Page 38 of Treasure and Tarot

“Yeah, I hear you. I missed you too. I tried my best, you know? To do everything right.”

“Sebastian.” He reached up with his free hand to cup Sebastian’s cheek in his hand. “You have raised an amazing daughter. You’ve kept your house, even when it was damn near impossible. And not only that, you have a mentally demanding job. You’re amazing. Don’t you think you’re not good enough at anything.”

“I want—Are you going to be mad if I kiss you?” Sebastian’s eyes were huge, so pretty, so fascinating. How could he possibly be angry at his omega for wanting what he needed so bad?

“No. Not unless we dump wine, and then I would laugh.” He took the wineglasses and put them on the table that sat nearby. “Kiss away, baby.”

Sebastian laughed softly, but he flowed right onto Colton’s lap and pressed their mouths together, arms going around his neck.

Colton moaned, his body reacting so fast it left him breathless. Of course, he’d been half hard since they’d walkedinto his room, so maybe it wasn’t that quick. Bastian just did it for him.

Bastian had never been a shy lover. And that hadn’t changed, obviously, with the passage of time and the birth of their daughter.

Bastian pushed close as that sweet tongue slipped between his lips, tasting him, absolutely unafraid. His belly tightened, and he fought the urge to just drag Bastian to bed, a la a caveman.

Bastian was in charge of this. He deserved that control.

He couldn’t resist the desire to push his fingers into the heavy mass of ebony curls, shake them loose from the leather tie that held them.

Fuck, he loved this man with all his heart. Still. Even when he’d thought Sebastian had just ghosted him, the thought of seeing Sebastian again had kept him going.

And now? Now he was back to wanting it all. The house, even with all the damn steps. The white picket fence. The family to take on his adventures.

Sebastian could work from anywhere.

Bastian bit his lip. “Focus.”

“I am. On you. On how much I want you.”

“Good.” Sebastian rested their foreheads together, focused on him. “I’m scared that I’m being an idiot, but—you do it for me. Seriously. You are my person, Colton, and I don’t know how to make myself stop feeling that way.”

“So don’t. You have my word, I will never let you feel deserted again. I never intended to do it before.” And he would fall on a sword before he hurt that little girl.

That little girl who had called him Papa.

“I know. I do. Kiss me again? Please?” Sebastian’s lips were soft and hot, begging him for a deep, wild connection, which he happily gave. There was nothing on earth that would make himhappier than to bury himself in Bastian, to get lost in his omega and prove his need and his desire.

So, he kissed those swollen lips, letting his hands roam, learning all of Sebastian’s planes and contours. He wanted to know every difference, catalog everything.

Bastian seemed to feel the same way, because he started with the tiny scars on Colton’s right temple, made by rock shrapnel from the cave-in.

“Poor face. It’s a little hot, though, you know? It makes you seem mysterious.” It didn’t sound silly at all when Bastian said it either. “I’m hard, and that’s all your fault, you know that?”

He dared to slide his fingers down Bastian’s belly, loving the way it rippled and jerked under his fingers. That long, slender cock waited for him, hard and wanting his touch.

“Are you wet for me too, baby?” he asked, his whole body on fire all of a sudden. He wasn’t sure he could pull the stand-and-lift maneuver like he used to, not all at the same time. But he could rise and tug Sebastian to his feet, and then to the bed.

“I am.” Sebastian was honest with him, straightforward, and that gaze tightened. “This is real. But…we have to use protection. I can’t catch pregnant now. Do you have any condoms?”

“I do.” Colton understood completely. They had so much to learn about one another. To relearn. “Or we don’t have to do that. We can just touch each other. We can stroke off. We can use our mouths. I want to see you. I want to be with you. I can wait.”

Bastian reached up, cupped his jaw, eyes filling with tears. “See. I knew what my heart was telling me. I couldn’t believe that you had just… I couldn’t believe that you could just walk away from me, that you didn’t care about our baby. I couldn’t believe that I’d fallen in love with someone who would be so awful.”

“You didn’t. Every single word I’ve ever told you was true. If you didn’t hear it from me, then it doesn’t count. Those people.” He shook his head. He was so damn angry at his folks. “They’reowned by money, and they don’t count. I swear to you, I will follow your lead.” Colton would do anything for this man. “We don’t have to do anything.”

“I want to do things. Lots of things. Can we go to bed? I mean… It’s not. I mean…” Bastian stopped, took a deep breath, and began to chuckle at himself, shaking his head. “Look, I want you. You want me. I’m not a virgin, as you’re well aware, and neither are you. I’m on birth control, but if you use a condom, then that makes sure. I’m not ready to be pregnant again. I just want to make sure. The next time I get pregnant, I want it to happen because we meant to.”

He nodded. That was more than reasonable, and he knew it. Hell, he agreed with it. “I get you. I understand. Also, I’m totally with you on this. Make no mistake, I want to seduce you. I want to work myself into your life, but I’m willing to take it at your speed. You were the one that was ill-used, so I want to make sure you’re going to be okay, every step of the way. You have my word.”

---