Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

I t had taken every bit of his willpower for Grey to get up the next morning. He’d woken up a few minutes before his watch alarm alerted him. Curled around the fast-asleep Little boy, Grey had battled between the choices of waking him up with kisses or quietly rolling out of bed.

Choosing the latter, Grey had allowed himself to stand next to the bed for a few seconds. The image of Mack relaxed in sleep now had permanent residence in his brain.

Thank goodness he had the ability to compartmentalize all his extraneous thoughts while in court or working with a client. Having an erection while cross-examining a witness would make it impossible for the jurors to concentrate on the evidence. Not thinking about Mack was his toughest goal for today.

Grey spent part of his lunch hour organizing the photos Mack had sent that focused on the vase on the shelf. When he put them in time order, he found the vase only in the first two. It had disappeared long before Mack had moved in.

He gave their name and address to his preferred investigator and asked her to invoice him directly. Grey could submit it to the firm later if they would represent Mack in court. Hopefully, it would never come to that.

Wrapping up all the evidence in a tidy package, he sent it to one of his colleagues. Again asking that he be invoiced directly for the time it required, Grey requested her to draft a serious cease and desist letter on official law firm stationery. He would send it registered mail with a return receipt the woman would have to sign for. That always seemed to make the threat more real.

Grey debated in his mind. Would the woman be in bad financial shape or the man? Would the vase have been destroyed or disposed of by one of the two and then covered up to keep the other in the dark?

He decided to let Mack choose which way he thought it would go. He guessed the man pawned it and then didn’t go back to get it. What story would Mack concoct in his mind?

He loved the way his Little boy thought.

His Little boy.

Grey smiled. From the very beginning, he’d felt like Mack was his. An instant, deep connection that defied logic and chance tied him to the younger man. Had Mack not gotten a job at Armando’s, Grey knew running into Mack in the big city wouldn’t have happened.

He realized he’d never checked Mack’s schedule for the week. Was he working today or not? Grabbing his phone, Grey sent Mack a message. “Answer when you are free. No rush. Do you need a ride home tonight? What time are you off?”

The phone buzzed almost immediately with a photo. Mack in the bathtub with bubbles. Grey spotted Poutine carefully placed on a rolled towel on the edge of the tub.

Instantly, his cock hardened. Such a Little move. Grey closed his eyes, grabbing control and forcing his body to relax.

“Ooo, that’s a look,” his secretary commented from the doorway.

“Did you get the report from the background check?” he asked, remaining in his chair.

“It just came through. Is this for a new case?”

“Not for us. Just gathering some information for a friend of mine in case it’s needed,” Grey explained.

“I paid the invoice through your personal account as you instructed,” she reported.

“Thank you, Melanie.” He held his hand out for the folder, and she walked forward to deliver it. Grey waited for her to leave before flipping it open. When his phone buzzed with responses from Mack, he dragged his attention away.

Hi, Daddy! Poutine and I are making ourselves at home. Onelia made pancakes for us for breakfast.

I’m very glad to know you’re settling in. I will do my best to make it home early tonight.

We know you have to work, Daddy. It’s okay. We’ll be here when you get finished.

“Grey? You’re due in court on the Finnegan case in twenty minutes,” his secretary reminded him from the doorway.

“Thank you, Melanie.”

Grey closed the file and stuck it in his briefcase. His actions were deliberate and measured to give himself a few seconds to make sure he was completely in control of his body. Inwardly, he shook his head at himself. Leave it to one Little boy to have this much of an impact.

Pulling into his garage at a much earlier hour than normal, Grey had brought a few files home to glance over instead of remaining at his office to work on them. Getting home was much more important.

He walked in to find Mack curled up on the sectional with Poutine, eating popcorn. The younger man immediately jumped to his feet and raced to greet him. Grey opened his arms and pulled Mack close. He kissed him hard, claiming his mouth and savoring the buttery salt from the popcorn that clung to his lips. Forcing himself to end the kiss much faster than he wanted to, Grey lifted his mouth.

“Little boy, you were a big temptation today. I’ve never wanted to ditch all my cases and come home to play.”

“Sorry?” His tone didn’t hold an ounce of regret as he pressed his body against Grey’s.

“You are totally not sorry, and I’m glad. Did you miss me?” Grey asked as he rubbed Mack’s back.

“I did. A lot.”

“Were you good?” Grey stroked down over his bottom to squeeze lightly.

“I was so good,” Mack answered quickly, stepping back slightly to meet his gaze.

Grey relaxed his hold and smiled at the concerned face in front of him. “Did you explore your nursery?”

“Some. I didn’t want to mess with too much of the stuff. You might have plans for some of that.”

“The only plans I have is for you to enjoy them. There was something waiting for you and Poutine. I expected to find it with the two of you on the couch.”

“Really? What is it?” Mack asked eagerly.

“Let’s go look in your closet. There’s something on the top shelf.”

“I saw a present in there.”

“That’s for you, Little boy. Grab Poutine. Let’s go find out what it is.” Grey watched Mack dart to the couch to grab the teeny stuffie he always kept with him. When he returned, Grey held out his hand for Mack’s and let the Little boy pull him down the hallway.

“Is it really for me?”

“Well, for you and Poutine. I think you’ll both love it. Here, let me hold your stuffie while you open that.” Grey cradled Poutine in his hand as he opened the closet door and pulled down the blue gift bag from the shelf above where Mack’s clothes now hung.

Mack eagerly pulled out the tissue paper filling the top, making the area around his feet look like a puff of snow. “What is that, Daddy?” he asked, peeking inside.

“Pull it out.”

Reaching inside, Mack withdrew the soft item. “You got me a stuffed kangaroo? I already have Poutine. She’ll get jealous if I have another stuffie.”

“I thought Poutine might like a friend who could jump her around,” Grey suggested.

“Jump her around?” Mack repeated, looking confused.

“This kangaroo, as all others, has a very plush pouch on her tummy. Poutine will fit just inside.”

“Ah! And she can hitch a ride. That is, if they get along,” Mack warned.

“I bet they will. How about if we take them to the bedroom and you can introduce them while I get out of this stuffy suit?”

Grey looked at Mack when the Little boy snickered. “What?”

“That’s a lot of stuffies going on. Stuffy suits and plushie stuffies.” Mack laughed.

“You are very clever, Little boy,” Grey said with a laugh. “I think your kind of stuffie is a lot more fun.”

“Maybe we should get you a real stuffie suit. You know—like an otter onesie. You’d look really good as one of Poutine’s relatives.”

Mack scanned his body slowly. His playful expression became so much more as his gaze rose. Grey felt himself respond to the admiring glance. He waited until Mack had finished and they looked at each other once again.

The heated look in the younger man’s eyes made the exorbitant cost of the finely tailored suit completely worthwhile.

“Come on, Mackie. Bring your stuffed buddies. You’ll have to come up with a name as well—if Poutine approves of your new friend.”

“Poutine likes you. If you picked out Hops for me, she says Hops must be incredible. Poutine enjoys being lazy. I think she fancies letting someone else jump her around.”

“I knew otters were incredibly smart,” Grey said as he ushered Mack and his buddies from the room.

“The smartest,” Mack confirmed. “I would have never made it through my job interview at Armando’s without Poutine reassuring me and telling me how to answer.”

Mack climbed up on the bed to sit cross-legged. Grey listened to him formally introducing the two stuffies as he shrugged out of his suit jacket on the way into the large walk-in closet. A few minutes later, dressed in cotton exercise shorts and a T-shirt, Grey emerged to find Mackie hopping the large kangaroo around the bed with true abandon. Poutine peeked out from the pouch.

“The two are buddies now, hmmm?” Grey asked.

“The best. Are you going to work out?” Mack asked.

“I thought I’d see if you’d found the gym.”

“Onelia offered to show me where it was, but I didn’t want to mess anything up.”

“That’s the last time you think that. This is your home now. Enjoy anything inside or out in the yard. The only place off limits to you is my office.”

“O-okay. Thanks,” Mack said uncertainly.

Grey could tell he hadn’t erased any reservations from Mack’s mind. He appreciated him being concerned about not overstepping, but it was important that he settled in. Grey wanted him to stay for a long time.

“Let’s get you changed into some workout clothes,” Grey suggested.

“Shirts optional?” Mack asked.

“Always.”

Mack grabbed the bottom of his sweatshirt and pulled it over his head, tossing it onto the bed. “I’m ready.”

Grey enjoyed the sight of the young man’s bare torso before motioning for Mack to follow him. He paused in the hall when Mack didn’t appear immediately. A second later, the younger man stepped into the hall with Hops and Poutine in his arms. As Grey had expected, Mack squeezed the two stuffies to his chest. The kangaroo fit perfectly into his arms and allowed him to be faithful to the small otter who’d been his companion for so long.

“Everyone decided to work out, hmm?” Grey asked with a smile.

“We did. Hops only loves leg day and Poutine wants to swim.”

Grey led the way past the kitchen to an isolated room that looked over the backyard. There was an expanse of trees a short distance from the deck outside. He opened the glass-walled exercise area.

“What is your favorite exercise?” Grey probed.

“Can we spot each other on the weights?” Mack asked hesitantly, eyeing the weight bench and all the free weights.

“I like that idea. Then a bit of cardio before dinner?”

“I ran this morning. Are you a runner?”

“Only when I’m trying to get away from monsters. You’ll have to look threatening to inspire me,” Grey suggested with a wink.

Wrinkling his nose and sticking out his tongue, Mack scowled at Grey with a fierce look, obviously trying hard to look scary. Grey held his hands up in front of himself as if he were fending off something terrifying.

Mack immediately relaxed his face and apologized. “Sorry!”

Grey walked forward and wrapped his arms around Mack, pulling him close. He kissed him hard, feeling the young man’s pulse quicken against him and knew his Little echoed the urgency that claimed them. Stroking over Mack’s suntanned torso, Grey allowed himself to bask in the joy of his instantaneous bond with Mack.

When he lifted his head, Mack stared blankly at him. His eyesight glazed, he held on to Grey for stability. Grey pushed the hair back from his face. “You’re okay, Little boy.”

“Why do I feel so safe with you?”

“Because it’s where you’re supposed to be,” Grey explained before kissing him softly once again. “Arms or legs?”

“Arms,” Mack answered without hesitation. His gaze settled on Grey’s biceps.

“Let’s go.”