More Than A Manny: Gay Romance Read online

  "Yes, you do. I may not be a good dad, but I am your dad and Georgie's."

  Ricky looked at him like he wanted to believe his words.

  "Let's go back together and see how Georgie is doing," Brent said and took his hand again.

  From the hallway, they could hear that Nate was taking a different approach to consoling Georgie.

  "That story can teach everyone to be nice to people and help them, not to be mean," Nate said to her, but she had already found a solution she liked.

  "I hate the mean people. Daddy will beat them up." Georgie looked around for her dad. "Where's Daddy?"

  "He's with Ricky. Ricky is sad too."

  That's when Georgie spotted Brent and Ricky coming to join them.

  "Ricky! Don't be sad," Georgie said and reached down to hug him. Nate had to set her down. She gave Ricky a big hug, which he didn't return. But Georgie didn't mind. She just kept hugging him roughly until they both fell down and started wrestling.

  Later, Nate was doing more work in the library. When Ricky came in to look for one of his toys, Nate took the opportunity to talk to him. He sat with him on the couch as Ricky clutched an action figure in his hand.

  "I have a tip for you. When you're telling Georgie a story or reading to her, watch her face. If it looks like she's getting upset or too scared, change the story," Nate told him.

  "But how can I?" Ricky asked.

  "Give it a happy ending."

  "I don't know how," Ricky protested.

  "Just say 'And they lived happily ever after.'"

  "Even the Little Match Girl?" Ricky asked.

  "Even her," Nate confirmed. "She lived happily ever after."

  Ricky looked doubtful, but Nate hoped for the best.

  Chapter 11

  That evening, Quin and John invited them all over for dinner at the guesthouse. After the meal, everyone came back to the main house, and Quin announced the plan for the night.

  "After the shrimp are in bed, we're going to be having a little adult, after hours fun."

  "How adult?" Nate asked.

  "How adult were you hoping for?" Brent said with one of his lascivious looks.

  They were in a sitting room with a bar in the corner. Two sofas faced each other over a metal coffee table. For a while they sat around with the kids. Brent and Quin set up the booze for later and argued about it. Knowing that good times were ahead, the kids weren't easy to persuade that it was their bedtime. Nate picked up Georgie and called Ricky over.

  "Oh, come on. Let my babies stay up," Brent pleaded with Nate, undermining the plan for an adults only evening.

  "Don't drink and drive!" Georgie yelled over Nate's shoulder as he carried her away.

  It took more effort than usual to get the kids to lie down. Even Ricky gave him trouble. Expecting them to sneak downstairs if they got a chance, Nate stayed with them until they were asleep.

  When he got back to the guys, he heard Brent say, "And you know, it wouldn't kill any of you to walk around here shirtless sometimes."

  "We're discussing Brent's hiring methods," Quin said to explain Brent's outburst.

  Seeing them together it was obvious that they didn't just work for Brent. They cared for him. They were his friends.

  "Brent hires with his dick. What's there to discuss?" John grumbled.

  Since they all had drinks in hand, Nate got himself some orange juice and seltzer.

  "You don't want a real drink?" Brent asked. "Quin gets paid to be the designated driver. And also, you live right upstairs."

  "No. This is fine," Nate said and took a seat next to Brent.

  "See how responsible he is," Brent told John. "And did you see how well he handled the kids while I was sabotaging him?"

  "Don't pretend you hired him for the kids," John said.

  "I'm surprised you restrained yourself and stopped at one," Nate said. "I would expect you to have a nanny for each child."

  "We tried that when Greta was sick and Georgie needed so much attention. But Pam couldn't get along with the other nanny. You nannies are a jealous bunch," Brent said.

  John shook his head.

  "What?" Brent asked.

  "Don't pretend you don't know the real story," John said to him. He wasn't letting him get away with anything. "Pam told us what really happened with Belinda."

  Nate looked around at all of them in confusion so Quin filled him in.

  "That other nanny had a big mouth and a nasty mind," Quin said for Nate's benefit. "Pam said that this Belinda was talking shit about Brent, sometimes right in front of Ricky. Pam wasn't having that."

  "What was she saying?" Nate wanted to know.

  John took it from there.

  "According to Pam, Belinda would say, 'He's not this one's father, only the baby's.' And also that she wished she was the baby's nanny because Brent didn't care about Ricky at all. 'As soon as that woman is in the ground, he'll send Ricky to some boarding school, and I'll be out of a job.'"

  "Ricky heard that?" Nate was appalled.

  "I'm not sure about all of it," John said.

  "That's why Pam had to get rid of her," Quin explained. "Pam was as mean to her as she knew how to be, and she made that girl quit."

  "I wish she had told me when it happened," Brent said. "I only found out later."

  "You were stressed. Greta was going through so much. Pam decided to just handle it her own way," Quin told him. He obviously approved of her initiative.

  "Pam was so chummy with you guys," Brent said. Then he claimed, "You three were always ganging up on me." He turned to Nate and put an arm around him. "You're on my side, right?"

  While Brent was getting friendly with Nate, John was looking more relaxed than usual as he leaned into Quin. The sight of John and Quin inspired Brent to talk about other couples he knew and how often they cheated on each other. John called him a liar at every turn, but Quin egged him on. Nate got quizzed about his exes. He made sure to talk them up so Brent would be jealous.

  "You aren't by any chance adding an inch here and there?" Quin accused him.

  "I've dated some above average guys," Nate claimed.

  "Bring them on," Brent challenged him.

  John looked up at Quin and asked, "Are we the evil stepsisters?"

  "Oh, man," is all Quin said in response to this non sequitur.

  John elaborated.

  "Brent is a sleeping prince and only the right man can wake him." John pointed his empty glass first at Brent and then at Nate.

  "Baby, you sure get drunk fast," Quin said as he cradled him.

  "I'm not drunk. I'm comfortable." John did look comfortable sprawled in Quin's strong embrace.

  "Let's see how comfortable you are. Do you like Brent?" Quin asked him.

  "Of course I do." John even smiled at Brent to prove it.

  "You're real comfortable, alright," Quin said smugly.

  "People don't have to be impaired to like me. I'm not a breathalyzer," Brent told him.

  "Look at him. He's like a big helpless baby," John said and gazed at Brent with a goofy, pitying look.

  "Hey!" Brent objected. "Let's keep this complimentary. Go back to that prince charming thing you were saying."

  John corrected him.

  "You aren't prince charming. He's prince charming." He pointed to Nate.

  "That's good. Tell me more," Brent said, but John was preoccupied with Quin now. He stroked his face and smiled at him.

  "You're so beautiful, and I'm so happy. It's like my other life never even existed," John told Quin.

  Nate was going to ask what he meant, but Quin shook his head to stop him. Looking over at Brent, Nate saw that he either knew all about it, or knew not to ask.

  "Look at him acting all modest," John said. He was talking about Brent.

  "I don't even know what that word means," Brent told him, but his expression revealed that he knew plenty.

  John got up and came over after bumping into the coffee table. He leaned down and put his arms around
Brent's neck and kissed him on the cheek. When he went back to Quin, he gave him a completely different kind of kiss. He was making out with Quin pretty seriously so Quin decided to take him home.

  "Is he going to be embarrassed about that tomorrow?" Nate asked Brent after they walked them to the door.

  "No. He'll pretend it never happened," Brent said, chagrined.

  "And if I remind him?"

  "He'll still pretend it never happened."

  Nate guessed that Brent had tried and failed to get some mileage out of that kind of thing before.

  Brent and Nate went upstairs and looked in on the kids. When they came out into the hallway, Brent put an arm over Nate's shoulder and led him to his bedroom. Looking at Brent's big bed, Nate wondered what Brent had in mind.

  "I was hoping to get you drunk and take advantage of you," Brent said seeing his look.

  Nate contradicted him immediately.

  "No, you weren't. You want me fully aware and remembering every moment." Then Nate got more serious. "I'm cautious about drinking. My dad had a drinking problem."

  "I'm sorry," Brent said.

  Nate got on the bed. Brent climbed on too and leaned against the headboard next to him so he could listen to Nate tell him about his dad.

  "He was a nice guy even when he was drunk. I think that's why my mom stayed with him for so long. But then one day he drove me home from a friend's house after he'd had a few. Nothing happened, but Mom was horrified. That was the end. She asked Dad to move out until he stopped drinking."

  Brent took his hand, and Nate decided to keep talking.

  "I felt so guilty. For a long time I thought that I had gotten my dad in trouble, that he had to leave because of me. My mom tried to tell me it wasn't my fault. It was even harder after he was killed. He died during a hold up at a liquor store, just an innocent bystander. I overheard my mom say one time, 'I was always afraid that his drinking would kill him. And I guess it did.' That was a terrible time. My mom still loved my dad. She was so sad. I was inconsolable. But we got through it together," Nate said and turned to give Brent a smile.

  "It's good that you had each other."

  That reminded Nate that Brent had been alone when he lost both his parents. It also made him think about Ricky and what John and Quin said about that other nanny. It was one more thing to add to his theories about Brent and Ricky. Since he had arrived, Nate had wondered why Ricky was so resistant to being Brent's son. He thought that maybe Ricky was jealous of the new man in his mother's life, or maybe he sensed that the relationship between Brent and Greta wasn't the real thing. Nate thought that it might even be Brent himself. If Brent felt guilty, that might be why he let Ricky get away with things. But then he let Georgie get away with even more. Instead of guessing, Nate decided to ask about it.

  "When you found out about what that nanny said, did you talk to Ricky about it?" Nate asked.

  As always, Brent was ready to share.

  "I tried to reassure him about that stuff. I don't even know how much he heard. Anyway, I don't think the real problem is anything some nanny said. His mother died after a long and painful illness. I think that overshadowed everything else. Greta was sick for a long time. She had breast cancer, and it metastasized to her bones. So many treatments. She fought so hard. And she didn't always take enough pain medication. Sometimes she was in so much pain, I wanted to cry for her. But I never let myself cry while she was alive. She was determined to fight and to keep her head clear for the kids as much as she could. When the pain was too much for her, I would have to play the bad guy and keep them away. Georgie didn't know what was happening, but Ricky just wanted to be with his mom. And with so little time left, I was always taking him away from her."

  "What about Pam? Didn't she have to do that too?" Nate asked since Ricky was so fond of her.

  "She did. But mainly she was busy with Georgie. Georgie was still so little. That's why we hired that other nanny for Ricky."

  "And she did more harm than good." Nate said.

  "I think Ricky can see the truth for himself. He'll open his heart when he's ready."

  Nate frowned at him, but Brent only gave him a disarming smile. He seemed sure about this, like he could see the future clearly. And Nate could see it too. Ricky had a good heart. He just had to listen to what it was telling him.

  In Nate's mind, thoughts of his own childhood mixed together with everything Brent said. Pain and happiness lived together in everyone's heart. Since coming to this house, Nate had been reminded of his own pain, but he had also been happier than he ever remembered being. Nate didn't expect to feel so much a part of things. When he first met Brent, he saw him as a gorgeous guy who just happened to be likable as well as pushy. Now he was so real, very imperfect, and more desirable than ever.

  For a while they just sat together. Brent's hand lazily rubbed the back of Nate's neck. Brent had a wonderful touch. Nate was getting addicted to it. Thinking about the massage Brent had given him, he smiled. As Brent kissed his smiling face, Nate shifted closer to him and slipped an arm around his waist. They turned to each other, but they didn't move. Holding one another, they gazed into each other's eyes. They moved as one and their mouths came together for a kiss.

  Before he knew it, Nate was kissing Brent deeper, sliding his hand under his clothes to feel him. He wanted him so much, and tonight he was going to be with him. Nate had made a leap before he made the decision to jump. Really the decision was made as soon as he laid eyes on Brent. Now their mouths moved over each other with a fierce, disorganized passion. They slowed, but that seemed only to make the kiss hotter, more deliberate and meaningful. Nate felt like it seared right through him. He didn't want it to stop, but Brent moaned and then gasped.

  "You need to breathe," Nate told him a little annoyed that the kiss ended.

  "Forgot," Brent said then smiled. He moved closer and pressed his lips to Nate's again. Their mouths opened and melded into one. Then Brent was struggling again. This time, Nate stopped.

  "Did you forget to breathe again?"

  "Breathing, who needs it?" Brent claimed going back for more.

  Nate's hands found their way up underneath Brent's shirt and down the back of his jeans and boxers to his ass. Brent ground into him hard and moaned. Nate's finger slid down the crevice and teased his hole while his tongue plunged deep into Brent's mouth. Brent's uncoordinated hands were grasping at Nate's belt, opening the buttons of his fly groping through his boxers to his cock. Brent was shaking with need. Nate pushed him down on the bed. He unzipped him and they both dragged his jeans down hurriedly. Nate buried his face in the front of his boxers before he pulled them down his legs. He wanted his scent before the rest of him. Nate kissed the inside of his thigh until his mouth reached Brent's cock. Brent's erection was as beautiful as the rest of him. As Brent moaned, Nate let his tongue play over his cock, his balls and the coarse, golden hair. Leaving a trail of kisses along the shaft, he finally let the head of his cock enter his mouth. Brent's moans grew louder.

  "Keep it down," Nate warned him.

  "It's your fault," Brent said then he had to suppress another moan as Nate's mouth enveloped him again.

  Nate went slow, wanting to enjoy him as long as he could. With every movement, pleasure passed back and forth between them. Brent shook as it took him in waves until it grew so powerful it carried him over the edge. When he came, Nate was ready for him. He let Brent's come pour down his throat, moaning as he received it.

  As soon as he was able to speak, Brent said, "Fuck me."

  Nate was sprawled over him, kissing his thigh. Turning over, he lay next to Brent. The whole time, Brent followed his rock hard cock with his eyes as if mesmerized by it.

  "Not tonight. We're working up to that," Nate said. He stroked his erection lightly and groaned deep in his throat.

  "You mean you're making me suffer," Brent said as he ran his hand over Nate's chest.

  Nate guided his hand to his erection and squeezed Brent's hand over it.<
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  "Are you sure you don't want to...?" Brent asked.

  Nate only nodded. Brent groaned then leaned down. He kissed the head of Nate's cock.

  "God, I want it inside me," Brent said before he took it in his mouth. He swirled his tongue over the head making Nate arch his back and grunt.

  "This is good too," Brent said. He licked his lips and smiled up at Nate. "I know I'm greedy." He proved it by taking Nate's cock deep. Nate rolled his head in response, his eyes closed, a loud yell this close to escaping his lips. He wished he didn't have to hold back, that he could show Brent in every way how good he made him feel. To make up for his silence, Nate stroked Brent's hair and down the back of his neck then over his broad shoulders. Brent's movements under his hand were an added pleasure to him. He could tell Brent wasn't sparing himself. He gave Nate his all. His sucking became unbearable. His moans were like an electric current over Nate's raw, aching flesh. A shock of pure pleasure surged through him and he came, calling Brent's name in a husky voice. Clutching at him while looking up into his eyes, Brent sucked him dry.

  Chapter 12

  Waking up Monday morning, Nate felt like he was swimming through a dream. The sensations that flooded him were so good, they seemed unreal. The pleasure Brent gave him last night was overwhelming. It was still with him like it had some lasting power. So that's what it felt like when someone reached your heart. He wanted to ask Brent if it was like that for him, but he wasn't there. Nate had moved to his own room. It had been painful to leave Brent's bed. Nate had the urge to go there now, surprise Brent, wake him with a blowjob. But Nate's workday was starting.

  From the window in the kitchen, Nate saw that John was coming in with some files and decided to ambush him. He joined him in the office, but it looked like he was going to leave again.

  "I thought I had you cornered," Nate said.

  "I'm not staying. I need to get some work done," he pointed toward the guesthouse.

  "I thought this was your office," Nate said.

  "Sometimes. My other office is over there. It's hard to get any real work done in this zoo. I don't know who is the bigger disruption, the kids or Brent."