Page 17 of Cedarwood Manny

“I don’t know.” He met Nathan’s gaze. “How long has it been since you got Kyle to go to bed?”

“Half an hour. He’s out.” Nathan resumed his position on the other end of the sofa. “Teeth brushed, hair combed, face clean and jammies on. He asked for water twice and stalled for five minutes, but I expected nothing less.”

“How do you do it?” Adrien blurted. “You’re still smiling.”

“I like to smile?” Nathan tipped his head. He faced Adrien. “What do you mean?”

“If I had to wrangle that boy upstairs and get him to sleep, I wouldn’t have my hair,” Adrien said. “You make it look easy.”

Nathan shrugged. “I was trained for this.”

“I want your training.”

“You’ll get it.” Nathan tucked his left leg under him and rested his left arm on the back of the sofa. “First, remember I had schooling in this. Second, I’m not his father. If he hates me, it’s not the end of the world. Third, he’s like you—he needs boundaries and schedules.”

“True.” Now that he had to watch the way his son behaved and how Nathan dealt with him, he understood.

“That said, you’re not a bad father. There’s a connection present and you’re trying. That’s huge. Some people never try. You are.” Nathan rubbed Adrien’s shoulder. “Give yourself credit. There’s room to grow, but for a start, you’re great.”

He paused. This wasn’t Gerry insulting him over his inadequacies or Kelsi taking over without including him. He could do this. “Thank you.”

“Welcome.” Nathan patted Adrien’s arm. “Since he’s up there alone, I’m going to turn in. I want to do some journaling and answer a couple of texts. Do you need anything?”

He almost repliedyou, but didn’t. “I’m fine. Thanks,” Adrien said. “I appreciate the compliments and I’m glad you’re part of the family.”

“Me, too.” Nathan left his seat. “Get your rest. You’ve got work tomorrow.” He winked, then walked out of the room.

Adrien’s pocket vibrated. His schedule for the next day popped onto his phone screen. Nathan was right—he had too much to do tomorrow. Between filling out forms for the preschool to allow Nathan to pick up and drop off Kyle, to running to the grocery store and paying bills, he had a full plate. But his world wasn’t in chaos. Yes, he had too much to do, but he had a partner.

He stood and stretched, then turned the light off in the family room. Adrien made the rounds of the first floor of the house, locking up and preparing to settle down for the evening. As he passed the kitchen, he spotted the pile of mail.Shit.He should take the bills to his home office for sorting in the morning. He leafed through the envelopes and a yellow one caught his attention.

Coalition Against Gays in Cedarwood

Well, hell. He’d managed to stay out of the crosshairs of the anti-gay group until now. What did they want? He turned the envelope over. Someone had written on the back.

Don’t allow your practice to be shuttered because you cater to the gay community.

What in the name of God did that mean? He catered to the entire community. Whether someone was gay or not didn’t matter to him. He saw cavities and teeth, gums and caps, not who loved a man or a woman. He tossed the letter into the garbage.Fuck that.He wasn’t about to let the coalition rule his life.

A piece of paper in the stack of mail slid onto the floor. He retrieved the pale blue sheet of paper. The words caught his attention.Support Group for Single Parents in Cedarwood.

Huh. He wondered if this was the group Kelsi and the others had mentioned. He carried the rest of the mail to the office, but kept the paper in his hand. With his phone in his pocket, he turned the rest of the lights off, locked up and headed to his bedroom.

Adrien sat on the edge of his bed and perused the flier. He recognized names of some of the members. Colin Baker, Farin Baker, Steve Moore, Officer Jordan Hargrove. He chuckled. If they were part of it, then it mustn’t be too bad. He retrieved his phone and searched for the group on his internet app. The headline under the name caught his attention.

Just because you’re a single parent doesn’t mean you’re in this alone.

The sentence sounded like something Nathan would say. He read through the rest of the information on the group. Why hadn’t he given in and checked out the support group before now? They sure seemed like an asset he should’ve used. He searched for the next meeting time, then added it to his calendar. He’d attend at least one gathering and see if he wanted to join.Why not?

He sighed and abandoned both his phone and the paper on his side table. The weight of the day crashed down on him and he closed his eyes. His life wasn’t perfect, but he had things back on track.

A vision of Nathan formed in his memory. Every time Nathan smiled, Adrien’s blood heated. He hadn’t kissed the man, but he wanted to. He longed to touch him again and experience those sparks. According to the contract for hiring Nathan, he couldn’t get involved with him.Who has to know we’re together?

He opened his eyes. Crossing lines and ignoring rules weren’t his style. He lived for order, but now he wanted to toss that order to hell. He left the bed and disrobed. Once he’d brushed his teeth and placed his watch and phone on their respective chargers, he climbed into bed with his tablet and glasses.

He tapped the icon for the internet and logged in to his favorite porn site. Christ, he was messed-up. Having a date or one-night stand wasn’t a possibility, but he could look at dirty photos and watch porn movies.Why not?He propped the tablet on his knee and eased his free hand between his legs. The man in the selected video reminded him of Nathan. He knew better than to assume Nathan might in some way be the man performing. If so, he’d never be able to manny for them.

That didn’t prevent Adrien from imagining Nathan as the man in the video. He imagined himself as the other man. Would Nathan be a top? Bottom? Sweet and tender in bed? Or an animal? He stroked himself in time with the two men fucking on the video. When they groaned, he pressed his lips together to hide his moan. He hadn’t masturbated in a few weeks, so the orgasm wasn’t far off. He planted his feet and embraced the warmth in his body. He dropped the tablet and focused on the pleasure within him. He panted.Jesus.He needed this release. He stroked faster and cupped his balls. The added sensation tipped him over the edge. He kicked the blanket out of the way as he came. From head to toe, he shuddered. Christ, he’d finished faster than he wanted. He added a couple extra strokes, then stared at the ceiling as the climax subsided. He’d wanted to fantasize about Nathan being there, but he’d lost his focus.

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