Chad had to ball his fists together to keep from running his fingers through his freshly styled hair under the worry and anxiety they possibly faced. Ducky hadn’t had an easy life and deserved better. More than anything else, he wanted to be a source of peace for Ducky.
Determination made him pick up his cell phone, ignoring the silent rapid-fire notifications crossing the screen as he searched his recent calls. He had nine missed calls from his father. The same amount from his mother. Tristan had only sent one text message.
Chad opened the text first. Four simple words that built confidence in his decision. “I’m proud of you.”
Tears filled his eyes. His family’s unconventional life had had the potential to implode around them. Instead, the commitment they all had for one another built a super-functional blended family. Tristan couldn’t be a better parental figure. Chad quickly typed his true appreciation, “I needed to hear that, thank you. I’m calling Dad now. Is it a good time?”
The man who owned the world, operated multiple large businesses with an employee base of several hundred thousand people worldwide, always put his family first as indicated by the immediate bouncing blue balls of a reply.
“Yes. He’s in the office, monitoring the stir you caused.” A high-five emoji followed. He could hear the laughter Tristan gave as he sent the message.
“You ready?” Ducky asked from the living room, hovering just beyond the bedroom door. He probably knew what would happen if he came any further inside his room. Ducky looked good in the T-shirt he had given him, which was also now paired with athletic shorts. What he liked the most was the way Ducky wore the ball cap with the brim facing backward. The look fit Ducky’s face perfectly.
His traitorous cock plumped. He physically wanted Ducky, but it would have to wait. Besides, he had to prove to himself and Ducky, they were more than just a good lay. They fit together in every part of their lives.
He looked down at his cock, reprimanding its constant need.You. Will. Wait.
“Yeah,” he finally said in a breathy voice, and lifted his phone, doing a little wave before pulling up his father’s contact information, initiating the call. “I’m calling my dad now.”
“Come in here.” Ducky nodded his head toward the sofa. His innocent look quickly morphed into X-rated when he added that sexy crooked grin.
Chad didn’t allow himself to consider the double entendre Ducky used as a suggestion.
His father answered on the first ring.
“I’ve been worried about you,” Dylan Reeves said by way of a greeting.
Chad lifted the phone to better see his father’s image. The fine lines of fatigue ringed the sides of his eyes. The guilt that usually followed when dealing with his father tamped down any arousal he’d managed as he followed Ducky’s instruction, heading into the living room. “I’m sorry. We just found out the video was out there. Our phones died…”
“That’s not what I mean,” his dad interrupted, moving his face more predominantly into the phone’s screen. “How are you?”
“I’m good, Dad,” Chad said, taking the seat on the sofa next to Ducky. He didn’t allow an inch of space between them. "Great actually. I wish I could have told you before you saw the video. We didn’t know it was posted.”
Dylan nodded, still staring intently at Chad but saying nothing more. He could see what Cate said about his father being hurt. He’d been unfair to his dad. Regret caused the truth to tumble from his lips without any further prompting.
“I’ve been into Ducky for half my life. I just never told anyone. I liked his attitude toward life and that grew into feelings for him. When you came out, it was stunning to me because I’d been hiding for years, but I still couldn’t make a move on Ducky. I thought he was straight. It’s been a whole head issue thing for me.”
“Your mom told me this morning,” Dylan said and blew out an unsteady breath as he wiped a hand down his face. “I didn’t see this coming. It wasn’t on my radar. You two took me by surprise. Tristan feels like I sometimes hover too closely over you and the girls. I’m sorry if that’s the case. It’s not my intention. I only want you to be happy.” His dad’s eyes, a mirror image of his own, pinned him in place. “I like Ducky. I’ve mentioned him to Cate several times. If I had only known I should have been talking to you.”
Chad grinned and positioned the phone toward Ducky who lifted a hand in a wave. “Hi, Mr. Reeves. Sorry for all the chaos. We’ve been unplugged.”
The gravity of his father’s stare now included Ducky. The same worried expression gave pause before he finally nodded. “Probably the best call for now. How together are you two?”
“Together, together,” Chad answered, tilting his head to be visible on the screen with Ducky. He reached for Ducky’s hand, threading their fingers together, lifting their joined hands to the phone for his dad to see.
A single nod came again, this time with a smile. “Good. You two are very similar people. Unfortunately, Ducky, I’ve had to give the approval to ban your brother Donny from Secret. We wiped his entire account. We’re tracking his IP address to ensure he doesn’t try to come back under a different name. He’s been very vocal in his hatred over the last twenty hours. We deemed him dangerous and unstable. He’s hitting the tabloids now. They’re covering him mainly due to the focus on your new ad campaign. You should probably check in with Dallas.”
Ducky’s body tensed beside him. “I have Donny blocked on StreamTrainer. Have you done a scan for him there?”
“I did,” his father said. “I don’t like to breach those boundaries, but you weren’t here, and I’m not sure of your office backup…”
“No, sir. You did the right thing.” Ducky lifted his cell phone now attached to a power bank to charge. “It’s been off, but I see Dallas’s messages. I’ll call him. I’m sorry we put you in this situation.”
Dylan shook his head. “It’s fine. Better since I heard from you two.”
Ducky nodded again and pushed off the sofa, his phone his focus, his thumbs moving wildly over the screen. “I’m gonna get online.”
Chad watched Ducky’s retreat to his bedroom. Tension had his back ramrod straight and quickened his steps.
