Page 14 of In Daddy's Care

“Yay,” Shane whispered as he lowered his head and skimmed his lips across Soren’s. “Thank you.” He deepened their kiss for a moment before pulling away and pressing his forehead against Soren’s. They held each other’s stare. From day one, there had been a spark between them. Still, Shane couldn’t have foreseen this. He took Soren’s hand and pressed it against his chest, over his heart. Shane needed Soren to feel how it beat only for him. “See what you do to me?” His voice broke.

Thankfully, Soren kissed him, sparing his pride. He didn’t know how long of an engagement Soren wanted. This hadn’t been planned. But for Shane, he couldn’t call Soren his husband fast enough. For the first time in his life, something belonged to him. He had never felt more humbled by fate.

Chapter Eight

His entire body ached.Adan had never worked a day in his life before The Back Porch. He was grateful as hell for the job, though, and the upstairs apartment Wrecker let him keep after Soren went to live with Shane. It was strange as hell, being alone and independent. It was also oddly empowering. He had never pictured his life this way. Adan probably would’ve curled his nose at even the thought. Then he had suddenly been terrifyingly free. Adan hadn’t even known where to start pulling his life together. A part of him expected Beau would show up out of the blue and demand Adan get back on his knees. God, he probably had scar tissue on both kneecaps from how long he had been kept there.

Now he bustled from table to table, fake smiling while pouring coffee. It wasn’t so bad. It was like playing tea party where he was the host. The job also played on the one strength he had been given in this life: his looks. It was a curse. Men had startedtouching and making passes at him when he was way too young to understand what was happening. Now he fully understood, and he was bitter as hell. Adan had played the game. He had done everything he had been told. Adan had been a good boy, except when ordered not to be. Now look at him, wearing borrowed clothes with a coffee stain on his t-shirt. No one had warned him about this stage of life. At least the tips were good.

Someone jostled him from behind as he moved to check on a table. “Excuse me.” The guy copped a feel. For a moment, Adan froze. The guy didn’t move, as if he expected Adan would fall into his arms now—like everyone wanted his touch. The bitterness inside Adan doubled. Fucking men. He hated them. Adan moved without thinking. Just like Soren had taught him, he flipped the guy end over end, tossing the guy to the floor. He ended the move with a punch to the throat.

“Don’t touch me!”

Power surged through Adan. He straightened and did a little hop. “I did that. Oh my God. That was me. Did you see that?” He caught sight of Wrecker heading his way. “Oh, no.” The excitement bled from him at Wrecker’s furious expression. “Am I fired now?” Even Adan heard the defeat in his voice.

Wrecker ripped the guy from the floor. “You’re fine. You did exactly what you should. This motherfucker has gotten handsy for the last time.”

Adan watched Wrecker as he frog-marched the guy out the door. Pride swelled in his chest again. He wished Soren had beenthere to see him in action. Adan couldn’t wait to tell him. An evil-sounding laugh cut through his excitement. Chills ran down Adan’s spine. He knew that laugh. His eyes fell closed. It was his worst nightmare come true. There had never been any true hope of escape.

Laughter filled the air. With the furniture pushed back against the wall, Soren tried again to walk Izzie through the steps of their dance. Neither of them were taking things seriously. They kept erupting into laughter and starting over.

“Okay. Okay. Go get your wife, for fuck’s sake. Let me have my husband.” Shane wrapped his arm around Soren’s waist and swept him away from his dance and straight into one with him. People whistled loudly, cheering them on as Shane immediately fell into step without missing a beat. Soren still couldn’t stop laughing. He was having the best time. The cabin in Colorado had become exactly what Banks’ mother had hoped it would. It was the place they went, taking more and more found family each time, filling the place with happiness and memories.

They danced their way to where Axton sat, looking out of place, as always. Soren had a feeling, despite this not being his scene, they were all he had. So Axton kept showing up and taggingalong. Soren couldn’t let him feel like an outsider. He pulled Axton to his feet.

“Come on. You’re not getting out of this.”

Axton stood but didn’t dance. In biker boots and ripped jeans, he wasn’t what anyone would expect to find ballroom dancing. Axton pulled a hair tie from his pocket and put his hair into a messy bun. Then, to everyone’s shock, Axton gently pushed Shane aside. “That isn’t the dance that goes with this song.”

Soren found himself swept across the floor in a fast-paced mambo. He hadn’t danced with a professional since Izzie’s wedding, and even then, he hadn’t done the mambo. Thankfully, Soren fell right into things—like riding a bike. Except Soren didn’t ride bikes. That sounded horrid. Everyone’s open shock soon fell away, and the cheering began. When the dance ended in a deep dip, Axton was smiling. Soren didn’t see that often. He straightened, steadying Soren before he let go. “I was raised by ladder-climbing socialites. Jarek and I were both expected to play the part at parties.” Axton’s smile faltered as he spoke. Soren wondered which hurt: the parents or his brother. Likely, all of them. That was something Soren fully understood.

“It doesn’t look like you’ve forgotten a thing.” Soren smacked his arm, as if he hadn’t just hit a guy who spent a decade in prison for murder. “Now quit sitting on the sidelines and join us. We’re your family. Stop acting like you’re not one of us.”

Axton brightened again. “But being dark and mysterious is my thing.”

Soren snorted and steered him toward Izzie. “You should be all dark and mysterious with Izzie. She wants to learn, and you’re better than me.”

To his surprise, Axton didn’t argue. Soren watched the pair say a few words before Axton showed her some steps.

Shane wrapped his arm around Soren and kissed his temple. “That was nice of you. Axton doesn’t really have anyone else.”

“He does now.” Judging by the way Jarek looked desperate each time he saw Axton, the guy still had his brother too, if he bothered to notice.

Shane pulled him into a slow dance, even though it didn’t match the music. “Did you notice Banks and Kyson have disappeared?”

Soren looked around. Sure enough, the pair were gone. “Well, dang. Where did they go?”

Shane kissed his ear in the perfect way to have goosebumps rising on Soren’s skin. “I imagine to do the same thing I’m about to do to you.”

Soren realized he had been slow danced straight into the bedroom he shared with Shane. Shane backed him against the inside of the closed bedroom door. His sexy expression had Soren ready to melt.

“You know I’m the luckiest guy alive, right?”

Shane always made his insides quiver with happiness when he said things like that. “I thought that was me.”

Shane bent. His mouth found Soren’s neck. “Two things can be true at the same time.”

Soren panted while Shane sucked his neck. He was more than ready to go. Shane suddenly pulled away.

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