Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 74127 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 371(@200wpm)___ 297(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74127 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 371(@200wpm)___ 297(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
Master’s smile faded to something softer as he nodded and squeezed my hand. “By the time I came along, my parents weren’t expecting to have kids.”
He paused, pretending to take a deep breath so I’d do the same. When I nodded and obeyed the silent order, he continued. “They waited until they were a bit older to start trying, then some health issues came up, making it unlikely they’d have any.”
Pointing to himself in a but here I am gesture, he smirked and winked again when I relaxed more. “So when my mom got pregnant with me, they were so shocked I think I could’ve come out as a monkey and they’d have been delighted.”
Shaking my head to get that disturbing image out, I chuckled. “I’m glad.”
Remembering back to their wedding picture on his bookshelf, I was relieved that the smiling couple who were staring at each other so sweetly were just as nice as they’d looked. Master’s father was looking at his mother like Master watched me sometimes, sweetly and with his hand on her cheek.
It made me all tingly inside to think that he might feel the same way about me, but I couldn’t help worrying that their relationship could be all a front like my parents was. I was special to Master, but they might be mean.
But from the look on Master’s face, he didn’t have that fear.
“They were older and it created issues they found frustrating. My mother hated being asked about her grandson.” Master laughed as I nodded. Her frustration would’ve been completely reasonable.
“Oh man, that pissed her off, but they never had an issue with who I was or what I wanted in a partner.” His teasing wink made me smile. “And I’m pretty sure my dad knows something’s up with the whole Dom thing, but he does a good job of ignoring it.”
As I groaned at the idea of his parents even guessing that he was my Master, he took a breath and then focused back on me more seriously. “But I take it that wasn’t your experience?”
Swallowing, I tried to play it off, mostly out of habit. “No monkeys here.”
Master chuckled because he was polite, and maybe I looked ridiculous, but he raised one eyebrow, making me squirm. It was a first for us because usually that look would make me hard. This time it made me want to say something silly to change the subject.
But with Conner’s words still ringing in my ears, I couldn’t.
I was Master’s boyfriend.
We didn’t just have sex…we talked and sharing about pasts was part of talking.
It was just the stressful part of talking that I tried to avoid.
“It wasn’t the being gay part exactly. That just seemed to be the icing on the cake.” The wound wasn’t as fresh, so I could actually look back at the insanity of my childhood with a bit of perspective and humor. “When I finally worked up the nerve to tell them, my father actually rolled his eyes, toasted me with his beer, and basically said of course I was and my mother just walked out of the room.”
She hadn’t wanted to deal with the stress.
Master winced. “God, that’s—”
I cut in before he could assume the worst. “Not as bad as it could’ve been, honestly. He was the big jock whose life didn’t turn out the way he wanted after he married the cheerleader. But what big men don’t understand is that when they procreate with delicate little flowers, sometimes their kids turn out as boys who look like delicate little flowers.”
Genetics sometimes felt like we were all playing Russian Roulette and lots of vodka had been involved. I’d liked dancing more than football and debate club more than hitting on girls. I had nothing in common with my father and while my mother was actually a paralegal, she didn’t seem like she had any respect for a secretary either.
Snorting, Master was the one rolling his eyes now. “He’s an idiot.”
Oh yes.
I shrugged, feeling lighter at Master’s utter disgust. “Yeah, there were a lot of those kinds of moments growing up. He yells. My mother cries. He buys her flowers. She buys him booze. Then the cycle starts all over again.”
My mother even seemed to like the insanity.
“Is your mother…” Master’s voice trailed off as a sarcastic chuckle escaped me unexpectedly.
“My mother seems to encourage him sometimes. I think they’re just addicted to each other.” Shrugging, I let out a breath and tried to get the rest of it out so it would be over. “They provided for me and it wasn’t like I was physically abused or anything. They even saved enough for my college that I didn’t graduate with that much debt. It could’ve been worse.”
Master’s tight expression said everything and nothing, so I shrugged and didn’t try to guess what he was thinking. “I do my best not to see them and we’re all happier that way. I haven’t done the big don’t contact me speech because they only think of me a few times a year anyway.”