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  “You’re easy to put up with, Sir. I’ve never even flown before. This will be my first plane trip.”

  Boyd stared at him. “Never?”

  Caleb shook his head. “My parents never had much of a budget to take us anywhere. I went to college less than an hour away.”

  “What about when you came down for your job interview with me?”

  “I drove. Less than thirteen hours one way.” Caleb felt his face heat. “And I didn’t have to spend money on a plane ticket, hotel room, or a rental car by driving my car. I did the math—paying for gas was cheaper.”

  He felt Boyd’s eyes on him. “You seriously drove down for your interview? If you didn’t stay in a hotel, what’d you do?”

  “Drove down, napped in a McDonald’s parking lot, made sure I was awake and dressed and not looking horrible before the interview, brushed my hair and my teeth, talked to you, and then drove home after.”

  “Buddy, I thought you flew down.”

  “I didn’t exactly want you to know how broke I was. Most employers aren’t looking for ‘desperate to escape homophobic family and shitty living conditions’ as preferable qualities they need in a new hire.”

  Boyd squeezed Caleb’s hand again. “I hired you because you were qualified and eager and had plenty of the right work experience.”

  “And because you love green eyes?”

  Boyd smiled. “I’ll never admit it in front of Human Resources, but maybe when I was presented with three qualified finalists who were otherwise equal in experience and education, green eyes might have skewed it in your favor.”

  Caleb smiled. “And my cute ass?”

  “Definitely your cute ass.” Caleb glanced over at him. Boyd’s blue eyes gleamed with amusement. “Even though I never thought I’d have a chance at it.”

  “Never thought I’d have a chance at yours, either, Sir. Thank god for Kent.”

  Boyd sighed. “Yeah, thank god for Kent. I told him we’re missing the party next weekend.”

  “Totally worth it.”

  “You’re really looking forward to meeting her?”

  “Of course. She’s your daughter.”

  He stared out the windshield, grief brushing his expression. “She’s a stranger.”

  “Doesn’t matter. She’s your daughter, Sir.”

  He was acutely aware of Boyd turning to watch him again. “We really haven’t talked much about your family. I know you’re not close to them, and I haven’t wanted to push you about it. But I’d like to know more, when you’re ready to talk about them.”

  Caleb had wanted to avoid that topic at all costs. “I’m…not close to them. They wanted to be too close in the wrong ways. They thought being related to me gave them the automatic right to dictate my life. Even my little sisters. Especially my mom. Getting this job was the best thing that ever happened to me for a variety of reasons.”

  “Including me?” Boyd smiled.

  “Definitely including you. You’re the best reason of all.”

  Boyd directed him where to park and Caleb walked inside the main terminal with him, waiting with him in line while he went through check-in. Then they picked a restaurant in the main terminal to grab a bite to eat before Boyd headed through security.

  “Stay at my house while I’m gone,” Boyd said. “Consider it an order, if you’d like.”

  “You might come home to find me completely moved in, Sir.”

  “Wouldn’t hurt my feelings. In fact, I’m kind of hoping that’s what you do.” He reached across the table and held Caleb’s hand, lightly squeezing. “I meant it when I said I’m marrying you. This might seem crazy and fast to anyone else, but it’s not like we just met. We’ve known each other for a while.”

  “You know my family won’t be happy about this, right? Please don’t think they’re going to magically accept this, or us. They won’t.” Caleb tried not to feel self-conscious at the fact they were holding hands in public. They weren’t in Sarasota. They didn’t have to worry about someone from work seeing them together.

  Or his family.

  “Doesn’t matter to me what they think,” Boyd insisted. “They’re not here, they’re in Virginia. Even if they were here, still wouldn’t matter to me what they think. You’re mine, and I love you.”

  “I just don’t want you thinking they might have some Hallmark-movie kind of adjustment in their mindset and we can be one big happy family. They’re the die-hard kind of Fox News demographic who think Obama was a secret Nigerian terrorist or something.”

  “We’ll make our own family. Me, you, and Ella. As much as we can with her living in Oregon.” The wistful shadows in Boyd’s expression highlighted the dark blue flecks in his eyes. “We’re the only family she has.” He squeezed Caleb’s hand again. “And the two of you are the only family I have, but like hell will I let either of you go.”

  Chapter Two

  Boyd hated leaving Caleb for so long this early in their relationship, but this trip was important. He’d been absent from Ella’s life for too damn long as it was, and not by his own choosing.

  He brought Caleb’s hand to his lips and kissed it. “You be my good boy while I’m gone, and I’ll be there to meet your flight when you reach Portland.”

  Caleb’s green gaze met his. “Yes, Sir,” he whispered, an adorable hint of pink coloring his cheeks.

  There were so many ways things could get borked between them, and life could slide sideways off a cliff.

  Boyd could literally lose his job for them being in a romantic relationship right now. If Caleb turned against him, he could easily get Boyd fired. Regardless of how their shift from coworkers to lovers had happened, that situation meant Boyd could lose his pension and benefits, in addition to his job.

  At work, and around Sarasota, they had to play things very carefully, very coolly, for now. Boyd was on the constant look-out for an equivalent position opening in Zoning or elsewhere for Caleb to transfer into. With Boyd the head of Planning, it wouldn’t be a problem for them to be together if Caleb was in the other department, even though the two departments worked closely together. Boyd wouldn’t be Caleb’s direct-report boss then.

  Didn’t even have to be in Zoning. Any other department he could get Caleb transferred into other than his would work.

  The sooner, the better.

  Although with Caleb being a civil engineer, there weren’t that many departments he could transfer into and be able to make it look logical. Transportation or Stormwater Management, maybe Public Works.

  But the pay would have to be equal or greater wherever he transferred to. Otherwise, it’d trigger more questions instead of solving their problem.

  After dinner, Caleb walked with Boyd over to the entrance to the monorail he would take to the airside terminal. They stood off to the side, hugging, Boyd’s face buried in Caleb’s soft, black hair.

  “I’m going to miss you, boy.”

  “I’ll miss you, too, Sir.”

  “I mean it—I want you to stay at my place, even though I’m not there.” He nuzzled his way down to Caleb’s ear and nipped. “Hell, move the rest of your stuff in.” Caleb couldn’t change his address to Boyd’s yet, though. That’d look suspicious. “I like the thought of knowing you’re asleep in my bed, even if I’m not there.” He rubbed his chin against the top of Caleb’s head.

  “I will.” Caleb’s arms tightened around him. “Please be safe, Sir.”

  “I will. You be safe, too. Send me a text when you’re home, even though I’ll be in the air by then.” He pulled back just enough he could look down into Caleb’s eyes. He was six inches shorter than Boyd’s six one, and their bodies fit perfectly together. “But I want to know you’re safe.”

  “Yes, Sir. You text me when you’re on the ground there.”

  “I promise.” He couldn’t bear to let him go yet. “I’ll see you next Friday, boy.”

  Boyd loved the way Caleb’s lips always curved a little into a smile when he called him that. “Next Friday
, Sir.”

  Another kiss, because he still couldn’t force himself to release Caleb. “Love you.”

  “Love you, too.”

  One last kiss, then Boyd made himself end their embrace. He walked over to the TSA agent manning the station by the monorail entrance and showed his ID and boarding pass. When he walked down to the doors to await the next car, he glanced back to see Caleb still standing there, watching.

  Boyd blew him a kiss and Caleb smiled, blowing him one back.

  My boy.

  The doors opened and Boyd gave Caleb one final smile before stepping in and grabbing a bar to hold on to for the short ride.

  I owe Kent big time for introducing us.

  * * * *

  To his dying day, Boyd would never forget the sheer terror he felt when he burst through Kent’s front door that Saturday afternoon a few weeks earlier, thinking he was too late to stop the man from fucking Caleb.

  Just to find out Kent—that sneaky bastard—had set him up. He’d found the man standing there, fully dressed and impatient to leave on his own date, while Caleb lay tied up and blindfolded and thinking Kent was about to fuck him with that soda can cock of his.

  They’d both been set up by Kent—him and Caleb.

  Boyd couldn’t be happier.

  He’d never looked back once the fear had knocked sense into him, even though the two of them couldn’t openly be together right now.

  Another reason he wanted Caleb to fly out and join him. No one would know them in Oregon, except for Ella.

  They could have that whole weekend together, with Ella, being a family.

  Maybe I can talk her into moving to Florida.

  He wasn’t rich, but he could max out a couple of credit cards to help pay her moving expenses, if he had to. Or even dip into savings. Hell, she could take over Caleb’s apartment and he could move in with Boyd while still keeping that address for now.

  Ella was single, didn’t have family in Oregon. She could get her nursing certification in Florida, and there were a lot of open nursing jobs in the area, due to the large snowbird population. A damned nursing shortage.

  The more he thought about that idea, the more he liked it and knew he’d have to talk to her. Try to win her over.

  Maybe she wouldn’t be ready to make that move yet. But it could be a long-term goal, couldn’t it?

  Then there was the other item on his to-do list—tracking down Ella’s maternal grandparents. Unfortunately, his parents had died, which was another reason this whole situation saddened him. Had he known Helen was pregnant, he could have been there for her, for Ella. His parents would have loved being grandparents.

  When Helen had been killed, Ella wouldn’t have been alone and struggling. Or maybe Helen would still be alive.

  But he would track down Helen’s parents and have it out with them, if they were still alive. He wanted to give them a piece of his mind for throwing Helen out—who’d only been sixteen then—and not bothering to track down Boyd’s parents to tell them their son had gotten her pregnant.

  What kind of monster does that?

  Unfortunately, he couldn’t remember much about Helen’s parents. If he hadn’t slept with Helen the one time, he’d barely remember her, either. She’d been his beard, even though back then, at seventeen, he hadn’t known that was what it was called. She’d been his attempt to keep his true, secret self exactly that—secret. He’d managed to hide his dad’s transfer to Germany from Helen and other kids in school, just wanting to get away from there so he could maybe have a chance to be…him.

  Once he boarded and had taken his seat, he tried not to focus on his nerves. He’d never expected to be a father—especially at this stage of his life. But the regret he’d always carry over not having been there for Ella, or for Helen, would always haunt him. No, it wasn’t his fault he hadn’t known, but logic didn’t matter.

  He’d spent a chunk of his adult life in pain over his first heartbreak when he’d still been a damned kid, and all the while Helen had been struggling to have their baby and raise her on her own.

  His own issues paled in comparison.

  Again, his logic-brain knew he couldn’t change the past and shouldn’t feel guilty for events beyond his control.

  Didn’t matter. From this point forward, however, he wanted to be part of Ella’s life, as much as she’d let him. He wanted to get to know her, wanted to be her family.

  Be her father.

  He’d been blessed with loving parents, even if they hadn’t known everything about him. If they’d suspected he was gay, they’d never said anything to him about it.

  When the plane finally lifted off the runway, Boyd closed his eyes and tried not to let his nerves take over. He was no stranger to flying, but it wasn’t his favorite thing. If Ella hadn’t been all the way out in Oregon, he would have considered driving to see her. Unfortunately, with his work schedule, that wasn’t feasible. He’d rather spend those days off with her, not driving.

  There was a little irony that Ella was involved in the BDSM lifestyle, too. In that instance, the apple hadn’t fallen far from the tree. She’d admitted to him in their phone conversations since she’d reconnected with him that her going to Venture and the rope groups hadn’t only been because of trying to get closer to him. Once she’d realized what he was into and had done more research on her own, she’d realized it was an interest she’d also had, even though she was a submissive, not a Dominant.

  Maybe the only benefit about meeting her as an adult was the ability to have those kinds of conversations with her without having to fight crippling, ball-shriveling discomfort over also being her father. He had always enjoyed mentoring newbies, and it was one of the reasons he enjoyed participating in Venture’s Knotty Fun rope group.

  When the flight attendants made the rounds for drinks, he ordered a white wine, a little something to help soothe his nerves. So many drastic shifts in his life in such a short time, and he hadn’t lost his sanity.

  Yet.

  A little reward was due.

  As he sat back and sipped it, he thought about Caleb, about their future ahead, and the extreme caution that they’d have to live with until Caleb could transfer.

  From that point on, he’d be able to proudly and publicly claim that man was his. He’d already picked out the wedding band he wanted to give him. It’d be not only a wedding band but also Caleb’s day collar, in addition to the chainmaille bracelet he’d given him.

  Last night, Boyd had made love to Caleb, knowing it’d be a long week before they were reunited. Boyd could barely remember what sleeping alone felt like anymore in the weeks since he and Caleb became an item. They hadn’t spent a night apart since that Saturday night at Kent’s, when the man had suckered Boyd into finally getting past his fear over what might happen between him and Caleb.

  Didn’t matter that Caleb was ten years younger than him, either. Whether Caleb was just an old soul, or surviving growing up in his family had matured him, Boyd didn’t know.

  The only thing he felt certain about was the perfection between the two of them. Making love, not just sex. Their needs perfectly matched as Dominant and submissive, too. Caleb was never happier than when he was naked and collared and cuddled with Boyd after having his ass striped by Boyd’s implements.

  A sweet perfection Boyd never dreamed could really be his.

  Until he’d met Caleb, he’d never honestly thought he’d ever find his “perfect” guy. That wasn’t hammered home until after Caleb had worked his way beneath Boyd’s skin and straight into his heart.

  Even the way Caleb had reacted when Ella reached out to Boyd proved the man had a sweet, loving heart.

  And he’s all mine. If this is a dream, I don’t want to wake up.

  Chapter Three

  It felt a little strange being at Boyd’s without him, but Caleb would have felt weirder going back to his own apartment. Boyd’s had quickly come to feel like home, in a way not even the house he’d grown up in had ever felt.r />
  Even his own apartment, which was his first truly independent residence, never quite felt like he belonged there. Almost like a held breath, waiting for…something to happen. Good or bad, he never knew.

  Until Boyd.

  Even though he was alone, he undressed as soon as he arrived and donned his cuffs and collar.

  His Master’s rules.

  He loved them—and the man.

  It didn’t matter they couldn’t be open yet. Just knowing there was someone who loved him for who he was felt amazingly freeing in so many ways. The secrecy now was a small price to pay, in the long run.

  Because he had a life together with Boyd ahead of him. It felt like he’d stepped into a different stage of his life, a different season, emerging from a cold, frigid spring into a warm and nurturing summer.

  He basked in its warmth and relished every second of freedom now filling his life.

  He sent Boyd a text that he’d arrived safe and sound and knew there’d be several hours to wait before Boyd could reply. Setting his alerts for the loudest volume so he wouldn’t miss it, he set about taking care of a few chores around Boyd’s.

  One benefit of pretty much living at Boyd’s already meant he had no chores to do at his apartment besides checking his mail.

  With those completed, he was going to settle in with his personal laptop to check his work e-mail when his phone went off, startling him.

  Especially since it was his father’s ringtone.

  I’m an adult. I can do this.

  He forced himself to answer, even though his father rarely called him for anything good.

  “Hey, Dad. What’s going on?”

  “Your momma and me are gonna drive down next weekend. Your aunt Kelly and uncle Frank are in Orlando. We figured we’d stay with you.”

  Shit.

  He hadn’t heard from the man in months, since he’d moved to Florida, and now this?