Page 35 of Chosen Spirits (The Bartender Mage #4)

"Buh ba BUM!" Rahul declared triumphantly, bringing the cheesecake out from the refrigerator and setting it on the kitchen island. "Time for an afternoon treat."

"Is that mirrorglaze on the cheesecake?" Leif asked, looking at the green and gold white chocolate that shone on the dessert.

Rahul heard a sucking sound, and noticed Tucker wiping at his face. "Spontaneous drool, sorry."

"Nah, pup, it's a high compliment. Now let's cut ourselves some slices and take it out back so I can finally see all the work you two and Rickert have been doing the last few weeks."

"You'll be so excited to see it!" Leif said, bouncing on his toes. Tucker reached over, running a hand through his vibrantly-dyed green hair. "I'll bet you've been curious."

As Rahul transferred a large slice onto a plate, then gave out forks, he nodded. "Bit of an understatement, cub. Do you know how hard it's been to resist peeking out the back?"

"We recognize the pain we put you through," Tucker said, moving to open the back patio door. "But we also knew that our stoic bear could power through it. Thanks for being patient, though, it'll make the reveal that much better."

"Yes, yes, now move faster, pup. I want to see our new deck already! "

Leif gasped. "You knew?"

Tucker laughed, finally sliding the door open and marching out, barely ahead of Rahul. "I told you he'd figure it out."

"Nothing else would have taken this long," Rahul commented. "I could also hear where in our backyard the construction was being done, and could smell the wood being worked."

Rahul stepped out onto the composite wood deck, a deep burgundy color that mimicked redwood.

Tucker and Leif gave him a moment to run his bare feet along the smooth, splinter-free deck, and then observe the designated areas where they'd put his grilling station and brick oven.

When he got to the deck railing, though, he found himself unable to look away, and his face settled into a frown.

Swallowing, he reached out a thumb, measuring.

The exact spacing between the balusters, the shape of the posts, the top rail that was wide enough to conveniently set a drink on… even the solar-powered deck lights were as they should be.

Tucker was at his side, taking his trembling plate of cheesecake away and setting it conveniently on the nearby railing.

"This is so stupid," Rahul complained, rubbing his eyes. "Just because you, you remembered…"

Tucker wrapped him in a hug, speaking softly. "I always listened to the words you said, Roo bear. We were planning on redoing the deck that summer, before we broke up. I checked the notes we'd written together, and made sure to install everything just like you'd wanted."

Rahul lifted his head up, blinking away tears. "You even remembered the right fuckin' stain for the railing because—"

"—it smells better than the other brands. Yeah, babe. Now whenever you're ready, go ahead and finish looking, because you're missing Leif's part of the present."

Rahul rumbled, giving Tucker the tightest hug he could, then wiped at his face so he could see again.

"You mean the deck wasn't a joint gift? Oh, shit, hah! Leif, how in the fuck?"

Leif crashed into the two of them, squeezing and gesturing excitedly, apparently having given them as long of a private moment as his little self could handle.

"Magic! I had to practice a bit on our woodline, so if any of the trees over there look funny, it was me.

And then I got Pini and Tithi to help with advice for picking the right trees from the arbor place and from our own backyard—did you know that mature trees are super expensive?

—and then they supervised me while I used Plant Control to get the trees twisted in all the right shapes without hurting them, which took a while.

So now there's natural shade in addition to the canopies, and lots of new plants, and bunches of flowers—"

Rahul cut off Leif's words with a kiss.

"Thank you, Leif. Everything looks amazing. So amazing, in fact, that we should sit on some chairs and appreciate it all while eating our cheesecake."

Leif wiggled out of his grasp, and Rahul gathered his plate before sitting in one of their large deck chairs.

"To our first year together, and many more to come!" he declared, raising a forkful of cheesecake in a toast, and Leif joined in.

"Huzzah!" Leif said, raising his own fork.

"Mmph!" Tucker agreed, his cheeks bulging.

After having their snack, Rahul allowed himself to be led around by his boyfriends as they showed off the results of their landscaping efforts, and then shared a quick dip in the pool after he "accidentally" hip-checked Tucker into it.

Alas! For all his recent cardio gains, he wasn't a match for a sopping wet, determined weredog.

Rahul wouldn't have minded spending a couple of hours on this fine summer day just floating on his back in the pool and basking in the sun, but after realizing that he hadn't heard Leif's laughter in more than a minute, he turned his head and noticed that Leif had pushed Tucker to the edge of the pool.

His cub had his arms and legs wrapped around Tucker's torso, and was delivering kisses all along his snout and neck.

The thick red shaft that was poking out of the water made Tucker's feelings about the matter clear enough.

"Alright, you two, no fair not inviting me." Rahul swam himself over, grabbed a quick kiss, then lifted himself up out of the pool. "I'd planned on saving the shenanigans for after dinner, but I see two big reasons not to wait."

"Aha, yes!" Tucker said. He set Leif out of the pool, then hoisted himself up. "I agree, there is no point waiting, when we could be fucking right now. Haha, hurry!"

Leif had just gotten to his own feet when Tucker grabbed him around the middle and simply lifted him over his shoulder, dashing for the house.

Rahul rolled his eyes as he hurried after them; there'd be plenty of time to gather the empty cheesecake plates later.

◆◆◆

"Ready, love?" Tucker asked him, laying on his back at the edge of their bed.

Freshly showered, properly lubed, and appropriately prepped with foreplay, Rahul nodded, then bent his knees and sank himself down onto his pup's waiting cock.

He let out a breath that he'd been holding as he started the process of taking the fullness of it.

He felt Leif rubbing his back encouragingly as he did so.

Stroking himself, Rahul got himself into a rhythm, gradually working his way down to the base of Tucker's shaft.

Tucker's perfectly sized cock—it belonged to his boyfriend, so of course it was perfect, all uncut nine inches of it—was still a beast to overcome, but soon enough he felt his ass on top of Tucker's thighs.

Tucker ran a hand up and down Rahul's chest, letting him set the pace for now. Tucker flicked and then pinched his nipple, wiggling his head at him. Rahul blew out a breath.

"Phew!Alright, that's step one."Rahul looked back over his shoulder, seeing Leif staring at his ass."Your turn, cub."

Leif lifted himself up on his tiptoes so he could get a kiss, then moved behind him.While Rahul focused on his own breathing, Leif pressed his cock next to Tucker's and began pushing himself in as well.

"Fuuuck," Rahul said, wincing.It was a glorious kind of pain, though, accepting both of his two lovers.

"Do you—" Leif began.

"Keep going, love," Rahul interrupted.He leaned forward, and Leif slid in another inch."It feels fucking fantastic."

Leif pulled out, and Rahul was about to complain when he heard him apply another large helping of lube.Then his cub was pushing himself back in, and just… oh, wow!

"Alright, this is mostly on you, cub.Start slow."

As Leif started pumping, Rahul heard Tucker growling in pleasure below him, and no wonder—he was deeply seated in Rahul's ass, and Leif was grinding their cocks together.

With Leif taking charge of the pace, Rahul let himself get lost in the pleasure, finding himself leaning heavily on Tucker's muscular chest, groping and stroking his adoring puppy.

Tucker grabbed one of his hands and put it against his cheek, growling through clenched teeth as he kissed his palm.

It didn't take long, not with this kind of stimulation.

Rahul wasn't sure who came first, but he suspected it was Leif, his cub's load adding a fiery warmth to his ride.

Hearing his cub groan, and then grip tightly around his chest set himself off as well, and through the haze of his orgasm felt Tucker dragging his fingers across his torso.

After catching his breath, he found it easy to slide off of his pup, with as much cum as he was filled with. He crawled up higher on the bed, and then collapsed onto his belly.

He murmured inarticulate praises, and a moment later was being hugged and stroked on both sides by his two abso-fucking-lutely fantastic lovers.

◆◆◆

"You know, I feel like my anniversary gifts weren't exactly on the same level," he said a short time later, laying on the bed with his boyfriends cuddled next to him.

He'd commissioned some craftsmen he'd found online, purchasing two pairs of earrings for Leif, one emerald and one pink spinel, both with minor protective enchantments. And then a new shifter's collar for Tucker, forest-green to complement his kilts and bring out the color in his eyes.

"But I love your present!" Leif protested. "I can't think of anything I have that wouldn't match with at least one of the pairs."

"I like my new collar," Tucker said simply. "Plus, you also did that plumbing install for Leif's bar, adding in a water line."

Rahul grumbled good naturally, but desisted his complaints in the face of two belligerent boyfriends. He'd just have to think up something else nice to do for them later. Maybe spruce up their sex-toy closet with some fancy shelving?

"So what's next on the agenda, boys?"

"Short nap," Tucker said. "And then dinner."

"At the steakhouse we had for our first date together as a throuple, right?" Leif asked, looking up at him.

"Exactly right, cub." Rahul reached forward, running his fingers across Leif's smooth chest. He sighed.

Tucker propped himself up on an elbow, reaching over Leif to touch his shoulder. "Every okay? You're smelling kind of maudlin."

"Feeling a bit sentimental, maybe," he admitted. "Just counting my blessings."

"Here, I'll help," Tucker said with a cheeky grin. He first put a hand on top of Leif's head, then on his own. "One… and two! Two blessings!"

"Yay, good job!" Leif spun around enough to give Tucker a kiss. "Do you want a bone as a treat now, or later?"

Rahul heard Tucker growl as he considered it, but ended up just wrapping Leif in a hug, licking the side of his face and then laughing. "Later."

Rahul snorted, watching the interplay. "Hey now, cub. I can count to two, too! Where's my bone, huh?"

"You just had two of them!" Leif lifted his head and pursed his lips, and Rahul obliged by leaning in to give him a kiss. "Don't be greedy. "

"His hunger is truly insatiable," Tucker observed.

"I desire the whole world!" Rahul declared grandly, then pressed himself closer to his boyfriends. "And since you two mean the world to me, I guess I already have everything I need. I love you."

"Aww! I love you too, teddy bear!"

"Love you, Roo."

Rahul ran a hand through Tucker's hair, watching as his puppy closed his eyes in bliss, rumbling happily. He then thumbed Leif's cheek, earning him a helpless smile and a ferocious wiggle. Tucker wuffed, putting a hand on Leif's hip to still him.

"Everyone comfortable?" Rahul asked as he laid his own head down, sharing the pillow with Leif.

"Mmm," Tucker said. "I ain't got any complaints. Although maybe…"

Reaching over, Tucker laid a hand on Rahul's shoulder, tugging him closer. They ended up pinning their adorable, magical cub in between their bodies. Leif squeaked as he was trapped, but didn't complain.

"There.Better, darlin'?"

"Yeah," Leif said, and Rahul felt him relax. It didn't take a shifter's nose to recognize that he was happy right where he was.

"This is perfect."