Page 78 of Hearts of Fairlake

His orgasm came with a muted yelp as he tensed, and I felt his dick pulse in my palm. Part of me regretted the 'waste' of his cum spraying on his stomach and chest but still reveled in the feel of its warmth as it puddled against my hand before I finally let my dick slip from inside him, letting both of us have the next few minutes to get ourselves together and begin using our thinking brains once more.

Which was easier said than done.

“Alright,” he managed to gasp as he lay there catching hisbreath desperately. “I think…we can safely say this is doable with kids around.”

“I told you that two days ago,” I said with a chuckle. “But you were too worried about…everything.”

“I had a lot on my mind,” he protested.

“And now?”

“Not so much on my mind…so that’s good.”

“I’m glad I could be of service,” I chuckled, rubbing his calf affectionately. “So, who’s going to handle breakfast?”

“I’d like to think our collaborative efforts are absolutely on point, so…both?”

“Both it is, then.”

“After…I remember how to walk.”

There was no point in denying the warmth that blossomed in my chest at his words, and I continued to stroke his leg affectionately. For someone who always fretted about what was going to come out of his mouth, he was good at finding the right things to say. Of course, that always seemed to happen when hewasn’tthinking too hard about it. If we could just get him to stop second-guessing everything he was going to say, he’d have less to worry about. It was a paradox neither of us had been able to solve, but at the very least, I could say I was special enough to be on the receiving end of it when we were alone.

My ego was even more pleased when it took him another ten minutes before he was confident about leaving the bed to get up and dressed. It had the added benefit of making sure neither of us was red in the face or sweaty. I was less concerned about Gray knowing what was happening privately than Felix, but I also agreed we didn’t need to broadcast those things.

“Good game,” I teased, slapping his butt as we left the bedroom. It wasjusthard enough that I knew it sent a jolt of pain through him, especially when he gave me a dirty look.

“Yes, sports ball, good game, ass,” he muttered but ribbed me gently as we walked down the hallway. The move from Fovel to Fairlake had come easily for us, me more than him. It still amused me at times that for someone who’d spent so much of his life hopping all over the place and going with the current, he was notoriously difficult when it came to change.

That, I had come to learn, had been a product of needing stability, but, having resigned himself to that not happening, he’d given up and protected himself by forcing himself to ‘accept’ whatever happened. Now that he was in one place, with the same people, in a stable relationship, that need for stability had come back from the depths with a rabidness that was impressive and a little...furious at times.

The key was to give him as much warning as possible before something significant came his way. Then, it was just a matter of letting him work through it. Sometimes, that just meant talking about it whenever it popped into his head, but usually, it meant letting him let loose with the flurry of emotions racing through his head in a safe place and without making him feel like he was being ridiculous. After that, it just came down to letting whatever internal process in his subconscious work things out until he was ready to move forward.

It wasn’t my preferred style of dealing with things, but I wasn’t him. So sure, he could be a little dramatic and…passionate, but despite what he thought, I liked those things about him most of the time. My family was pretty emotional, save for my mother and myself, so having a husband like that was familiar and comforting. Plus, sometimes, when he was ranting and raving, he looked adorable as hell, but telling him that was a quick way to find myself in deep trouble, so I kept that opinion to myself.

We stopped in the doorway leading into the kitchen and dining area when we found Gray sitting at the table. Hewas already dressed and ready for the day, which was the norm when we woke up, but it was still earlier than usual. Then, I noticed the doorway to the small closet next to the kitchen cabinets was open a crack. Curious, I saw that the broom and dustpan were not where I’d left them the night before.

“Gray,” I began, turning to face him. “How long have you been awake?”

He shrugged. “A little while.”

Felix took note from me and peered into the sink. “Long enough to empty the sink of dishes.”

“And sweep,” I said, closing the door.

Felix turned to face the boy. “Have you…been getting up early these past few days to do chores?”

Gray peered up at him, his gaze wary but steady. “Yeah…of course.”

Felix glanced at me but I said nothing, sensing he had something he wanted to say and not wanting to talk over him. After a pause, Felix turned back toward him. “How long have you been getting up early to do chores?”

Another shrug. “A while.”

“Since…you were with your parents.”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, can I ask why?”

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