Page 198 of Captivated

Nate nodded. “You said you’d been doing some writing. You also said it was fantasy, and that I was the main character.” He grinned. “So now I want to read it.”

Zeeb stilled. “I don’t know about that.”

He frowned. “You write beautifully. It can’t bethatbad.”

Zeeb coughed. “Oh, I don’t want you to read it cuz it’s bad, more because…well…”Lord, his face was hot.

Nate’s eyes lit up. “Now you have to tell me.”

He pushed out a sigh. “Fine. I wrote about us….” He coughed again. “Fuckin’.”

Nate gaped. “Seriously?” He grinned, then glanced around the room. “Where is it? I want to read it.”

“Now?”

He nodded. “Besides, it might give me some ideas about what else we can do.”

Zeeb already had a list, and if they did half the stuff on it, they’d both be exhausted—and very happy bunnies.

Nate’s chest was covered in a sheen of sweat, and he felt pretty damn good. Aching but good. And a very specific ache that reminded him of how they’d spent the last ten minutes.

“Can we make it last longer?” he asked.

Zeeb chuckled. “Ask me again when I’m not tied to one position. And just how long did you want it to last? This isn’t porn, y’know, when two guys go at it for a half hour. That ain’t real sex.”

“I wouldn’t know. I’ve never watched porn.” His face tightened a fraction. “Except what they made me watch in the camp, and that doesn’t count. Not that I remember much about it.” He regarded Zeeb with amusement. “Do the guys in the bunkhouse know you’ve watched gay porn?”

He snorted. “Like I’d tellthem.” Then he blinked. “Whoa, a real porn virgin. You’re an endangered species. Then my advice is, don’t start now. The real thing is so much better.”

Nate sighed. “I have a lot to learn.” His hand was on Zeeb’s chest, and there was a rhythm to the rise and fall of Zeeb’s breathing that made him feel anchored. Safe.

There were only a couple of people who made him feel that way, and one of them would be at Salvation in a few days’ time.

“Where did you just go?” Zeeb asked him.

“I was thinking about Dad. I didn’t finish what I wanted to say. You distracted me.”

“Sure that shouldn’t be dick-stracted you?” Zeeb snickered. “I’m sorry. Well, my dick isn’t, but you know.... Anyway, go back to your story.”

Nate chuckled. He dragged his fingertips through Zeeb’s damp chest hair. “It took me a while, but I realized Derek was nothing like my father. He treated me better, for one thing. He was kind, patient, and he encouraged me to find a dream—a passion—and chase it. He never once said art was unmanly.”

“My dad could’ve taken a lesson on that from him,” Zeeb muttered.

Nate laced their fingers. “Derek adopted me when I was eighteen. I couldn’t believe how simple the procedure was. And every day after that, things got a little bit better. I still had some trouble believing it was all real, and yeah, I pushed him now and then, but just like he always did, he held on. And finally, a couple of years ago, I came to a decision.” He paused, and Zeeb tightened his grip on Nate’s fingers.

“Go on. Can’t leave me hanging like that.”

“It was June fifteenth. He called me down to breakfast, the same way he always did, and when I went into the kitchen, he was chatting as he plated things up. I came up behind him, and when he turned, I held out an envelope.”

Zeeb was so quiet.

“He took out the letter and read it, then sighed, folded it up again, and put it back in the envelope. I remember feeling socrushed, so disappointed.” Nate swallowed. “Then I saw he had tears in his eyes. He pulled me to him and said ‘Of course you can call me Dad. You’re my son, Nate. Always will be. I was never sure if you wanted a father, so I stayed quiet.’”

Zeeb made a choked sound.

“The thing was? Ididwant a father. I wantedhim,someone who built me up, not tore me down. Someone who showed pride in my work, instead of telling me I was wasting my time. He was the father of my heart, and I couldn’t have asked for a better man to call Dad.”

“Come here.” Zeeb held his arm wide, and Nate snuggled against him, careful not to exert any pressure. “Thank you.”

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