Page 36 of Beyond the Storm

“Don’t know,” I said. “That sounds sus too.”

“Stoooop.” Nico groaned. “You’re not even using it right.”

“Should I go back to slapping my meat?”

A strangled sound came from Titan, and he doubled over, his face red. He was laughing. Hard. The kind of laughing that took your breath and made you wheeze. It wasn’t often I got that reaction from him, but it felt like a mini victory.

Once he calmed, we finished filming and saved it to the drafts folder so we could edit and upload later. I had made two burgers for the segment and had bit into one of them before ending the video.

Titan grumbled that the way I moaned as I chewed would probably increase the number of viewers.

Nico leapt forward and snatched up the second burger before shoving it in his mouth. Juices seeped out the back of the bun, and he licked it off his hand, still chewing.

“You’re so messy,” Titan said, watching him with an expression somewhere between disgust and amusement. “Eat over a plate. You’re getting sauce all over yourself and the floor.”

Meanwhile, I was gobbling up the other burger, not using a plate either. I paused while licking at the sauce that had dripped on my hand. “Oops.”

Titan sighed. “I see where he gets it from.”

I wiggled my saucy fingers at him. “Want some lovin’, Ti?”

“No. Stay away.”

I shoved the last of the burger into my mouth before barreling toward him. He didn’t even try to run. The faker. He loved me and my messiness. He chuckled low as I pressed him against the counter and brushed our lips together. Titan wasn’t the melting, swooning type… but he melted against me as we kissed, making a soft sound that only I could hear.

“You like that lovin’, huh?” I asked.

Titan ran the tip of his nose across mine. “Maybe.”

“Gross,” Nico said from behind us. “I’m leaving before I throw up.”

“Puking up that awesome burger would be a crime against humanity,” I said.

“You’re a crime against humanity,” the kid shot back before exiting the kitchen. Then, he opened the front door and shouted back to me, “Just kidding! Love you, Ray.”

Smiling, I placed another kiss to Titan’s lips. “Do you think he’ll ever call you or me Dad?”

“Do you want him to?”

I shrugged. “I mean, I wouldn’t mind it, but it might be weird for him. I call him a kid, but he’s a young man. Probably too late for him to see us that way. But ya know? It’s just a word. At the end of the day, we’re still family. That’s what matters.”

Titan rested his hands on my waist. “Did seeing Sorin the other day make you think about this? Do you want to be a dad?”

Another shrug. “Do you?”

His expression softened. “I’d love to have a child with you someday.”

“Yeah,” I said, surprised by the tightness in my throat. “I kinda like how things are right now though. You, me, and the kid. It’s nice.”

“It is.” Titan leaned in so close I felt his breath on my lips. “Know what else is nice?” His hands then slid to my ass and squeezed. “This.”

“Baby got back.”

He snorted a laugh. “You most definitely do.”

“What do you wanna do about it?” I ground my hips into him, wedging him more against the counter.

I felt him smile against my cheek. “I can think of one or two things. All of which involve you naked in bed. So you better get your hot ass in there.”