Unto Us the Time Has Come (5 page)

“That would be nice, wouldn’t it? It’s up to him, though. He may have things he needs to do.” He wasn’t going to make it seem like Kenn’s fault if Kenn wasn’t ready to put himself in that situation yet.

“Gramma might not want him to come,” Micah pointed out.

“He’s your father, and if we want him there, she’ll accept that.” Or they just wouldn’t go. It was as simple as that. It should have been that simple all along.

“We can talk about it later,” Kenn said, coming back into the kitchen and handing him his phone. “Just not at the coffee shop. Ever.”

Chris winced. “They were pretty pissed, huh?”

“That’s an understatement, but it’s done.”

“Dad, your oatmeal’s getting cold,” Micah pointed out.

Chris stood and pulled out Kenn’s chair for him. “And the other place?”

“They hung up on me.”

“I’m sorry you had to do that. Hell, I’m sorry you had to take the jobs in the first place.” If he hadn’t been such a stubborn fuck… and he was on repeat with that, beginning to bore himself. He’d been a jerk.

“We’ll discuss that later, love. We have a lot to discuss.” Kenn fixed his oatmeal how he liked it. “Together.”

“We do.” Chris was in total agreement. “We have a lot to discuss.”

“Dad just said that,” Sarah pointed out.

“That means they’re going to kiss.” Micah sighed heavily.

“Oh. Eww.”

“Yeah,” Micah agreed morosely.

Chris looked at Kenn and shook his head. “Our children are very antiromance.” Really, it was kind of normal, which made it amazing.

“I blame you.” Kenn winked. “Good job on the oats, man.”

“Thanks, Dad.” Micah dug back in, shoveling it in.

“Me?” He sputtered for a moment before shrugging. “Yeah, that’s probably accurate.” He’d been too busy for romance. All that was going to change, damn it.

Kenn chuckled and grabbed his coffee. “Can I borrow some clothes before I go back to the apartment?”

“Why are you going back to the apartment?” He’d told the kids they were moving back here. And he’d meant it.

“I need clothes, I have some of the kids’ presents, and I don’t have my toothbrush.”

“That’s okay. We can all go together—do you guys have anything you want to grab?” Chris asked.

Micah nodded right away. “Yeah. All my stuff. I need some boxes.”

“Me too!”

“Guys….” Kenn looked to Chris, wide-eyed.

“How about we save that for after Christmas? I mean, you can grab some more clothes or even a couple toys, but let’s just be quick and then go have lunch together, look at the decorations in the windows and stuff.”

Kenn blinked over at him. “That sounds… that sounds like the best day.”

“Then it’s a plan.” Chris dug into his oatmeal, suddenly starving.

“Yay! A real live daddy day!” Sarah cheered, and Micah rolled his eyes in the way of the quickly growing up.

“I know I’m looking forward to it.” Chris was. A real day with his family. With all his family.

“Me too.” The words were soft, and they were a balm to his soul.

He reached for Kenn’s hand, holding it under the table. It felt just right. It was about time.

K
ENN
FELT
a little like he was walking in a dream. He was in the shower—the huge, amazing shower they’d built together. They were about to go out for the day, the whole family, together. He sighed softly, face lifted to the spray as he rinsed his hair.

There was a soft knock and Chris opened the door. “I have the sweats you wanted and a T-shirt.”

“Thank you.” He smiled through the no-fog glass, admiring his husband’s tight, lean body.

Chris was staring right back, and he could feel the weight of that stare. His cock began to fill, getting heavy as they stood there, the glass separating them. Chris raised his hand and pressed it against the glass. He did the same, loving the sight of them, almost touching.

They stood like that for a long time before Chris sighed. “We need to talk, before….”

“Yeah. Yeah, I know. I’m not pushing.” He hadn’t had sex in a year. He wanted.

Maybe Chris had, though. How would he know? That deflated him and he turned away, amping the cold water up, the sudden chill finishing the job.

“I was hoping you’d try to convince me I was wrong about that.”

The words were soft, and when he turned, Chris had already left. God. He fucked everything up. Maybe… maybe this was a mistake. Maybe he’d…. He’d given his jobs up and pretty much assured he’d never work again. It wasn’t like he had a lot of prospects.

He hurried out of the shower, dried off, and dressed quickly before putting on his shoes and jacket from the night before.

Chris was waiting outside the en suite bathroom door for him. “My clothes look good on you.”

“Thanks.” He didn’t know what to do, what to say. “I’m sorry.”

Chris took his hand. “For?”

“Upsetting you. Doing this wrong.”

“Is there a right way to do this?” Chris touched his cheek. “You didn’t do anything wrong. God, I want you.”

Kenn pushed into the touch, a soft moan escaping him. Chris leaned toward him, tilted his head, then brought their lips together. The kiss was soft, gentle, almost like it was the most fragile thing in the world. Kenn stepped in, inhaling deep as they touched. Chris smelled just like he remembered—soap and man, sexy as hell.

Chris slid his hands down his back, teasing him as they grabbed his ass and squeezed. Leaning their foreheads together, Chris stared into him. “Want you so bad. I want to throw you on the bed and fuck you through the mattress and pretend the last year never happened.”

Okay. Yes. Now.
“No one’s touched me in so long. I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve done nothing but work since you left. There’s a hole in me that belongs to you.” Chris touched his cheek again, then slid his hand back, fingers pushing through Kenn’s hair, tracing his ear.

“I want to touch.” Kenn pushed his hands under Chris’s sweater. Chris’s skin was warm and smooth, the muscles jumping and working beneath his touch. “Tell me the kids are busy. Tell me it’s okay.”

“They’re making Christmas cards. We’ve got… not enough time.” Chris brought their lips together again, warm and wet and dancing together.

“Uh-huh.” He slid down Chris’s body. He needed just a taste.

“Oh, fuck. Babe. You don’t have to.” Chris’s words might have been saying
no
, but the tone of his voice was begging him to do it.

“I need to. Please, love.”

Nodding, Chris undid his belt and opened his slacks.

Kenn nuzzled in, inhaling deep, breathing that heady, musky scent in.

“Fuck. Babe. Oh God.” Chris slid his fingers into his hair.

“I love you,” Kenn whispered, lips opened as he breathed on Chris’s balls through his underwear.

“Yes. Please.”

Yeah. Kenn moaned, rose and eased Chris out of his briefs, his belly aching with his need. He felt the tremor going through Chris’s legs and knew Chris was affected by this too.

A pounding came to the bedroom door. “Daddy? Daddy, Micah broke the red crayon!”

“It was an accident! I said I was sorry!”

Kenn was going to cry.

“Shit.” Chris cleared his throat. “Just a minute.” Then he bent and kissed Kenn hard. “I’ve got this. And then we’re going to run the kids ragged so we get some uninterrupted time tonight.” Chris tucked himself in and zipped his slacks back up.

“No fair.” Kenn didn’t want to be all cool about this.

“I know.”

Sarah beat on the door again. “Daddy!”

“I do love you, Kenn Greyson. Come down when you’re ready.”

“Two minutes.” Just enough to keep himself from having a temper tantrum.

Chris nodded and headed out to corral the kids.

Kenn banged his head against the door and thumped his cock, hard. Goddamn it. All he’d wanted was a taste, was to feel Chris’s thick heat between his lips and against his tongue. He wanted to make Chris moan. It looked like he was going to have to wait, though.

Anticipation, right? It was supposed to be good. As long as it didn’t kill him.

C
HRIS
READ
the fourth book of the night, sitting on the big king bed, Kenn on the other side, with the kids curled up between them. They were probably too old for Goodnight Moon, but he was pretty sure it wasn’t what he was reading that was important, but the fact that they were all together for the bedtime ritual.

All together. It had a great ring to it.

They had enjoyed a beautiful day, with the window-shopping, a long peaceful lunch, and pizza for supper. He’d forgotten how funny Kenn was, how clever and quick. It had been wonderful to be a family again.

He had to admit, though, right now he was ready for the kids to go to bed so he and Kenn could have some grown-up time. Whether they picked up where they’d left off that morning or just talked and held each other while they slept, he was ready. Though he had to admit, he wanted to feel Kenn’s mouth around his cock again.
Please.

“Okay, you two. Bedtime.” Kenn sounded as if they were on the same page.

“Just one more, Da! Pleeeease.” Sarah was pretty good at wheedling. But tonight he didn’t have an empty bed to look forward to—he had Kenn.

“Sorry, sweetie. It’s time for bed. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve!”

“Yep, and we have lots to do,” Kenn told them. “Cookies. Supper. Cleaning your rooms.”

“Awww, Daddy!”

Chris had to bite back his laugh at the twin looks of dismay on the kids’ faces.

“Okay.” He made an attempt to corral them and hurry them along. “Come on. Last one in bed is a silly monkey.”

“Night, Dad.” Micah kissed Kenn’s cheek and crawled off the bed while Sarah wrapped her hands around Chris’s shoulders.

He gave her a hug. “Are you a silly monkey?”

“Ooo, ooo, ooo!”

He carried her to her room. The blanket was back to being the pink and purple one he remembered, and the toy box was filled. Suddenly the big house he’d been rattling around in was home again. He put her in bed and kissed her cheek before tucking the covers around her. “Good night, sweet girl.”

“Good night, Da.” She patted his cheeks. “It’s going to be good.”

From her mouth to God’s ears.

He nodded. “It is.”

“Tell Daddy to come too.”

“Kenn. Her Majesty needs a kiss good night.”

“You got it. Micah’s almost asleep already.”

“I’ll go give him a kiss. Good night, baby girl.” He turned his face and kissed her hand.

“Good night, Da.”

His husband was waiting for his kiss too. Kenn gave Sarah a kiss and they held hands as they went to Micah’s room, finding him already asleep. Which meant they could go to their room. They could have grown-up time. Yes.

Squeezing Kenn’s hand, he was proud of himself for not running down the hall.

“This is real, right?” Kenn asked.

“Yeah, but I think we need to really sink into each other for it to feel real.” And he meant that literally.

They got back to the bedroom, and he tugged Kenn in, his body thrumming with excitement. He locked the door behind them and stood there in front of the man he’d loved for years and almost lost. They just stared at each other for the longest time, like they were frozen right here.

“Still love you,” Kenn said quietly.

Chris nodded. “Yeah, I love you too.”

The words broke whatever it was that was holding them in place, and he bent to kiss Kenn. His gorgeous little hard-bodied lover. He let go of Kenn’s hand and slid his fingers along Kenn’s waist, exploring it. He loved the sexy little six-pack, the way the muscles moved for him. Kenn’s smooth skin jerked under his fingertips, so sensitive.

He pushed Kenn’s shirt up, touching all the way. His fingers were practically trembling. He couldn’t believe he was doing this, that they were at this point.

“I feel breathless.” Kenn sounded it too.

Chris understood. “Yeah. Like I can’t breathe, and like if I do, it’ll shatter everything.” Which maybe explained some of the frozen feeling.

“It won’t. We already broke everything. Now’s for gluing it back together.”

“Yeah. That’s a good analogy.” He took Kenn’s mouth for another kiss, stepping up so their bodies touched. He wasn’t sure if the resulting whimper came from him or Kenn. He supposed it didn’t matter. Either way, it worked.

Kenn tugged Chris’s sweater, pushing it up toward his nipples. He sucked his breath in, holding it as he waited for those fingers to reach his eager nips. He hadn’t been touched since Kenn left.

“Still like this?” Kenn asked.

He nodded. “I think so. You’ll have to keep going and see.”

“Let me know if it’s changed.” Kenn circled his nipples, teasing with his fingertips.

“It’s changed,” he said, voice tight. The touch nearly had him hitting the ceiling. “It’s better.”

“Mmm. Yeah?” Kenn leaned forward, lips brushing his chest, tongue teasing the tip of his nipple.

His cock went from “oh yeah” to painfully hard. This time he knew the whimper was his own.

Kenn palmed his cock through his jeans, fingers moving nice and easy.

“Gonna send me flying.” He thought if Kenn actually touched his bare cock, it would be all over.

“Mmm. You’ll get it up again?”

“For you. Absolutely.” It felt like their chemistry, which had always been good, was now off the charts.

“Okay, then.” Kenn opened his jeans and stroked a line along his shaft.

“Oh God. Bed?” Chris asked as his knees buckled. Over a year since he’d felt another’s touch. And this wasn’t just any other. This was Kenn.

Kenn’s arm looped around him and they went to the bed.

“Should I get you naked, then?” Kenn asked.

“Can we get each other naked?” He just wanted to touch and be touched, to come, to give.

“Works for me.” Kenn kicked off his shoes and then reached for Chris’s sweater again.

Chris raised his arms, helping. Then he dropped his hands and undid his belt.

“Mmm.” That was a warm, satisfied sound.

“You like what you see? Still?” He let his pants drop to his ankles and stepped out of them.