Chapter 26

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CHARLIE

CHARLIE HEADED straight for Ward, then stopped and turned to survey the room. He needed Ward to sit. There were two chairs over by the window, but neither of them was the right chair. That one was downstairs. Except downstairs was crowded with people. Which was why Charlie was in the room in the first place.

He let out a whine and hurried towards the chairs, only to stop again with a scowl. It wasn't right. But he needed to sit in Ward's lap. To make all the loud feelings go away.

Because he'd had a rough day. A rough month, really. His Sky had been working more than usual, so they'd had no time to spend together. Then his brother, Quinn, had gotten married, and the wedding had been noisy and crowded. But that wasn't as bad as what came after, with Quinn leaving for his honeymoon and not being around to visit. Charlie knew he'd have to accept that as the new normal, just like when Dakota had married Beau and moved away, but it still messed up his sense of order. Of how things were supposed to be.

Charlie turned and started for Ward again, only to give up halfway across the room. He curled his arms up, pressing the backs of his hands to his eyes.

“Hey, buddy,” Ward murmured. Charlie heard soft footsteps, then felt the big man stop beside him, close but not quite touching. “It's gonna be okay.”

“ Hhnn ,” Charlie whined. He lowered his hands just enough to see Ward next to him, then threw himself at the man. Charlie burrowed in close, hiding his face. Ward slowly put his arms around him, gently pulling him closer. It helped, though it wasn't quite right. They weren't in a chair. Charlie wasn't in his lap. He whined again.

“ Shhh , buddy. It's gonna be okay,” Ward whispered. “Wrong context, huh?”

Charlie nodded.

“Wow,” Skylar breathed from somewhere nearby. “You're really getting to know him.”

Ward chuckled softly. “Yeah?” Ward paused, then let go with one arm.

Before Charlie could complain about that, he felt Skylar move in to join them.

Oh . Charlie's knees nearly gave out. That was what he'd needed. The three of them together like that? Holding one another? Touching? Charlie couldn't stop a little moan from escaping him. It was perfect.

So perfect that his penis began to grow hard.

Oh no . That had been another problem. With his Sky working so much over the past month, all of Charlie's sexual relief had come by his own hand. It wasn't what he wanted, but it was better than nothing. He had to have that relief. Charlie couldn't think straight without it. The arousal was like a persistent noise inside his head. One that had to be silenced.

In Skylar's absence, Charlie had stroked himself to orgasm day after day. Normally, he could simply lie back and think of his Sky as he did so.

But for the past few months, thoughts of Ward kept creeping in. More and more as the weeks went by. This past month had been especially bad, with his Sky so absent. Charlie would touch himself and imagine having sex with his Sky, only for the fantasy to change. For Ward to be there with them. Kissing him. Touching him.

Touching his Sky.

Charlie shuddered. That last part always did it for him. Charlie got turned-on by thoughts of Ward touching him, but when he imagined Ward touching his Sky instead? That always pushed him over the edge.

“Charlie?” Skylar asked.

Charlie gave a start, realizing he'd been rubbing himself against Ward's leg. Oh no . He pulled his hips back and ducked his head, hiding his face again.

“Hey, Charlie,” Skylar murmured. “You don't have to stop. It's okay. Really.” He paused, running his fingers through Charlie's hair. “I'm gonna go downstairs so you guys can be alone.”

“ Hhnn! ” Charlie let go of Ward with one arm and desperately reached for Skylar. It wasn't that he was afraid to be alone with Ward. If anything, it was the opposite. He loved being alone with Ward. But that was only when his Sky couldn't be present for some reason. Now, Skylar was with them. Charlie needed his Sky to be there. And Ward. Something about the three of them just felt right, even if Charlie couldn't explain why.

But that didn't stop him from feeling guilty for wanting both men.

Charlie glanced up and saw Ward and Skylar looking at one another. The two were having some kind of silent conversation. Charlie had seen his parents do the same thing, though he'd never understood how it worked. Then again, he and his Sky simply knew things sometimes, without either of them having to speak or sign to the other. Maybe that was the same thing happening now.

It dragged on and on and on. What were they thinking? What were they telling one another?

Ward gave Skylar a nod, then slid his hand slowly down Charlie's back. He pulled Charlie closer, paused for a moment, then slid his hand farther down, cupping Charlie's buttock and holding him tight against his leg. “Don't stop,” Ward murmured.

Charlie hid his face again, but when Ward gave him a firm, gentle tug, Charlie couldn't resist. He rocked his hips, rubbing himself on Ward.

“That feel good?” Skylar murmured.

Charlie went still, feeling guilty, but when he looked at his Sky, he didn't see any kind of upset on Skylar's face. If anything, Charlie got the feeling that his Sky liked what he saw.

Skylar gave him a soft kiss, just a quick peck on the lips, then grabbed Charlie's hand. Charlie watched as Skylar guided it to Ward's groin.

He should have pulled his hand away. There was plenty of time to do so, moving as slowly as Skylar was. But Charlie didn't want to pull away. He wanted to touch Ward. And to have Ward touch him. And it looked like Skylar wanted that, too, for some strange reason.

Skylar pressed Charlie's palm against the bulge in Ward's jeans. Charlie moaned. He'd never touched another man's penis before. Granted, this was through Ward's clothes, but it amounted to the same thing. Skylar even pressed his own hand against the back of Charlie's and laced their fingers together so they were both gripping Ward at the same time. Oh fuck . Somehow, that was even better.

Ward muttered a curse, then whispered their names.

Charlie whined, rocking his hips faster. He needed more. Needed skin. But when he thought about the three of them getting naked—despite all his unexpected fantasies over the past few months—he couldn't figure out what to do next. Three people didn't fit his experience with sex.

He whined and ducked his head again.

“Hey, Charlie,” Ward murmured. “If you want this to stop–”

Charlie shook his head, then whined again as he looked from Ward to Skylar and back.

“He doesn't have a context for this,” Skylar said, glancing at Charlie as he spoke to Ward. “Sex has always been just the two of us. Missionary. He's trying to figure out how this would work.”

“Ah.” Ward ran a hand through Charlie's hair, then drew it down Charlie's back until he gripped him by the buttocks again. “Charlie? What do you want, sweet boy? We can do whatever you're comfortable with.” He glanced at Skylar. “We can take turns inside Sky. Or just touch each other.” He paused. “You can be inside your Sky while I'm inside you.”

Skylar shuddered and moaned. “Jiminy Christmas on a lily pad,” he bit off.

Charlie's brain came to a full stop. Being inside his Sky while Ward was inside him? Holy shit . Charlie wasn't even sure how to process that idea!

He'd seen things like that in pornographic films, of course. Like any hormonal youth, he'd found his way to pictures and videos on the internet, so he'd been able to see all kinds of things that went beyond his personal experience. But the thought of doing some of those things for real?

It was too much. Too loud.

Too tempting.

Ward looked at Skylar again. “We could be inside Sky together.”

“Jumping jellyfish on a pogo stick,” Skylar blurted out. “Yes, that. Criminy, that sounds hot.”

Charlie couldn't help the moan that escaped him, hearing the heat and need in his Sky's voice. Still, he tilted his head, trying to accept how that would even work.

Ward crouched down slightly, putting them at eye level. “Charlie?” He moved in closer, then paused there, glancing at Skylar, who gave him a nod. “May I kiss you?”

Charlie looked at his Sky. The only person he'd ever kissed. His Sky smiled at him. Nodded. “It's okay, Charlie,” Skylar murmured. “It's okay. I want you to kiss him.”

Oh fuck . Charlie's resistance shattered. He looked at Ward, then surged up and closed the distance between them.

Another whine escaped him. Ward's lips felt good. Soft but demanding. The man slowly took control of the kiss, and Charlie let him. It was too easy to do so. To put himself in this man's hands. To let Ward decide what would happen.

Ward broke the kiss, breathing hard, then pushed Charlie and Skylar together.

Charlie moaned, kissing his Sky, knowing that Ward was watching. All the while, he and Skylar kept stroking Ward's penis through his jeans. Charlie whimpered. He wanted more.

Skylar pulled back with a gasp. His eyes were wide and dark. He stared at Charlie for a moment, then turned and stretched up, silently offering his mouth to Ward.

And the big man immediately took it, kissing Skylar, sliding his tongue into Skylar's mouth.

Oh fuck . Charlie couldn't stop staring. He'd been both fantasizing about and dreading this moment for months. But now that it was here, he didn't want it to stop. He'd seen them kiss before, of course, but this time was different. No sneaking away or trying to hide it. No feeling left out.

This time, he was part of it.

Ward's hand was still on him, pulling him close, encouraging Charlie to rock his hips. Charlie thrust against Ward's leg, but it wasn't enough. His penis felt too confined. He wanted it out. Needed to rub it against bare skin. Maybe even more than he needed it inside his Sky.

Charlie whimpered.

“Hush, baby,” Ward murmured. “It's okay. Don't worry. Daddy's gonna take good care of you. Both of you.”

Charlie almost frowned at that, confused by the term, but then Ward reached for the button on Charlie's jeans. Oh . His brain short-circuited again. He watched, panting, as Ward slowly popped the button before dragging down the zipper.

Ward paused there, glancing at Skylar, who gave him a nod. Then he looked at Charlie. “Tell me you want this,” he whispered. “Tell me you both want this.”

Charlie looked up. His Sky's face was loud and hungry, lips parted, chest heaving. Charlie really liked that.

“It's okay,” Skylar told him. “Whatever you want is okay.” Then Skylar looked at Ward. “Daddy, please,” Skylar begged.

There was that term again. It didn't make any sense, but Charlie was too aroused to care. Not while Ward's hands were so close to his penis.

But not close enough.

“ Hhnn .”

“Charlie?” Ward asked. “Was that a yes ?”

Charlie gave Skylar one last glance, seeing both hunger and permission in his nod, then gave a vigorous nod of his own. If Ward didn't touch him soon, Charlie might scream.

Ward let out a shuddering breath, hooked his thumbs inside the waistbands of Charlie's pants and underwear, and pushed everything down.

Charlie's penis jumped out, bobbing and almost painfully erect. He tried to rub it on Ward again, but it didn't feel good against Ward's jeans. They weren't soft enough.

“Ward?” Skylar murmured. “You don't have to do this.”

Charlie looked up. There was a strange look on Ward's face, one he couldn't read. The man stared down at Charlie's penis, but Charlie couldn't tell what he was thinking.

After a moment, Ward let out another shuddering breath as he muttered a curse. “I want to.”

Ward slowly released Charlie's clothes, leaving them resting there at mid-thigh.

Then Ward's hand engulfed him.

Charlie choked out a cry, part surprise and part relief. Ward was touching him! Ward's big hand was wrapped around his penis, slowly stroking it, exploring it. Oh fuck . It felt so good. Maybe even better than when Skylar touched him there.

“Geez,” Ward gasped.

“You okay?” Skylar asked him.

“Fuck.” The word gushed out of Ward like it had taken all his breath to utter it. “Yeah. I'm okay. I'm more than okay.” He tightened his grip, loomed over Charlie, and bent down to give him a kiss.

Charlie melted. He lost all track of everything but physical sensation. Hands and mouths. Bare skin. He had no idea how they wound up on the bed, all of them naked. The entire thing was a blur. They kissed and touched, writhing together. But Charlie wanted more.

The next thing he knew, he was on his back with his Sky straddling him. He had no idea what to make of that. It wasn't something they'd ever done. But Ward straddled him, too, just behind Skylar. Somehow, having Ward there made it feel safe even though it was new and different.

Ward pushed Skylar down to kiss Charlie. Then Charlie felt Ward's hands on his penis, rolling a condom into place. Charlie whimpered, feeling trapped beneath them and wonderfully helpless as Ward guided his penis inside his Sky.

Charlie cried out with relief. He'd missed this so much! He tried to start moving, but Ward's big hands pressed down on his hips, stopping him.

“Not yet,” the man murmured.

Then Charlie felt something else new. Something rubbing against his penis, but inside Skylar. He lifted his head off the pillow and tried to look, watching as Ward guided his own penis into Skylar's anus.

“ Hhnn? ”

“It's okay,” Skylar gasped. “I want this. Want you both inside me. Jeebus criminy, Daddy. Hurry!”

Ward chuckled. “Easy, kitten. I don't want to hurt you.”

Kitten? Skylar wasn't a kitten. But before Charlie could sign as much, the sensation of Ward's penis sliding into Skylar's body—rubbing against his own through a thin barrier—made all thought flee again.

Oh fuck . Charlie shot a hand down and clamped it around the base of his penis, stopping an orgasm that threatened to explode out of him.

He didn't want this to end.