Page 58 of The Grizzly Situation
“Chaim never bottoms?”
“I never want him to. It’s going to sound stupid, but I have this vision of Chaim in my head. He’s the leader, the one who directs us, who guides us through the tough times. He needs to maintain total control, and if he were to bottom, I’m not sure I could look at him the same way.” He tapped his temple. “It’s a mindset thing. I needed—need—the guidance he provides, and to that end he always needs to be in control.”
“I’ve told Benjy I’d try if he wanted, but he’s always turned me down flat. Don’t get me wrong, bottoming isn’t something I can see myself doing, but for my mate? I’d sure as hell try.”He stroked a hand over Benjy’s cheek. “I would do anything for him.”
Benjy shivered. “After that game, he sought me out. Every time he found me, he’d grind his dick against mine and kiss me. I’d never been kissed like that before, nor touched in that manner. I knew if others saw us, they’d say he was taking advantage of me, but if I’m honest, he was going too slow for me. One night, he found me pacing on the football field. He came over and pulled me in, grinding for all he was worth. Then I pushed away and he frowned. Before he could say anything, I dropped to my knees and fished his cock out of his pants, then took him into my mouth.”
Benjy was relaying the story as if I wasn’t even there. Judging by how he was staring at Chaim, maybe in his eyes I wasn’t and he was reliving a treasured memory.
“He clamped his hands around my head, and I was sure he was about to fuck my face. Instead he pulled me up and kissed me as he said we needed a proper place. That night, he took me back to his room and showed me in no uncertain terms why he was in charge. After that first time, I never wanted to be apart from him. I spoke with my parents and explained that I wanted to play ball with Chaim—even if they thought it was football—we ended up moving here and went undefeated. When we were kicked out, the two of us went to college together, falling deeper and deeper in love every day.”
“It was hard,” Chaim continued. “We were both working two jobs each, trying to make enough to pay for school. Benjy said he’d quit and just bring in the money so that I could graduate and he could go later. I disabused him of that idea right quick.”
“I’d never been spanked, but Chaim knew how to get me to listen to him.”
“And it works to this day.”
Benjy chuckled. “Did you ever think there are times I want it and that’s why I argue with you?”
Chaim mock gasped. “Why you little bastard.”
Then the two of them were kissing and I was feeling all kinds of awkward. I got up and trudged to the kitchen, the sound of frenching loud in my ears.
I want to do that with Uly.
And I wanted it with a desperation I hadn’t felt since before Jenna died.
Chapter Sixteen
BRENT
Ulyand the boys didn’t make it down for the pizza and soup. In fact, other than a bathroom break they slept all night. Admittedly, I checked in on them a few times and stood to watch them sleep. It was a delight to find Uly cuddled with the boys. To see him wrapped protectively around them, like a mother would.
I knew he wasn’t a woman. I mean, that was obvious. But he stepped into the role like he was born to it. He put the kids at ease, let them know he’d be here and wouldn’t walk away. There was no way to be certain it was true. He and I hadn’t known each other long enough for me to determine that, but down deep I trusted him.
Closing the door, I made my way back to the great room where Benjy and Chaim were still making out like horny teenagers. I might have been a little jealous. There had always been a spark of it when I was a kid. To see them so happy was both balm and bomb to my soul, mostly because it reminded me how miserable I was.
Then, in the blink of an eye, that all changed, and I was the happiest man to walk the earth. And that happiness was tripled with the arrival of the boys. After Jenna died, the luster was gone from my life, but my boys helped me polish that burnish off and find joy again. Interacting with people wasn’t as hard as it had been for a while, and I became… well, not happy, but settled.
And then I met Uly.
That day in the diner his expression of defeat tugged at my heart, making me want to do nothing less than banish it from his face. Then he ran out, and I heard the sob as the door closed and I knew that I couldn’t leave him alone to suffer. I told my people I wanted a full accounting of the books done by someone else until we could get our own firm up and running. Then I took off after Uly.
I realize now that his scent was hidden by the coffee first, then the chocolate cake, so I didn’t notice it completely. Once he arrived in town? Yeah, that all opened my senses up fully and I was mired in the scent that was similar, but definitely not the same. Jenna’s had been all flowers, while Uly was cake and coffee blended with a light sprinkle of flower petals. Hers was sweeter, softer. His was bolder, kinder. I would never mistake Uly for my wife, even though they shared something in common.
“We’re leaving tomorrow,” Chaim said as he pulled away from Benjy.
I didn’t like that news at all. “But you just got here.”
He shrugged. “Can’t leave the diner for too long.”
I wanted him to stay. Having Chaim, Benjy, and their kids here would bring my family back together.
“What if you opened a diner here?” I asked, bordering on desperation. In my head I could see them driving away again, waving as they disappeared into the distance.
He tilted his head. “C’mon, cub, we talked about this. Idanha is our home.”
No. I refused to accept that. “Thisis your home!” I snarled. “Tell me the truth. If it wasn’t for my father, would you have left?”
