With everything that happened – Ben lying about him, thinking that Miller had something going on with Lawrence – Austin's head was spinning. But it was what he did, the way he got so jealous, that was what shook him up the most.
He didn't know he could be like that. Before he knew it, he had Miller on the bed and he was crazy with need. The feeling of Miller's body under him, his hard cock, it was insane, so good, he had to have more, go deeper. Surface deep wasn't enough, Austin needed to be inside him claim him.
But the most amazing thing was how Miller wanted him back, gave himself to him. Austin couldn't have even dreamed it could feel so good. The memory of it was powerful enough to knock him over every time he thought of it. And the feeling inside him made him want to spend all his time with Miller.
That's why he was looking forward to the weekend, but that Saturday morning, Miller was busy in his office. Austin went in to give him a kiss and ask him how long he would be.
"I'll be a while. I have to revise a report. A client sent us the changes late so I have to do it this morning."
"Hey, that means I can make you breakfast," Austin said.
"You don't need to do that," Miller told him.
"I want to," Austin said but he wasn't a good cook so he couldn't promise a feast. "I'll just throw something together real quick." He was just happy to do something for Miller.
With Remi hanging out in his rocker, Austin got to work in the kitchen. By the time he was done and had everything on the table, Miller was finished with work and ready for breakfast.
"This is your idea of throwing together a little something for breakfast?" Miller said as he took a seat and saw what Austin was serving up.
"It's no big thing. Just biscuit, bacon and egg sandwiches. The biscuits are from a mix. They came out kind of funny looking," Austin said tilting his head to one side and frowning at them.
"I don't see anything wrong with them. They look great," Miller said.
Austin smiled at that. "The bacon got a little overdone. You can blame Remi for that."
Miller wasn't having that. "I will not blame Remi. And anyway, I like it crispy. Everything looks really good. Thank you."
He was so sweet. Austin kisses him and told him, "I'll work on improving my cooking."
Cleaning up after breakfast, Austin wanted to make plans for the rest of the day, but there was one thing he needed to take care of first.
"I just have one errand to run then I'll be back and we can go out to lunch and take Remi somewhere fun," he told Miller.
"OK. I picked out a new place for us to try."
"You do like trying new places," Austin said.
"We can go somewhere we've been before, if you want."
"Nah. I'm not picky, but I like trying new places with you. I'll be back soon."
"Is Remi all mine until then?" Miller asked eagerly. He was already picking him up and kissing one of his tiny hands.
"I can take him with me," Austin said to tease him.
Miller held Remi more possessively. "No! I mean... no. I mean no."
Austin laughed at him. "OK. I'll leave him to you. Don't spoil him while I'm gone."
"Pft. Remi is perfect. He can't be spoiled."
Austin grinned and gave them each a kiss. It was pretty damn wonderful how much Miller liked Remi. He was so full of love, there was no question why Austin couldn't help falling for him.
Austin was on his way to Ben's place. He wanted to have it out with Ben, but he put it off so he wouldn't deck him as soon as he saw him. He was a father now and trying to get custody, he didn't want to set a bad example or get thrown in jail.
He put it off long enough though. If he wanted to have a nice day with Remi and Miller, he didn't want to be carrying around all this anger at Ben. He needed to let him have it for lying to Miller and upsetting him.
On Saturday morning, Ben was likely to be in, sleeping off last night's partying. Austin knocked for a while, not expecting him to answer right away. Eventually Ben opened the door and just stared at Austin like he didn't know him.
"You want to guess why I'm here?" Austin said.
Bleary eyed, Ben blinked at him then got an 'oh shit' look, so he knew why Austin was there.
"I got news for you, cuz," Austin said and stepped inside so Ben couldn't shut the door in his face.
"Fuck, man. Why you here so early?" Ben asked when he should have been apologizing.
"It's not early and I just had to share my news. I'm getting it on with Miller. Yeah, I have a thing going with him, don't you wanna congratulate me?" Austin asked.
"Fuck, no," Ben said, all the way awake now. "Have you lost your fucking mind? Dude, you had girls, hot ones, how could you?"
"That doesn't sound like congratulations or an apology, Ben," Austin pointed out.
"What I got to apologize for?" Ben asked like the obstinate asshole that he was.
"For lying to Miller!" Austin shouted and Ben winced but only because the noise bothered him. It certainly wasn't because he was feeling guilty for what he did.
"Well it didn't get him off you, did it?" Ben said and started to dig through his fridge until he found a beer.
"You were trying to mess up my life," Austin told him and snatched the beer from him before he could open it.
"I was doing you a favor," Ben said but he was looking at the beer not at Austin. "He's taking advantage of you."
"How? By giving me a place to live and helping out with Remi? By being a good guy?" Austin yelled.
"That doesn't mean you have to get with him. It's gross."
Austin slammed the beer down. "Shut the fuck up. Don't tell me doing it with a guy isn't hot until you've done it," Austin snarled at him.
"Fuck, no!"
"Stay out of my business, Ben," Austin warned him on his way out the door.
"Whatever! I tried to save you man and I don't even get any gratitude!" Ben shouted after him.
Austin slammed the door so he didn't have to listen to him. Considering how that conversation went, Austin knew better than to make Ben apologize to Miller. He would just say something insulting and then Austin would have to deck him. Austin just hoped Ben got the message and stopped messing around with his life.
Austin was still in a bad mood from seeing Ben, but he knew he'd feel better once he was with Remi and Miller. He was just approaching the house, slowing the car, when he spotted a man standing by the wall that ran along the side of the house. He looked like he was hiding and watching.
As Austin got closer, he realized the man was watching Miller and the baby. They were in the garden, and Miller was trying to show Remi something up in the big tree.
Austin was ready to rush over, and deal with that man, but he took a breath and kept driving past the house. Watching the man out of the corner of his eye, he parked just up the street and got out.
Now the man was facing away from him, still spying on Miller and the baby. The man wasn't anyone Austin knew. He was middle aged with thinning blond hair, medium height, medium build, a little thick around the middle. Dressed in slacks, polo shirt and sneakers, there was something about him that made Austin think money. But what the hell was this guy up to?
As Austin approached him slowly from behind, the man didn't notice him. His whole attention was on Miller and the baby.
Without a word of warning, Austin was on him, kicking his feet out from under him and laying him out on the sidewalk. Austin had him face down with his arms behind his back.
The man started screaming, "Let me go. Let me go. What do you want from me?"
"What the hell do you want?" Austin snapped right back at him. At the same time he saw that Miller noticed the commotion and took Remi inside. "Why were you spying on them?"
"I wasn't. That's my... That was my..." He couldn't seem to finish whatever he was trying to say.
"Who the hell are you?" Austin asked.
"Alan Westinger," he said and Austin recognized the name.
"Wait. You're... You're Diana's ex," Austin realized.
"I just wanted to look at him. Jeremiah," he said pitifully.
Then Miller was looking out the side door, asking, "Should I call 911?"
"No. I think it's OK." Austin got up and pulled Westinger up with him. "So how long have you been watching?" Austin asked him.
"Just for a little while, since they came out," Westinger said and rubbed his elbow.
"Have you been lurking around before today?" Austin wanted to know.
"I... I drive by sometimes," Westinger admitted. "But this is the first time I got to see him."
Austin groaned. Then he remembered the vandalism with the paint can. "Did you throw a paint can at the house?"
"What? No. Why would I?" Westinger asked.
"Because Jeremiah isn't yours," Austin said but he didn't really think it was his MO.
Westinger looked at the ground. "He isn't," he said sounding defeated. "When I found out, I couldn't even stand to look at him. I was so pissed off, I just wanted him out of my sight, gone. Didn't even care where Martina took him. But then I realized I didn't even say goodbye."
"So you were here checking up on him?" Austin said.
"Yeah. I just wanted to see that he was OK." Westinger sighed. "I guess there was a better way to do this."
"Yeah. There was. So you want to see him, take a look at him up close?" Austin asked though he could hardly believe he was saying it.
"Would that really be OK?" Westinger said like he couldn't believe it either.
"Come on," Austin said.
Leading the way inside, Austin left Westinger in the living room and then went to talk to Miller. Pacing in the kitchen, Miller was still holding Remi.
"Is everything OK?" he asked anxiously.
"Yeah. That's Diana's ex," Austin said and went over to kiss Remi's soft hair.
"Oh," Miller said. "Why is he here?"
"To see Remi, and I told him he could," Austin told him.
Miller frowned. "You did?"
"He never got to say goodbye to him," Austin said to try and explain.
"He did go from having a son to not having one. That has to be terrible," Miller said with understanding, but he still frowned and held onto Remi protectively.
"I'll hold Remi the whole time," Austin told him so he wouldn't worry. "I'll just let him say hello and goodbye."
Miller nodded and handed the baby to him. He followed as Austin took Remi to the living room. Watching them come in, Westinger hung back and stared at the baby like he had never seen him before.
"He got bigger," Westinger said and came forward a few steps then stopped.
"Babies grow fast, and Remi here is a good eater," Austin told him.
"Remi? Is that what you call Jeremiah?" Westinger asked, not taking his eyes off the baby.
"Yeah. That's what we call him," Austin said and smiled down at Remi while thinking how it was Miller who gave him that nickname.
Westinger nodded like he didn't like it but knew he had no say in it. "He looks like he's doing well."
"He is, but he's a little sleepy now," Austin noticed.
"Then I better go. Goodbye, Jeremiah," Westinger said. He reached out his hand toward Remi, but only gave a small wave while the baby squirmed.
Handing the baby over to Miller, Austin walked Westinger to the door.
"For what it's worth, I'm sorry that Diana pulled this on you," Austin told him.
"Me too. I'm not into marriage at all, no way, not for me, but she was trying to talk me into it for Jeremiah's sake. I didn't go for it. Then she ran off on me and the baby, damn her. I was so mad. Then to find out Jeremiah wasn't even mine."
"I'm happy to have a kid. It's nice," Austin said with a smile.
"It looks to me like you are better at it than I was. Thanks for letting me see him," Westinger said and headed toward an expensive car that was parked one house down.
Austin shut the door after him, and as soon as he turned around, Miller was hugging him. Remi was there for the hug too, and Austin loved having them both in his arms.
"You're wonderful," Miller said smiling as he gazed into his eyes, and Austin kissed him.