Choosing Happy

Chapter Seventeen

It's only been six months since Joey showed up battered and bruised at my little waffle stand but it feels like we've been a couple forever. He worked his way into my life and my heart almost instantly and now he's managing the shop like it's his own.

That has freed me up to pursue some of the distribution projects I've wanted to do but didn't have time for. This is the first week I've been away from Joey since he moved in and it's been hell. I was only in San Francisco for a food convention but it was a long week of meetings and I can't wait to get home to him and back into his arms.

As soon as the plane touches down in Portland, I send him a text.

Just landed. Be prepared for a weeks' worth of attention starting the moment I step through the door.

He responds instantly, probably waiting for my text.

I'm so ready you're gonna need one of those little blue pills, old man. ;-)

Old man, huh?

I had a surprise planned but maybe now I won't give it to you. ;-P

If you insist, I'll give it to you instead. I'm flexible. And I have a surprise for you too.

Something for me? I'm almost nervous about what it might be. He jokes about painting the guest room in Oregon Duck colors. I don't think I could stomach a green and yellow room. Although, that might keep the visitors to a minimum. Maybe it's worth considering.

You better not be teasing me or you'll get a spanking.

Now who's the tease? Hurry or I may have to start without you.

~**~

When I walk through the door, all the lights in the house are off and there are candles spaced about five feet apart that lead straight to the staircase. Dropping my bag at the door, I follow the path into our bedroom, blowing out the candles as I go. I don't expect to be back down until morning.

When I finally enter our room, Joey is lying in the bed, naked except for a sheet draped over his hips, covering the beautiful cock that I've been dreaming of for days.

"Welcome back, Ace." Joey murmurs without moving to greet me. "Join me?"

I'm already kicking off my shoes and unbuttoning my shirt before the words are out of his mouth. "You look like an angel, just lounging in the clouds and waiting for me to make love to you."

He smiles. "Well, you got that last part right."

I drop my pants and am fully naked except for my boxers. I'm gonna make him wait a little bit too. I move to the dresser to blow out the candles.

"Leave them for now." His hand is wrapped around the sheet covering his cock and he's stroking slowly. "I want to see you."

I stalk to the bed and climb in.

"Um, have you learned a new trick while you were away?" He drops the sexy voice and goes for his usual smart ass tone.

"What?" I'm not sure what he means as I lift the sheet and settle next to him.

"Have you learned a way to do this with your underwear on or do you plan to shed those things anytime soon?"

"Anxious, are we?" Standing with my back to him, I drop my shorts and quickly pull the sheet over my lap and gesturing to his crotch. "I thought we were playing hide the dong."

I slide over him, hovering just above his body so I'm touching every part. God, I've missed him. I was only gone a week but I hope we're never apart for that long again.

I lower my mouth to his and slowly offer the kiss that's seven days overdue. "I need to taste every part of you. Touch every part of you, little duck." I scoot down enough to kiss inside his neck, under his ear. "I've missed you so fucking much."

"I missed you too, babe." There are tears glistening in his eyes and one falls down the side of his temple. "That's why I did something to make sure you never fully leave me again."

Although I trust him enough to know he wouldn't do anything bad, I still tense with the cryptic confession. "What did you do, baby?"

He just smiles and presses my shoulders lower so my face is level with his abs. "Keep going and you'll see."

Eager to see what he's talking about I lift off enough to fully inspect him as I move down his body.

Then I see it.

The small Waffle Haus tattoo on his left hip. It's identical to the one Allen gave me so many months ago. "Did Allen do this?" The graphic is blurring as my eyes fill with tears.

"Yup." Joey's hand rubs the top of my head. "He did it the night you left so it would be healed when you saw it."

"The night I left, huh?" I have to laugh. "That punk."

"You don't like it?" Joey moves to sit up like he wants to get away from me. "I just. I just thought—"

"I love it." I lean forward and kiss the beautiful mark. "It's perfect."

He smiles but still looks confused. "Then why did you call him a punk?"

I smile and kiss the mark again before moving up to his mouth and claiming it. My tongue twists around his then draws it into my mouth, sucking and teasing it before I release him. "Because of this."

I sit up on my knees and wait for his eyes to travel from my mouth, down my torso, to my cock before they do a double take on my right hip. Right where my latest art is proudly displayed. The little rubber ducky in an Oregon Ducks shirt that Joey saw in Allen's portfolio.

"When did you?" Joey's fingers reach out and trace the image. "This is for me?"

I smile and place a kiss on the tip of his nose. "Of course it's for you. Allen did this just before I left town... which must have been a few hours before he did yours."

Joey shakes his head. "That punk."

"Look at that." Holding myself up, I press our hips together. "They fit together perfectly."

And they do. The overhang of the house graphic is shaped to fit exactly above the tail feathers of the duck. He must have had this planned for a while.

Joey wiggles his hips, grinding our softening cocks together. "Just like us, Ace."

"Just like us, little duck."