Page 20 of Finding His Forever

Before the last syllable was out of his mouth, Matthew found himself flat on his back with Del’s bigger body on top of him. TheDom scowled. “I have no intention of kicking you to the curb, pup.”

It occurred to Matthew to retort that since they were inhisapartment, that was probably the wrong idiom to use, but Del didn’t give him a chance to say anything, crushing their mouths together in a searing kiss. Seconds, minutes, hours, or maybe even eons later, Matthew panted for oxygen when Del pulled away. “I love you, Matthew. I know that sounds crazy because we’ve only known each other for a short time, but I’ve never felt this way. And I’ve never said those words to anyone in my life other than my mother. I can’t imagine my life without you. Can’t remember what it was like before I met you. You’re mine for as long as you’ll have me. I’m hoping it’ll be forever.”

Gaping, Matthew stared at him. His brain had short-circuited just as it’d done during his earlier orgasm. “L-love? You love me? D-did I hear you right, or am I dreaming?” He pinched his own nipple hard and yelped. “Nope! Not dreaming.”

Del laughed. “No, you’re not dreaming or hearing things, pup. Maybe my timing is wro??—”

“No! I mean, I—I love you too. I think I fell in love with you the first night we met when you grabbed my wrist and brushed your thumb over it.” He could still remember the shiver that went down his spine and the tingles he’d felt all over. Then again, those things happened every time Del touched him.

Leaning down, Del kissed him again, then rolled onto his back, taking Matthew with him until they were in their original position. “Okay, now. About that thing I wanted to talk about??—”

“You mean it wasn’t the fact that you love me?” He tilted his chin so he could see Del’s face.

“While that was an important side subject, and it makes what I have to say a little easier, I hope??—”

“Sir, you’re scaring me now.” Matthew had never heard his Dom sound so unsure of himself, and worry flooded him. They’djust said “I love you” to each other, so why did it feel like a bomb would explode in the room?

Del took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I told you I create apps and do coding for a living through my own company.”

“Right. While I wasn’t paying attention.” When Del growled and pinched Matthew’s side, he squealed and tried to shift away. “Sorry! I’m paying attention now. I promise.”

“Good.” Pulling Matthew closer again, Del brushed his lips across the younger man’s forehead. “So, about three years ago, I created a fitness app. It gained popularity, and another company approached me last year to buy it. I was surprised, but after months of negotiations, we completed the sale. That was right before I moved here.”

“Wow, that’s great.” Matthew didn’t know what else to say. Other than using apps, he had no clue what went into creating them. “But why didn’t you keep it? I mean, don’t you make money through in-app purchases and advertisers?”

After a few heartbeats, Del responded, “Matthew, I sold it for six hundred fifty million dollars.”

A deafening silence descended over the room. Matthew tried to comprehend what Del had said and thought he was hearing things again. Maybe he should make an appointment to see an audiologist.

“Pup?”

Confused, he sat up, his gaze darting around Del’s face. “I’m sorry. It sounded like you said s-six hundred fifty . . . m-million dollars.”

“Yeah, that was pretty much my reaction at first too.”

Matthew’s eyes widened. “You’re a . . . a . . . a . . .” He gulped, unable to say the word on the tip of his tongue.

“A millionaire. Yes. Actually, a multi-millionaire.” Del ran a hand down his face. “God, it’s still so weird to say out loud or even think about.”

“Whoooooa.” Dumbfounded, he sat stock still and tried to think of something to say. His brain was fried from the shock. “I—I—I think I’m speechless for the first time in my life.”

A bark of laughter erupted from Del. “Well, if that’s the case, I’m honored to be the cause of it.” He pulled Matthew back down to rest against his side. “Very few people know. My two best friends, Randy and Brian, the owners of The Covenant, whoever did my background check for the club, and people at the company that bought it from me. Oh, and my fucking father knows.”

“How did he find out?” From what little he’d heard about Del’s sperm donor, there was no love there—just well-deserved hate. He couldn’t imagine Del telling the man he was now a millionaire.

“I’m not sure. The only thing I can think of is he somehow discovered that DelTech is my company and heard about the sale when it was announced to the media. Showed up at my apartment in Ohio the next day, demanding five million dollars. Said he deserved it since the only reason I was alive was because he got my mother knocked up.”

“What a fucking asshole! I hope you kicked his ass!”

Del smirked. “In hindsight, I wish I did. Instead, I slammed the door in his face and called the cops when he wouldn’t leave. Got a restraining order the next day and decided to move.”

“What made you pick Tampa?”

“One of my best friends was a Major League baseball player, and I came down here almost every year to watch the pre-season games. I liked the area, so I decided to move here.”

Matthew popped back up into a sitting position again. “Wait a minute. You’re good friends with a Major League player? Who?”

“He’s retired now, but Brian Hendrix.”

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