“Not nervous,” Reese said, those panicked brown eyes meeting his as a pained smile formed. “Terrified.”
Despite the fact he was trying to play it off, Brantley knew there was a lot of truth to Reese’s statement. It was kinda cute.
“There’s nothin’ to be scared of. They’re gonna love you.” Brantley kissed him, pulled back. “Almost as much as I do.”
Reese cocked his head. “Almost?”
“Well, considerin’ I get to share a bed with you, I’m not sure anyone can love you as much as I do.”
“No?”
Brantley could hear the challenge in Reese’s voice. “Would you like me to demonstrate just how much?”
“Yes.”
He was pleasantly surprised by the agreement, so he leaned in and pressed his lips to Reese’s. The kiss started out as a leisurely exploration but turned molten within seconds. While Brantley plundered Reese’s mouth with his tongue, his fingers worked free the button on Reese’s jeans, tugging the zipper. No better time than now for a distraction.
Reese assisted at that point, freeing himself so Brantley could palm his cock, stroking slowly, all that smooth, velvety flesh gliding through his fist.
“I could do this all damn day,” Brantley breathed against Reese’s skin as he slid his mouth over his neck. “Touchin’ you, strokin’ you.”
Reese’s head fell back on his shoulders, soft groans escaping as he braced himself on the desk.
“Do you need my mouth on you, baby?” he whispered. “You want to slide your cock deep in my throat?”
He took Reese’s strangled moan as an affirmative.
Brantley went to his knees without hesitation, took that heated flesh into his mouth, and drew on him with enough suction to have Reese’s hips thrusting forward.
“Oh, fuck, yes. Brantley … oh, fuck.”
With a litany of profane encouragement as the backdrop, Brantley proceeded to work Reese right up to that precarious edge, held him suspended there for long minutes, easing back when he was too close, working more vigorously when he would begin to relax somewhat. And when he sent Reese over, it was with his name tumbling from those beautiful lips.True to form, Brantley’s parents showed up at eighteen thirty—half an hour early. Evidently his father knew how to sweet talk the diner into letting him have the meal earlier than planned.
Thankfully, Brantley had given Reese a heads-up, not wanting the man to be taken off guard when Iris and Frank Walker pulled into the drive sooner than expected. Not that it mattered. The instant their footsteps sounded on the front porch, Reese began to pace the kitchen, making circles around the island. His shoulders lifted and lowered, his chest rising and falling as though he was prepping himself for a big game.
“Relax. They’re gonna love you,” Brantley told him, then pressed a quick kiss on his lips and went to help his father bring in the food.
When he looked back, Reese was still doing his pregame routine, once again pacing the floor while Tesha stared up at him in confusion. But she didn’t sit there for long. Her ears perked up as she turned her attention to the front door.
“Mom. Dad,” Brantley greeted, opening the screen door. Lowering his voice, he tacked on, “He’s nervous, so be gentle.”
His mother’s eyes glittered and a sweet smile formed. “He has nothin’ to be nervous about.”
No, he didn’t, but Brantley knew Reese wouldn’t believe him.
Brantley took one of the paper sacks from his father, held the door until both parents were inside, then led the way to the kitchen.
“Still no dining room table, I see,” his father noted as they moved past the empty dining room.
“Soon,” he assured the old man. “Reese insists on furnishing this place.”
“At least one of you knows how to make a house a home,” Iris said, stopping just inside the kitchen to wait for Brantley.
He moved past his mother, smiled over at the handsome man with the terrified expression.
“Mom, Dad, this is Reese Tavoularis. Reese, meet Iris and Frank Jr.”
His father barked a laugh, stepping forward to set his sack on the table before moving toward Reese and holding out a hand. “We’ve met a couple of times. At Curtis’s,” Frank said easily, pumping Reese’s hand twice. “And please, just call me Frank.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Reese said, his voice cracking slightly. “Again.”
When Iris stepped up to him, she batted away his hand and went right for the hug. Brantley realized he probably should’ve warned Reese she was a hugger.
“Look at how handsome you are,” Iris mused, cupping Reese’s face in her small hands before glancing back at Brantley. “You did good.”
That earned them a strangled laugh from Reese.
“And who do we have here?” Frank asked, peering down at Tesha, who was sitting obediently at Reese’s feet, obviously not knowing what to think about their guests.
“This is Tesha,” Brantley told them. “We adopted her a few days ago.”
“Aren’t you a sweet girl?” Iris said, bending down to offer her hand to Tesha.
