Liability (Suncoast Society #33)(82)

“No, Cole got a little toppy with me and said he wants to do this as soon as possible. I don’t have the energy to fight him. Not that I want to fight him. He’s right about the insurance.”

“We could try a legal challenge to the termination. Claim discrimination.”

“No. If I don’t have the energy to fight Cole, I damn sure don’t have the energy to fight what I’m sure is probably a very legally valid employment contract. I’ll take the severance pay and bank it against medical bills.”

“I’ll get the paperwork started for you two, then.” He hesitated. “I’m guessing you want paperwork for Kim, too? Like what I did for Landry and the others?”

“Yes. Whatever we need to legally make her our partner.”

“I’ll set you guys up a trust. That’s easiest.”

“Thanks.”

He smiled. “You thank me now. Those two are going to be like drill sergeants when you get home. They’re going to make Tilly look like a * by comparison to get you up and on your feet again.”

Mason laughed. “Yeah, but you know what? I’m looking forward to that. I came so close to losing happiness. Not about to risk losing it again.”





Friday evening, the small hospital chapel, which was only meant to hold about twenty people, was overfilled and at standing-room-only capacity with the vanilla-est kinky wedding of the Suncoast Society’s history. Judge Pat Donnelly, whom Mason had known before the move to Nebraska, performed the ceremony personally as Cole and Mason exchanged vows and rings, Kim actually doing the honors of slipping them onto the men’s fingers.

Then they slipped hers onto her finger before Pat announced the men legally hitched. Mason made Cole kiss Kim before he kissed her, then the men exchanged a kiss. Mason sat through the whole thing in his wheelchair, but had managed to put on a pair of slacks and a nice shirt.

Tilly had even flown in to make sure she got to witness it first-hand, and because of the locale, anyone with small kids was still able to attend, since it was vanilla-and child-friendly.

The wedding reception was on hold until Mason was released and they could do it at the club.

That would definitely not be child-friendly.

Later that night, when it was just the three of them alone in the hospital room and Mason had changed back into a hospital gown, Mason patted the bed and motioned to Kim to climb in next to him. He draped an arm around her shoulders, snuggling her close even as he reached over and laced fingers with Cole.

“Thank you for loving me,” he said, kissing the top of her head and looking over to Cole to receive a kiss from him. “I hope you don’t regret saddling yourselves with me.”

“Hey,” Cole said. “Husband says don’t talk like that.”

“So does the pet,” Kim mumbled against his chest.

Mason chuckled and rubbed his chin in her hair. “Pushy pet.”

“Yes, Master.”

“I’m keeping track of how many you owe me, you know.”

“I’m sure you are.” She finally looked up at him, but she wore a smile. “And I’ll be happy to take every last one of them, after you’re home.” It’d been a running game he’d stumbled across, seeing how she brightened when he’d first joked about giving her strokes if she got too mouthy.

Now he made a point of calling out an infraction, real or made up, at least once a day. Just to see her smile like that.

He’d do whatever he had to do to keep her smiling.

Just like she was smiling up at him now.

“Master says pet’s stuck with me, too.”

Her smile widened. “I hope so, Master.”

He couldn’t believe tomorrow was three weeks since Freddie had tried to kill him. “I guess we need to plan a move, huh? Two moves, actually.”

“Already working on it,” Cole said. “We’re moving her next weekend. Already have the help lined up. What we need to decide is moving you.”

“I guess I’m not really needed for that process, am I?” Mason admitted.

Cole smiled. “I might or might not have already started packing up your kitchen stuff.”

“Ooh. Hubby’s taking charge. Me likey.”

“Don’t get too used to it. Once you’re back on your feet, I’ll be happy to be partners in playing with the pet, but I’m no Dom.”

“I don’t mind,” Mason assured him.

“I think one Master is enough,” Kim said. “Master, Hubby, and pet.”

Cole reached over and stroked her hair. “Are you happy, sweetheart?”

“Yes. Once we’re all together again, everything’ll be perfect.”

“No, perfect is when Freddie gets convicted,” Cole said, his dark tone surprising Mason.

When he studied Cole’s face, he saw traces of murderous intent there. “Hey, prison orange isn’t your color, either,” Mason reminded him.

“I think Tilly would hurt me if I was able to do bodily damage to Freddie before she could.”

“I’d hurt both of you,” Kim said. “Either that, or your dad would totally be pissed off if we beat him to it.”

“I have a feeling Freddie better never see the outside of a jail for a long, long time,” Mason said. “I don’t want my loved ones and friends in prison over the jerk.”