Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 103033 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 515(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103033 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 515(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
Greer scratched his jaw. “I hear what you’re sayin’. It’s best you strip down. You don’t wanna get your clothes wet.”
I shook my head in amusement. Why was the boy stalling? He knew he was going to get it. The longer he waited… Then again, maso brats couldn’t help themselves.
“Maybe we shoulda put chemistry on the schedule, though,” Greer went on. “You see, when rain freezes, it becomes snow.”
“What’s your point?!” Corey barked out.
“Oh Christ.” Lane cracked up and face-palmed.
Greer bent down a bit to get to Corey’s level. “I’ll spell it out for you, brat. The rain ain’t freezin’. You’re just bitching over a little water.”
“Don’t take the bait, don’t take the bait,” Gael whispered against my arm.
I grinned.
Corey took the bait. He glared at his Owner and put his hands on his hips. “I don’t love you very much right now, Sir. In fact, you suck.”
Bingo. Greer could do this all night. He’d keep racking up Corey’s offenses until the boy—
“How much do I suck?” Greer asked.
“For the love of God, Corey!” Archie called out. “It’s the cheapest form of sadistic clickbait—don’t fall for it, love.”
Corey clammed up, as if catching himself, and Greer turned a narrowed-eyed look on his slave.
“Cheapest form? Really, baby? You’re insulting your Master in front of everyone?”
Archie turned to Sloan, subtle-like, and scrubbed a hand over his face, and he spoke quietly, just loud enough for Joshua and me to hear. “Sometimes, his Catholic upbringing shines brighter than any red ass he’s given Corey.”
I coughed around a laugh, and so did Colt—and he spoke up too.
“Hey, pet, I heard that,” Colt told him. “When did you become a brat?”
Archie looked mildly offended. “I’m not a brat, Sir. I’m only trying to protect my boyfriend.”
“Aww!” Corey grinned goofily. “I love—gah!” Those were his last words before Greer swooped him up, threw him over his shoulder again, and stalked toward the pool.
“Can someone roll back the cover?” he hollered.
“Fuck yes.” Colt hurriedly crammed half a sandwich into his mouth and left his seat, and he was joined by Reese and River.
“What—no! No!” Corey screamed. “Let me down, Master! Stop it! Don’t you dare!”
“Oh my gosh, it’s gonna be frigid,” Gael said nervously.
“Most likely,” I laughed.
Gael made a noise of protest. “You’re enjoying this, Daddy.”
I turned back to him and smiled. “Of course I am. It’s the best kind of entertainment.”
He narrowed his eyes at me. “I thought you didn’t like brats.”
I took another bite of my sandwich and exchanged a brief look with Joshua. To the sweet sounds of Corey’s desperate screaming.
“There are perks,” I replied, choosing my words carefully. Because I knew my sweet boy had a brat in him, something Joshua couldn’t wait to explore further with him. And I wanted them both to know I was very much looking forward to catching a show here and there. “Delightful perks.”
Seconds later, we heard a big splash as Greer threw Corey into the cold water of the swimming pool, something that was met with cheers and applause from the Sadists, and winces and sympathy from most brats. Lane and Shay were two exceptions. They were laughing their rears off.
Corey let out a shrill scream as he resurfaced. “Motherfucking shit piss fuuuuck! Get me out of here!”
“Baby, grab our slave,” Greer told Sloan.
I glanced toward Archie just as he tensed up, his face morphing into an expression of horror, but it was too late. Sloan acted fast, and then he was dragging Archie to the pool.
“You can’t be serious!” Archie cried out. “Master, please! I beg you!”
Greer merely stepped aside so Sloan could push their pet into the water too.
Meanwhile, Reese prevented Corey from trying to leave the pool. Every time the boy attempted to push himself up on the edge, Reese was there to shove him back in.
“Oh my fucking—” Archie stifled his own scream and swam toward the edge.
“I’ve freakin’ had it!” Corey yelled. “Do you know how cold it is?!”
“It’s not freezing,” Reese supplied helpfully.
“Maybe it’s time to warm him up,” Sloan said. “I’ll go get a paddle.”
Amazing. The entertainment continued.
I ate some more mac and cheese, and I caught Kit and Gael looking at each other.
“I’m think I’m gonna be a good boy for a while,” Gael admitted.
“Yeah, met too.” Kit swallowed hard.
Well. When it came to brats, that “while” could end very swiftly.
EPILOGUE 1
Dean Aavik
A week later
If someone had told me mere weeks ago that I would be sitting in my favorite reading chair today, the fire in the fireplace casting a comfortable glow over the living room, with a wonderful little boy at my feet and an equally wonderful man cooking up a storm in the kitchen, I would’ve… I probably would’ve fallen into a pit of depression because of how farfetched that sounded.
Every second of this moment, every fragment of this picture, and every scent wafting over me filled me with so much serenity that I couldn’t focus one bit on the book I was reading. From the smell of leather and oil from Joshua’s new dining room table and the coffee on my side table, to the heavenly work lunches he was preparing for Gael and me. The sizzling sound of chicken hitting the skillet, Joshua’s humming along to the music he played… Gael’s signature snickering—he was reading quite the page-turner while he rested his cheek against my knee. It took a special person to find my sense of humor funny, especially when it was a book about politicians during wartime. But Gael evidently enjoyed my dry remarks on Truman, Johnson, and Chamberlain.