Her Two Dads (12 page)

Jaime took a step back and dropped his pants and underwear in one smooth motion, leaving him completely bare standing in the dim room. Srikkanth pounced, needing to touch. They’d slept together the last few nights, but this was the first time he’d had permission, much less an invitation, to touch beyond kissing and a few simple caresses. One hand tangled in Jaime’s hair as the other slid around his hip to grab one firm butt cheek, squeezing experimentally. Jaime moaned into the kiss Srikkanth bestowed on him as Srikkanth stroked over the tensile strength of his boyfriend’s body, learning the feel of smooth skin beneath his hand. He could imagine getting very addicted to the feeling very quickly.

Deciding he wanted to see more than the light from the other room allowed, Srikkanth flipped on the overhead light, revealing Jaime fully to his gaze. He had the golden skin and dark hair so typical of his Hispanic origin, but Srikkanth knew that already. He was far more interested in the features that made Jaime unique: the curve of his lips as he smiled, the arch of his eyebrows as he stood patiently beneath Srikkanth’s examination.

The way his cock jumped beneath Srikkanth’s gaze as if he’d touched it.

Jaime was gorgeous, his body lean and hard with muscle, not overly bulky but definitely ripped. Srikkanth could practically feel the heat radiating from Jaime’s body, tempting him to step closer and touch the bounty before his eyes.

“About time,” Jaime teased when Srikkanth finally moved. “I was beginning to think you’d changed your mind.”

“Not likely,” Srikkanth retorted. “Not when I’ve been wanting to touch you all week.”

“You’ve been touching me,” Jaime reminded him.

“Not like this,” Srikkanth retorted, trailing his fingers over Jaime’s cock.

“Fuck, don’t tease!”

“I’m not teasing,” Srikkanth promised, guiding Jaime back toward the bed. “I’ll take care of you.”

Jaime lay back, body spread out for Srikkanth’s exploration. He had a passing thought for modesty, but the lust glittering in Srikkanth’s eyes kept him where he was as Sri climbed onto the bed next to him, sitting on his heels as his fingers started wandering. They traced a meandering path over Jaime’s upper body, outlining his chest muscles, circling his aureoles, following the line of his ribs down until they could dip into his navel and brush over his belly. Unable to stop himself, Jaime lifted his hips, straining to bring his erection into contact with Srikkanth’s hand.

The movement elicited a chuckle and a kiss from Sri as his hand stroked down the hard length, beginning to caress in earnest. Jaime bucked up into his touch, bringing a smile to Srikkanth’s lips as he savored the feeling of hot, hard flesh in his hand. Pulling back so he could sit up and watch Jaime’s reactions, he slid his other hand between his boyfriend’s legs, finding the heavy sac and cradling it gently, his fingers beginning to manipulate the nodules within. Jaime gasped and parted his legs more, an invitation Srikkanth saw no point in refusing. He cupped Jaime’s balls more firmly, working them to the same rhythm as his other hand on Jaime’s cock. Before long, his boyfriend was undulating on the bed, begging for more, for release, for anything Srikkanth would give him.

Srikkanth was tempted to draw out their encounter, but his own body was demanding attention now. Since he doubted Jaime would agree to let Srikkanth fuck him, that meant getting Jaime off so he could take care of Srikkanth’s needs. Soon.

Increasing the speed of his strokes over the hard shaft, Srikkanth bent his head and kissed his boyfriend again. “Come on, Jaime,” he urged. “Show me how good it feels.”

“Too good,” Jaime gasped. “Can’t wait much longer.”

“Don’t,” Srikkanth insisted. “Come all over my hand.”

The words were all the encouragement Jaime needed, his cock disgorging its load over his belly and Srikkanth’s fist. Srikkanth kept stroking through the aftershocks until Jaime whimpered and stilled his wrist. “Too much,” he moaned.

Leaning down for another kiss, Srikkanth let his hand settle on Jaime’s hip, keeping the contact without doing anything else to arouse his lover.

He smiled.

His lover.

It had been awhile since he’d had a steady boyfriend, much less someone he wanted to consider a lover. Looking down at Jaime, he wondered if he’d ever want anyone else.

“What can I do for you now?” Jaime asked, pushing up on one elbow as awareness returned post-orgasm.

Srikkanth hesitated, not sure how Jaime would feel about him voicing his desires. “You could just—”

“I don’t want to ‘just’ anything,” Jaime interrupted. “Tell me what you want.”

Srikkanth gulped. “Your mouth,” he whispered. “I sat there at dinner watching your lips and imagining….”

He didn’t finish the sentence, but he didn’t have to. Jaime rose up on one elbow and pushed him onto the bed, tugging the elastic of his underwear down over the bulge at his groin. Without waiting for encouragement or permission, Jaime lowered his head and licked a stripe from base to tip. Srikkanth collapsed the rest of the way onto the bed, moaning in delight at the wet heat that suddenly enveloped the tip of his cock.

Jaime grinned up at him. “I think you like that.”

Srikkanth nodded helplessly, amazed at the power of the fantasy made real. Jaime’s plump lips stretched beautifully around the tip of Sri’s cock, leaving Srikkanth gasping for breath as they slid down the shaft. He groaned Jaime’s name, not entirely sure what he wanted. Only that he didn’t want it to stop.

Fortunately, Jaime seemed to know exactly how to interpret the sound, his mouth increasing its suction until Srikkanth thrust up into the welcoming cavern, the tip of his cock bumping the back of Jaime’s throat. Jaime pulled back for a moment, adjusting the angle before sinking down again and taking Srikkanth’s full length into his throat.

Srikkanth moaned loudly, glad Jaime had insisted they come in here rather than going upstairs to his room where he’d be constantly worried about waking Sophie. Jaime’s mouth was far too talented not to praise effusively.

“So good,” he husked. “Feels even better than I’d imagined.”

Jaime released the flesh in his mouth with a loud pop. “And just how long have you been imagining it?”

Srikkanth felt his cheeks burn. “Longer than I should’ve been.”

Jaime grinned, stroking his hand over Srikkanth’s balls. “That makes two of us.”

Before Srikkanth could come up with a reply to that, Jaime had lowered his head again and resumed his attentions, leaving Srikkanth incapable of doing anything more than thrashing on the bed and coming hard.

Jaime swallowed every drop, licking and sucking until Srikkanth had nothing left to give. The stimulation finally became too much on his sensitive flesh, and he pulled away. Jaime moved up next to him, pulling him close.

“We can’t fall asleep down here,” Srikkanth warned. “We won’t hear Sophie.”

“We won’t fall asleep,” Jaime promised. “Just let me hold you for a few minutes and then we’ll go upstairs and sleep in your bed so we can hear our little girl if she needs us.”

The
knock on the door surprised Srikkanth, but he juggled Sophie so he could answer the door. A woman he didn’t know stood on his doorstep, flanked by a man in a suit and a police officer. “Mr. Bhattacharya?”

“Yes,” Srikkanth replied warily.

“My name is Ellen Fitz. I’m with Child Protective Services. This is Mr. Peters of the crisis intervention team and Officer Matthews. Can we go inside to talk? It’s a little chilly here on the doorstep.”

Srikkanth felt his stomach clench even as he stepped back instinctively, allowing the three people access to the house. “Is there a problem?”

“That’s what we’re here to find out,” she explained, though it was really no explanation at all as far as Srikkanth was concerned. “We received a call alleging there was a child in danger here, so we have to check it out. Are you alone in the house?”

“In danger?” Srikkanth parroted. “But the only child here is Sophie. How is she in danger?”

“The report alleged she was in danger from you,” Ms. Fitz explained. “You didn’t answer my question, Mr. Bhattacharya. Are you alone in the house?”

“Y-yes,” Srikkanth stuttered, eyes flying from one stern face to the next. “But I would never do anything to hurt Sophie,” Srikkanth insisted. “I love her.”

“I’m sure you do,” Ms. Fitz allowed, “but people hurt their loved ones every day. I’ll need to check her to make sure she’s not hurt in any way.”

Automatically, Srikkanth cradled her closer to his chest, not wanting to turn her over, but the police officer took a step forward, and Srikkanth realized he didn’t have any choice in the matter. Trying to tell himself he hadn’t done anything wrong and that they wouldn’t find anything to substantiate their claim, he reluctantly handed his daughter to the social worker.

“Support her head,” he directed. “She’s getting better about holding it up, but she doesn’t always keep it steady when she’s being moved as opposed to moving herself.”

Ms. Fitz reached for Sophie confidently, so Srikkanth fell silent, heart aching a little when she started crying at the unfamiliar face above her. Ms. Fitz didn’t seem bothered by the sound, opening the zipper on Sophie’s pajamas and examining her carefully.

Sophie cried a little louder when cold fingers pulled her diaper away and prodded her skin. Srikkanth bit his lip to keep from grabbing her back from the social worker, only the police officer still hovering protectively enough to stop him.

“She looks in good health,” Ms. Fitz said finally, handing Sophie to the man in the suit. “Mr. Peters will hold her until we’re finished with our conversation.” Srikkanth’s desire to grab Sophie back and run grew, but his stomach roiled as he realized they held all the cards at the moment.

“Of course she’s in good health,” Srikkanth snapped, his anxiety shortening his words. “I know enough to feed her and keep her diaper changed, and anything I don’t know, Jaime tells me.”

“Who is Jaime?”

“My partner, Jaime Frias. He’s at work right now. Do I need to call him?” Srikkanth almost hoped she said yes so he would have Jaime’s support as he dealt with the social worker and her accusations. Jaime would know how to deal with them, would be able to keep his cool and deflect their concerns with his easy smile and experienced confidence.

“That isn’t necessary at the moment,” she replied. “If I decide I need to speak with him, I’ll get his number. Officer Matthews is going to check the rest of the house while Mr. Peters and I finish talking to you. Is Sophie a fussy baby?”

“Not usually,” Srikkanth replied, his eyes tracking the officer’s movements as he went into the kitchen and from there into Jaime’s room. He could hear the cop opening doors and drawers, and his sense of violation grew with each noise. “Occasionally she’ll get a bit of colic, but it doesn’t last very long.”

“How do you handle it when she does have colic?”

“I walk her or rock her until she wears herself out and falls asleep,” Srikkanth answered, not liking where the questions were leading. They were searching for fault, anything they could find to give them an excuse to take Sophie from him.

“And if that doesn’t work?”

Srikkanth smiled despite the tension growing inside him at the thought of Jaime cradling Sophie so tenderly, even when she’d been crying for hours. “If I can’t get her calmed down, I give her to Jaime. He can always get her to settle.”

“Have you ever shaken her?”

“No!” Srikkanth exclaimed, his anger returning as his sense of being hounded increased again. “I’d never do that to her. I don’t want to hurt her neck.”

“Are you her primary caregiver?”

“Yes. I work from home most days. She stays with Jaime on Mondays when I’m in the office,” Srikkanth explained. “I don’t mean to be rude, Ms. Fitz, but I don’t really understand why you’re here. I mean, other than one ear infection, Sophie is a perfectly healthy, happy baby.”

“I’m here because someone called Child Protective Services to report that she was being abused,” Ms. Fitz repeated. The police officer came out of Jaime’s room through the bathroom and started up the stairs. Srikkanth told himself the sooner he let the man do his job, the sooner he’d be able to shut the door behind them once and for all, but that didn’t make it any easier to picture the man pawing through Sophie’s things, searching his room for anything that might be a danger to her.

“But who?” Srikkanth demanded. “I was as ignorant as any first-time parent when Sophie came home from the hospital, but that doesn’t make me abusive.”

“What about Sophie’s mother?” Ms. Fitz inquired. “You’ve mentioned Mr. Frias several times, but not her mother.”

“Jill died in childbirth,” Srikkanth replied flatly. “Sophie came home with me when she was four days old. Jill and I weren’t a couple, if that’s your next question. She was a good friend, but not a girlfriend.”

“And Mr. Frias?” the social worker asked, glancing down at her notes.

“Jaime has been my housemate since I bought the condo three years ago,” Srikkanth said. “When I found out about Jill, he offered to help me take care of Sophie since I didn’t know what I was doing.”

“You referred to him as your partner,” Ms. Fitz reminded him. “I realize this is an invasion of your privacy, Mr. Bhattacharya, but I need you to be honest with me so I can deal with the situation appropriately and not have to bother you again if it isn’t warranted.”

“I don’t see how my personal life matters,” Srikkanth defended himself. “Sophie isn’t being abused!”

“That’s what everyone I visit says,” Ms. Fitz told him sadly. The police officer came back downstairs and shook his head. “However, we haven’t found anything for the moment to substantiate the claim. Sophie is, as you said, a healthy baby, and Officer Matthews hasn’t found any worrisome conditions in the house, so we’ll be going now.”

“Can you at least tell me who reported us?” Srikkanth asked, taking Sophie back gratefully from Mr. Peters.

“No, that’s confidential information,” Ms. Fitz replied. “We will, however, take any future reports from the same source with a grain of salt. When a first report comes in, we have to take it seriously. This report was obviously unfounded, though, so we’ll keep that in mind should we get another call.”

“They did this because Jaime and I are gay, didn’t they?” Srikkanth said bitterly.

“That isn’t a question I can answer,” Ms. Fitz demurred. “Nor is that the business of my office. As long as Sophie is healthy, which she obviously is, we aren’t concerned about your private life.”

“I don’t like that someone can disrupt our lives with a phone call,” Srikkanth admitted.

“I understand,” Ms. Fitz replied. “I really do. Unfortunately, it works that way because people have to feel like they can report abuse if they see it. We miss enough kids as it is.”

“And so you spent an hour or more today driving here to investigate a false report.”

Ms. Fitz shrugged. “It’s what I do. The system isn’t perfect, but I do believe in it because it does help kids. Sophie doesn’t need my help, but if she had, she’d have gotten it.”

“Sophie has everything she needs with her two dads,” Srikkanth insisted, cradling Sophie more tightly against him, relieved that her cries had subsided to little whimpers now that she was back in his arms. “Jaime and I are perfectly capable of taking care of her.”

“I believe you are. I’ll be going now,” Ms. Fitz said. “Enjoy the rest of your day.”

Srikkanth showed her out, standing on the steps as the three walked down the sidewalk.

“I suspected this was a false alarm,” he overheard Ms. Fitz say as they neared the car. “With the amount of anti-gay nonsense the caller was spouting, I almost dismissed it out of hand, but I couldn’t take that risk.”

“You did the right thing,” Mr. Peters insisted. “As you said, she’s healthy, so we won’t need to come back, but you couldn’t have known that from the call.”

Head pounding with a combination of revulsion and anger, Srikkanth backed inside, not waiting to hear if they said anymore. He’d heard more than enough. Knowing nothing else would calm him down, he carried Sophie upstairs to the nursery. She had returned to her generally sunny state, but he needed the reassurance of sitting with her in his arms and rocking her. They weren’t going to take his baby! He didn’t care what he had to do. Sophie was his daughter, and he loved her. Whoever had made the phone call could rot in hell for all he cared.

He didn’t realize his grip had tightened or that he was muttering under his breath until Sophie squirmed in his arms, protesting the strength of his hold on her. “I’m sorry,
betti
,” he whispered, bending to kiss her forehead. “I didn’t mean to squeeze you so hard. I just love you so much and don’t want anything to happen to you or to our family. I don’t know what we’re going to do, but we’ll figure something out. I promise Jaime and I will take care of you. You just have to trust us and let us do what needs to be done.”

Sophie cooed up at her adored father, sensing his mood as babies were wont to do.

He couldn’t help smiling down at her. She brightened even the darkest moments.

A quick glance at the clock revealed he’d missed her usual feeding time. Not by much, but she’d be getting hungry soon. “Let’s go make a bottle for you,” he suggested, rising and starting back downstairs. “We’ll get you fed and down for your nap and then Daddy will get some work done while you’re resting. And when you wake up, Jaime should be home. You’ll be glad to see him, won’t you? I know I will be.”