimple popped in his left cheek when he smiled. “Just… don’t go getting stung by anymore bees. That was scary as—” He cut his eyes to Theo. “Fudgesicles.”
“Good save,” they praised.
Tyler hustled off in search of more sweet treats, and Theo gestured to the empty spot he left behind. “Mind if I join you?”
“I was hoping you would.”
Theo wasn’t even entirely sitting down before I climbed into their lap, sitting sideways and stretching my legs out in front of me. Theo’s arms fell around my waist, and mine around their neck. “Comfy?” they snickered.
“Mhm…” Nuzzling into their neck, I inhaled deeply.
They smelled like soap and sunscreen, their skin still warm from spending the last few days outside.
Damp sea salt-tinged waves tickled my nose.
Despite growing up landlocked, Theo always exuded this energy that they belonged in the sun.
The rosy, surfer-style waves that I ran my hands through, the smattering of freckles across their cheeks, and the golden hue of their skin screamed that they spent their days surfing or suntanning rather than curling up with a book at the end of a long day.
Theo turned their head, bringing our mouths together.
I hummed and dropped my jaw, letting their tongue slip in to tangle with mine.
Their hand tightened on my hip, my fingers carding through their hair.
Masked beneath the coconut of their lip balm was something different, fruity and warm and addictive.
I broke off the kiss, gasping for air. “What were you drinking?”
“Jordan calls it a ménage à trois,” they laughed. “Dr. Pepper and Captain Morgan.” At my furrowed brows, they continued. “You, a doctor, and a captain—ménage à trois.”
I shook my head to clear it, deciding to address the ridiculousness of the cocktail’s name later. There were more pressing matters to attend to. “I want you to drink that, and only that, from now on.”
I swallowed Theo’s reply. It was true what I’d said that morning: I didn’t drink, but tasting the spicy sweet cocktail off Theo’s lips was a high I never knew possible. Their tongue slipped into my mouth, feeding me a taste of the drink that I swallowed right up.
Desire swam in my gut and surged south, but any attempt to ease the throbbing between my legs was thwarted by the padding there. I was milliseconds away from begging Theo to take me back to their cabin when they broke off the kiss.
“Move in with me.”
I could only blink in response. Had they really just asked what I thought they had? “Come again?”
The corner of their mouth twitched with a bashful smile.
“Bashful” wasn’t typically a word I’d use to describe Theo Brealey but, in that moment, they were more vulnerable than ever.
“Move in with me, Shea. Come to Georgia and live with me. Or I can come to Tennessee to be with you if this place is too painful or we can—”
I crushed my mouth to theirs, kissing the words right off their lips. I didn’t want to be anywhere else. I wanted to be right here—with them.
Forever.
“Of course I’ll move in with you,” I panted against their lips.
I wasn’t making it back to the cabin. Claiming Theo’s mouth, I fed a hand between us and tugged at their belt.
“Easy, little boy. Easy.” They blanketed their hand with mine and slowed my frantic movements.
I whimpered, thinking they were just going to make me wait.
“We’re being watched. Appears your new friend is a little voyeur. ”
I didn’t need to turn to know that they meant Tyler.
“Eyes on me, little one.”
Like hell I would want to look anywhere else. Theo lifted the lanyard around their neck and pointed to the green traffic light. Tyler must have nodded, because Theo dropped the card. “Get behind me.”
I scrambled into position, spreading my legs to either side of Theo. Considering that I was diapered, I’d prepared for a long and frustrating few hours until Theo could properly undress me. They shuffled backward, pressing their ass into my crotch with just the right amount of friction.
I whimpered. “Da…”
“Shh. Undo my pants.”
Don’t mind if I do. I made quick work of Theo’s belt, yanking the denim of their shorts apart so aggressively that the button went flying and the zipper protested.
My hand plunged behind their waistband, immediately finding a slick, damp heat awaiting me.
I’d even caught them off guard with how eager I was.
“D-damn boy.” They sighed. “Desperate?”
You don’t even know the half of it. I ducked my head to latch onto their neck, peering up through my lashes to see Tyler watching us.
We sat away from everyone else, nearly camouflaged by the darkness.
But Tyler knew where we were. He sat alone, the entire crowd having thinned around him.
Only a few people lingered, and one remaining caregiver who looked like they were about to fall asleep sitting up.
Orange flames flickered across Tyler’s glittering brown eyes. His hand was shoved between his thighs, adding pressure to the front of his own diaper.
I wondered what it would feel like. To be able to completely lose it without having to worry about cleanup later.
“Don’t stop, boy,” Theo panted.
I hadn’t realized I’d slowed down. Returning to my task, I sucked Theo’s neck until heat rose to the skin. Their pulse thundered beneath my tongue, matching the throb of their clit between my fingers. I tweaked their piercing, and their hips punched into my palm.
“We’re close, baby. You’re doing so well.”
“We.”
I ground against Theo’s ass in a desperate attempt to cease the ache in my own crotch. My eyelids fluttered, torn between watching the scene in front of me unfold or basking in the pleasure.
Theo’s breaths increased until they were nothing more than shallow pants.
I pried my eyes open in time to see Tyler crash over the edge first. His bottom lip trapped between his teeth, he sank into the tender flesh to avoid giving himself away.
His entire body shuddered with the waves of pleasure, and he trembled with the aftershocks.
Blood rushed to his cheeks, and he yanked his hand away from his lap, his eyes darting around to make sure no one had seen him.
Theo jolted suddenly, clamping their thighs around my wrist. Their clit pulsed beneath my fingertips, every muscle in their body clenched with the effort of not squirting all over my hand.
I came—hard—at the thought alone. My release soaked into the cotton between my thighs, warm and wet.
I licked over the bruise on their neck to soothe the sting, then pulled off to watch their hips roll.
Then they gripped my wrist tight, halting my movements before I could work them into the oversensitivity that they loved.
“Take it easy on me, baby.” They tipped their head back, lips feathering across my neck. “No one consented to seeing my wet pants.”
Coming back to my senses, I pulled free of Theo’s pants. Tyler was nowhere to be found, and a few more people had left the bonfire. The flames were dwindling, and a single caregiver lingered, seeming to beg the remaining embers to extinguish so she could go to bed.
“Tyler,” I panted.
“We’ll check in with him, don’t worry. Come on.” Theo got to their feet, helping me do the same. “What do you think about a bath and a bottle tonight?”
My fingers wandered back to my mouth. I hummed at the taste of Theo’s release. “Yes, please, Da.”
Theo gathered up the blanket and the remnants of my snacks and took my hand to lead me back to their cabin. Their weak legs weren’t lost on me either. “Remind me next time we play in public to put a toy on you.”