The bedroom door shut, and Gage leaned against it out of necessity—he wasn’t sure that his knees would hold until he made it to the bed. The rhythm of his heart marked the passage of time with its frenzied beats, and he tried to focus on it instead of the whirling thoughts in his mind.

There were candles on the table. Candles and a rose.

When Gage had learned that Aaron had arranged for Bo to spend the night with Mal, he’d been under the impression that they’d head out somewhere. He hadn’t been expecting to be romanced like this.

Gage covered his face with his hands and laughed into his palms, muffling the noise. There were candles, and a rose, and the whole house smelled delicious as Aaron cooked dinner—way better than anything Gage had made since he’d moved out of his parents’ house. And more than that, seeing Aaron in the kitchen, the sleeves of his dress shirt rolled up to the elbow while he prepared the greens, kindness and love in his eyes and a tiny, charming smile on his lips, had been a vision in and of itself. It was well within Aaron’s means to afford expensive trinkets and gourmet meals—if he hadn’t been working overtime and through the summer to finish his PhD as quickly as possible, Aaron could have easily jetted back and forth between Munich and Aurora. He’d spoiled Gage with gifts through the time they’d been apart, but only because he couldn’t be there personally to see to Gage’s needs. A home-cooked dinner and gorgeously set table meant so much more than trinkets did, and the fact that Aaron had preceded the meal by arranging for Bo’s medical appointments and overnight care just so Gage wouldn’t have to worry? The stress and worry off Gage’s shoulders was a better gift than anything money could buy.

Tonight, not only was Aaron proving that he could care for Gage financially, but that he was there to support him emotionally as well.

Trembling with happiness, Gage launched himself across the room and collapsed back onto the bed. He knew he couldn’t stay there for long—dinner smelled amazing, and it had to be close to being ready, if it wasn’t already done—but he needed a moment to plan what it was he was going to do. Aaron had gone through the trouble of setting up an amazing evening for them, and Gage wanted to return the favor.

Put on something that makes you feel good.

It was nice of Aaron to ask, but that wasn’t going to cut it. Gage sat up, glanced across the bedroom to his new dresser, and grinned.

Why stop at something that made him feel good when he could put on something that would make them both feel fantastic instead?

The pearls clacked against the bottom of the dresser drawer as Gage lifted them from where they’d laid. He let them drape over his wrists, strings of beauty he’d once believed he didn’t deserve. The tiny strips of black fabric the strands were attached to were soft to the touch, designed to be comfortable to wear. Gage had never tried them on before.

It was time to change that.

With reverence, Gage found the band of the thong. He smoothed the fabric of the front panel down and made sure the back string wasn’t twisted. Then, carefully, he lowered the garment so he could step into it. The black panel of the thong brushed between his thighs, then cupped his flaccid dick. Experimentally, he ran a hand over the bulge and shivered. With a throb, his cock started to wake.

With the thong in place, there were only a few things left to do, and the first of them was to arrange his pearls.

Each creamy bead of the garment’s lower strands rolled against Gage’s thighs, cool to the touch and so smooth that he couldn’t resist running his fingers over them. They glistened in the dimmed bedroom lights, their luster so much more thrilling on his body than they had been in the drawer. They’d been a gift from Aaron for their anniversary one year. At the time, Gage had considered pawning them, but the thought of parting with a gift from Aaron had eaten too much at his conscience—he knew that if he let them go, he’d always regret it. So they’d sat in his drawer, waiting for a chance to be modelled.

Tonight, they’d make their debut.

Three drooping strands of pearls fell across each of Gage’s thighs, suspended from the band of his thong like Victorian-styled bustles. They draped over the front of his thighs, dipped to their lowest point at the left and right sides of his body, then traveled upward across the modest curve of his ass, highlighting its shape, before joining themselves to the thong’s band. Gage studied himself in the full-length mirror, turning his hips from side to side to see the pearls shimmer. Their milky color was subtle against his pale skin, and their small size was elegant. When he moved, they rolled, and the sensation was enchanting enough that Gage found himself shifting his hips just to feel them turn.

“Pretty,” Gage whispered, admiring himself. He’d been so wrapped up in parenting Bo that he’d forgotten that he could be beautiful. Raising a little boy had never left him feeling glamorous, but tonight, wearing Aaron’s pearls, he felt like he had before he’d become a parent—irresistible.

As pretty as the thong was, it was just the beginning. There was another piece to the lingerie he needed to fit to his body. The collar in his hands, slightly more rigid than the thong had been out of necessity, was connected to the rest of the garment by a long strand of pearls that dissected Gage’s body into equal halves. One end of it was attached to the center of the thong’s band, and the other was fastened beautifully to the center of Gage’s collar. Working slowly so as not to twist the string, Gage lifted the pearls until they were flush with his stomach and chest. He secured the collar around his neck.

Stunning.

Six more strands of pearls dipped from the center point of the collar, each of them plunging down Gage’s chest and wrapping over his shoulders, their lengths varied so they layered just like the ones across his thighs did. Each of the strands reattached at the back of the collar, expertly secured.

Gage admired himself in the mirror, the tips of his ears pink with admiration for his gift. The fit was perfect—Aaron had likely had it custom-made.

There was only one way Gage could think to make it better.

He picked up the plug he’d laid on top of the dresser, coated it with lube until it was slick, and moved the string of his thong aside so he could delicately insert it into himself. The black silicone bulb slipped in deep, its oblong shape stretching him just enough so that he felt full. The plug’s smooth base was narrow and curved to fit comfortably between the cheeks of his ass. Gage worked his hips from side to side, feeling the pearls caress his skin while the plug shifted inside of him.

Bliss.

And when he handed the remote wirelessly linked to the plug to Aaron, it would be total ecstasy.

Gage examined himself one final time in the mirror. His cheeks were rosy and his skin was bright. Seeing himself look so good had boosted his confidence and reminded him that while he was a dad, he was also a young man who deserved a sex life. He’d done his duty and been there for Bo—it was time he let someone be there for him.

More confident than he’d been in years, Gage retrieved the tiny remote for the plug, smiled at himself in the mirror, then went to have dinner with Aaron.