No Shame #4
Summary:Brad feels nothing but shame about himself.
Shame about his sexual needs.
Shame about his reputation of being a slut.
Shame about his medical problem no one knows about.
No one, except his best friend Charlie, but no matter what feelings Brad may have for him, he’s not going there. Charlie deserves better, and Brad craves something Charlie can’t provide.
Brad wants just sex—filthy, slutty sex, and he gets what he wants with FBI agent Miles. But then Miles wants more than sex, and something blooms between him and Charlie as well. Now Brad is screwed, because he can’t let anyone close, not ever again.
Because nobody ever chooses him. Or do they?
No Shame is a steamy MMM romance and the fourth and last book in the No Shame Series that needs to be read in order. It ends with a happy ever after for all characters, including those from the previous books in the series. Please note the trigger warnings in the front of the book.
Summary:
Indy and his chosen family are celebrating the holidays…in true No Shame style.
It’s time to say I do, and Indy couldn’t be more excited. Side by side with Noah, Josh, and Connor, he’s proud to take his vows with their friends watching.
But his post-wedding bliss is rudely interrupted when his past once again comes back to haunt him. And not just him, Connor gets some shocking news as well that leaves him reeling.
Before they can all share the best Christmas ever, they’ll need to come together as one family.
No Angel is the fifth book in the No Shame series, a continuing series that needs to be read in order (start with No Filter). You can expect the usual sexy shenanigans, some suspense, and a whole lotta love and emotions as we reconnect with all characters from the previous books.
No Shame #4
1
Miles Hampton awoke to the sensation of his cock being sucked. Quite expertly, as a matter of fact. A hot, wet mouth with a devious tongue that licked him top to bottom and back, then teased his slit. A throat that seemed to lack a gag reflex, as it sucked him in all the way, with pressure that drew his balls up tight after mere seconds. He clenched his fists, as his orgasm barreled through him.
“Thank you,” he managed.
Warm hands cleaned his cock with what smelled like a baby wipe, then put it back in his pajama bottoms. “You’re welcome. Sleep well.”
He was halfway back asleep when it hit him. Who the fuck had just sucked him off? Had he seen him before? Yes. Yesterday, he’d quietly slipped into the room as well. Dark hair, tanned skin, gorgeous brown eyes. A quiet little mouse, who could suck cock like it was all he did.
Miles dreamed of him, that slick mouth, that perfect tongue. What was his name?
It was hard to stay awake, with so many drugs in his system. Painkillers, sedatives, whatever else he needed to not die. He kept waiting for his balls to start hurting, but they never did. Had they started giving him hormones after all?
He came in his sleep. Or had he been awake?
He woke up, knowing he’d orgasmed again, but his pajama bottoms were dry. What the hell?
The next time he roused when warm hands dragged down his pajamas. He reached out, slower than he’d liked, but still fast enough to catch the guy’s hand. Slim. Soft.
“Who are you?” he croaked.
“I’m Brad. Can I suck you off?”
“Hell, yes. Please.”
He put his hand on dark messy curls, so soft to his touch. He held it there until he came hard, groaning as he spurted cum into that perfect mouth. Who the hell was this?
Brad.
Brad with the perfect mouth.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Sleep well.”
Hadn’t he said that before? Deja vu.
Pain radiated from his heavy balls into his cock, his legs. It had been too long. He moved his hand down, vicious pain stabbing him in the ribs, reached inside his pants. Rock hard, of course. That never changed. Fuck, he hated this.
He jerked himself once, bit his lip from crying out as the uncoordinated move sent a wave of pain through him. The door opened, and he was too slow to pull out.
Shit.What would they think? Pervert. He was a fucking pervert.
“I’m sorry. I’m here now.”
Before he could say another word, his hand was pulled off his cock, and that mouth descended. Wet heat, tongue, hard sucking. He exploded, tears forming in his eyes as his balls furiously emptied. Fuuuuuuuuck.
He looked up, met apologetic brown eyes. “I couldn’t make it here earlier. I’m so sorry. Do you need another one?”
“Brad?” he asked.
“Yeah, it’s me.”
“You suck cock like a champ,” he heard himself say, his eyes drifting shut again.
A low chuckle. “I’ll take that as a yes. Close your eyes, I’ve got you.”
It took slightly longer, but when his second release hit him, he fell asleep instantly.
* * *
Charlie studied himself in the mirror above the bathroom sink. A month after the assault, his face finally looked normal again instead of the black-and-blue freak show that had slowly transformed in multiple shades of purple and blue. Zack had hit him straight in the face, multiple times, and it had shown. Fuck, his face had looked like a freaking rainbow flag, only less pretty.
Goddamn Zack. Fucking asshole.
Nope, he still wasn’t over his anger. Noah had talked to him about stages of grief, had offered to listen whenever Charlie wanted to talk. And Charlie had poured his heart out, but not to Noah. He’d shared what had happened with Brad, who was a way better listener than many people gave him credit for. Still, he couldn’t tell him everything, not when it was so stupid, so unbelievably stupid. He’d been such a fucking idiot.
Noah had said the process of grieving over what had happened with Zach started with denial, which in Charlie’s case had lasted for months. Why the hell had he stayed that long? It had been months since the first time Zack had hit him—and he’d still stayed with him. He’d known the guy was a massive dick, and not in the good way, but he hadn’t wanted to admit it to himself, let alone to others.
To Brad. That’s what it came down to, didn’t it? He hadn’t wanted to admit to Brad that Brad had been right all along. He’d warned Charlie against Zack from the day he met him, back when Charlie had been too starry-eyed and impressed that the sexy cop was even giving him the time of day to listen. God, Charlie had been such a fucking naive kid. Brad had been a loyal friend, but he’d warned Charlie repeatedly. And fuck him to hell, he’d been completely right. Of course.
At least Zack hadn’t given him any VDs, what with all his cheating Charlie had already suspected and that Brad had confirmed. He didn’t blame Brad for not saying anything—he’d been in an impossible position, since Charlie hadn’t been open to hearing anything negative about Zack. The one outing he’d done since the assault had been to a clinic to get tested, and thank fuck everything had come back negative. But what a fucking asshole Zack had been, to even approach Brad for a fuck.
Charlie hadn’t made it past the second stage yet: anger. Deep, raging anger. He felt it bubbling inside him at times, making him all restless and edgy. The fact that he’d been fired from his job—working as a virtual personal assistant to a fashion designer had been kinda hard after the assault, and the man had fired him days later, the jerk—and couldn’t do his drag act either, which he loved so much, didn’t help. He was going stir crazy.
Maybe it was time to go job hunting, even if the thought of going outside scared the fuck out of him. Outside was where Zack was, and so far, he’d shown no sign of giving up on finding Charlie. He’d called relentlessly, until Charlie had changed his number, and Brad had resorted to that same tactic since he’d been inundated with calls as well. Even Blake had been approached. It was only a matter of time before Zack would find him…and going outside would only increase his chances of being found. No, he’d stay inside for now, in this safe place where people were nice and friendly.
He checked himself again. He’d always been on the pale side, but right now his skin was downright ghostly, contrasting starkly against his dark hair. His eyes looked even bigger than they usually did, probably because he’d lost some weight he couldn’t afford to. He was already so fucking frail. The cute, pint-sized twink—what a horrible cliché. And he fucking oozed rainbows out of his pores without wanting to, alerting everyone in his vicinity that yes, he was gay, thank you very much. Fuck my life.
He made his way downstairs. Brad was already at work, but Noah was on the couch doing something on his iPad with Indy curled up against him, reading a book. Ever since Indy had come home, those two had been inseparable. Charlie had sighed with the warm and fuzzies more than once, watching them kiss, or cuddle, and touch.
And yet, despite the joy that was apparent over their reunification, there was a lingering sadness in both their eyes, especially Indy’s. Was it a residue of the trauma he’d been through? Charlie wasn’t sure.
“Good morning,” Indy greeted him, friendly as ever.
“Hey, Charlie,” Noah said, looking up from his iPad.
Max, Brad’s dog, was on the floor in the living room and lifted his head for a sec to check who it was, then went right back to sleep.
“Hi. Did you guys have breakfast already? If not, I could make some?”
“You’re the guest here,” Indy protested. “Shouldn’t we be making you something?”
Charlie grinned. “Sugar, I’ve been here for a month. Pretty sure we’re past the guest stage. Also, in case you hadn’t noticed yet, your boyfriend can’t cook. He managed to burn an omelet the first week I was here. That in itself is quite the feat, actually.”
Indy laughed. “I know, but he has other redeeming qualities to make up for it.” He shoved Noah playfully, who shot him a quasi-indignant look in retribution.
“Yeah, somehow, I didn’t think you picked him for his culinary talents,” Charlie said.
Something flashed over Indy’s face that was gone too fast to interpret, though it had looked a hell of a lot like sadness.
“It’s not like Brad is much better,” Noah fired back.
“Oh, I know, but he’s not my boyfriend.”
Noah and Indy shared a look that Charlie refused to interpret. He was pretty sure they had their thoughts about him and Brad. After all, he and Brad were two gay, single men who were really close and who had been staying in the same room now for a month. It made sense that they’d be together, right? Fuck, they had no idea.
“Speaking of that,” Noah said. “We need to ask you something.”
Charlie lowered himself on a chair across from them. Was this when they were telling him it was time to move out? He couldn’t blame them, not after staying way past his expiration date already. Anyone else would have kicked him out weeks ago.
“We’re not kicking you out, Charlie,” Noah said, his voice warm and kind. The guy was damn good at reading minds, Charlie had noticed on more than one occasion.
“You know about Miles, right?” Indy asked.
Miles. Sure. The gay, hunky FBI agent who was daily reaping the benefits of Brad’s extraordinary cock sucking skills. Not that Charlie would know from experience, of course. Brad didn’t see him that way, would never even approach him for something like that. No, he only knew from Brad’s stories, because while the guy was a total introvert with Indy and Noah, he gave Charlie a daily recap of his sexual encounters in private. It was the sweetest torture.
He merely nodded at Indy.
“He’ll be released from the hospital in a few days. He has no close family, and no friends nearby that he can stay with. We’d love to invite him to stay with us as well, but we wanted to make sure you’d be okay with it.”
Charlie shrugged. “Sure. It’s your house anyway.”
“We want to make sure you’d feel safe,” Noah stressed.
Charlie frowned. Why wouldn’t he? The guy was an FBI agent, for fuck’s sake. Then it hit him. “Just because one cop turned out to be a massive asshole who beat up his boyfriend doesn’t mean I won’t ever trust cops or authority figures again. I think you have a pretty accurate bullshit meter, Indy, so if you say he’s a good guy, that works for me.”
“And if Brad and Miles continue their…sexual activities while he’s here, that wouldn’t bother you either?” Noah asked.
The question was so unexpected that Charlie couldn’t keep his face straight as his insides clenched painfully. Fuck, even the thought of having to watch Brad with another guy… It had always bothered him on some level, but he hadn’t truly admitted it to himself until he’d moved in here with Brad, until they had spent so much time together. Until he’d fallen so hard and so deep he knew there would never be anyone else for him.
“Oh, Charlie,” Indy said, his voice soft and sad. “I’m so sorry. If I had known, I would’ve never asked Brad.”
Charlie raised his chin. He refused to feel shame about his feelings. Love was not something to be ashamed of, ever. “Brad doesn’t know, so I’d appreciate it if you didn’t say anything to him.”
“Don’t you want to tell him?” Indy asked.
Charlie sighed. “Noah, you’re pretty good at reading people. Does Brad strike you as the type to be open to a declaration of love?”
Noah hesitated. “He’s hard to read,” he admitted. “I like him, and it’s clear he’s super smart, but he’s closed off. He’s hiding big parts of himself.”
God, you have no idea what Brad is hiding.“Exactly.”
“But he’s different to you, Charlie. He talks more with you than with anyone else, and he’s tender and sweet toward you,” Noah added.
“He feels responsible for me, always has.”
Indy quirked an eyebrow. “How long have you two known each other?”
“Five years. We met when I was in my senior year in high school. Brad was my math teacher,” he explained. “It was pretty clear that I was gay, and I was getting bullied for it. Brad stepped in when a couple of jocks were giving me a hard time, physically, I mean, then started sort-of mentoring me. He signed me up for jiujitsu lessons with his brother Blake, insisted that I’d learn to defend myself. He’s had my back ever since, and we became close friends once I graduated. But he sees me as someone he has to protect, that’s it.”
“I don’t think it’s quite that simple,” Noah said. “There’s a lot more to Brad than he shows, but you two need to figure that out yourselves.”
“Charlie, if you don’t want Miles here, we’ll find a different solution,” Indy said. “The last thing I want is for you to feel awkward, or hurt.”
“Or the fifth wheel in a house with two couples,” Charlie commented dryly.
Indy grinned. “Or that. I love your humor, by the way.”
“You should come see me when I perform as Lady Lucy,” Charlie said. “She’s way funnier than I am.”
“I’d love to. When are you going back to performing?”
Charlie’s face fell. “I don’t know. I’m… I don’t know.” How could he explain that he was scared to even leave the house, afraid Zack would be there?
Indy gave him an encouraging smile. “It’s okay. We’d love to come watch you when you’re ready to perform again.”
Charlie nodded, grateful that they weren’t giving him a hard time about it. “And I’m okay with Miles coming here, honestly. Right now, he makes Brad happy, and that’s all that matters to me.”
It was true, in a way. Brad loved pleasuring the FBI agent, so that part was true. It did make him happy, in as far as Brad could ever be truly happy. Charlie would just have to get over the fact that it was Miles who was on the receiving end of Charlie’s attention, and not him. Even after spending a month in a room together, Brad was still not touching him beyond those sweet, way too short kisses and a whole lot of cuddling.
Fuck my life.
No Angel #5
1
The kitchen hummed with activity, delicious smells wafting from the open oven. Josh did a last check on the turkey, and when he confirmed it was perfectly cooked, he carefully lifted it out of the oven.
"T minus fifteen," he told Indy, who stuck a fork into the potatoes to see if they were done.
"Good. We’re right on schedule," Indy said, sending him a happy smile.
Josh took off the oven mitts and put them back into the drawer. The turkey could rest now before their dinner commenced. He checked his list to make sure they hadn't forgotten anything. Indy was making the mashed potatoes, the water for the green beans simmered at a low boil, a sweet potato casserole was browning in the other oven, so it looked like everything was going smoothly.
Behind him, Charlie and Brad were setting the table, with Charlie gently providing instructions. Josh smiled at his patient correction whenever Brad got something wrong. Brad’s dog, Max, napped in the kitchen's corner, having discovered that’s where the best snacks were coming from.
Meanwhile, Blake and Aaron had retreated to the playroom. Blake had apologized, since Aaron was supposed to help with cooking, but he’d had a rough few days at work, apparently. Blake had asked if they could utilize the room for an hour or two so they could play and let Aaron regroup. Of course, they’d all assured them that was fine.
From the living room, sounds of the football game on TV drifted in, with Noah, Connor, and Miles commenting on what sounded like a close match. It was a good thing the Patriots weren't playing, since Miles was a staunch Seahawks fan and liked to goad Noah and Connor about their love for all things Patriots. It was all done in good fun, though Miles liked to live dangerously at times, riding Connor hard.
"The potatoes are done," Indy said.
Josh opened the can of cranberry sauce and dumped it into a bowl. He’d wanted to make it himself but had been overruled by a majority that store-bought was fine, if not better. It went somewhat against his preference for home-cooked food, but he had acquiesced.
"I've put out all the ingredients for your mashed potatoes," he told Indy.
Watching Indy cook was always fun. He'd gotten much better at it, but it still required a lot of focus and concentration from him. Josh watched, his heart softening, as Indy added sour cream and some fresh chives to the bowl and turned the mixer on, the tip of his tongue peeping out from between his lips.
"I love you."
Those words kept falling off his lips all by themselves, and they never failed to make Indy shine with joy at hearing them. Even now, concentrated on getting the mashed potatoes right, he stopped the mixer for a few seconds to face Josh and send him a look so full of love it took Josh's breath away.
"I love you too."
Would he ever grow tired of hearing those words, either from Indy or from Connor? Josh doubted it. Every time he thought his heart couldn't get any fuller, it seemed to make more space. And two days from now, he’d make it official by marrying Connor. It would be a small affair, their double wedding, but that didn’t make it less meaningful. On the contrary, it had always been about their love, not about others or throwing a party. Their wedding fit their love, their family, their hearts.
As Indy went back to his cooking and Josh checked the casserole in the oven, he pondered it. The heart was a funny thing, wasn't it? The older he got, the more he realized that so many people got things wrong about love. He himself had grown up with such a warped version of love, his parents only loving him as long as he conformed to their standards, to their norms. How wrong they had been to call that love.
Love couldn't have conditions, Josh had realized. Love possessed no limits, no fear, no shame. Love rose above that; otherwise, it wouldn't be love. If nothing else, the past year had taught him that. The love that reigned in this house, it wasn't traditional by any standard.
God, his parents would have a fucking heart attack if they ever found out he was in love with not one, but two men. Then Josh thought of their reaction if they ever discovered their other son, Aaron, was not only madly in love with a man as well but got off on pretending to be a puppy with that same man as his owner. They wouldn't just have a heart attack, they would legit die. Either of embarrassment or shame—Josh wasn't sure which—but it was their problem. No one who had ever seen Blake and Aaron together could deny how happy and perfect they were for each other.
And the same was true for Miles and his boys, another unconventional relationship. Josh had not only seen it work, but flourish. He'd had his doubts in the beginning, not because he questioned the love between the three men, but because of the unusual dynamics. Miles being a daddy to Brad, but not to Charlie, and Charlie being way more of a bossy little shit than any of them had expected, and yet it worked. They fit together, like a seamless puzzle.
"Josh, baby, are you with me?" Indy asked, and Josh realized he'd been staring into space for a while. No wonder Indy was checking if he wasn’t having an episode.
He turned toward him. "I'm good, just…thinking."
Indy studied him for a few seconds more, then smiled. "There is a lot to be grateful for, isn't there?" he asked, showing once again he could read Josh's mind.
Josh nodded. "There is. I can't help but think how lucky and blessed we are with our chosen family."
“We are. It hits me on days like this as well,” Indy said, and they shared another moment before they went back to cooking.
Indy set the mashed potatoes aside as Josh added the green beans to the boiling water. He’d prepared a nice dressing for them made with nut oil, lemon juice, and pecans and goat cheese. By the time everything was done, Josh beamed with pride because it all looked amazing. And the timing was dead-on.
They arranged all the food on the beautifully set table and called in the others. Aaron’s previous haunted look had been replaced by the inner peace he often radiated after a puppy play session, and Josh gave him a quick hug. “Feeling better?”
“Much,” Aaron said, hugging him back. “Blake always knows how to center me.”
“Good. You needed it,” Josh said as he let go of his brother.
"The table looks amazing," Miles said, pride audible in his voice. "You boys did a terrific job."
Brad's face lit up. "That was all Charlie, but thank you, Daddy. I helped."
Miles pressed a tender kiss on his lips. "I know you did, sweetheart. Thank you for listening to Charlie's instructions. You did really well."
Charlie had created name cards for everyone. Hand-crafted, beautifully written cards with hand-painted leaves on them. The leaves matched the ones on the napkins Charlie had picked out and folded into intricate flowers. It was a little over the top for an informal gathering like this and yet it was perfect. It was one of the things that Josh loved, how they all had started to explore unique talents and interests.
They found their usual spots, he and Indy next to each other, with Connor and Noah flanking them on either side, and Miles and his boys on either side of him across from them. Blake and Aaron were sitting next to them, with Blake sitting next to his younger brother. Josh was happy to see the two of them growing much closer over the last few months. After some initial struggles, Blake had adapted wonderfully to Brad's unique relationship with Miles, and he fully supported it. Not that Josh had expected anything else from a man who loved to engage in puppy play, but it was beautiful to see him accept this was what Brad needed.
They had just all sat down, everyone praising how beautiful both the table setting and the food looked, when the doorbell rang. Max raised his head and barked, then plopped down again. Josh tensed up. Someone dropping by unexpectedly on Thanksgiving Day? That couldn't be good.
Connor's hand gripped his neck instantly, and Indy reached for his hand from the other side. "We've got you, baby," Connor's calm voice said. "Just breathe, I’ll check it out."
Josh was grateful that Connor waited till Josh was okay before he rose from his chair and hurried to the front door. After he'd opened it, a faint conversation was audible, but not loud enough for Josh to recognize the other voice.
Then Connor called out, "Blake and Brad, can you come over for a second? Your brother is here."
Blake shared a stunned look with Brad. Burke was here? When he and Aaron had visited his younger brother, Benjamin, earlier that morning, Benjamin had mentioned something about Burke calling him and telling him he would visit. Blake hadn't known what to make of that, had thought maybe Benjamin had gotten confused. After all, none of them had heard a peep from Burke since he'd stormed out of this house months ago.
His first instinct was to face Burke alone, but then he realized he couldn't and shouldn't make that decision for Brad. He’d made that mistake too many times in the past, deciding for Brad rather than allowing him to make his own decisions.
So he asked, "Do you want me to talk to him first, or would you prefer facing him together?"
Much to his surprise, Brad didn't look to Miles for guidance. "You talk to him first. If he's still set on being an asshole, I'd much prefer not to see him."
As harsh as that sounded, Blake couldn't agree more with him that it was for the best. He was still amazed at the change in Brad compared to a year ago. The relationship with Miles and Charlie, the guidance he got from the daddy dynamic, it was nothing short of amazing. He’d lost his default sullen expression and, even though he still struggled at times, there was a new joy and contentment in him. No need to let Burke take that from him if he—as Brad had worded it so perfectly—was still set on being an asshole.
He put a soft hand on his brother's shoulder. "I'll go see what he wants.”
He made his way to the front door, where Connor had let Burke in, but not beyond the entrance. Blake appreciated that the man was looking out for all of their best interest, but especially Brad’s. Connor was a stand-in daddy when Miles was away, Blake knew, and Brad treated Connor with nothing but respect and admiration.
Blake shot him a look of gratitude. “Thank you. I’ve got this.”
With one last, none-to-friendly glance at Burke, Connor went back to the kitchen. Blake studied his brother. He looked well, a little more tan than before, and from the looks of it, well-rested and fed.
"What brings you here?" he asked.
Burke met his inquisitive gaze head on. "I thought it was a good day to make amends, but I apologize for intruding. I tried your house first, but your current house guests said you were celebrating Thanksgiving here, so I came over before I lost the nerve."
"The nerve for what?"
"To apologize for being a complete asshole to you."
Blake cocked his head, then studied his brother a little more. "There's something different about you," he observed.
Burke smiled, but it wasn't a happy smile. "Maybe because I'm sober?"
Blake couldn't help his eyes from widening. "Sober?" he repeated stupidly, his mind contemplating what Burke meant. Their father had been an alcoholic, a mean one, and surely Burke wouldn't be stupid enough to fall into the same addiction, would he?
"Apparently, I managed to hide it well, but I've been a high-functioning alcoholic for the last few years. After I ran off from you, I quit my job and moved down South, looking for a fresh start. I thought a change of scenery would help me, and it did, but not until after I hit rock bottom. But that's a story for another day. I just wanted to tell you I'm sober and that I want to make amends."
Blake blinked slowly. "You're going through the program," he said, recognizing Burke's language. Holy fuck, his brother was an alcoholic. "The steps. You're following the steps." He knew them well enough from the many people who'd stayed in his house who'd been recovering drug or alcohol addicts, fueled by their years of being abused.
Burke hesitated, but then he nodded. "Yes, but that's not why I'm apologizing. It's not because it's a requirement or a step. I mean it. I fucked up big time with you."
Burke was an alcoholic. How the hell had he missed that, Blake wondered. He was hit with a similar sense of anger at himself as when he'd discovered Brad's issues. He'd always thought he'd been close with his brothers. How wrong he had been. Brad had suffered so hard, and Blake had never noticed enough to say anything, and here was Burke, admitting to a years-long addiction Blake had known nothing about. But he would have to deal with that later. This wasn't about him or his failures. This had to be about Burke.
"I appreciate you coming and apologizing," Blake said. "I hope you realize we’ll need some more conversations before I can put this behind us, but you coming here is a great start."
He watched as Burke visibly relaxed a little, then said, "You didn't hurt only me, though. The fact that you ran off from Brad as well impacted him. He's been going through a lot of stuff, and he could've used your support."
"Is he okay? The cancer isn't back, is it?" Burke asked, a hint of panic in his voice. Somehow, that made Blake feel better. Despite all his shortcomings, Burke really did care about them.
"Physically, he's fine. Emotionally, he's been dealing with a lot, but he's got it handled now, or at least, he's getting there." He waited a beat to consider how much he should tell Burke, then decided he’d better test the waters as promised. “He’s seeing someone. It’s serious."
Burke's eyes widened. "Brad’s got a boyfriend?"
"He's got two: Miles—the FBI agent who protected Indy for a while—and Charlie, who you know. The three of them are in a committed relationship. Moreover, Miles and Brad have a daddy–boy relationship. I'm telling you all this before I allow you to come in further. This is not my house, but Brad does live here, and I won't allow you to criticize him, his relationship, or that of the other people present. That includes Aaron, by the way, and yes, he and I are still engaged in puppy play. Is any of this going to be an issue for you?"
He realized it was somewhat cruel of him to stack all this information and dump it on Burke like this. But he had to know what his brother's attitude would be like. In this house, he couldn't let him in if he was set on continuing the judgmental behavior he had shown before toward Blake and Aaron. That wouldn't fly here, and Blake would do whatever it took to not only protect his brother, but his boyfriend and everyone else.
Burke swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. "That's…" He cleared his throat, then tried again. "That's all fine. I won't say anything. It doesn't mean much, but I am awfully sorry about the way I treated Aaron, and your relationship. I'd love the opportunity to explain why I reacted like that in more detail, but another time."
Blake saw nothing but honesty on his brother's face, then questioned if he even knew him well enough to make that judgment. "Understand this: you know I'm a man of second chances. I always have been. But where the people in this house are concerned, you'll find the second chance is your last one. This is family, Burke, and I'm telling you to respect that. You fuck up again, and you're out. I don't care if you're my brother by blood, I will not allow you to hurt those I love again. Do you understand me?"
Burke blinked a few times. "You've changed," he said. "I've never seen you this protective."
"Well, we’ve all changed. Brad, me, and hopefully you. Brad and I have changed for the better, and I hope that's the case with you as well."
Burke cringed a little. "I'd love to say yes, but I'm much too aware I'm very much a work in progress, so I hope you cut me some slack as I try to rediscover myself."
"Slack, yes, but I've told you where I draw the line. As long as you stay on the right side of that line, we’re good. You want to come in to celebrate Thanksgiving with us?"
"Are you sure I'm welcome?" Burke asked. "I'm not sure what you told everyone, but I can't imagine I'm high on their list of people they would like to have over for a family holiday like this."
For the first time, Blake sent him a genuine smile, and he put a hand on Burke's shoulder as he spoke. "Bro, you'll find there's not a more welcoming bunch than these people. They will take you in as one of their own if you'll accept them as they are."
A little frown appeared between Burke's eyes. "Are you telling me the puppy play and daddy kink isn't all of it?"
Blake laughed. "Dude, not even half.”
Nora Phoenix is a bestelling author of MM romance. She writes in various subgenres of gay romance, including contemporary, mpreg, and sci fi. Nora is known for a mix of steamy romance, usually a dash of kink, all the feels, and some suspense.
Proud single mom. Book addict. Eternal optimist. Unapologetic feminist. Ace. Panromantic.
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No Shame #4
No Angel #5
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