Page 32 of Father Knows Best (A Family Affair #1)

twenty

. . .

geo

The Deal

I did get out. I did leave. But I’m standing in the hall, where my son asked me to wait. Now I’m pacing and wondering what the hell has gotten into me.

Did I offer myself up out of guilt? Repairing things with Sutton has been the highlight of my adult life, honestly, but I still harbor so much guilt for my choices all those years ago.

Did I offer to do this because I feel some responsibility to keep my son’s best relationship in tact, since I fucked up his most crucial relationship perspectives as a child?

I don’t know.

Or maybe I offered myself up because somewhere deep inside me, I have a thing for my son’s wife.

I do adore Avery, in a platonic sense of course.

She has in the past made me aroused, yes.

But she’s gorgeous and I’m not sure Sutton would fault me for that, if he knew.

It’s not within my control–my cock doesn’t know it’s given a standing ovation to my son’s wife.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel guilty about it, though.

Maybe that’s why I offered?

I pause my pacing and look down at my patent dress shoes, and the intricate pattern in the burgundy and gold berber carpet. Calm down. You offered to help. Sure, it’s unconventional but what part of life isn’t at this point?

The doors open, and I glance up to lock eyes with my son, who tucks his head toward the room, wordlessly inviting me back inside.

It’s only been a few minutes. I didn’t hear raised voices or even hushed tones.

Did they talk about it or did Avery simply put her foot down on the idea?

She has every right to do that, and as the doors click closed behind us and my eyes come to hers, I’m filled with regret.

She wants Sutton to fulfill her sexual needs, not Sutton’s father. Why did I think that was an appropriate suggestion? The large suite is quiet, and my face remains stoic despite the raging storm of insecurity, indecision and regret brewing in my gut.

“Listen, I–”

“Do you have experience with toys?” Avery asks, and when I cut my eyes to my son, he gives me a singular, reassuring nod.

Holy shit.

I think they’re considering this. I suggested it yet, I suppose I didn’t think this far down the line. “I do,” I tell her honestly.

“Like the plug or…” she looks at Sutton, and they share a tender, twisted glance. I wonder what they discussed when I was out of the room? I can’t even wrap my head around the idea that they’re considering this.

I’d do it. It wasn’t an empty offer.

“Other things?”

My pulse picks up. “That, and more.” If it’s a thing, I’ve done it, but I don’t relish admitting that in front of my son. Then again, I think I blew past appropriate when I offered to fuck his wife.

Avery licks her lips, her hands nervously smoothing over the hem of her robe. “Are you open to having things done to you?”

I clear my throat. “As opposed to?”

She tips her head sideways. “You doing things to me.”

Those five words nearly take me out at the knees, and from across the room, Sutton groans, shrugging out of his suit jacket, draping it across the bed.

“Son, are you okay?” I ask, forgoing Avery’s question for a moment.

I study him. Dark circles under his eyes, his hair is a mess—but he looks up at me and nods, and I can see that he is okay, and that’s what I need to know before I continue.

“I’m open to both.” I feel the need to clarify. “I’m not adverse to anything, Avery, that’s all I mean to say.”

“And what would he do when I’m with you?” she asks.

I take a deep breath, considering her question. What was my plan when I offered this? I guess if I think about it… I skate a hand up the back of my head and push out a sigh. “Watch.”

He snorts. “That’s some kind of fucked up, watching my dad have sex? With my wife?”

I shrug. “It’s as fucked up as you make it.

And anyway, you’d be making eye contact with her, watching her, keeping your focus and every ounce of your attention on her .

Your wife. Watching her get what she needs.

That will be your pleasure, being there, being able to allow her to get what she needs while being there. ”

Avery’s mind is working overtime, and I’m trying to keep up. “You can’t rearrange your whole life for us, Geo.”

“What life? What rearrange? I’m not in a relationship. I’m fifty-six years old. I’m not dying to meet someone. Taking myself off the market for a bit to help you two is not a rearranging of my life.

She shakes her head, twisting her hair to one side of her body with two fingers. I love, maybe more than I should, watching her play with her hair. “I hadn’t even considered the way you’d put your entire romantic life on a shelf for us.” She shakes her head, swiping at a tear that I can’t see.

“What were you referring to, then?”

Sutton speaks now, and I realize that in the few minutes I stood in the hall freaking the fuck out, they actually talked about my offer. In a serious capacity.

“She’s referring to the fact she’d like you to live with us, if we did embark on this… thing.”

I stroke my hand down the buttons of my dress shirt, one I thought I’d be out of hours ago. I thought I’d be drunk and dozing by this hour. Not here, in their room, when they should be nothing but sweaty, writhing bodies and whispered adorations of one another.

I’ll admit. No matter what Sutton claims, I question if his preference doesn’t stem from Margot, and what he remembers. Maybe a sex life of missionary and privacy, to him, is comfort and safety. I don’t know. “Live with you,” I repeat that sentiment, my mind reeling.

“Live with my grown son and his wife like I’m one sprained ankle away from some old folks home?”

Avery simply says, “Geo,” in a tone that accuses me of knowing better, and scolds me for making a comment to the contrary.

“That’s what people will think.”

Sutton laughs, and Avery joins him, and though it’s two against one at this moment, the room doesn’t feel divided like it once used to, before I came clean to my son.

“No one will think that because you’re the CEO of Mercer, you’re in newspapers and magazines all the time.

You’re not even close to convalescence.” He shakes his head, tugging off then tossing his bowtie aside.

“Besides, no one would have to know. I mean, not really.”

“I’m not going to lie about where I live. That sounds, quite frankly, exhausting.” I look at Avery. “Why would I need to live with the two of you, should we do this?”

Do this. Those two words are bloated, overflowing with what could be. Her soulful blue eyes idle on mine, and I ignore the stirring in my bones, the roaring in my veins, the quiet roar of desire in my groin as she gets to her feet, joining Sutton on the edge of the bed.

“Because otherwise, I’m a married woman making a booty call to her father-in-law, that’s why.”

Sutton’s eyes come to mine, though his head barely lifts.

“She feels like a whore for her desires, and having someone come sate them from a phone call makes her feel even worse. This solution only works if everyone feels good about it, and right now, she doesn’t.

” He gets to his feet and we come chest to chest in a non-confrontational type of way.

“She doesn’t want to feel like a service call. ”

I lower my voice, despite the fact that I know Avery can still hear me. “Are you serious about this? Do you want this?” Because I will move in with them. I will do this. I will make this commitment to both of them, right now.

I’ve lived my life, and I have more life to live, stretched out in front of me. But I can shelve my life for a while, to help them. In a way, I owe it to Sutton. I owe them both many good years for the ones I’ve stolen.

“I love Avery, and I can’t see a life without her in it. But I can’t pretend to enjoy things I don’t, and equally, I can’t ask her to give up things she wants.” He places his hand on the side of my bicep, gently, and squeezes. “You’re the only one I trust.”

I can’t wrap my head around uptight, rule following, territorial Sutton allowing me to be with Avery. “You’re not freaking out?”

He nods toward the hall. “I was, when you were out there. We both were.”

I cock a brow, and split my glances between them. “And you’re not now?”

Avery shakes her head. “I am attracted to you, Geo. And I love you. We’re family.” She shrugs, the white robe slipping down, exposing a bare, soft shoulder that makes my groin throb. “We both want this. But we want to establish rules, for all of our safety.”

She’s attracted to me? I want to go back to that, but I know that revisiting that amidst everything else would be uncomfortable. “Rules,” I repeat, smoothing my hand down my stomach, ignoring the twitch of arousal in my cock.

“Avery and I want to start our family, so one of the rules would be that you do not come inside of her,” Sutton says, so matter of factly that I have to get off my feet before I pass the hell out.

With my elbows braced against my knees, I feed my hands through my hair and inhale a steadying breath. Sitting up, I face them.

When I lift my head, Avery is next to me, her hip pressing against mine.

Once we took a cab ride together, the three of us, and Avery’s leg bumped mine.

The feeling then was electric, but I chalked it up to being in such close proximity with both her and my son.

Now, though, I realize what I felt wasn’t her. It was us. Our chemistry when we touch.

She places her hand on my knee and squeezes. “You okay?”

I nod. “I’m okay.”

Sutton stands in front of us, hands in his suit pockets. “So while we’re trying to have a baby, you do not finish inside of her.”

Avery squeezes my knee again. “Don’t worry, that only applies to PIV.”

My gaze snaps to Avery, who has just used an acronym for penis in vagina . I blink at her, realizing what she means. “Anal sex is one of the things you’d like to explore?”

She grows worried. “You’re not—you won’t–”

I shake my head. “I will, and I have.” I glance over at my son, powerful and smart, hardworking and gentle.

“You..” I take a second and choose my words carefully, because I am not looking to shame the man for what he does and doesn’t like.

I suppose I just want to make sure I don’t go anywhere he wants to go and hasn’t been. “You’re not open to having anal sex?”

Sutton shakes his head. “I don’t judge her for wanting to experience it, or for wanting to continue if she enjoys it. But no, I am not open to having anal sex. It’s not for me.”

I think about the last time I had anal sex, though it’s been years ago now.

Tight, so fucking tight and warm, anal sex is a lot like deflowering a virgin the first time you have it.

And just like losing your virginity, anal is hard to go slow and not blow right away, because of the intensity.

Still, I don’t share any of that with him, nor do I share with them the way my heartbeat picks up and adrenaline rushes through my limbs.

The idea of exploring this with delicate, petite, beautiful Avery is almost too arousing to think about while going through rules.

“Got it,” I nod my head. “So if you’re wanting me to move in, it sounds like this isn’t going to be one night a month. ”

Avery clears her throat. “We were thinking we could tell everyone at work you are getting some stuff done to your place. You move into the guest room across from ours, and on the evenings in which I want to explore, I’ll leave our door open, and you vice versa.

When you’re able and in the mood, you leave your door open, too. .”

I look at Sutton, and he’s already watching me. “As we established, I will watch.”

I scratch at the back of my head, almost fully erect at the idea of taking Avery bareback. “Why don’t I just wear a condom, if you two are trying?”

Avery’s voice is gentle but seductive. “I don’t like condoms. I want you bare, the same way I take Sutt.”

“If it comes between us in any way—if Avery starts to feel weird, if either of you develop feelings, if I simply decide it’s not working—we walk away from this without a word.

We agree now that it won’t affect us. That we trust one another, we try this, and we leave before we get hurt, if it comes to that. ”

I nod. I don’t want to come between them, but ironically me being between them right now is the only thing keeping them together.

“Agree?” Sutton asks.

I nod my head, then find myself shaking my son’s hand, agreeing to give his wife all the sexual things he cannot. This agreement has brought a whole new meaning to a family affair, which is previously the way we described our successful outfit at Mercer Properties.

“Agree.”

We both look at Avery. “Agree.”

“We can discuss and iron out any other details in the next few days,” Sutton says, turning his focus on Avery. She gets to her feet, and because I’ve essentially just agreed to letting her own my cock for an undetermined amount of time, I stand, too.

“Tonight, I want you,” she tells my son, her husband, and even though I should have not expected anything less because it is still technically their wedding night, I have to smile around the knot of disappointment that appears in my gut.

Then she reaches for me, and links her fingers with mine. “And you.”

Holy shit.

Here we go.