Page 27 of Matteo's Mettle
“I didn’tabandonhim,” Josh bites back, defensive and snarkier than usual. “He’s a grown ass man. He’s twenty years older than you and me, my dude. He can handle himself just fine.”
Ash intervenes, smacking Josh just as he had earlier. “Except it was his birthday, we all knew he wasn’t in a great place emotionally or mentally, and Matt told us that the only reason he and London even got to talking was because some other asswipe was getting in his face, which wouldn’t have happenedif you’d been there.”
“Ah, so Josh is getting himself in trouble again, there’s a surprise,” Chance observes as he and Ted casually saunter into the room. Unlike London, they have no qualms just letting themselves into my house. To be honest, I don’t usually have an issue with it. But, now that I’m seeing someone, maybe I need to set boundaries. I wouldn’t want them to walk in on something private, after all.
Or I could just start locking the front door like a normal person.
Chance is a pretty affable guy. He’s in his late thirties and, like Asher, has never been a gym rat. He’s confident in his dad bod, scruffy reddish beard and near buzz cut, and more power to him for that. Ted is about my age and also happens to be Ash’s boss – a senior partner at a local law firm. He’s got a real silver fox vibe about him, and I think he looks kind of like George Clooney, with his brown hair liberally streaked with gray, and his athletic build still well kept. They’re both wearing jeans and t-shirts: not a surprise in Chance’s case, but Ted usually appears at our get-togethers in a suit on a worknight. I suppose that he might have gone to the gym or something after work, but it still takes me a minute to process the unexpected outfit.
“Fuck you,” Josh rolls his eyes, but he’s smirking at our friends. Then he addresses Ash with a sigh. “But, yeah, okay, you’re right. I messed up. I’m sorry.”
“Apologize to Matt, dumbass, not me.”
I flick a hand in the air to prevent Josh from doing that before I make the introductions between the newcomers and London. “Chance and Ted, this is London Hayes. London, these are my friends, Chance Baker and Ted Masters.” I don’t get off London’s lap, though, so he’s left to just nod at the guys, and they chuckle and nod back.
“Forgive me,” Ted says, dragging one of the dining chairs out into the living room and situating it between the couch and the armchair London and I have commandeered, “but you’re not at all what I expected when Ash said Matt had a new Daddy.”
“Ted…” I growl in warning.
He laughs, all blinding white teeth and knowing eyes. As far as I’m aware, he never told anyone about the time I asked him if he’d be interested in being my Daddy not long after I was first introduced to the group and I’m grateful for that.
It was only awkward for a little while, and he was very kind about explaining, as most Daddies had, that I wasn’t his type. To be honest, I don’t think it would have worked out even if he had been interested. He’s too polished, and our personalities would have clashed as Daddy and boy. I much prefer him as a friend.
With hands up in surrender, Ted shakes his head. “It’s just an observation, Matt.”
“Is it the age thing?” London asks in a neutral tone. “Or does my boy have a type I’m not aware of?”
“Mostly the age thing,” Ted answers easily. He shrugs. “However, Matt’s never brought anyone new into the group, so I’ll admit that I’ve made assumptions where I probably shouldn’t have.”
“You think?” I scoff.
“Aww, c’mon, Matt,” Chance has dropped into the armchair at my other side, “you’re such a private person. I don’t think I’ve even seen you little more than a handful of times, and you never talk about what kind of Daddies you’re into.”
I can feel my cheeks burning again.
Why did I ever think introducing them all to London was a good idea?
Chapter Ten – London
Ican feel Matt getting increasingly more agitated with his friends and their not-at-all subtle probing as the conversation continues. They seem like nice enough guys, even if I still resent Josh for the way he’d treated Matt on his birthday, regardless of the fact that I probably wouldn’t be with Matt if he hadn’t been left alone.
Matt’s best friend, Ash, is a couple of years younger than me, but it’s obvious that he cares a lot about my boy, and that makes me appreciate him even more for it. And, when Ash’s fiancé, Charlie, turns up, I find myself easily drawn into conversation with the guy. He looks a lot like Josh, which isn’t a surprise as they’re brothers, but is older and gives off a much more authoritative vibe.
“Charlie was also a cop,” Matt explains as if he’s reading my mind, “but…” He trails off uncertainly.
Charlie gives him a crooked smile. He’s sitting on the couch and has Ash in his lap, a mirror image of Matt and I. I know they’re also in a Daddy/little relationship, and that Charlie has stood in as a caregiver for Matt over the last couple of years so the two littles could have playdates. It’s obvious that he also genuinely cares about Matt, and I don’t know how to express gratitude for that. He finishes Matt’s story for him with an easy shrug. “But a GSW brought an early end to my career, and now I’m trying to get some new businesses off the ground.”
“Yikes,” I blink, having been unaware of that. “That sounds like some scary shit. But Ash was telling me about the kind of community hub you want to get up and running, and I’m kind of in awe of that.” I repeat my offer to see if the company I work for can assist with any landscaping needs. We probably can’t do it for free, but maybe we could offer some sort of price cut. Hell, I’m even happy to sketch up plans and do a budget for them in my down time.
While Charlie and I chat about that, Matt relaxes back into me some more. I had been beginning to worry that he was keeping me separate from his friends for some reason, but I realize now that it wasn’t a conscious act on his part. His friends are a big, boisterous bunch: all nosy and more than happy to intrude into Matt’s personal life without shame. The last of the crew, a guy named Spencer, joins us just as talk of ordering pizza starts up.
Spencer and I receive a hasty introduction and he makes no secret of the way he eyes me up and down. He’s tall and lean, his skin pale and a mop of wild dark brown hair atop his head. At a guess, I’d say he’s in his late thirties or early forties, and the rectangular, wire-rimmed glasses framing his gray-blue eyes suit him well.
“I’ll be damned,” he says to Matt, “I didn’t take you for the cradle robbing type.”
“Why’s our age gap any different to yours and Emma’s?” Matt challenges, and I watch a flash of hurt cross Spencer’s face.
“Considering she left me,” the other man grits out, “I wouldn’t say using her and me as an example helps you here, man.”
