Settling Down Read Online Free PDF

leaned on the shelf, blocking Tim’s view of the counter. “Do you know how many play partners I had drop me after that stunt you pulled? I’ve had to go out of town for decent scenes. I was dropped out of the running for Mr. Southern Leather last year due to ‘questions about my character’….”
    “…and that is all very sad, but are you interested in either cage, Mr. Fielding?” No pity, no mercy. Max lost some people to torture. Tim nearly died. He won the pity race hands-down.
    “And you don’t even give a fuck, do you?” Max turned his head just in time for Gloria to appear at his shoulder.
    “Hey, Timmy, the PI needs our customer number, and I forgot it.”
    It was such a blatant lie, and they all knew it. But Tim was gonna bite. Hard. “Of course. Mr. Fielding, if we don’t have what you’re looking for, then I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to leave.”
    His store. His turf. His.
    “Technically if you’ve been bandying my name around, that counts as breaking our agreement.” Max turned and started for the door. “And you know what? I never thought I’d own a sex shop before. We’ll see.”
    Thank fuck Tim made it to the bathroom before emptying his guts once Max was out of the building. He hadn’t closed the door securely, so Gloria followed him in, rubbing his back.
    “That’s bullshit,” she said once the gagging stopped. “He can’t keep you from never speaking his name again. Can he?”
    “I don’t know,” Tim said weakly, clinging to the toilet as waves of panic stole his sense. “I need to double-check. Oh God, Gloria, what if I fucked up? The shop’s all I’ve got. I live here!”
    “First things first, get your ass upstairs and take a break. Let me hold down the fort. Then we can wonder what to do.”
    “This is….”
    “If you say anything that sounds like you’re planning on handling this shit yourself, I’m shoving your head in that gunk and flushing. Because you’re not. You don’t have to.”
    “Did you just threaten to give me a swirly with my own puke?”
    Gloria stroked his hair. “I just did. Because I love you.”
    “Your definition of love is fucked.”

Chapter FIVE
     
     
    “SAY IT again.”
    Jae sighed and squeezed Tim’s hands in his from over the dinner table. “You don’t have to do this, pet.”
    “But I’m choosing to. Now say it again.”
    Tim’s brow was furrowed, making a little crease Jae wanted to smooth away with his thumb. He shouldn’t look that troubled unless they were playing. And only in certain circumstances.
    Damn, but he could be determined when he wanted to be.
    “Fine, anyoung hashimnikka .”
    The furrow deepened. Tim’s brain hamsters, as Jae privately referred to his thought process, were running overtime. “An-yo-ha-shi-neek-a”
    The heavy Southern accent just killed the attempt, and Jae bit his lips too late to suppress the snort.
    “Are you seriously laughing at me?” Tim yanked his hands free. “I’m trying my best here.”
    “And I’m telling you it’s not necessary. My folks speak English. They learned it in school and have been speaking it since they moved here. Before they had me. You don’t need to know how to say hello.”
    Not to mention the most complicated, respectful way. But this was Tim, and if he had a Thing in his head, it was going to be the best Thing he could do. Jae couldn’t be surprised even if he tried.
    “But these are your parents. I want them to feel comfortable with me around. I want to make a good impression.”
    So much so that for the past couple of days, Tim had spent his time after work coming over to clean and neaten up and do laundry and grill Jae for details from his mother’s favorite color to the sort of aftershave his dad used. He was relentless as Jae’s pet, balancing prep with making sure Jae was taken care off.
    Jae promised not to tell either parent about the spectacular blow job Tim gave him in the middle of the sparklingly clean guest bathroom.
    He