Homerun Daddy, page 9
part #1 of Timberwood Cove Series
Damn it. If I could get him to my place then maybe I could persuade him to move in. He would see how perfect things could be. I decided to change my approach, falling back on what I knew would get him out there.
“Look, at the very least, just come check it out. That way if the social worker questions our relationship, you can at least describe what my place looks like. Show her that I’m here for you and Liam, and that your financial situation is secure.”
I felt bad using that to get him out there. I didn’t want him to have even more reason to think that what was going on between us wasn’t real, but it worked.
“Yeah, I can do that,” he said.
“Perfect,” I replied, pressing my lips to his forehead. Then I squeezed his ass before giving it a quick slap. I smirked. “Now go get ready before I haul your ass back to bed and we don’t ever get out of here.”
It felt good to walk into the lodge with my mate at my side. Even better than I’d expected. Maybe it was because all my life, finding my mate had been something I wanted. Maybe it was because I felt better equipped to handle my father’s proposal of me taking over as pack leader. After all, having a family of my own would make me a better alpha, more capable of leading the rest of the pack.
Or maybe it was just having Bryce with me that felt so good. I certainly loved being here with him. It made me want him by my side all the time.
“Jaxon!” my dad exclaimed, greeting me as I stepped into the doorway of his office. His eyes immediately flew to Bryce, who was standing right behind me. As did three other pairs of eyes. Linc was here, as were some of the other alphas; Gavin Stanton and Jason Meredith.
“Was there a meeting and I didn’t get the memo?” I asked, only half joking. I felt Bryce tense behind me, and I reached back to grab his hand. “Guys, this is Bryce Baldwin. My…friend.”
Awareness flashed in my father’s eyes, but he took the cue about not talking about what Bryce really was to me—my mate.
“Bryce, nice to meet you,” he said, standing and coming around the desk. “Greer Parsons, Jaxon’s dad.”
He offered his hand to Bryce, and I felt more of that tension. Bryce shook my dad’s hand, and then cut a quick glance at me, and I knew I needed to tread lightly. Meeting the parents was a huge step, and I’d just tossed him into it.
“Bryce, you’ve met Linc.” I nodded toward my best friend, then gestured to the other alphas that had come to their feet. “This is Gavin Stanton and Jason Meredith. Some of my…associates.”
Gavin barely hid a chortle of amusement at my choice of words to describe him. I leveled my gaze on him warningly. He and Jason both caught on quickly—Bryce didn’t yet know about shifters.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Bryce said, stepping forward and extending his hand for the other three men. He held his own, that was for sure. It was intimidating for anyone to be in a room full of alpha wolf shifters, but Bryce seemed to stand a little straighter when he came back to my side.
“So what brings you out here today?” my dad asked, taking a seat again and gesturing for us to sit as well. “Do you want some coffee or anything?”
I shook my head. “No, we were just stopping by on the way to my house so I could show Bryce some of the property. In fact, we’ll just head out now and let you get back to business.”
The guys exchanged pleasantries with Bryce and we said our goodbyes. As we headed back to my car to drive the rest of the way to my house on the outskirts of the compound, I wondered what he was thinking. If he contemplated what type of “business” me and my “associates” conducted, he didn’t ask. In fact, he was pretty quiet for most of the ride. Until we pulled up in front of the giant cabin I called my home.
“Holy shit, Jaxon,” he said. “This place is practically a mansion.”
I chuckled lightly and climbed from the car to help him out, but by the time I reached his side, he was already stepping from the car himself, barely leaning on his cane.
His eyes were wide as he took it all in. The house was three floors, built into the side of a hill, with wraparound decks and a yard that stretched out until it met the tree line of the forest.
“Come on,” I said, taking his free hand. “Let me show you around the cabin.”
Bryce laughed. “You call this a cabin?” He shook his head. “Okay, then.”
What could I say? I liked nice things. Plus, the house was plenty big to accommodate a large family—something I’d had in mind when I’d had the place built even though I hadn’t known if I’d ever meet my fated mate.
I led him inside, noticing how he seemed to make it up the front steps without much of a struggle. Inside, he sucked in a breath, looking around in awe.
The entryway opened up into a huge main room that took up most of the first floor, the open space perfect for having lots of people over—something I’d have to do a lot as pack leader. The entire back wall was made mostly of windows and offered a breathtaking view of the trees in the bright spring morning light. Beyond, the mountains rose up, the tallest of the peaks still white-capped with snow.
Bryce walked straight toward the windows and looked out. I stood back and watched him take it all in, loving the sight of him standing here in my home. It was all too easy to imagine a future together, having him in my home every day and my bed every night. I knew in that moment I would do anything to make that a reality.
“Let me show you upstairs,” I said, going to him now and taking his hand again. I felt electricity crackle between us at that touch; my body intensely aware of everything about him.
“Upstairs?” He arched a brow, his voice husky.
I smirked. “Yeah. My bedroom.”
Heat blazed in his eyes, and he leaned into me. I breathed him in, and my cock twitched to life, responding to the scent of my mate.
I led him upstairs, and the first thing his attention fell on was the king-sized bed positioned at an angle in the corner. The room was massive, taking up half of the first floor, three sides covered in glass windows. It felt open and airy, almost a part of nature itself. Trees around the perimeter offered plenty of privacy while still letting in a lot of light.
I stepped up behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist, and instantly felt some of his tension leaving him. It made me smile, and I loved knowing he was comfortable here with me.
Turning in my arms, Bryce looked up at me. “This place is amazing.”
I grinned. “Glad you like it.”
He smiled back, and this time there was less resistance in his gaze. Like he was opening up to me more. There was usually this wall he had erected, and most of the time he came across as guarded. I’d seen him lower that wall maybe a handful of times in the last few days, but when he looked at me now, it was like he let it drop completely.
The wonder and longing on his face made my heart beat faster. I wanted to throw him down on the bed right now and show him just what it could be like for us to be together, here in my home.
But he turned and looked toward a door. “Is that the bathroom?”
“Yeah. Actually that’s the best part of this whole place. Let me show you.”
Anticipation filled me as I ushered Bryce into my en suite. It shared a wall with the private deck that bordered my room, with a glass French door that also led out. There were lounge chairs, a mini-bar, and a hot tub out on that deck, but inside it was like a spa. A clawfoot tub that could easily accommodate both of us, with room to spare, dominated one wall. The other side featured a giant stone and glass shower with more shower heads than anyone needed, one of them a miniature waterfall. I went over to the control panel beside it and tapped on the screen, activating the shower. Water cascaded down, and the steamers kicked on, and soon the entire enclosure resembled a tropical waterfall paradise.
“Holy shit,” Bryce murmured.
“Want to try it out?” I asked, flashing him a mischievous grin and wiggling my eyebrows for good measure.
He laughed. “Only if you insist.”
I grabbed him and yanked him against my chest. “Oh, I insist.”
Bryce’s cane clattered to the floor as he brought his arms between us to clutch my shirt. His cock sprang to life, swelling against mine. I rocked my hips, rubbing against him, and his mouth fell open with a moan.
I wasted no time ridding us both of our clothes. Then I was pulling him into the shower. Steam rose around us, encasing us until it felt like we were the only two people in the world. Everything else melted away as my senses were consumed with my mate standing before me.
I pulled him to me again and crushed my mouth down on his, capturing his lips in a possessive kiss. In this moment, all I could think was, mine, mine, mine, and I wanted nothing more than to make him feel good.
I reached between us, taking his cock in my hand. His head fell back as he groaned, and I began to stroke him slowly. Blood pounded through my veins, my pulse rushing in my ears, and my cock swelled even thicker, ready to go. But I wanted this to be about him.
“Let me make you feel good,” I murmured against his lips as I backed him slowly against the wall.
Water cascaded from the waterfall, soaking his hair and coursing over the lean planes of his chest. He looked like a fucking sex god in that moment. I clenched my fist around his cock, and his entire body convulsed. Just as I started to go to my knees, he caught my arm. I glanced at him and saw need and determination shining in his eyes. They were dark, his pupils blown out with lust.
“Let me,” he said, bringing his hand to my cock and running his fingertips over it, gently, teasingly, until I thought I might come just from his touch. “It’s my turn to make you feel good.”
Who was I to argue with that?
I let Bryce lead this time—though it took superhuman restraint not to just flip him around and fuck him right where he stood. He moved us slowly until I was the one under the waterfall. He gave my cock a few soft tugs, then harder, causing me to let out a strangled groan.
“Fuck, Bryce,” I said. Need coursed through me, especially when he started to drop to his knees. I reached out to help him, seeing the slight unsteadiness in his movements, but he didn’t show any signs of pain.
He positioned himself in front of me and wrapped his hand around the base of my cock, then he leaned forward and licked the swollen tip. I growled and wedged my hands in his hair. I wanted to thrust past those lips and feel him swallow around me as I bottomed out. But I restrained myself, barely, surrendering to the pleasure he wanted to give me. He kept his eyes locked on mine as he licked around my cockhead. Then he took me inside that sweet mouth, hollowing his cheeks around me tightly.
“Fuck,” I said again, my wolf practically howling, demanding me to take my mate. I gripped his hair even tighter when he began to bob up and down on me, his eyes still on mine. He looked so open in that moment. His face expressing everything he was feeling. Desire. Need. Longing.
I understood the longing most of all. There was nothing more I wanted than to claim this man fully. To make him mine in every way.
My orgasm started to build almost out of nowhere, my balls tightening, tingles shooting up and down my spine, and I couldn’t keep myself in check any longer. I pulled my cock from Bryce’s mouth with a pop, and he stared up at me, panting. I reached down and grabbed his arms, yanking him up almost roughly. I was trying to be careful with him, not wanting to hurt him, but he didn’t seem to object, a desperate moan falling from his lips as I spun him around and pushed him up against the wall, just like I’d imagined.
Though he wasn’t in heat his scent surrounded me, growing even stronger as I dipped my fingers between his ass cheeks and found him soaking wet—his slick coating my fingertips.
“Fuck, Bryce,” I said again, dropping my forehead to his shoulder. “You’re so fucking wet for me.”
He instinctively spread his legs wider, and the tip of my cock bobbed just in front of his entrance. I moved his hands above his head and pinned them against the smooth stones with one hand while fisting my cock in the other.
Then I slid inside him, opening him up with my cock. His needy groans echoed in the shower, the raw, guttural sounds spurring me on. I fucked him, hard, digging my fingers of one hand into his hip while I laced the fingers of my other hand with his.
Bryce clenched his ass around me like a vise. I was barely staving off my orgasm, but when I felt my cock begin swelling at the base, I knew I was knotting him again, and I wouldn’t have much chance of prolonging it after that. Knotting Bryce was…intense, to say the least. It was unlike anything I’d ever known. The sheer pleasure of being locked so tightly inside my mate, his velvet walls massaging my cock, was enough to drive me mad.
“Ah,” he cried out, his head falling back against my shoulder. “Jaxon… God… Yes.”
I thrust even deeper inside him, and I felt him convulse as my knot fully swelled.
“Holy shit, what are you doing to me? I’ve never felt anything like that. What is that—”
“Shh,” I murmured in his ear, my breath sending shivers through his body. “Just enjoy it. If it feels this good, don’t ask questions.” I laughed softly, hoping he would take it at that and not question the knot any further.
I dropped his hands from above his head then gripped his hips. And I fucked him so hungrily he was reduced to incoherent moans of pleasure. When I reached around to grip his cock once more it was like setting fire to a stack of pyrotechnics. His cock throbbed in my hand, and his ass clamped down on me, his orgasm rocketing through him so violently I had to wrap a hand around his waist just to keep him standing.
Then my own release was coursing through my veins, even more intense than last night, my seed pouring from my cock like a jet, filling him. I dropped my forehead to his back again, breathing him in, gasping for breath. We stood there panting, aftershocks wracking both our bodies until my knot finally subsided.
I gently pulled out of him, and he turned, his eyes darting to my cock as if he were looking for some evidence of what he’d felt. Confusion flashed through his eyes, but I distracted him by grabbing a bar of soap and rubbing it over his wet body.
“Let’s get you cleaned up,” I murmured.
I took my time washing him, carefully, thoroughly, tenderly. He watched me, uncertainty in his eyes again. I didn’t like that look there, but I didn’t want to press it. When we were both clean, I turned off the water and stepped from the shower, slinging a towel around my waist.
Bryce stepped out after me, holding on to the door for support, but he didn’t look like he was struggling. I grabbed a towel and slowly began drying him off.
I looked down at him and smiled. “So, what do you think?”
He half-laughed. “About your shower? I’d give it a positive review.”
I chuckled. “That too, but what do you think about my suggestion? What do you think about moving in here with me?”
He smiled softly, but I could sense him putting some of those walls back up. “I think that could be nice…one day. If I think it will help with Liam’s adoption.”
I frowned, not liking that answer. Why the hell wasn’t he just saying yes? There was obviously something between us. Something hot and fierce and full of passion. There was also an underlying bond. I was drawn to him, tied to him, fated to him. He had to feel some of that too, right?
I didn’t say anything else as I finished drying him off and helped him into his clothes. My mind was playing back what had happened, trying to figure out why there was a sudden shift in him when he’d seemed so open before and during our shower.
I stiffened, wondering if he was starting to pick up on my secret. If he knew something was different about me. After all, I’d knotted him twice now and I’d told him we were fated mates. I’d introduced him to my pack. What if he was suspecting something about shifters—though, how he’d know I was a shifter specifically was beyond me. But still…
A little warning sounded in the back of my mind. If Bryce didn’t fall in love with me like I thought he would, and he found out about shifters, that could put us all in a lot of trouble. I pushed it away. I just had to make him fall for me, that was all there was to it.
However, I wasn’t quite sure how to make that happen. I’d been pulling out all the stops, trying my hardest to get him to think of me romantically. Bryce kept saying things were moving too fast, though. Maybe I just needed to be patient and put the brakes on slightly. Not push for too much, too soon. I had a feeling that would be easier said than done.
10
Bryce
Watching Liam on the ball field was incredible. Jaxon was right. He was a natural.
I beamed with pride as Liam walked back to the dugout from the pitcher’s mound at the end of the seventh inning. We were in the lead, thanks a lot in part to Liam’s skills with pitching—something no doubt due to Jaxon’s coaching.
He ran up to Jaxon, who was holding his hand up for a high five, grinning from ear to ear. Jaxon slung his arm around Liam’s shoulder, and Liam looked like he would burst from whatever Jaxon whispered to him. Then Jaxon turned around and gave me a disarming smile and wink before huddling up with the kids.
I had a front row seat to the first game of the year, decked out in perfect comfort as the bright April afternoon sun shone down on us. Jaxon had gone out of his way to make sure I was comfortable. He’d brought along a cushioned lawn chair that had a built-in foot rest and pillow, and he’d set up with a cooler next to me if I got thirsty. It felt like he was pampering me, and part of me liked it. A lot.
I watched Jaxon as he coached the kids before they got ready for the next inning, my heart full of something unfamiliar. Jaxon was getting to me, that much was clear. He was steadily tearing down my walls. Making me fall for him. Having a man like him in my life was something I’d never thought possible. Even now, after almost two weeks of Jaxon’s attention, it still seemed too good to be true.
