A Much Younger Man - Z.A. Maxfield Page 0,82

for his hand and gave a come hither crook of his finger.

God almighty. Beck’s fingers were especially sexy. His soapy body? Magnificent. His lips were my new favorite flavor. The way he clung to me while I worked his cock, the way he begged, and moaned, and came apart in my hands gave me peace I’d never known before.

Genuine happiness I believed would last.

I rinsed us both off and left him to stay warm while I left the shower to get a towel. I had to take good care of him after all. He was precious to me.

We cuddled in bed with Callie at our feet. Beck looked warm and sleepy-eyed. “I like this.”

“Me too.” I pulled him to me. “You’re the very best little spoon ever.”

“You’re a pretty sweet big spoon yourself.”

“Thank you kindly.”

He was silent for a while, but I didn’t sense he’d fallen asleep.

“You okay? You didn’t—”

“I’m fine.” I had no doubt he’d wake me when he was ready to go again.

“Are we really doing this?” He reached for me and wrapped his hand around the back of my neck.

I examined the question carefully before I answered. If there were promises to be made, I had to be clear-eyed and consider every angle before making them.

“I am. I guess you still have a choice.”

“Not really. Not since I fell in love with you.” I smiled against the skin at the nape of his neck, making him squirm.

“Hey, that tickles.”

“I hope you’ll always choose me,” I said.

“I hope you’ll always choose me,” he echoed.

I was so proud of myself for only thinking the “but” that goes along with those words and not saying it.

I wasn’t sure what I was in for. Nothing was all fun and games, but honestly, I looked forward to our challenges too. Beck made me want to race into the future just to see what it held for us.

“I’m so lucky you stopped in St. Nacho’s.” I really couldn’t believe my luck. “If you hadn’t—”

“I’m not sure I really had a choice.”

I propped my head on my arm so I could see his face. “What do you mean? You said life is the only thing where you have a choice. How did you not choose St. Nacho’s?”

He gripped my free hand to lace our fingers together. “Me and Tug planned to go north to Portland, but we got one free ride after another that took us off course. A weird coincidence led us to the coast instead of I-5. Tug listened to some guy who promised him a sweet deal that led us south instead of north. Suddenly we were just here, despite our plans.”

I felt him yawn, and then he must have drifted off. His breathing evened out and his fingers released their hold on my hand.

It’s a marvel, sleeping with a human being in your arms. It seems crazy when you factor in the trust it takes for someone to allow you that access.

I was never going to take Beck’s trust for granted. Not ever.

It took me a long time to fall asleep.

One last time, I worried about the clinic and how people might react to my new lover. I worried about my colleagues. My friends. About my parents. I worried about the ribbing I was going to take, but then I remembered I was part of a family at last, even if it was a boy, a bird, and a dog. We might even consider the idea of having children someday. Beck might want that.

How lucky was I that I’d ended up in St. Nacho’s too?

When I finally drifted off to sleep, I wasn’t just smiling with my face but with my whole heart as well.

Epilogue

Some Time Later

Just before Christmas, Beck and I took my parents to the resort for dinner. On an average day, the resort was truly lovely, but at Christmastime, it was known for its number of decorated trees and outdoor spaces lit with twinkling fairy lights that illuminated the pathways and special seasonal tableaus with nondenominational messages of peace and hope for a bright new year.

We walked hand in hand behind Mom and Dad, who marveled at every little thing they saw. My mom’s cheeks were flushed pink from wine and the cold, and her eyes sparkled with happiness that I knew was in part because she’d not only made peace with my decision to pursue a life with Beck, but also, because in the ensuing months, she had fallen just as deeply in love with him