One hour later, the bedroom looked like a hurricane had swept through it. The shopping bags from earlier were scattered across the floor, their contents spilling out in puddles of lace and silk. The burgundy velvet comforter had been kicked halfway off the bed. Three bodies lay tangled together in the center of the mattress, completely naked, thoroughly spent, and deeply asleep. Kota was on his back, one arm draped over his eyes, his broad chest rising and falling in slow, steady breaths. Theo was curled against his left side, his blond hair fanned out across Kota's shoulder, his massive ass pressed against Kota's hip. Sebastian was on Kota's right, his head resting on Kota's chest, his tweed blazer long since discarded somewhere near the door, his mouth slightly open, a tiny trail of drool leaking onto Kota's skin.
The door burst open with a bang that echoed through the room like a gunshot. Elliot stood in the doorway, hands planted on his hips, still shirtless, still sweaty from whatever he had been doing with Grayson, his ginger curls wild and his expression deeply unimpressed.
"Alright, lovebirds! Stop fucking and get dressed. Now." His voice carried the particular authority of someone who had been sent on an errand they didn't want to run.
Theo stirred first, his eyes fluttering open, his voice groggy and thick with sleep. "Elliot? What time is it? Why are you in my room? I told you to knock. We've talked about the knocking. Multiple times."
"Father is back," Elliot said flatly. "His car just pulled up the driveway. He's going to be inside in like five minutes. So unless you want him to meet your boyfriend while you're naked and covered in cum, I suggest you move your ass."
Theo sat up so fast he nearly elbowed Kota in the face. "Father? Now, but—" He cut himself off and scrambled out of bed, his bare feet hitting the Persian rug with a soft thump. His cocklet bounced between his legs as he frantically searched for his clothes. "Get up, get up, get up. Both of you. Kota, darling, wake up. Sebastian, stop drooling on my boyfriend. We have to get dressed."
Kota groaned and sat up, rubbing his eyes. "What's happening?"
"My father is home. The scary one. The one you're supposed to meet next Sunday. He's early. He's never early. He's pathologically punctual. This is a disaster." Theo was already pulling on his lavender button up, his fingers fumbling with the buttons. "Sebastian! Wake up!"
Sebastian jolted awake with a startled snort, his head lifting from Kota's chest. "I'm awake! I'm awake! I wasn't drooling! That was—that was condensation. From the air. It's very humid in here."
"Get dressed," Theo said, tossing Sebastian's rumpled Oxford shirt at his face. "Now. Both of you. Thank god your clothes weren't stained in cum. That would have been impossible to explain."
Kota pulled on his cargo pants and white hoodie with practiced speed. Sebastian struggled into his shirt and slacks, his fingers shaking so badly he buttoned the shirt wrong twice and had to start over. Within two minutes, all three of them were dressed and presentable, or at least as presentable as three people could be after an hour of marathon sex.
Theo ran his fingers through his hair, trying to smooth it down. "Kota, come with me. You should meet him properly. It's better to get it over with now than to wait until Sunday."
Kota's stomach tightened. "Are you sure? Won't he be mad that I'm here without warning?"
"He'll be mad if we lie," Theo said firmly. "Not if we tell the truth. That's how he operates. He's terrifying, but he's fair. In his own way. Come on."
They walked down the grand staircase together, Theo in the lead, Kota right behind him, and Sebastian trailing nervously at the rear. The marble foyer was empty, but the sound of footsteps echoed from the direction of the main entrance. The massive front doors swung open, and Theodore Hawthorne Senior stepped inside.
Kota's first thought was that the man was much shorter than he expected. Theo had always described his father as imposing, terrifying, larger than life. But Theo Senior was maybe five foot seven, with a compact frame and a soft, almost cute face that seemed at odds with his reputation. His blond hair was graying at the temples, and his eyes were sharp and calculating, but his features were rounded, almost boyish. His navy blue suit was immaculately tailored, the jacket hanging on a hook near the door as he straightened his cuffs. And his hips were enormous. Even bigger than Theo's, which Kota hadn't thought was possible. The dramatic flare of his lower body strained against his perfectly pressed slacks, his ass projecting outward in a shelf so pronounced it was almost comical.
Theo approached his father with the careful, measured steps of someone approaching a wild animal. "Father. Welcome home. I thought you weren't returning until next week."
Theo Senior didn't look up from adjusting his cufflinks. "Germany was tedious. The investors were tedious. The food was tedious. I decided to come home early." His voice was deep and gruff, a low rumble that carried no particular warmth. He finally raised his eyes, and his gaze landed on Kota with the weight of a physical blow. His expression was stern, disapproving, his mouth pressed into a thin line. The effect was somewhat undermined by his cherubic cheeks and the way his massive hips made him waddle slightly as he shifted his weight.
He turned to Theo. "Is this the boyfriend you couldn't stop talking about? The one you've been texting me about every single day for the past week?"
Theo's stutter came back with a vengeance. "Y-y-yes, Father. This is K-K-Kota. Kota, this is my father, Theodore Hawthorne Senior. He's the CEO of Hawthorne Investments and the chair of the board for the school district and, and he's very important and very busy and we're very grateful he's home early."
Theo Senior rolled his eyes, a gesture so similar to Theo's own exasperated expressions that Kota almost laughed. "He isn't exactly something to scoff at. Good build. Strong jaw. At least you have decent taste." He was already walking away, heading toward the kitchen. "But whatever makes my son not abandon his work, I suppose. The last time he got distracted by a romantic interest, the entire quarterly budget was late by three days." (will be explained next arc)
He grumbled his way into the kitchen, where Austin the twink chef was busy chopping vegetables at the massive marble island. The chef's plump ass swayed gently as he worked, his white apron tied tight around his narrow waist. Theo Senior walked up behind him without hesitation, reached out, and grabbed a huge handful of Austin's ass, squeezing the plush flesh with practiced familiarity.
Austin let out a startled squeak that quickly melted into a breathy little moan.
Theo Senior's stern expression cracked into a smirk. "I didn't know you made some extra cake today, Austin. You've been holding out on me."
Kota's eyes widened. He glanced at Theo, expecting to see some sign of discomfort or outrage at this blatant abuse of power. His father was groping the live in chef in front of everyone. That was a lawsuit. That was harassment. That was—
Austin turned around, his cheeks flushed, his eyes sparkling with obvious delight. He leaned into Theo Senior's touch and batted his eyelashes with theatrical flirtation. "Mr. Hawthorne, you're so naughty. If you like this cake so much, maybe you'd like to make a creampie with me later? I've got a fresh batch of filling just waiting for you."
Theo Senior chuckled, a low, rumbling sound. "You know I like my sex like I like my steak, Austin."
Austin's blush deepened, and he made a teasing face, biting his lower lip. "Raw?"
Theo Senior gave Austin's ass a resounding slap that echoed through the kitchen, the crack loud enough to make Sebastian jump. "We're going to have some fun later. Come to my office when you're done here." He grabbed a bottle of wine from the counter and walked off toward his study, his massive hips swaying with every step, completely unbothered by the scene he had just caused.
The kitchen fell silent except for the soft sound of Austin humming happily as he returned to his vegetables. Kota stared at the doorway where Theo Senior had disappeared, then turned to Theo with an expression of pure, dumbfounded confusion.
"This is the guy you've been saying verbally abused you?" Kota asked, his voice flat with disbelief. "This is the terrifying father who made you so nervous you couldn't even talk about him without stuttering?"
Theo's face went bright red. He looked away, his fingers twisting together in that nervous habit Kota knew so well. His voice came out small and sheepish, almost a whisper. "I promise he was a lot scarier when I was younger."