Liability (Suncoast Society #33)(45)

The man’s rich chuckle rumbled deep within him. “I’m sure you are.” Carlos leaned back against the railing and crossed his arms over his chest. “Your mom doesn’t know this about me, obviously, but I’m definitely a pitcher and not a catcher.” He smiled. “And I think you’re playing by the same…rules that I do, no? Unless I’ve completely misread you. If so, my apologies.”

Mason laughed and nodded. “You didn’t. I’m a Top. And it’s even more…complicated than that.”

“Don’t feel bad. I didn’t want to hurt your mom’s feelings. She’s been after me for a while to come meet you, once you moved back to Florida. I thought it best to get it over with.” He shrugged. “I’ll admit that when I first saw you I was intrigued, but it didn’t take me long to realize that while we might become good friends, we probably wouldn’t be good in a relationship together.”

“Too many Doms?”

“Exactly.”

“Thanks for understanding.”

“Eh, it was worth a shot,” Carlos said. “He’s a very lucky man.”

Mason snorted. “It’s waaay more complicated than that.” And they ended up moving to the bar on the far side of the deck, Carlos drinking a Coke while Mason ordered iced tea, and they continued talking.

By the time Mason finished the story, Carlos looked impressed. “You’re right. That is complicated. But it sounds like it’s working for all three of you.”

“Needless to say, we’re still figuring out whatever this is. I can’t exactly bring Cole—or Kim and Cole—over and introduce either of them as a significant other until I figure out exactly what this means long-term for all three of us. But it’s looking promising.”

“It can mean whatever you want it to mean.” He smiled. “At least your parents probably won’t disown you like mine did.”

“Ouch. Sorry.”

“It’s all right. I’m still friends with my very first boyfriend. We hooked up when I was eighteen. His parents sort of adopted me. Mine finally started inviting me to family gatherings again, once they realized my brothers and sisters weren’t cutting me out of their lives. I don’t bring anyone with me, though, when my parents will be there, and they pretend that their eldest son isn’t ‘one of those queers.’” He used air quotes around the last part.

Mason hadn’t planned on staying and talking as late as he did, but it felt good to have someone to talk to who understood. Well, sort of. Carlos wasn’t attracted to women at all, even as a Top. They exchanged phone numbers and FetLife names and parted company a little before midnight.

As Mason drove west across the Alley, he realized his morning alarm was going to go off far too early the next morning for his liking.

He also realized that he definitely needed to settle whatever this was between the three of them in his mind, define it, categorize it, label it.

He didn’t want to end it. The exact opposite.

He wanted to do whatever it took to keep it going.

Preferably permanently.





Mason hadn’t even had a chance to talk to Cole and Kim the next day beyond good-morning texts when his mom called him at work.

“So? What’d you think of Carlos? You two seemed to hit it right off.”

What had happened to her during the eight years he’d lived in Nebraska? His mom had never tried to fix him up before when he lived in Florida.

“Um, he’s very nice. Seems like a nice guy.”

“Nice?” His mom almost sounded hurt. “That’s all?”

He’d laugh if he knew his mom wouldn’t take it the wrong way. He didn’t want to hurt her feelings. “You sort of blindsided me there, Mom. I wasn’t expecting someone else at dinner.”

“Well, I didn’t think you’d mind.”

“I didn’t say I minded.” Bite the bullet, *. “It’s just I’m sort of already seeing someone. And it’s pretty serious.”

“Oh.” A moment of quiet from Miami. “Why didn’t you tell me that? And why didn’t you bring him to dinner?”

“Because schedules didn’t line up and we’re still kind of feeling our way around. But I’m serious about…them.” Which would be sooo much closer to the truth than she actually knew…

“Now I just feel silly. Here I talked you up to Carlos.”

“Mom, it’s okay. I told him. He understood. I think Carlos and I would be more just friends, anyway. He’s a nice guy. And I appreciate you going through the trouble to invite him.”

That seemed to mollify her. “So when do we get to meet your guy?”

He hoped she couldn’t hear his aggravated sigh on her end of the phone. “We’re not there yet, Mom.”

“I just…you know. Since gay marriage is legal and all now. I mean, I don’t want to miss anything.”

Maybe it was his exhaustion from not enough sleep, but he wasn’t sure what she meant. “Huh?”

“Your father and I didn’t give you a very good family growing up. I don’t want to screw up anything else in your life.”

Great. This wasn’t what he needed this morning. “Mom, I love you, you know that. You didn’t screw up anything. I’m not gay because you and Dad fought like crazy and got divorced any more than you’re straight because your parents were married for fifty years.”