Page 40 of Delicious (Delicious #1)

Chapter Eleven

Cameron

“H i, Cam, what’s up?” Dad asks.

So far, every time we’ve video-called, Elliott has been with me. Today, it’s just me. Euan offered to talk to Dad with me, but I decided this was a conversation we needed to have from father to son. Besides, if Dad reacts badly, I want to be able to give Euan a heads-up. So I’m calling him now while Euan is picking the boys up from their sleepover party.

“Has something happened?”

“Nothing bad.” I wipe my hands over my thighs.

“Then why do you look so nervous, buddy?”

Buddy is the nickname Dad gave me when I was three or four. I don’t remember. He means well, but it never fails to reduce me to feeling like a kid. Except I’m not a kid. I’m an adult, and I need to act like one.

“I’ve started seeing someone. It’s very new, but I thought you should know.”

Dad purses his lips. “I’m sure Euan would be happy to babysit every so often if you want to spend time with your new boyfriend, especially if you offer to repay the favour. We used to do that quite a bit.”

I half smile. “I remember. Dad, the thing is, Euan is the guy I’m seeing.”

He widens his eyes.

I flinch and brace myself for whatever his reaction might be.

“You’ve liked him for a long time,” Dad says.

I gawp at him. “You knew?”

“It was obvious.” He scratches his beard. “I didn’t realise he liked you.”

“Nor did I. Elliott and Peter convinced us to make cupcakes together for a school bake sale, and one thing led to another. Please don’t be angry, especially not at Euan. I came onto him.”

“I admit it’s a little odd to think about my son and my best friend.” He shakes his head. “Maybe I shouldn’t think about it. There’s quite the age gap between you.”

“Ten years. The same as you and him. Those ten years haven’t stopped you from being friends, have they?”

“No. It matters less the older you get. We had a lot in common, Cam.”

“You’re both single dads.”

“Yes. Through choice.”

He makes it sound like they made the same decisions. They didn’t. Dad was twenty, and his girlfriend was eighteen when she got pregnant with me. She chose to go through with the pregnancy, but she intended to put me up for adoption. Dad offered to take care of me instead. He’s told me a hundred times or more that he never regretted that decision. Elliott was another accidental pregnancy. Once again, he stepped up and took on the role of sole parent without hesitation or reservation, and honestly, he’s an amazing dad.

As for Euan—he wanted to be a dad. He had a friend who didn’t want kids of her own but offered to be a surrogate. They went the IVF route.

“You and Euan have less in common,” Dad says.

“I like him, Dad, and he likes me. I don’t know if this is going to turn into anything serious, but it would be easier to see where things go if we know you’re okay with it.”

He puffs his cheeks out and stares off somewhere to his right. It’s evening in Hong Kong. Is it dark out already? Is he looking out his window at the city lights? One of the first things Dad did when he arrived was take a photo of Hong Kong out of the window of his temporary apartment. It looks amazing.

“I’ve got five months to get used to it,” he says eventually.

My heart sinks. “You don’t approve.”

“I didn’t say that. What I did say is that it’s odd, and it is going to take some getting used to. All I’ve ever wanted is for you to be happy, Cam. Do you think Euan will make you happy?”

“Yes.”

“Long term?”

I shrug. “I don’t know. Maybe. I don’t have a crystal ball.”

“True. He’s got a son.”

“Uh, yeah, I know.”

“My point is, if things do get serious, being a stepdad is very different to taking care of your younger brother for six months.”

I take a breath. His comment should terrify me. Is that why he said it? It doesn’t. Peter is a great kid. “We’re a long way off stepdad territory, Dad.”

He smiles. “I know. But it’s something to think about. You can’t get into a relationship with a parent—however casual—without considering their child.”

“I know.”

“Do the boys know?”

“Not yet.”

“But you’ll tell them?”

I nod.

“They might be a tougher audience than I was.”

My jaw drops. “You think so?”

He laughs. “No. I think they’ll be excited at the prospect of getting to have more sleepovers.”

I laugh along with him. “Probably.”

“Do you have any more bombshells to drop on me?”

“Nope.”

“Then tell me everything you’ve been up to since we last talked. I want every detail.”

I grin. “Sure thing, as long as you tell me everything you’ve done.”

“Are you sure you want details of every boring meeting?”

“Eh, no. You can skip work stuff. But tell me everything else.”

“Deal.”

When Euan and the boys get home, I meet them at the front door. Elliott and Peter have dark bags under their eyes. Not that Euan and I are faring much better. We spent a lot of time talking, cuddling, and fucking last night. We did eventually get to sleep an hour or so before dawn. I would love a nap later. Especially if I can spend that nap in Euan’s arms.

“Hey, how was the party?” I ask.

“Great!” Elliott replies.

“How late did you stay up?”

“David’s parents hid all the sweets and snacks and turned the lights out at ten.”

“But—?”

“Michael had snuck sweets into his bag. When we were sure David’s parents were asleep, we played Monopoly,” Peter says.

I smack my hand over my face. “You are never having a sleepover party here,” I tell Elliott.

“Aww!”

“Nor are you.” Euan ruffles Peter’s hair.

“Dad!”

“Can we go play games?” Elliott asks.

“Wouldn’t you rather have a nap?”

“Nah. I’m too wired to sleep.”

“It’ll be all that sugar,” Euan says.

I laugh. “Probably. Go ahead.”

The boys dash past me up the stairs.

I beckon Euan into the kitchen and close the door.

“Did you speak to Lewis?” he asks.

“Yes.”

“And?”

I put my hands on Euan’s hips and pull his groin against mine. “He was fine with the concept of us.”

Euan widens his eyes and lifts his eyebrows. “He was?”

I bob my head from side to side. “He said it would take some getting used to, but as long as we’re happy, he’s happy.” I lean my forehead against Euan’s. “Relieved?”

“Yes.”

“Me too.”

“We should tell the boys.”

“Yes.” I kiss him tenderly.

“Before they walk in on us and catch us kissing.”

I laugh. “Uh-huh. But right now, they’re playing games.”

I kiss him again, pulling him as close as I can so his body is sandwiched against mine. I walk him to the breakfast bar and press him against the counter.

“They could come down at any moment, looking for a snack.” He slips his hands beneath my T-shirt and runs them up and down my back.

“I think they’ve had enough sugar for now.” I stroke his tongue with mine and moan into his mouth.

“They’re growing boys. They’re always hungry.” He slides one hand to my arse and squeezes.

“True.” I tangle my fingers through his hair and tickle his nape.

“We should stop.”

“Absolutely.” I pull away and wipe the back of my hand over my damp lips. “You need to stop being so irresistible, handsome.”

He jabs his finger against his chest. “Me? You’re the irresistible one, Cam.”

“No. You.” I smile and brush my fingertips over his beard.

“We should speak to the boys.”

“Yup.”

We go upstairs and knock on Elliott’s door.

“Come in!”

The boys are sitting on the floor, with their backs against Elliott’s bed, playing a cartoony racing game on the game console.

“Could you pause that for a moment?” Euan asks.

They do.

“What’s up?” Elliott asks.

“We need to talk to you about something,” Euan says.

Elliott and Peter exchange glances. They grin.

“You kissed, didn’t you?” Elliott asks.

Peter clasps his hands in a pleading gesture and whispers, “Please, please, please.”

For a moment, I can’t do anything but stand and stare at them. Euan does the same.

“Well? Did you?” Elliott demands.

“It was on Monday, wasn’t it? When you made cupcakes together.” Peter unclasps his hands.

I glance at Euan. He looks at me.

“If we had kissed, would you be okay with it?” Euan asks.

The boys roll their eyes.

“Uh, yeah. We were counting on it,” Elliott says.

“Why else do you think we were so keen on you baking cupcakes together?” Peter asks.

My mind is racing to catch up.

“We set you up,” Elliott says.

Euan laughs.

“Why?” I ask.

“Because you’ve liked Euan for ages,” Elliott says.

“And we thought it would be cool if you two got together,” Peter says.

“Especially while Dad is away.”

“Why?” It’s the only thing I can spit out at the moment.

“More sleepovers!” they chorus.

Dad called it.

“So, did you kiss?” Elliott asks.

“If not, why not?” Peter asks.

Euan slides his fingers through mine. “We kissed.”

They fist-bump the air and whoop.

“Awesome. Anything else, or can we get back to our game?” Elliott asks.

“That was all,” Euan says.

“Hey, Dad, can we sleep over tonight?” Peter asks.

“That’s not really up to me.”

Elliott fixes me with a pleading stare. “Say yes.”

I throw my hands up. “Yes!”

“But no playing Monopoly and gorging on sweets at midnight,” Euan says.

“We’re too tired for that.” Peter yawns, proving his point.

They turn back to their game and play again. Euan and I back out of the room, closing the door behind us.

We go downstairs into the kitchen, where I immediately press Euan against the wall so I can kiss him.

“Relieved?” I ask.

“Happy.” He cups my face and caresses my shoulder. “And looking forward to seeing where this thing between us goes.”

“Yeah, I’m looking forward to that too.”