CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR Cole

Isat by the fireplace and shook my head in astonishment. "What, Mr. Hicks?" Chad asked, catching me staring while he wiped ornament sparkles from his bare chest. He examined his arms and twisted to look at his cute butt that was ensconced in the cutest, tightest pair of plaid boxers, with additional sparkles there as well. "What are you looking at?" he whined, shrugging his shoulders and pouting.

"I'm looking at you," I stated. "You, my darling boy, are a certified Christmas nut."

"I love Christmas," he reminded me. "Everything is magical this time of year, and you know how I love me some magic."

Our house was decorated to the hilt. We had trees in the rec room, the formal living room, the master bedroom, and one on the covered deck. While he practically killed himself doing it, he'd outlined the entire exterior of our house's frame in bright lights—all two stories of it, including the three-car garage and guest cottage.

"I've only known one other person who loved Christmas the way you do," I reminded him. "And even he wasn't this over the top," I added.

Chad made his way to the fireplace, stopping directly in front of me. "But Jack wasn't born on Christmas day like I was."

I grabbed his hips and pulled him toward me, kissing his flat stomach. After almost six months together, I couldn't keep my hands off him. He was addicting. He was the drug to my fast-becoming habit, always a proverbial ray of sunshine. He had a big enough umbrella to cover the world's rainy days, and he still couldn't be depleted of his loving spirit. I was at once mesmerized by him, as well as sometimes overwhelmed by the love that I had for him.

"Speaking of that," I began, not wanting to harsh our holiday mood. "The third anniversary of Jack's death is next week."

"I know," he answered. "I spoke with Perry yesterday and he mentioned it. He and Lucas are releasing a memorial wreath on their beach. I wish we could be there," he added.

"We can send Jack our love from here," I stated. "And how are those two?" I inquired. "Any news about Clint?" I added this because I wanted him to know I admired him for keeping his promise to Clint and being a friend to him.

"Perry and Lucas are well. They moved Mrs. Howard in full time and hired a caregiver for her. She's doing better after the cancer treatments, but you know how Lucas is about his adopted grandmother."

"I haven't met Lucas or Mrs. Howard yet, but knowing Perry's taste in men, I imagine he's amazing," I said. "And Clint?"

Chad forced my knees apart and sat on my lap. "You're really something, Mr. Hicks."

"And why is that, baby boy?"

He nuzzled his face into my neck and inhaled deeply. "God, you smell good," he whispered, pulling away and tapping my nose. "So, back to Clint," he began again. "I want you to know that I appreciate how you check in on him with me. You respect my need to be his friend and I love that about you. You asking about him proves that you trust me."

"You make trusting you easy," I answered. "I feel safe in our love, so thank you for that."

"Perry told me Clint finished his house in Beaufort. He also mentioned that Rhonda is completely out of the picture, and that Clint replaced her with guaranteed love," he reported.

I looked at him curiously. "Guaranteed love?"

"Yep!" he exclaimed. "And the love's name is Pinky." He grinned at me, smothering my face with kisses. After my lack of response to the Pinky news, he stared at me. "Aren't you curious?"

"Okay. I'll bite. Who is this Pinky gal?" I asked.

"First off, Pinky is a boy. And secondly, Pinky is a Rottweiler."

I almost fell on the floor laughing. "That huge man has a Rottweiler named Pinky… and Pinky is a male dog?"

Chad folded his arms all proper like, a serious look on his face. "Pinky is an albino Rottweiler. Thus, he is missing a lot of hair and is pink in color."

"No fucking way," I quipped.

"I've got the pic to prove it," he noted. "Want me to get my phone?"

"I believe you," I stated, sliding my hand into his boxers. I owed him something and wanted to fulfill my duties.

"Stop," he complained. "I have a tree to finish."

Chad hopped out of my lap, while I tried to undress him as he fought me off and made his way back to tree number four. He slapped his butt as he continued to tease me and looked over his shoulder. "But don't kid yourself, Daddy. Pinky is a brute. I'm quite sure of that."

"Well, if he's anything like Clint, I'm sure he is. Now hurry up. I want to taste you."

Chad, after a very brief stay at the Christmas tree, skipped back to me. And I do mean he literally skipped. I wasn't sure that I actually could skip if I was asked to try.

"I want something, Cole," he said. "I need a favor from you and it's an important ask."

Looking at his wondrous face would make saying no to him impossible, so I knew he could ask for a kidney or for me to fly us to the moon, and I'd die trying to complete the favor.

"Yes!" I declared.

"Yes, go ahead and ask you or yes, I can have the favor?"

"You can have whatever you want. If the favor is important to you, then it's important to me," I said.

"Can we have Perry and Lucas over for Christmas weekend?"

I was surprised he'd think that was a huge favor. "Of course, we can," I agreed. "But Marla has dibs on the cottage. I suppose they could stay in the house with us. We have plenty of room and, of course, they're welcome."

"Mom and Dad offered their guest house," he said.

"Well then, I like it even more. Let's do it for sure," I agreed. He looked like he had more to ask. "Was that all?"

He stuck his lips out like a child asking for too much. "And Clint?"

I knew not to let trepidation show on my face because if he sniffed out that I had the tiniest bit of hesitation, he'd let me off with a pass. "Absolutely," I replied. "Yes, let's have him, too."

"Really?" he asked. "You seriously don't mind?"

"If you want your friend here, I want your friend here. Besides, if Clint is going to be in our lives, I need to become his friend as well."

Chad hopped onto my lap again and smothered me with affection. "You, Mr. Hicks, are a wonderful man."

"What I am is a man who would do anything for you," I corrected.

"And that makes you wonderful-ler," he boasted. "That's a word, right?"

It was another two weeks until Christmas weekend. I had a business trip to New York City three days before the holiday that I couldn't get out of. Chad's father had landed another big client for me, and they needed to be up and running in the new year, so I had to get their signatures on contracts and discuss their needs before I gave them access to my software.

"I'm happy you think I'm wonderful, but a huge amount of the details will fall on you, baby," I reminded him. "I have the contracts with your father to handle, and we won't return until Christmas Eve. You going to be okay with all those guests and that responsibility?" I asked.

"Piece of cake," he declared, running his hands over his chest before heading back to his tree. "Because you are looking at Mr. Christmas."

He was adorable as he swatted at his face because more sparkle dust was flying off the last tree he'd decorated. He was at the top of a small stepladder, leaning into the tree. I walked over and held his hips as he placed the star on top.

"Looks amazing, Mr. Christmas. Can I kiss the cutest elf on his tummy?"

I picked him up from the ladder's top step and threw him over my shoulder, having waited far too long to get my favor. After spinning us around and getting myself sufficiently dizzy, I tossed him on the sofa and jumped on top of him. We kissed tenderly while I ran my hands over his smooth stomach, outlining each ab muscle with my fingers.

"I'll give you half an hour to stop that," Chad joked when I had his cock in my hands.

I scooted down the couch and yanked his boxers down, moving between his legs where I took his dick in my mouth. My tongue circled the sensitive edge of his cockhead, his mushroom tip expanding as I teased it. He spread his legs wider as I mercilessly kept him on edge, massaging his balls at the same time.

He'd blown me in the shower earlier without me reciprocating, so I wanted to return the favor. I ran my hand across his stomach, moving higher to his nipples. I'd discovered that my boyfriend also liked nipple play as much as I did. He grabbed my hand to control me as I twisted one of his nipples, my other hand hard at work along with my mouth as I sucked him off.

"Easy," he moaned, stiffening his legs with pleasure as I hit both of his hot zones simultaneously.

After driving him mad with desire while swirling my tongue over his tip, I slowly slid down his shaft, increasing my suction as I buried him down my throat. He gripped my head and moaned deeply. Letting him fuck my face while I teased his balls was sending him closer and closer to no return. As my pace increased, his cock got fatter and stiffer. Sensing it flex in my mouth as he got closer to the edge, I knew he was close.

Tonight was about getting off, not lovemaking with foreplay and a long, drawn-out session. We were two men, and getting off was one of our favorite pastimes. That was the best part about being two men. Sometimes a guy just wants to get off, and sometimes the other guy is happy to accommodate him. I was more than happy to have my boy shoot his warmth into my mouth. Nothing was better than satisfying him.

"I'm close," he whispered, a growly edge to his normally sweet voice. He gripped the hand I had on his nipple while I twisted harder, afraid I'd go too far, while his other hand was on the back of my head, forcing me on his cock as he lifted his ass off the couch.

"Mmmm," I hummed, letting him fuck my mouth while I assaulted his nipples.

His breathing increased while his body stiffened and tightened beneath me. I knew him so well, getting ready for the orgasm he was moments from. I have never been so turned on by anything as I was by Chad. He was sweet and pure, like a perfect little angel, but he was also sex on a stick when it came to driving me crazy with how sexual he could be.

I clamped down hard on his nipple as he became rigid underneath my touch. The head of his cock swelled in my mouth, the main indicator he was about to shoot, so I moved the hand from his nipple to between his legs, sliding a finger to his asshole, pressing and probing, but not entering him.

As I knew it would be, that was the trick that caused him to shudder in anticipation. He let out a whimper and held the sides of my head as he cried out in pleasure. "Oh, yes, Daddy," he sighed, tremoring as he emptied his balls into my mouth.

I kept his cock in my mouth as he relaxed his body back to the couch, careful to still control my head in case I caused the sensation to become unbearable. Every guy knows how sensitive his dick is after coming, and Chad was a typical guy.

I sat up and allowed my eyes to wander across his naked body. He had one hand behind his head by then, while one of his legs was haphazardly draped over one of mine and the other hanging over the edge of the couch. His balls hung below his spent, but still swollen, cock. He was stunning to look at, and sexy as all hell. A nasty-acting little boy who was wrapped up in a beautiful package of innocent qualities. What a contradiction my baby boy was.

I was in love like never before, knowing he could inflict the worst sort of pain if he didn't love me back. But every time that thought entered my head, I dug deep and recalled the words he often spoke to me.

"Love me well, and I will love you twice as much in return." He'd spoken those words to me a dozen or more times.

I had finally begun believing him.