22. Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

T odd had Izzy's phone. He'd gained access to Izzy's dating app. The first thing Todd did was take pictures of Izzy. He snapped one of Izzy holding out a helmet to Todd.

"Put this on."

"In a minute." Todd took another one of Izzy with his Daddy face. It was the one Izzy got when he was exasperated with Todd but also found his shenanigans cute. "Can you straddle the bike?"

"As soon as you put on the helmet." Izzy smirked as if he'd won some sort of contest of wits.

Todd sighed and grabbed the helmet, sticking it on his head. It was so crooked it covered his left eye, making him panic a little but he tried not to.

Izzy chuckled and straightened it. And then he secured the strap under his chin. "Little goof."

Todd grinned. "You secretly like it when I'm goofy."

Izzy kissed him. "It's cute."

Todd grinned and let Izzy's compliment warm his insides. Todd wrapped his arms around Izzy and lay his head on his chest. The helmet got in the way. "I don't know what being mates means but you're boyfriend material for sure. Ten out of ten would recommend."

Izzy chuckled and wrapped his arms around Todd, holding him. It was the way he held Todd that made him boyfriend material. He was a big guy with a hardness about him speaking of a ruthlessness Todd hadn't experienced yet. He hoped he never would. But it all added up to a person who shouldn't have much of a tender side but did.

Todd had never been with anyone who liked to hold him as much as Izzy seemed to want to.

"It's more like we’re husbands than boyfriends," Izzy scowled, as if something about the conversation upset him.

One of them had commitment issues and it wasn’t Todd. Or maybe Izzy had a fear of abandonment. Either way, it didn't have anything to do with Todd. Izzy’s issues might have been tied to something in Izzy's past. Whatever it was made him scared to lose Todd and Ulises. Especially Ulises. He'd begged Ulises not to die yesterday. It had brought tears to Todd's eyes because it had been so heartfelt.

Todd wanted to go slow. Maybe date for a while before getting serious. He’d never considered dating two guys at the same time while they also dated each other. Not that it was happening yet but if Todd had his way, he'd have Ulises between them by the end of the night.

"So we're sort of married now? That's it." What about consummating the relationship? He wanted to have sex. With Izzy. Soon. Like soon.

"We have to bond. That means I'll bite you while we make love."

"We're calling it making love."

"Yes." Izzy pecked him on the lips, which was awkward with the helmet so big on his head, but it was still sweet. "We can't until I bite Ulises first or the bonding won't take with him."

"And it's making love with him too? For you?"

"It felt that way a while ago. I just didn't want to admit it." Izzy sighed. "I still don't but I'm in love with him and that's just the way it is."

Izzy spoke those words as if they were a death sentence.

"So you what? You just wanted to play around with other people. And he got in the way of that." Todd knew that wasn't the issue. It went way deeper than that. But a part of him needed to hear Izzy deny it. Todd was gun-shy after having been cheated on before. And it didn't help that he was jealous as hell of the guy Ulises was having a date with at the club.

Todd had never experienced feelings for two people at the same time. With Izzy there was a bond already started. It was as if they'd known each other their entire life. The attraction was there but so was this instant softening of his heart. He wanted to love him. It wouldn't take long for it to happen. With Ulises it was a whole lot of lust. And as much as Ulises was an independent person, Todd had an instinct to take care of him, which meant he wanted to feed Ulises all the orange rolls he could eat.

Izzy growled. "It's not about fucking around. Meeting you pretty much put an end to that."

"You didn't want a mate." Todd could see it in his eyes.

"No. I didn't. But here you are."

Todd huffed and wiggled out of Izzy's arms. "Don't do me any favors, Izzy."

"That's Daddy to you, boy." Izzy pulled Todd back into his arms.

Todd stiffened but stayed where he was. He was curious about Izzy’s explanation.

"I worry constantly about Ulises. Breaking up with him didn't stop it like I had hoped it would. And now here you are, making me sick with worry too." Izzy tightened his hold as if that was all it would take to protect Todd. Maybe it was.

Todd was still a little mad at Izzy, but he couldn't hold onto his anger forever. Most of it had fallen away already. "I'm not trying to make you worry about me."

"I know. You did nothing to make it happen except exist. And even if you had, it would be okay. I'll take the worry because it means I get to have you too. And I do want you, sweetheart. I want every sexy, sassy ounce of you."

Todd melted. There wasn't any other way to describe it. Every muscle in his body felt Izzy's words. They sank into him, turning him to liquid. "That's…the best thing I've ever heard someone say. Well, except for maybe chocolate mousse cake. When someone says that I get all hot."

Izzy chuckled. "Chocolate mousse cake."

Todd rubbed against Izzy like a cat, exaggerating his movements, making it seem as if the words really did make him all hard and ready to fuck.

The effort was a little lost because of the helmet. Damn thing got in the way.

"Little goof." Izzy liked calling him that.

"Help me take off the helmet and give me five more seconds and I won't be joking anymore."

"Save it for the club."

Todd sighed. "Yeah, we should get there before Ulises shows up. You need to scare his date off."

"If Ulises is bringing him to the club, my guess is he's not easily scared." Izzy smiled at Todd in an indulgent way.

"You can be scary."

Izzy growled but it was in a playful way. "Are you scared yet?"

"Not me, silly." Todd snapped a picture of Izzy. His eyes were reptilian so some of the softness was a little lost, but Ulises would see it. "I'll take a few more. And then message Ulises."

"Some of you too."

Todd nodded. "We're a package deal."

Izzy kissed Todd. "That's right, baby."

Todd rubbed Izzy's chest through his T-shirt. "You need to work on the worrying thing."

"It won't change anything."

Todd knew it. "You're a caring person, Izzy."

Todd suspected that was the part he didn't like. Or maybe he just didn't want to care but since he did, he leaned into it.

"That's Daddy to you, baby."

"Daddy."

"I do care. And I'll be a good Daddy to you and Ulises. I promise."

"We just have to get him to date us." Todd couldn't believe those words had come out of his mouth. He'd never thought he wanted a polyamorous relationship, but he wanted to lean into it.

He was screwed anyway if it all went sideways. He knew Seryn had promised him security, but he didn't believe it. Izzy and Ulises were part of the Dragon Skulls family, same as Seryn. Todd would be the odd man out if it didn't work between them. As scared as that made him and as risky as it was, he was all-in.