Chapter Twenty-Five

Arthur

“Where are we?” Bailey asked as the unfamiliar home just some miles away from my main property in Vestavia Hills loomed in view. This had been my home before my parents died and I moved into my childhood home once more. The house here on Watkins Glen Drive was not as grand as my estate, but it was a comfortable home that he could raise the kids in without hassle from anyone. The grounds were covered in snow right now, but there was a huge yard space for the kids to play. I had been thinking of installing an outdoor pool at the time of my parents’ death so I never got around to it. I was glad I didn’t because the area could be used by the twins as a playground. I could see it now, jungle gyms, slides and the whole works being laid out for them.

“When we get inside, I’ll explain,” I told him.

I made to open my door, but his hand on my thigh stopped me. He was no longer shivering since we’d been basking under the warmth of the heater in the car. He looked healthier now. I had almost freaked out seeing him lying there in the snow. I had been searching for the past two days for him and running out of options when I’d clutched at the last straw. His brother’s grave. He had to return to the place where it all began. I had made a call to Emily who had filled me in on where to find the gravestones.

“No more surprises,” he said. “Let me know what I’m getting into, Arthur.”

I nodded. “Okay. Fine.” I turned on the overhead light in the car and searched the glove compartment for the brown envelope. I hesitated only a few seconds before I handed it to him. “This was supposed to be my Christmas gift to you and the kids. The day you told me about your mother and what she planned to do, I had my lawyer take care of this.”

My heart thumped hard in my chest as I watched him take out the sheaf of papers and unfolded them. I saw him frown, his eyes widened, and he continued reading. My biggest fear in giving this to him was the possibility that he might be offended by the ostentatious nature of the gift. His hands shook as he skipped through the papers, and when he finally lifted his head, he had tears in his eyes.

“You gave us a home?” he asked, his voice raspy. “It has all our names on it.”

“Yes, you all own the house. Once you sign on the dotted line, it’s official.”

“But why?”

I reached across his lap to take one of his hands into mine. “Because I wanted you and the kids to have the security of a home independent from my relationship with you. This house is bought, paid for, and once you sign it, that’s it. It’s irreversible. There’s nothing I can do to take it from you. You shouldn’t have to wonder where you’ll sleep the night, Bailey. And you shouldn’t have to lose your kids because of that either.”

I was all out of words. I watched him slowly place the papers back into the envelope and raised his eyes to me once more. “I don’t know how I can ever say thank you.”

“None necessary,” I replied. “I could have kept the place in my name and given you use of the property, Bailey, but I didn’t. I don’t want you to ever feel insecure that you’ll have to give it back or that I’ll take it away if things don’t work out between us…although I sure as hell hope like crazy that it does…but if not, you’re still secure.”

He leaned over the console and kissed my cheek. “Thank you for this wonderful gift. I’ll never forget you for doing this, Arthur. Never.”

I smiled at him. “I don’t plan to make you forget me. Come on. Let me show you around. The house already has everything you’ll need.”

He exited the car and followed me to the house, his hand in mine. We entered the hall, which was chilly since no one lived there to get the heater on. I quickly turned on the heater as I flicked on the light.

“Welcome home, Bailey,” I told him.

He smiled at me, his eyes full of wonder as I took him through the different rooms of the house. The kitchen, living room, a smaller sitting room, laundry room, and office was located downstairs. Five bedrooms and three bathrooms were upstairs so he would have rooms for guests.

“This is amazing,” he murmured as we headed back down the staircase. “I can’t believe it’s ours. I keep expecting to wake up and find myself still at the cemetery.”

At the foot of the stairs, I paused and pulled him to me, my hands wrapping around him to rest at his back as we kissed. He clung to me, his sighs and soft moans filling my mouth as the kiss deepened. His hands slid beneath my shirt, and I sprang away with a howl at how cold his hands were.

He laughed, the sound so pleasant that he swept me along with him. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to get you so cold.”

“Do you prefer staying here or at my place?” I asked, holding my breath. I had meant it that this house was not conditional. If he broke up with me now, he would still get to keep the house.

“Yours,” he answered.

I smiled at him. “You know you don’t have to.”

“But I want to.”

I didn’t argue with him further. We locked up the house and hurried to the car from the cold air. He sat close to me on the ride home, his head on my shoulder. I’d never felt happier. I really didn’t care what had happened to him before I had found him. All that mattered was that I had him now, and I wasn’t going to let him go.

At my house, Jo was waiting up for us. It was interesting to see the way Bailey’s face turned red when he saw Jo.

“Need anything, sir?” Jo asked, not quite holding back his smile of approval.

“Not that I can think of, Jo,” I replied. “Bailey and I will try to get some sleep. We have a full day tomorrow trying to get our kids before the countdown to the New Year.”

Jo nodded his understanding. “All the best, sir.” He turned his attention to Bailey. “It’s good to see you again, Bailey. Hope to see you around more often.”

“Thanks, Jo. Good night.”

I led Bailey up the stairs to the master’s suite but then stopped in the center of the room, not sure if he would want to stay with me or a guest room.

“Don’t even ask me if I want to use a guest room,” he said. “I’d like to take a bath, then I want you to make me forget every other man that’s not you.”

His words weren’t supposed to be romantic, but damn if they didn’t get me all stirred to respond to the challenge. I did want to drive everyone else from his mind. He was mine. Body and soul. I would ensure he never had to sell his body to get what he wanted. Especially for something as vital as giving his niece and nephew a home with him.

We both entered the Jacuzzi together. No sooner had I sat than Bailey settled himself astride my lap to straddle me. He wasn’t kidding about wanting me. He made no attempt to mask the fire burning in his eyes. Jealousy tried to rear its head as his mouth descended on mine. A mental image of Bailey in bed with another man tried to intrude upon our private moment, but I exorcized it and every other insecurity I might have held. Bailey and I were going to work us out. Nothing and nobody would ruin that for us. What we had was too precious to lose.

With a groan, I held his face between my hands and deepened our kiss. His naked body perched over mine felt divine. I had missed having him in bed with me and the way he opened himself up for me to claim him when I wanted. I loved how free and passionate he was with his affections, making no attempt to bridle his passion from me. He reveled in our sex, and it showed in his whimpering cries, his impatient body moving up and down my lap, and his hands running down my chest.  

“Yes, Arthur,” he moaned when my lips trailed from his to his cheek. His head fell back as I feasted on the sensitive skin at the side of his neck. His body twitched in my arms, and his pants grew harsher, his hips shifting in greater desperation.

“God, you’re so fucking hot!” I exploded, running my hands down his slender back. I spread my legs and cupped the well-proportioned curve of his delicious ass. Rubbing a finger through his crack, I teased his center, plugging him with digit after digit. His hips rose and fell as he rode my fingers, his breath hot on my face.

“Need you,” he gasped, running his fingers through the damp hairs on my chest until he found my nipples and tweaked them. I growled deep in my chest at the tingling sensation that followed him rolling the tight buds between his fingers. “Only you, Arthur.”

The affirmation of his feelings heightened my desire for him. The water sloshed around us as I rose with him out of the Jacuzzi. I perched him on the seat and gave him a searing kiss. “Don’t move.”

It was pure torture leaving Bailey alone while I grabbed a condom and lube from the medicine chest. Bailey’s eyes were all on me as he stroked his cock slowly up and down. His moan bounced off the bathroom tiles and filled my head. I continued watching the way he bit his lower lip before the intensity of it almost overwhelmed him, and he stopped stroking. His lips fell open on his shallow pants.

“Arthur, please,” he moaned.

Still watching him, I sheathed my cock and slathered on some lube before striding back toward the Jacuzzi. I joined Bailey, wading between his legs and brushing his hand aside to take over control of his dick. His sigh of relief was music to my ears. Tilting him backward to recline on the seat, I found his nipples and worked my tongue over them. His moans returned full force as I licked and stroked him at the same time. 

“Oh god, Arthur, more,” he cried out in a strangled voice, yanking on my hair.

I released his nipple and drew his lower half even closer to me. The water swirled around us as I found his heat and edged him with the tip of my cock. Bailey moaned, moving his hips impatiently for more. I pressed deeper, sliding inside him. I didn’t stop until he had accepted every inch of me.

“God, baby, don’t move yet,” I told him, grabbing his hips to still him as he tried to help himself to a pace I wasn’t ready to set yet. I gathered him in my arms and held him, inhaling his scent and familiarizing myself with everything about him. “I love you so fucking much it hurts,” I whispered to him.

A shudder rippled through him and goosebumps broke out on his skin. He tilted back his head and pressed the sweetest kiss to my lips. “I love you too, Arthur. More than you can ever know.” Then he bowed his head as though shielding his eyes from me. When he spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper. “I swear I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you.”

I didn’t have to ask him what he wanted to make up for. I instantly knew. I tipped his chin with my right hand. “Bailey, look at me.” His eyelids rose, and his eyes were full of unshed tears. “You don’t need to make anything up to me, love. This is a clean slate for you and me. We both fucked up a little, especially me. All I care about is the here and now. You are mine, Bailey. Forever mine and nothing will change that.”

Bailey moved forward and kissed me hard. His tongue plunged in my mouth, stroking mine and reminding me that I was still buried inside him. I pulled out and pressed forward again, delighting in the way he opened up for my entry. I felt him contracting each time I withdrew, only to relax when I surged inside him once more. He wrapped his legs around my waist, and holding him beneath his ass, I thrust in him over and over.

The warmth of the water surging, splashing, and slapping between our joined bodies mingled with our moans of pleasure. Turning, I sat on the bench with Bailey straddling me. Hands placed on my shoulders, he rolled his hips as he rose and fell on my cock. I couldn’t take my eyes off him, watching him go wild and all for me. I took hold of his cock and pumped him while he rode me. His breathing was all sorts of messed up as he sought desperately to move faster, edging on his climax. I released his cock and cupped his ass, thrusting for the both of us.

“Yes!” he hissed, eyes full of fire. “Fuck, Arthur!” When words failed him, he fastened his lips to mine, teeth jarring as he came hard. I pulled completely out of him before thrusting hard one last time. My climax was just as hard as his, left me stunned, and my muscles taut. Even after our climax faded Bailey still clung to me, his hands sliding around my neck as he continued to kiss me. I had never felt such peace after sex until that moment in Bailey’s arms. It felt so freeing.

I wasn’t the only one who felt it. Our lips parted and Bailed tucked his head beneath my chin, purring like a satisfied kitty that had licked the entire cream. I rubbed my hands down his slender back, cherishing him and everything he had brought into my life. Including the two little tykes who needed us.

“You said we’re going to get the kids back tomorrow?” he asked me, his tone hesitant. “Did you mean that, Arthur?”

“I’ve my lawyer on it,” I answered. “As much as it’s the holidays, money talks. The social worker has already agreed to see us. I already spoke to her and explained that you now possess your own home so there shouldn’t be any reason for you not to get back the kids. There was that little matter of you not being gainfully employed so once more you’re working for me. I hope that’s okay?”

He nodded. “Sure. I like working for you. You pay well.”

“Because I had the hots for my employee.”

He chuckled. “And this will work?”

“Yes. The social worker did advise you once you met the criteria, your brother’s wish would be honored so you could keep the kids. No matter what your mother tries, Bailey, your brother and his wife’s wish trumps everything. The only thing she had going against you was the lack of a home to provide for the kids. She can no longer use that against you.”

“So we meet the social worker and everything’s okay?”

“Yes, we get to your new place then the social worker and my lawyer will meet us there. After she checks the papers to verify the house is yours and does a walk-through of the facility, if she’s satisfied, then we go pick up Gina and Reggie.”

“I just hope they’re not mad at me.”

“They might be, but they’ll be happy once you tell them you’re there to get them. I’m quite positive of this.”