Tag Team (23 page)

“It feels weird, but yeah, totally worth the new look,” he chuckled and dropped his hand back onto his lap and looked longingly toward the house. “I’d do just about anything for that boy.”

“Same here, but we can’t force him to come with us or even allow us to be part of his life here. He’s still healing, Bobby, and we have to come to terms with the fact that he may never be ready to call another man sir.”

Bobby sighed heavily and laid his head back. “I know that. It’s just….”

“We’ve talked about this,” Rig said gently, reaching out and laying a reassuring hand on Bobby’s arm. “We can’t change who we are or what we want no matter how much you wish otherwise. It may be fine for a while, but pretending to be something you’re not is unfair to him and to us.”

Bobby laid his hand over Rig’s and squeezed it. “My head knows you’re right, but my heart is telling you to shut the hell up.”

“I get that, Bobby, I do. Hell, I haven’t seen that look in your eyes in over seven years and wish I could see it every day, but this has to be Mason’s decision.”

“But there is nothing wrong with taking care of him until he is ready to stand on his own two feet again,” Bobby said adamantly. “There is nothing wrong with taking him home with us and taking care of him for as long as he needs us.” Bobby’s hand tightened around Rig’s painfully, his voice rising. “You love him too.”

Rig went to his knees next to Bobby’s chair and gently stroked his fingers across his partner’s cheek. “I don’t know if I love him, and neither do you.”

“Yes—”

Rig pressed two fingers to Bobby’s lips silencing him. “We love that he needs us. We love taking care of him and we love the idea of him being our boy, but he’s not and he may never be. You have to consider that and accept it.”

Bobby grabbed the back of Rig’s head and brought their foreheads together, both letting the weight of the truth of it sink in. Rig would love to have Mason as their boy—hell, just as their lover—and he knew Bobby wanted it more than anything, but all they could do is continue to be there and support Mason and do the right thing by him, even if that meant eventually letting him go.

“Hey. Any room in there for me?” Mason called out, causing both Rig and Bobby to jump.

Rig pressed a kiss to Bobby’s lips before sitting back on his feet and stretching out an arm, encouraging Mason to come to them. “Always room for you,” he said sincerely.

Mason’s smile was huge, and the happiness in it hit Rig right in the center of his chest. Mason hugged Rig, nuzzled his jaw for a moment, before he crawled up on the lounge and pushed into Bobby’s side.

“How was your chat?” Bobby asked and kissed the top of Mason’s head.

“It was great! He totally cracks me up sometimes. Did you know he’s got a new pony?” Mason laughed. “I always wanted a pony when I was a kid, but I’m pretty sure I wasn’t asking Santa for the same kind Max likes.”

“I’m sure not,” Rig laughed and kissed Mason’s shoulder. Rig’s fingers instinctively sought out the warm skin of Mason’s bare back; the other hand teased along the soft hairs on Mason’s thigh. Mason was all lean muscle, compact, but he no longer looked emaciated and his skin was now a healthy olive color.

“I was hoping he’d be coming back down to see us. I even begged a little,” Mason admitted wryly. “But he’s got his hands full with his new boy, and when he’s not playing cowboy his practice is keeping him hopping.”

“You know you could go see him,” Bobby said tentatively.

“In New York?” Mason said, lifting his head, his eyes wide as he stared down at Bobby. Rig would swear he heard excitement in Mason’s voice, but when Mason continued, the words came out a little strained. “I’ve always wanted to go, or at least wished I could but….” Mason shook his head and then laid it back down on Bobby’s chest. “Too many people and I’m afraid of flying,” he whispered.

“We could drive,” Rig said hopefully. The thought of being stuck in a car for two days wasn’t all that appealing, but if Mason came home with them, he’d gladly endure it.

“I don’t know,” Mason murmured, playing with the hair on Bobby’s chest.

Rig met Bobby’s gaze, and he gave him a curt nod, silently encouraging him to say something.

“Rig and I have to go home to get the house winterized, and we were hoping you would come with us.”

“I don’t—”

“You don’t have to answer right now,” Rig interrupted. He couldn’t bear to hear Mason say no. “Just think about it. A preholiday getaway,” he said, laying his head on Mason’s hip, and resumed stroking the younger man’s back. “But if you did consider it, don’t let the crowds dissuade you. It would only be the three of us at our house. We wouldn’t even make you go into the city if you didn’t want to.”

Mason snuggled in and sighed as Rig massaged the sinew along Mason’s back. “I’ll think about it,” he murmured noncommittally.

Rig huffed out a relieved breath. That was all he could ask from Mason. Now it was up to him and Bobby to convince the man that a holiday was exactly what he needed, because Rig sure as fuck needed Mason to come with them.

Chapter 21

“
W
OULD
you cut it out,” Rig grumbled warningly as Bobby ghosted a touch along the back of his neck, making him shudder.

Bobby jerked his hand back just in time to avoid Rig grabbing onto his wrist. “I’m bored.” Rig shot him an evil glare over his shoulder and growled at him. “And I’m hungry,” he whined, ignoring the pissed-off vibe coming from the driver’s seat.

Mason stirred from where he was curled up sleeping with his head resting in Bobby’s lap in the backseat of Mason’s Envoy. Bobby shushed him and gently stroked his hair until he settled once again and his breathing was slow and even.

“We just ate two hours ago,” Rig reminded him, keeping his voice low so as not to wake the sleeping man.

“But I’m bored,” Bobby said again in the same hushed tone.

They’d been in this fucking truck for two days, and they still had a good three hours before they reached home. Both he and Rig had been shocked when Mason agreed to come with them, but really they shouldn’t have. Mason’s only choices had been to come along or stay home alone. He hadn’t been alone for barely an hour since Bobby and Rig began sleeping at his house, and even that small amount of time had seemed to cause the younger man distress.

They had promised Mason they’d bring him home whenever he asked, but Bobby and Rig were hoping they could convince him to stay at least through the New Year and into early spring. Driving to New York in October could be hit or miss when it came to the winter weather. From December until March it was a given that they’d encounter some snowstorms.

“I’ll make you a deal,” Rig offered. “If you’ll close your eyes and shut up for the next thirty minutes, I’ll pull off at a Quick Mart and buy you some candy.” He gave Bobby a pointed look in the rearview mirror. “One word or one more irritating touch, one more touch period, and no lollypop for you.”

“I seriously hate you sometimes,” Bobby grumbled under his breath, laid his head back, and stared out at the boring landscape as it whooshed by in a blur of greens and browns. Bobby contented himself with running his fingers through Mason’s chestnut locks.

Ten minutes later, Mason stirred again, and Bobby looked down to see him blinking up at him with a sleepy smile on his face. “Almost time for a bathroom break?” he asked, as he stretched and yawned.

“We’re going to stop in about twenty minutes,” Bobby told him and brushed his bangs from his forehead.

“There’s a rest stop in less than a mile,” Rig said from the front without turning around.

“Hey, you told me I had to wait thirty minutes,” Bobby complained and glared at the back of Rig’s head.

“You were being an irritating shit because you were bored. He has a good reason,” Rig said, meeting Bobby’s gaze in the mirror with a smirk. “And no lollipop for you, Mr. Chatty.”

“I got your fucking lollypop, you smug bastard.”

Mason covered his mouth to hide his snort.

“What?” Bobby sniffed. “He is a smug bastard.”

“You two sound like an old married couple sometimes,” Mason chuckled.

“That’s because we are,” Rig said confidently. “I’m the smug old bastard and he’s the old bitchy hag.”

Bobby flipped Rig off when he looked up into the mirror again.

“I love you too, sweetheart,” Rig responded, his smile growing wider.

Bobby sighed and shook his head. Mason was shaking against him he was chortling so hard. Bobby arched a brow at him, which only caused Mason to laugh harder until he was gasping for breath and holding his belly.

“It wasn’t that funny,” Bobby told him with an exasperated look.

“No, but the look on your face was,” Mason got out between snorts.

“Boy, don’t make me beat you,” Bobby warned.

“Promise?” Mason asked.

Bobby’s eyes widened in shock, and he looked at Mason incredulously. Bobby would enjoy nothing more than reddening that sexy, sassy ass, feeling the heat of a freshly spanked bottom against his palm—better yet, against his groin as he fucked Mason into the mattress. Only a few short months ago Mason had been enjoying regular discipline and correcting his mistakes through punishment. During that same time frame, he and Rig had been looking and hoping for a boy who would enjoy the same kind of treatment from them.

Since they’d been sleeping and fucking together, they’d all skirted around the subject of Doms and subs, but everyone was aware of the elephant in the room, but until Mason’s flippant comeback no one had dared to acknowledge it.

It took a couple of extra heartbeats of time before Mason realized what he’d said, and his laughter trailed off and his expression mirrored Bobby’s, not just the shock but the desire as well. Bobby had been willing to change a lot of things to accommodate Mason for as long as he needed to. It really wasn’t that he was willing to change completely. He knew what and who he was, just like he knew what and who Mason was, and it would only be a matter of time before Mason’s need to serve, his desire to lay his submission at the foot of a Dom who could help him return to his subspace would reappear. The one small word wasn’t Mason’s submission set before Bobby for the taking, but it was the first small step toward what Bobby hoped would be the first toward that goal.

“I can make that promise,” Bobby told him sincerely. “All you have to do is ask for it and it’s yours.”

Mason stared at him for so long, a clash of opposing emotions filtering through his chocolate brown eyes. Bobby feared he wouldn’t answer, or worse, deny his desire. After a few more clicks of time, Mason finally whispered, “I do.”

Bobby’s heart nearly stopped dead in his chest, and his gut fluttered with the elation those two words caused. “You sure?” he asked and pressed his hand against the side of Mason’s face, thumb tracing the mouth that had just uttered the words Bobby had been wanting to hear for weeks.

Mason had just pointed at the elephant and screamed its name.

Mason turned his head and pressed his lips to Bobby’s palm, never taking his eyes from Bobby’s. “I’m sure,” he said a little louder, more confidently.

Bobby slowly lifted his gaze and met Rig’s in the mirror, and Bobby knew he’d heard the whole exchange. Bobby could practically feel Rig vibrating in excitement. Bobby gave a curt nod toward the windshield, and Rig snorted but returned to gaze back to the road in front of him. It was a damn good thing they were pulling into the rest area, or they’d be in real danger of Rig running off the road.

H
E
WAITED
until Mason stepped out of the car, closed the door, and started walking up the sidewalk before he turned in his seat and faced Bobby. “Did he say what I think he said?”

“Yeah,” Bobby responded with an awed tone to his voice. He didn’t turn toward Rig, kept watching Mason’s every step until he disappeared into the building. “You should have seen the look in his eye,” Bobby said, finally turning his head to meet Rig’s gaze. “He’s sure and he needs it so much it was painful to see. I think….” Bobby cleared his throat, his voice thick. “I think we fucked up by coddling him, Rig.”

“I don’t know,” Rig said uncertainly. “I don’t know if he was ready before now.”

Bobby shook his head. “No! We fucked up. It’s our job to know what he or any submissive needs and we missed it.”

Rig turned his head toward the building as if he could see the man through the brick and mortar. “How can you be so damn sure?” Rig said, still not convinced. “He’s been dealing with so much grief, fear, and uncertainty, I’m not even sure he knows what he needs.”

Bobby moved forward, folded his arms along the front seat, and rested his chin on them. “Rig, you know I love you, right?”

“Uh yeah,” Rig answered suspiciously.

“Then you won’t mind me saying, sometimes you’re a fucking idiot.” He smiled to soften the harsh words.

Rig frowned and huffed an exasperated breath. “Why do you have to be such a shit sometimes?”

Bobby moved that last couple of inches and pressed a kiss to Rig’s lips. “Serves you right for not getting me my lollypop,” he chuckled and leaned back when Rig tried to nip at his lip. “But seriously think about your last statement.”