Chapter 15
Clay
I finish putting the bow on Gigi’s present and then put it on the small pile of gifts. Max always lectures me about getting Gigi too many gifts for her birthday; he says she already has enough junk. But he can shove it, because I love spoiling my little pancake monster.
I open my bedroom door and carry the small pile of presents out to the kitchen. Then, I pull out the ingredients and implements for pancakes, so Gigi can help me make them when she gets up. After that, I start coffee and sit down at the table to browse social media until Max and Gigi wake up.
A few minutes later, Max appears in the kitchen barefoot and sleep rumpled. My chest squeezes, and a smile tugs at my lips.
It’s been a week since the first time Max kissed me, and he’s slept in my bed every night since. But we agreed that with Gigi here this weekend, it would be best if we stayed in our own rooms. Last night, all alone in my bed, was pure torture.
I want to get up and kiss his sexy mouth. Then I’d love for him to drag me to my bedroom, tie me to the bed, and have his way with me. But, I’d settle for just the kiss.
Max’s eyes land on the gifts, and he sighs. “How many times to I have to tell you Gigi has too much junk as it is. You didn’t have to get her anything.”
I roll my eyes at him. “You’re insane if you thought I wasn’t going to get her anything. I love the little half-toothless smile, and you will not take that joy from me.”
Max’s expression softens at my words. He opens his arms, and I waste no time scrambling up and going to him. He wraps me in a hug and kisses the top of my head.
“Thank you for loving Gigi so much.”
“Psh, you don’t have to thank me for that.”
“I know, but I’m still thankful.” He kisses the top of my head one more time before releasing me at the sound of tiny feet thundering down the hallway.
“It’s my birthday!” Gigi shrieks, skidding to a halt in the kitchen.
“I know, I can’t believe you’re seven years old,” Max says, stooping down to hug his daughter.
It’s always made me a little melty inside to watch Max with Gigi. But now that we’re—well, whatever we are—it’s making me swoon even more than usual.
Gigi looks over at the pile of presents on the table, and her eyes go wide.
“Can I open them?”
“Sure, sweetie. But do you want to help me make pancakes first or do presents first?”
“Presents,” Gigi decides immediately.
Max and I chuckle as she hurries to tear into the colorful wrapping. Despite what Max thinks, I didn’t go too overboard. I got her a few books I thought she’d like, a Barbie, and a Hatchimal—whatever the hell that is.
“Thanks, Clay.” Gigi throws her arms around my neck and squeezes. I hug her back and kiss her cheek.
“You’re welcome. Now, how about those pancakes?”
Gigi bounces out of her seat and starts measuring out the pancake mix while I crack the eggs.
Once everything is in the bowl, I let Gigi stir, and I glance over my shoulder at Max, who’s watching me with heat in his eyes.
I raise an eyebrow at him, and he smirks, letting his eyes roam over my ass.
Behave, I mouth at him, and we both chuckle.
“Why are you laughing?” Gigi asks, looking over at me suspiciously.
“Your daddy was making a funny face,” I lie, peeking at the batter to make sure there aren’t any lumps left. Even though I don’t see any, I still give it exactly three more stirs before feeling satisfied to help her pour the batter into the pan and force myself not to glance back at Max again, even though I can feel his eyes all over me.
Instead of giving in, I count the bubbles as they appear in the cooking batter.
After breakfast, Max sets Gigi up in the living room with some Disney movie that she’s seen a hundred times, so we can get showered and dressed.
In the bathroom, I strip down and turn on the water to start heating it up.
The door creaks open, and I’m surprised to see Max slipping into the bathroom with a length of my rope in his hands.
I tremble with excitement, my cock hardening instantly.
“What are you doing? Gigi is right out there,” I argue weakly, eyeing the rope as he slides it between his fingers suggestively.
“She’s singing Let It Go at the top of her lungs. We’ve got ages before she wonders where we are. And all I want to do is share the shower to save some time.”
“Somehow I doubt that’s all you want to do.” I smirk as he drops his pants and his thick cock springs free.
“Turn around for me, petal.” Max’s tone is gruff, but there’s a gentle undertone that keeps me from bristling at the command.
I turn and face the shower, my back to Max. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Max in the mirror, approaching me slowly.
Max’s warm breath puffs against the back of my neck as he runs a rough finger from the base of my neck down my spine, making me shiver.
“Put your wrists together,” Max whispers in my ear, and I comply.
He tickles the rope down my back along the same path his finger took.
I squirm and whimper, pressing back against Max’s broad frame. My cock stands at full attention, bobbing in front of me.
Max loops the rope around my wrists and secures them. Then he steps back, leaving me cold and aching for him.
I turn my head to look over my shoulder and watch as Max peels his shirt off. My mouth waters at the sight of his gorgeous, bare body. Rippling muscles, thick, dark hair, and his heavy erection swaying between his thighs all have my knees weak.
Max steps around me and pulls back the shower curtain. “Come on, petal.”
Max helps me into the shower, and I groan quietly as the hot water hits my skin.
Max’s hot lips trail down my neck as he grasps and massages my ass cheeks.
“Mmm, feels so good,” I whimper.
“Shh, we don’t have time for all that. You’re going to let me wash you up, and we’re going to do Gigi’s birthday. Then, we’ll get back to our fun tonight after Gigi is in bed. How does that sound?”
I grumble in protest but when Max starts massaging my scalp with shampoo that smells like him I quiet down and let him have his way with me.
After he works the shampoo into my hair, Max tilts my head back to let the hot stream of water rinse me clean. Next, he pumps a handful of body wash into his palm and runs it all over the planes of my body. After thoroughly soaping my chest, Max wraps a soapy hand around my erection. I groan and thrust into his hand, but he quickly moves on to my balls and then slides his sudsy hands between my cheeks and over my twitching hole.
“Please, Max,” I gasp, swaying toward him.
“Shh, petal. I’ve got you.”
Max tilts my chin up and kisses me so sweetly I could almost cry. And then he pulls back and quickly washes his own hair and body. Once he’s clean, he reaches around me to shut off the water.
Even though I’m still hard and steel and aching for release, the buzz in my mind is calmed by the care Max is taking of me. He steps out of the shower and grabs two towels. He wraps one hastily around his waist and the other around my shoulders. He lifts me out of the shower and then dries me off.
Once I’m dry, he tugs the knot loose on my wrists and presses another kiss to my lips.
I sigh into his mouth, wrapping my arms around his neck, and letting him hold me up.
“Did I get it right, petal? I know you said you didn’t want any of this outside of sex, and that you don’t want any dominance. But I thought, maybe…”
“It was perfect. I think you might know what I need better than I do.”
A smile blazes across Max’s face.
“I just want to make you happy.” He runs a thumb along my bottom lip.
“Daddy?” Gigi calls from the living room. I drop my arms reluctantly and take the rope from him, so he can go see what his daughter needs while I slip into my bedroom to get dressed.
Max
Clay was exactly right about Gigi going nuts for the butterfly exhibit. We followed her around the museum all morning as she flitted from display to display. And when we went in the butterfly dome and she got to see them flying around up close and personal? She was over the moon.
“Good call, petal,” I reach for his hand over the center console and give it a little squeeze. I check the rearview mirror and find Gigi completely engrossed in her tablet. I don’t want to keep things between me and Clay from her, but I want to find the right time to tell her.
“Anytime, love. I told you, I love to see her smile.”
We pull up in front of my parents’ house, and I reluctantly pull my hand out of Clay’s.
“We’re here, princess,” I tell Gigi who chucks her tablet onto the seat beside her and unbuckles herself.
“Grandma and Grandpa!” Gigi squeals as she scrambles out of the car.
Inside, Gigi runs to my parents to get all the spoiling a grandkid can hope for. Gio and Tony slap me on the shoulder and then turn to Clay with a smirk.
“Why, if it isn’t Twinkle Toes,” Tony mocks with a smile.
“Nice to see you again Gear Head,” Clay responds with a saccharine smile to Tony and then turns to Gio, “Grease Monkey.”
I stifle a laugh and resist the urge to put my arm around Clay’s shoulder.
“Look at you, glowing and shit,” Gio notes, eyeing me with suspicion. “You still seeing that girl?”
Clay stiffens and then turns that smile on me. “You didn’t tell me you’d been seeing a girl,” Clay says, his voice dripping with sweetness.
“Sure, I did,” I raise my eyebrows at Clay and shoot him a warning look. “It’s the one I’ve been seeing every day this week. The girl I’m absolutely crazy about, even if I’m not ready to introduce her to my family.”
Clay’s phony smile falters, replaced by a look of repentance. “Oh yeah. I’m pretty sure she’s crazy about you too.”
Gio and Tony look between us curiously.
“Told you he’d been spending too much time with the queer,” Tony murmurs to Gio.
Clay tenses, and I’m on Tony in a flash, shoving him against the wall and putting my forearms against his neck.
“I told you not to use that fucking word. What the fuck is your problem, asshole?”
Tony puts his hands up in surrender. “I didn’t mean anything by it. He is a queer. What am I supposed to call him?”
“You could try calling him by his name, dickhead,” I suggest through gritted teeth.
“Boys, no roughhousing,” my mom admonishes.
I let Tony go with one last warning glare.
The rest of the evening passes in a pleasant whirl of presents, cake, and laughter. But I can’t get Tony’s words out of my mind. He is a queer. What am I supposed to call him? If things continue with Clay, I’m going to have to tell my family eventually. Is that all I’ll be to them then? Their queer brother?