Page 50 of Only Temporary

“It’s just... Braylen and Kieran have class parties, and Braylen asked me to go to his, so I thought I’d go to both. But what if I fuck that up somehow?”

He’s smiling now, his finger dragging over my bicep. “You showing up is literally all you have to do. You won’t mess it up.”

“But...”

He places his finger over my lips. “You won’t. I think it’s great Braylen wants you there. That’s a big step.”

I nod my head, the dread still there, but I was happy as hell when he asked. “He also wanted to go trick-or-treating. It’s all so...”—I lock eyes with him—“normal.”

His smile is kind. “Have they ever been?”

I shake my head. “I don’t think so. I mean...” I pause because I feel kind of stupid, but I continue when I look into his caring eyes. “When Cason and Rae were really little, I was like thirteen, and Cason asked me to take them. I had never been, but I knew enough. I made them capes out of this ratty blanket we had on our couch and masks out of paper.”

I see the smile tugging at his pretty lips. “They were superheroes.”

I nod. “Yeah. It seemed to take forever to find a place that actually opened the door, let alone had candy. But they were so happy that night, sharing their meager earnings.”

“I bet that’s a wonderful memory for them.”

I scoff. “I bet they don’t even remember it.”

His hand slides over my face, and he leans in to kiss me. “I bet they do. You’re a wonderful big brother, and now you can do the same for Braylen and Kieran.”

God, I hope so. The last thing I want to do is let any of them down.

TWENTY-TWO

Okay, he can’t get any hotter. It’s just impossible. He comes home wearing coveralls, grease on his face, and his hair a little messy, and I’m ready to strip naked for him right here and now.

So not a good idea because the house is full of his siblings and Tatum. It’s Halloween, and I just made it here after my office Halloween party, but I made it. Kellan sent pictures to me today from Braylen and Kieran’s class parties—both boys dressed up in mainstream superhero costumes, but I loved the subtle nod to Raegan and Cason’s costumes Kellan told me about.

“Kellan, that’s not a costume,” Braylen whines when he sees him.

“Of course it is,” I argue, still dressed from my own office party as a vampire.

“No,” Braylen says, folding his arms over his chest. “That’s what he wears for work.”

I grin. “And who says I’m not a vampire on my days off?” I tease and hand Kellan a plate with sliders Tatum grilled before I got here. I have to say, the man is an asset for sure. He’s there when Kellan can’t be—he had to work a little later today, since he went to both parties at the school. And Tatum stepped right in and was here for the kids.

It’s clear he cares about this family as if it’s his own.

Kellan quickly eats, and then Tatum leaves—apparently, he has a date—before Kellan and I take the younger kids out to trick-or-treat. Something I haven’t done for a long time but I enjoy quite a bit. Cason and Raegan stayed at the house but were there to go through Braylen and Kieran’s candy when we got back.

When the kids are in bed, I take a few moments to sit on the couch with Kellan, but we can’t touch. It feels like ages since he’s been inside me, even though it’s only been a week.

“When’s our next date?” he asks, reading my mind.

I turn to look at him with a sly grin. “When’s the next time you can get away?”

“Soon, I hope.” He leans into me, his deep voice rumbling in my ear. “I can’t wait to be inside you again.”

My whole body is racked with pleasure, and I have to move my hand between my legs, pushing on my erection to try to calm my raging libido. “When is your court date again?”

He sighs. “Seven months.”

We both groan. “It’ll go by quick, right?”

“I hope so. This is torture.”

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