2. Cameron

2

cameron

I stared in complete shock as Luke Simmons sat in the chair across Joel. River’s dad was his other boyfriend. Um, what?

How had I not realized this before now? I couldn’t believe I’d never asked Joel his boyfriend’s name. Apparently, Luke never had either because he looked so white I thought he was going to pass out.

Joel took my hand and gently led me to the chair next to him. I sat down, still feeling numb. This was just so fucking weird. Mr. Simmons was dating my boyfriend? Seriously, what were the fucking chances?

“It’s okay, caro . We’ll figure this out.” I just nodded.

Joel held his other hand across the table for Luke. Luke stared at it for a long time before sighing and taking it.

Joel smiled at both of us, that look that just radiated that quiet, calm Daddy energy that melted my panties every time.

“See,” he said once he was sure neither Luke nor I would collapse from shock. “Everything is fine. Now, how about we order and eat before we talk? I think everyone needs a few minutes to process things first.”

I agreed and scooted closer to Joel. I needed him. He somehow managed to ease that nervous energy I’d lived with my whole life. No one else had ever come close. I hadn’t been dating Joel long, but this was more serious than any other relationship I’d had before. I’d never thought I’d want to settle down, but Joel made me consider it. Of course, this whole thing with him also fucking River’s dad might be a little awkward, but we could make it work. Right?

I shivered as Joel’s lips brushed against my ear. “Settle, caro . Do you know what you want to eat, or would you like me to pick for you?”

I glanced at Luke to see his reaction, but he seemed to be a million miles away. Joel and I didn’t have a 24/7 Daddy/boy dynamic, not even close, but sometimes I wanted to forget how hard it was to be an adult and just stop thinking. Joel always seemed to understand exactly when I needed that.

“You decide, Daddy,” the title slipping out since I was feeling unsettled, “Just no salad.”

Joel backed away, looking completely scandalized. “As if I’d ever.” He even completed the act with a hand to his chest, like he was in pain. I giggled. He kissed my cheek again before looking at Luke.

“What about you, amato ? Do you want me to pick your meal for you too?” Joel was joking, but Luke didn’t even look in our direction. Was he okay? Did he need the hospital or something?

Concern flited across Joel’s expression as he reached out and squeezed Luke’s arm. “Luke, are you okay?”

Luke jumped, like he hadn’t heard anything we’d said or done.

“Huh? Sorry, I was thinking.”

Joel smiled softly. “It’s okay. I just asked if you wanted me to pick your meal for you too?” The first time he’d asked, it had been a complete joke, but now he seemed more serious. The way Joel had talked about his other boyfriend, I’d always thought it was a completely vanilla relationship, but now I had questions. It was so hard to picture Luke as anything but River and Lake’s dad. But I let myself imagine it while Joel tried to talk him out of his stupor.

Luke Simmons was hot. There was no fucking question there. And maybe when I’d been young and dumb and had first met River, I’d tried to flirt with the man a little. I mean, c’mon. He was every submissive gay man’s wet dream. He was tall and broad with the perfect salt to pepper ratio in his hair and beard. His hands were huge and callused from years of hard work. It was so easy to imagine what those hands could do to me. He was competent and sexy and so fucking unavailable, it had made him the perfect crush for someone like me who just wanted to explore and have fun as I figured my shit out.

But over the years, the crush had withered away and he’d just become Mr. Simmons. River’s dad. Nothing more. Even the idea of him having sex had me cringing. He was a grandfather for fuck’s sake.

Though, so was Joel, I guessed, but I never thought of him like that. His relationship with his daughter was . . . strained . . . so I’d never met her or his grandkid. I’d met Joel at kink night at my favorite gay bar in the city, so that was how I thought of him. He was a Daddy, yeah, but not that kind of daddy. At least not in my head. But Luke? Luke was a dad. Plain and simple. This was so fucking weird.

The waiter came while I was still lost in my thoughts, trying desperately to get Luke out of the off-limits category in my mind. Though, why couldn’t he just stay there? Just because Joel was dating him, didn’t mean I had to. We could keep things separate. We had been so far, and it was working fine. I could just go on pretending I had no idea who his other boyfriend was and live in ignorant bliss.

Unfortunately, one glance at Luke made it clear he couldn’t just ignore this situation. Shit. I really didn’t want to fuck up things for Joel. I knew he really liked Luke, and it was good for him to have a partner where he could just be and not have to worry about everything all the time. I had no idea how to fix it though.

I didn’t even hear what Joel told the waiter, and if Luke ordered, I had no idea.

After another minute of uncomfortable silence, Joel started talking. “How was work today, caro ?”

Oh, so we were doing this? Just acting like everything was cool? Okay. No problem.

“It was fine. Marcy, the other makeup artist is a total bitch. She thinks she’s some big hotshot because she was one of the makeup artists for Walking Dead . Like zombie makeup wasn’t makeup artist 101? Just because it was for a TV show, doesn’t make her hot shit. She still has to work at a strip club to pay her bills, so she has no room to judge.”

Joel snorted. “Just remember what I always say.”

I grinned, straightening in my chair. “Never start the petty, but be sure to finish it.”

Joel kissed me with a soft smile. “Good boy.”

It was the choking noises that reminded me it wasn’t just the two of us. Luke coughed into his arm, his face tomato red. He’d heard that, hadn’t he? I mean, so what? He had to know Joel was a Daddy, right? Even if they didn’t play that way, it wasn’t a secret.

“Are you okay? Do you need some water?” Joel asked, concerned, but Luke shook his head.

“N-no. No. I’m fine. Excuse me?”

Before either of us had a clue what was happening, Luke slipped out of his chair and headed toward the back of the restaurant.

“Is he okay?” I asked.

“He will be. He just needs some time. He was already struggling, so I’m sure this was a big shock.”

“Understatement. I don’t know how I never realized your boyfriend was freaking Luke. I really have been out of the loop.”

“You’ve been away for a while, Cam. It’s fine. We’ll figure it out.”

I frowned up at him. If someone looked up a bear Daddy in the dictionary, Joel’s picture would be there. He was over 6 ft tall, with a beard right out of my biggest fantasies and a gut to match. He rode a Harley and wore the fuck out of a leather jacket and motorcycle boots. I was dying to get him to fuck me over his motorcycle, but it still hadn’t happened. One day though. I’d wear him down.

He was also the sweetest, most caring man I’d ever met. I didn’t know what had happened between him and his daughter to cause them to have issues, but it was hard to imagine anyone having problems with this big, sweet teddy bear. He deserved the world. Which was why I was determined to make sure Luke didn’t panic and leave him. Joel cared for Luke, a lot, and I’d do whatever I had to in order for him to stay.

I looked toward the direction that Luke had walked. “Should we talk to him?”

Joel shook his head. “Give him a few minutes, caro . If he’s not back here in a bit, I’ll go. But I think he just needs processing time.”

“I don’t want to mess things up for you. You deserve this.”

Joel kissed me with a soft expression in his dark eyes. “You haven’t messed up anything. This isn’t your fault. It’s not anyone’s. It’ll be okay. I promise.”

Joel smiled reassuredly at me, but the way his eyes kept drifting in the direction had Luke gone, I wasn’t so sure.