Page 35 of Daddy Marc's Gem

Smiling, he folded the sandpaper to reach a small groove in the Victorian etagere he was bringing to sell at the Boston Holiday Market. But first, it needed to be refinished. The ornate oak shelf was one of five littler pieces of furniture he planned to take with him. The remaining items would be smalls that were good for gift-giving and the promised vintage holiday decorations.

The days were gradually getting shorter, but since meeting Marc the month before, the days when they weren’t together seemed endless. It had reached the point where he could no longer imagine how he could survive without a Daddy.

Without Marc.

Foster finished the edges of the top shelf, then switched to stripping the old stain off the surface part. It was almost four, so as soon as he finished this section, he’d wrap up for the day. Marc was coming over later and he wanted to have plenty of time to get ready.

Foster bit his lip, smiling to himself, heat filling his cheeks as he ran various scenes with Marc through his head. For tonight, getting ready meant making sure he was nice and clean so Marc could fuck him before they went out to dinner, fill him with his cum, then plug it inside him. He’d been getting quitethe kink education in the past few weeks and was loving every minute of it.

Dolly burst into a round of ear-splitting barking, and Foster dropped everything to see what had gotten her so worked up. He wiped his hands on a rag, wincing as the plug shifted inside him.

“Dolly! What is it, girl?” he called, quickly making his way from the garage to the front of the house.

The sight that greeted him made his stomach drop. Edward was halfway up the front steps, appearing annoyed at Dolly as she continued her frantic barking. He wore an expensive-looking suit and carried a manila envelope, his face set in that condescending expression Foster knew all too well.

“Edward?” Foster's voice came out higher than he intended. “What are you doing here?”

Edward turned, his lips curling into a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Well, hello to you too, Foster. I see you still have your loyal mutt.”

Foster pursed his lips. Damn, but Edward was condescending. How had he not realized this before?

“Is there something I can help you with?”

Edward’s eyebrows shot up. “You don’t have to berude, Foster. That’s so unlike you.”

Foster grunted. Yeah, there were plenty of things that were unlike him these days, at least in Edward’s eyes. He was so grateful to Marc for opening the door to endless possibilities and for helping him find his true self.

Foster held up his palms, shrugging. “Well? You’re here because…?”

Edward frowned, his features clouding. “Yeah, so I don’t know what’s up with you, but we need to talk. Why don’t we go inside so I can go over a few things with you.”

Edward reached for the door latch, and Foster bolted forward. “Hey! This isn’t your house anymore. You’re not welcome inside.”

Edward froze, his hand hovering over the latch, surprise crossing his face. “Excuse me?”

Foster crossed his arms, trying to appear confident despite the uncomfortable fullness in his ass. “You heard me. Whatever you need to say, you can say it out here.”

Edward's eyes narrowed. “I see you’ve found a backbone somewhere. Fine. I'm breaking the lease early. You’ve got thirty days to get you, your mangey mutt, and all that old crap that’s in the garage out of here.”

“What?” Foster's voice cracked, his jaw falling open. “You can't do that. We had an agreement.”

Edward waved the manila envelope. “Actually, I can. I've already spoken with the landlord. Brad and I are buying a house in Cambridge, and we need to clear my financial obligations to secure the loan.”

The casual way Edward mentioned his new boyfriend—the man he’d left Foster for—made his stomach twist. But it was this new betrayal of breaking their agreement that truly cut deep. His chest tightened as he struggled to process what was happening.

“But we had an agreement.” Foster’s voice sounded smaller than he’d intended. “I gave upeverythingto move here with you. You dumped me without a backward glance, never fulfilled your promise with the shop, so, and now you want to throw me into the street? The least you could do was keep your word on thisonething!”

Edward rolled his eyes. “Plans change, Foster. That’s life. You’ve always been so naive about these things.” He trotted down the steps and thrust the envelope at him. “All the details are in here. The landlord agreed since I found someone willing to take over at a higher rent.”

Foster shifted his weight, wincing as the plug moved inside him. The discomfort only added to his growing distress.

Edward’s eyes narrowed again, his gaze tracking Foster's subtle movements. “What the hell is wrong with you? You keep squirming. If you’ve got to take a leak, don’t let me stop you.”

Foster’s face went hot, mortification washing over him. Before he could stammer out a response, the rumble of a familiar engine caught his attention. Marc’s black sedan pulled into the driveway, and relief flooded through his body like a physical wave.

Edward turned, his eyes widening slightly as Marc’s imposing figure emerged from the vehicle. A small smile tugged at his lips despite the situation. Marc looked gorgeous as always—dark jeans, a navy button-down with the sleeves rolled up exposing his forearms, and his beard neatly trimmed. But more than his appearance, it was the quiet confidence he radiated that made Foster’s heart skip.

“Everything okay here?” Marc's deep voice carried across the yard as he approached, his gaze moving between Foster and Edward.

---