Sam grabbed my chin and sealed his mouth over mine. It was a rough mash of lips meant to silence the chatter, but it quickly turned into something else. A feverish tangle of tongues I never wanted to end. His lips were the perfect amount of rough, then pliant. He controlled the connection effortlessly and left me wanting so much more when he caressed my cheek and pulled away.
“I should probably apologize for that, but I couldn’t resist. And I had to shut you up,” he said with a wink. “Since you’re curious…I’m bi and I was married to a crazy but kind of great guy who happens to be Lincoln’s other dad. We divorced five years ago, not long after after we got hitched. We’re better friends than we were husbands. I’d like to think we’re both good dads, but Jase’s got me by a mile.”
I nodded absently, ghosting my fingers over my swollen lips as I processed this new information. “I see. Can I ask a few questions?”
“Sure.”
“Personal questions—the kind I shouldn’t ask, but really want to know for reasons I can’t quite grasp.”
Sam pursed his lips in amusement as he leaned against the cabinetry. “Go for it. I’m an open book.”
“Okay…number one, who’s Lincoln’s mother?”
“My ex-girlfriend.”
“Your ex-girlfriend!” I gasped. “You’re a soap opera come to life! How did…? Why would…I don’t get it.”
Sam guffawed. “It’s not all that steamy, Chet. Don’t get excited. I dated Linc’s bio mom in college. We broke up eighteen years ago but stayed friends. When Jase and I talked about having kids, she volunteered to be our surrogate. She lives in Maine now. She’s more of an aunt to Linc than anything. As for Jase…we met at a bar in Vegas, got wasted, had wild monkey sex, and exchanged numbers the next morning. We were together for a while before we decided to have a kid. Marriage came later. Jace is a bit of a character, but he takes fatherhood very seriously. Always has.”
“Oh. That’s good,” I replied lamely.
“Lincoln is a very well-loved kid. I’d like to think Jase and I are a good team. We’ve co-parented longer than we were a couple.” Sam inclined his head. “And apparently we accumulated a fuckton of gold ornaments neither of us wanted to keep.”
“It’s all very nice, though.”
“Maybe, but I look at this stuff now, and I can tell I gave up early. If I’d cared about my place in our relationship, I would have told him I have strong memories attached to gold balls. The kind that don’t mesh well with the holidays.”
Okay, that was odd. “How so?”
Sam’s eyes twinkled merrily. “They remind me of this guy I played high school football with who decided to paint himself gold for Halloween one year and hung two golden orbs from a gold Speedo.”
I furrowed my brow in confusion. “What was he supposed to be?”
“Some kind of alien, I think. They were these plastic, tennis-ball-shaped glittery things. Funnier than hell. I guess the string attaching the balls and suit was itchy, though. I was in the bathroom at this random house party when he barged in to adjust himself. I’d been in locker rooms for years and had figured out that I was attracted to both sexes by then. I knew how to handle myself. But maybe the surprise factor got me. Oh…and the contraband gin. I was a little tipsy. I just stood there in a stupid costume with my junk out when he walked in and…I couldn’t stop staring. One thing led to another.”
My mouth fell open. “Oh. You mean sex things.”
“Yep. I blew him in a stranger’s bathroom.”
Holy hibachis! My secret dream man was feeding me erotic bedtime material.
And my penis approved. I didn’t, of course. I was completely against this sort of behavior, but still curious.
“You gave him a blowjob?” I rasped.
“I did. I got gold paint all over my face and had to sneak out of the party. There was no way I could explain the mess we’d made.”
Sam smirked and gave a careless shrug, while visions of high school football Sam on his knees blinded me with lust. No kidding. Heat spread through my limbs, rendering me temporarily speechless. In my mind, he wore a sports person uniform complete with tight white pants, shoulder pads, and a jersey, his helmet at his side as he went to town on his teammate’s cock. Licking his real balls and sucking his—
Geez, I had to change the subject. Fast.
I gestured to the box, and when I thought I could speak without stuttering, I whispered, “No gold balls.”
“Thanks.” Sam stooped to refasten the top. “I’ll leave this out so I remember to go through it and give it away. Unless you want it?”
“Uh…Asher seems pretty organized with holiday accessories, but I’ll ask him if—what was your costume?” I blurted.