But the crushing weight he’d carried for months had lessened to just enough to allow him to lift his head without it dragging him back down.
The grief was still there. It always would be. Like scar tissue that pulled too tight when he moved a certain way. But something had cracked open.
Not everything was gray anymore.
He sniffled and pressed his cheek deeper into Easton’s shirt. The cotton was soft and faintly damp, but warm with body heat. He inhaled slowly. Not forest and earth, like Wilbert. Eastonsmelled like brine and ozone, like the ocean on a calm morning. The cool and fresh scent suited the unshakably calm Daddy Dom.
For the first time since the funeral and maybe even for the first time after hearing the devastating diagnosis, Danny could think about Wilbert without… anger and bitterness. For the first time, he could be thankful for the years he’d had with him instead of resenting the universe for the years he had to go on without him.
Wilbert would’ve wanted this. Not the spanking—though, okay, maybe that too—but the part where Danny let go. Where he didn’t stay frozen in the moment Wilbert’s heart had stopped. His Daddy had always wanted him to live, not just breathe, but to embrace life and celebrate living.
And this... this felt like the first real breath he’d taken in months.
The hand stroking over his spine made him shiver. Not from fear but from awareness.
He’d known Easton was well built, but he hadn’t been this up close and personal with Daddy’s best friend until this moment. He was tempted to run his hands over Easton’s muscled arms. The man wasn’t bodybuilder big, but thick with purpose. His body, his stance, his demeanor—hell even his voice—screamed reliability. His chest was wide and a steady wall of muscle and warmth beneath Danny’s cheek. Even his deep, slow breathing was regulated like the tide.
As irrepressible as morning wood, Danny’s cock stirred.
The way his thighs tingled from where they were spanked. The way his butt still throbbed with a satisfying sting. The way he was sitting on this man whose body was hard in more places than one.
No. Not now. Not like this.
The heat pooled low in his belly anyway, indifferent to his mortification. He clenched his thighs, tried to shift his weight, but that just made everything worse. It dragged the sensitive skin of his ass over Easton’s trousers and made his cock twitch.
Danny’s ears burned.
Jesus, what was wrong with him? He wasn’t some horny teenager. But the safety, the warmth, the way Easton held him peeled him open from the inside out.
Shame clawed at his chest.
He widened his eyes and leaned back to peer up. Easton was watching him quietly.
“Back with me?” Easton’s mouth curved into a smile.
If the man noticed Danny’s arousal, he didn’t show it.
Danny gave a tiny nod. “Uhuh.”
Easton cocked his head. “How are you doing?”
Danny considered, wiggling his head side to side. “You know... I have a sore butt, a sore throat, and burning eyes. I should feel like crap. But my chest feels... open. Like I can finally breathe again.” He let out that breath. And because it felt so good, he repeated inhaling and exhaling before adding, “So, I guess I’m good. Thank you, Sir.”
A shadow crossed Easton’s face, something unreadable flickering behind his eyes. Danny hesitated then dropped his head to Easton’s chest, nuzzled closer, and rubbed his face lightly against Easton’s chest.
“Thank you, Daddy.”
Some of the starch seemed to leak out of Easton as his arms came around Danny in a fierce hug that nearly knocked the wind out of him. Danny melted into it, letting the big man surround him.
“How about a little nap before dinner?”
Danny blinked and—as if on cue—yawned so hard his jaw cracked.
Easton’s chest reverberated with his chuckle. “I guess that’s a yes.”
He helped Danny to his feet with ease and Danny winced as he stood. His muscles were tight and skin tender. But the ache in his ass was small price for the comfort curling in his chest.
After adjusting Danny’s clothing, Easton didn’t let go. His big palm rubbed small circles on his back, and Danny leaned in shamelessly, soaking up the attention like sunshine after a long, bitter winter. When Danny gave a tentative nod, Easton eased an arm around his shoulders, pulling him close.
