October

Daniel: Do you remember my offer to take you to the TN mountains?

Isaac: I do.

Daniel: I’m headed there today. Would you like to join me?

Isaac: Damn. I have family in town. Plus, Remy and Aden are in NOLA. As soon as my family leaves, I have to open every day for the rest of the week.

Daniel: Damn. Guess I’ll have to jack off on the balcony in memory of our time enjoying the sights together.

Isaac: Pics or it didn’t happen.

Daniel: LOL! I miss you.

Isaac: I miss you too.

Isaac: P.S. Why are you headed to Tennessee on such short notice? I thought you were typing articles all day.

Daniel: I did some volunteer work there a few months back. Now this company wants to give me a plaque.

Isaac: You’re a good person.

He wasn’t a good person, but Isaac believed it. That was why he was driving straight from Tennessee to Key Largo. No one would ever understand how intoxicating it was for him to have Isaac believing in him. There’d been less than a handful of people who’d thought he was worth the air he took up his entire life.

According to Isaac’s text, he had family in town. But that had been two days ago. Surely they’d be gone by now. He hoped so. It wasn’t that Daniel didn’t want to meet Isaac’s family. He just wasn’t ready. Not to mention, he treasured the time they spent alone, and Daniel didn’t have much. This trip would be short. He managed to squeeze Isaac between Tennessee and Alabama trips. Daniel hoped to make the most of every second together. His mood was shit for no reason other than it was shit, which was usually the case. He wanted it to end. Isaac always chased the darkness away.

The gym’s parking lot was full, forcing Daniel to take the only open parking space, directly in front of the door. He hated that shit. People around here were all chatty as hell. He didn’t want to talk. Rather than risking being stopped, Daniel left his bags in the car. He could get them later after the gym closed. For now, he used the extra time to make it up the back stairs before anyone could pop from the front and stop him. When he reached the top, Daniel stared at the wooden slab, separating him from Isaac. He took a deep breath, calming his impatience. Each mile he’d gotten closer to Isaac, the more Daniel’s hunger rose. In a matter of seconds, he’d get to kiss the lips he’d been longing for. There was nothing better.

* * *

A series of knocks landed on the front door, forcing Isaac to drop Trina’s luggage in kitchen. These fucking gym guys. For real, they never gave him a moment’s peace. He’d told them he was busy with family and to call Gunnar if they had any problems. With Aden and Remy in New Orleans, they seemed twice as needy, but—so far—they’d honored his wishes and left him in peace. Apparently, that was at an end.

“Are you expecting someone?”

With a shrug, Isaac headed for the door. “It’s probably just one of the guys from the gym.”

“Mmmm, gym guys.”

“No,” Isaac growled over his shoulder.

Trina was smiling. As usual, he couldn’t tell if she was joking or if he’d have to kill someone. Giving up on the topic for now, he threw open the door. Daniel stood on the other side. Without thought, Isaac’s gaze dropped to the man’s toes. He slowly inspected every inch. Light-colored shorts against tan legs. A pale-yellow shirt that made the man’s eyes seem softer. Goddamn. Isaac was a lucky bastard. Still, this was a surprise and not a good time. “You’re here.”

A sexy-sounding chuckle fell from gorgeous lips. “Yeah. Don’t trip over yourself to let me in, or is this a bad time?”

“Invite your friend in.”

Isaac winced as Trina’s words floated through the air. Daniel’s eyebrows rose. It was too late. After taking a step back, Isaac waved Daniel inside. “Come in.”

Before Isaac could think of what to say, Trina stepped forward, holding her hand out for Daniel to shake. “Hi. I’m Trina.”

“Daniel,” Daniel said, shaking her hand and looking beyond confused.

“I figured as much. Dad talks about you all the time.”

Somehow, Daniel’s eyebrows managed to go higher. “Dad? But you’re grown… and white.”

Trina’s snort said a thousand things. Mostly, that she was enjoying herself a bit too much. Isaac bit his bottom lip to keep from laughing.

“So are you. Yet, here we both are.” Without waiting for Daniel’s response, Trina turned on Isaac. “I’m sorry this was such a short visit, but I have to get to the airport, and you know how Miami traffic can be.”

He hugged her, trying not to let Daniel’s presence steal a precious moment from him. Daniel would either deal with this or he wouldn’t. It was out of Isaac’s control. “Are you sure you don’t want me to go with you?”

She squeezed him harder. “Don’t be ridiculous. I have a rental to return. How would you get back home?”

She had a point. He could feel Daniel’s stare boring a hole in his skin. “At least let me walk you to your car.”

She pulled away, smiling. He’d never been prouder of anyone in his life. “That, you can do. I don’t want to carry these suitcases.”

Against his will, a snort escaped Isaac. “I should’ve known it was a setup.” He focused on Daniel. The man was still eyeing them with a deep line between his brows. “Give me a minute to walk her out, and we’ll talk.” Daniel gave a sharp nod. He didn’t look happy. Isaac couldn’t help that.

“I won’t keep him long,” Trina promised. “It was nice meeting you, Daniel.”

“You too,” Daniel said, sounding so genuine it gave Isaac pause. Their gazes locked as Isaac passed Daniel with Trina’s suitcases in hand. Before Isaac knew it would happen, their lips brushed too. Daniel’s timing was bad, but Isaac couldn’t deny he’d missed the man. He would hurry back, even if Daniel was pissed over this secret. That kiss wasn’t near enough.

Isaac should’ve known Trina wouldn’t let the moment pass without comment. They didn’t even make it down the stairs. Hell, they barely made it out of earshot. “So you didn’t tell your man about me? Why is that?”

“I wasn’t hiding you.”

Trina glanced over her shoulder and winked. “I know you’d never do that. So, why?”

They made it to Trina’s rental car before Isaac found an answer. “I don’t know if he’s serious about me, I guess?” He shrugged, feeling uncomfortable. “It sounds stupid, I know, but I didn’t want to give him too much of myself if he doesn’t want it.”

Trina nodded. “That makes sense.” A bright smile exploded across her face. “But kudos to you. He’s gorgeous. Like a nerdy bad boy.”

Isaac rolled his eyes and pulled her in for another hug. “You’d better get gone before your flight leaves without you.”

She held on tight. “I love the new place.” She pulled away and met his gaze. “And you.”

“I love you too.”

“You be good,” Trina said sternly as if she was the parent.

He scoffed. “As if.”

She rolled her eyes at his mock teenager voice. “I’m the one who’s supposed to cause trouble. Be the adult.”

He stamped his foot. “Damn it. If I gotta.”

“Yes, you gotta. I love you.”

His smile grew by the second. “I love you too. Call me when you land.”

Trina climbed inside her car. “I will.”

With a final kiss on her cheek, Isaac closed her door and shoved her suitcases in the trunk. She waved and was gone, leaving him with no other choice but to face Daniel.

He hadn’t thought this would become an issue. Daniel didn’t seem like the type man who came back for more. Isaac wanted more. That thought kept his feet moving back to where he’d left Daniel. He found Daniel sitting in his favorite recliner, staring at nothing. Isaac closed the door with more of a snap than necessary. Daniel’s gaze jumped to his. Damn, the man was so sexy.

“You have a daughter.”

It seemed there’d be no niceties. “Yes. I told you I had family in town.”

Daniel pursed his lips as if trying to decide where to start asking questions. Isaac didn’t see a need to make the man dig for answers. He moved across the room and dropped onto the couch. “Years ago, I was fighting for a small gym in Vegas. There wasn’t a single big-name fighter in the bunch, but you know fighters. We’re a tight-knit bunch.” Daniel nodded and Isaac kept talking. “One day, our trainer, Dave, came in and said one of our own needed some help. He said there was a fighter who was married to a pediatric nurse, and one of her favorite patients was in dire need of a bone marrow transplant. She was running out of time.” Isaac shrugged, remembering those days and how blasé he’d been about the entire ordeal. “I thought, what the hell. If I could help out a fellow fighter and a kid, I’d give it a shot. So, I went down and got tested, thinking it would never go further.”

Isaac shook his head. A self-deprecating smile tugged at his lips. Daniel kept watching him, as if hanging on every word and waiting for the point, so Isaac kept trying to give it to him.

“I was a match. Turned out, the fighter whose wife worked at the hospital was Drew Alexander. For someone like me, a nobody, finding myself the center of the world heavyweight champion’s attention was surreal as fuck. Even crazier than that was meeting the extraordinary little girl who needed my help.”

“Trina?” Daniel asked, obviously hearing the love in Isaac’s voice.

Isaac nodded. “Her family had buckled under the strain of the cost of keeping her alive and given her up to the state years earlier. The hospital was the only home she knew. I hadn’t spent much time around kids, but she was like an adult trapped in a dying child’s body.” Isaac shrugged. “I can’t explain it. I just fell in love. Drew, being the amazing guy he is, agreed to pay her medical bills and all the adoption fees. He also offered to train me. The adoption didn’t go through until after Trina turned eighteen, but she’s still my daughter.” Daniel didn’t say a word. It was unnerving. Isaac kept rambling, filling the uncomfortable silence. “She’s pretty amazing. Smart as hell. She’s a freshman at UCLA.” Still, Daniel silently waited, as if expecting a catch or something more. Isaac brushed his palms on his shorts. “Feel free to jump in at any moment.”

Daniel’s mouth lifted in one corner. “There’s so much more to you than meets the eye.” Isaac didn’t know how to respond, especially considering the way Daniel stared at him. He couldn’t get a good read on Daniel’s mood, but the way the man looked at Isaac had his mouth watering. “Still,” Daniel tacked on, sounding regretful. “We’ve been seeing each other for four months now and you never mentioned a daughter. Surely that deserves some punishment.”

Isaac ignored the images Daniel’s threat brought to mind. Instead, he focused on the first half of Daniel’s claim. “You never said we were exclusive. Trina may be grown, but I’m still not parading her out for every man I meet.”

Something dangerous flashed in Daniel’s eyes. “Are you saying you’ve been seeing other people between our visits?”

“I’m saying I didn’t want to assume you weren’t.”

Daniel eyes narrowed and Isaac knew he’d fucked up. “Do I strike you as the type of man who would show up here at least once a week, traveling thousands of miles to see you, on a whim?”

Damn, he really didn’t want Isaac to answer that. Daniel was the type man who could do as he pleased. It wasn’t a stretch to think he’d fill his time, using Isaac’s body if he was bored that day. Isaac scrambled for something to say. “I haven’t wanted anyone else since meeting you.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

Isaac tried his damnedest to avoid doing so. “I think you could have anyone.” He thought it over before adding, “But, I also think, if I truly believed for a second you were with someone else, I’d kill them.” As he made the admission, Isaac realized how much he meant the words.

* * *

The intensity in Isaac’s voice and stare wiped Daniel clean. For the first time in Daniel’s life, he didn’t feel like he was too much for someone. All the obsessing he’d done, wondering if he was showing too much interest, coming around too often, or demanding too much from Isaac sexually vanished underneath the passion in Isaac’s tone.

“My bag is in the car. Am I staying?”

Isaac’s intensity didn’t ebb. “Try to leave. I dare you.”

Daniel went hard at the threat. They were a dangerous combination always on the verge of exploding. “We should skip to the part where I dominate you until you beg for mercy.”

For a moment, Isaac didn’t respond. His shoulders expanded as he took a deep breath. “Goddamn,” he finally groaned, making Daniel’s dick leak.

“I want you in the bedroom and nude before I count to ten.”

Isaac stood, unquestioning. A knock sounded through the apartment. Isaac growled. “I can see why Aden didn’t stay in this apartment long before buying his house. People never stop knocking on the damn door.” He headed in that direction.

Daniel came to his feet. “I believe I told you to take your clothes off.”

Isaac eyed the door.

Daniel’s eyebrows hit his hairline. Isaac had never disobeyed him before. He wouldn’t start today. “Bedroom. Now.” Without looking back, Isaac headed for the bedroom. Daniel went for the door. He opened it, finding Mateo on the other side. “No.”

He didn’t wait for Mateo to speak before slamming the door closed again. Another knock sounded. Daniel took a deep breath before answering. He felt his features harden as he transformed into the harsh taskmaster only Isaac got to see. He met Mateo’s stare. “I said no. Isaac is busy. I’m busy. He isn’t here to see to your every need or hold your hand through every chore. Whatever it is, it can wait until he’s back on the clock.” On that note, Daniel slammed the door again, locking it for good measure. This time, no sound came from the other side. It wouldn’t have mattered to him if Mateo had kept at it. Daniel had plans. If he lived here, no one would ever take advantage of Isaac, and Isaac obviously needed a keeper. No one demanded anything from the man but Daniel.

When he reached the bedroom, Daniel’s footsteps slowed. Isaac stood nude in the center room, his hard cock waiting for Daniel. As always when he was with Isaac, some form of fucked-up mixture of impatience and a need to drag things out rose in Daniel. The desire to bury his dick in that sexy ass made Daniel physically ache. His mind needed something more. He craved seeing how far Isaac would go for him.

Without asking permission, Daniel headed for Isaac’s bedside table. He’d been there enough times to get lube and condoms that he knew Isaac wouldn’t question the intrusion. However, that wasn’t Daniel’s only goal today. Those weren’t the only items Isaac kept inside. Daniel pulled out a ten-inch dildo with a suction cup at the end. Without glancing Isaac’s way, he coated the lifelike toy with lube before moving to the wooden bench at the foot of the bed. He secured it to the bench.

Daniel finally met Isaac’s stare. “Sit.”

Isaac’s mouth lifted in one corner, tightening the muscles in Daniel’s stomach. Without a word of argument, Isaac moved to the bench, positioned the dildo at his asshole, and sat. The man’s nostrils flared in the sexiest way as he took the whole toy inside. The front of Daniel’s underwear was soaked. Daniel held Isaac’s gaze and stripped. Once he was nude, Daniel retrieved the bottle of lube and moved the chair from Isaac’s desk to where he could sit across from Isaac. He sat.

“Fuck your toy.”

While using the edge of the bench for leverage, Isaac eased up until the toy was only inserted close to an inch before dropping down again. He set a pattern, riding the huge dildo while holding Daniel’s gaze. For a minute, Daniel watched the show, letting the lust build and torment him. Lately, it seemed as if Isaac was the only thing keeping him from rocking himself in the corner—moments like these with the man. It was Daniel’s biggest fear Isaac would see him for the nut job he really was and leave him in the dust. That time hadn’t come yet.

Daniel popped the top on the lube and squirted a generous amount in his hand. He fisted Isaac’s cock, pumping as Isaac rode the fake dick. Isaac’s eyes were unfocused. His lips were swollen from chewing on them. He was the picture of sexiness on the verge of orgasm.

Daniel squeezed, twisted, and tugged. Isaac moaned like a tortured soul. A smile that felt evil, even to him, tugged at Daniel’s lips. Sweat glistened on Isaac’s skin. “Is there anything you wouldn’t do for me?” Daniel asked as the darkness inside him unexpectedly rose.

“No,” Isaac gasped, sounding desperate.

“What if I told you to stop and left you hanging right here?”

A whimper fell from Isaac’s sexy lips, but he didn’t back down. “I’d stop.”

Daniel continued stroking the silky skin in his hand, not making good on his threat. “What if I told you to come?”

A cry tore from Isaac’s throat, filling the room as hot cum coated Daniel’s hand and hit his thighs. Daniel didn’t stop tugging. He needed every wave of ecstasy. He also didn’t stop watching Isaac’s every reaction. The man always owned his orgasms. He moaned and panted—teeth bared.

The urge to fist his own cock was immense—almost matching his need to kiss Isaac. Daniel did neither. He held tight to his control, strengthening his will.

“Suck me.”

At his demand, Isaac let the toy fall from his ass before dropping to his knees between Daniel’s. Daniel clung to the arms of the chair as Isaac lowered his head and swallowed Daniel’s dick. Against his will, Daniel’s eyes fell closed. Isaac wasn’t playing around. The hot suction on his cock was intense. The noises Isaac made around Daniel’s erection screamed how much the man loved sucking dick. It was a huge turn-on. Even though Daniel wanted to lift his hips and fuck the man’s throat until he gagged, Daniel held still. Every muscle in his body was hard enough to snap a tendon. He ground his back teeth, fighting back his orgasm. Dropping his chin to his chest, Daniel watched Isaac’s head bob up and down in his lap. The bottom of Daniel’s feet dug into the floor as he braced himself. His knees ached from the pressure. Saliva dripped from his balls onto the chair, pooling between his legs. Daniel savored every sensation. Isaac hummed. Daniel exploded. His dick pulsed and tiny sparks ran up his length. Gasps tore from his throat as Isaac continued sucking as if Daniel’s cum was his favorite meal. When the insanity passed, Isaac still didn’t move from his spot on the floor. Instead, he placed light kisses on Daniel’s half hard cock. After he’d kissed every inch, he moved to Daniel’s lower abs, kissing his way up Daniel’s body. Daniel held the man’s head to his body, scared as hell of losing the connection.

He felt too much. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Isaac would leave one day. Everyone always did. All Daniel had was himself and this moment. He didn’t want it to end. By the time their mouths clashed, Daniel was borderline insane with the need to cling to Isaac for as long as possible. He sucked on the man’s tongue and scratched at his skin. If he’d ever been more desperate, Daniel couldn’t remember it.

“I want you here,” Isaac said between kisses, as if the desperation was his. “For as long as you’re willing,” he added, further proving how their thoughts matched in intensity. Daniel couldn’t know what would happen with them. All he knew was—he’d met someone he couldn’t function without, and he’d never been more terrified.