Donovan's Deal
Release Date Dec 21
Buy Links: TBA
Creating a family is harder than keeping house.
Donovan's
patience is wearing thin, but Mischa needs time to make things right.
Mischa
Blake needs the relaxation of the Blake brothers' weekly poker games now more
than ever as he feels the pressure of his responsibilities as a parent,
partner, and student multiplying. When one of his siblings proposes reviving
their game of Truth or Dare, Mischa revolts. Instead, they all agree to share a
truth, and Mischa has to decide how much of his domestic situation to share
with his family.
The
frantic pace of life is overwhelming, and Mischa has begun to let things slide.
With the holidays just around the corner, he figures his current situation is a
temporary thing. When he misses one of his son's soccer game that Donovan left
work early to attend, time runs out.
Upset
by the hurt in their son's eyes, Donovan decides that something must be done.
He's worried that he's pushed Mischa into doing things at the wrong time,
pushed his dreams on his young lover, just pushed too hard for too much in
general.
In a
desperate attempt to get Mischa to think about what he wants instead of what
Donovan wants, Donovan issues an ultimatum. He sends Mischa away with orders to
think about his priorities.
Excerpt
"Where have you been,
Mischa?"
It took a moment for the
impact of the question to soak into his lust dazed mind. But he got it.
Furious, he pushed Donovan's hands off and stepped back. "What do you mean
where have I been? Last time I checked, I was an adult capable of coming and
going as I pleased."
"That's funny. Really.
Because last time I checked you and I were partners, the next best thing to
married and the fathers of a disturbed child who needs structure, routine and
love."
Donovan's voice lost its
reasonable tone and his anger was clear. Tough. Fury coursed through Mischa's
veins. Was Donovan suggesting somehow that he was at fault? "I am still
your partner, and Matt's father. But that doesn't mean I don't have other
responsibilities and can just hang around here picking up after the two of
you."
"Is that how you see us?
Responsibilities? I guess that answers me pretty neatly, doesn't it?"
His jaw worked furiously.
Fist clenched at his side, Mischa opened his mouth to speak.
"Just...stop. Whatever
clever, rebellious retort you're about to make, hold on to it. Don't say
something you can't unsay, just, please listen to me." Donovan interrupted
him.
Mischa drew in a long deep
breath. Yeah, what he'd probably been about to say might have hurt someone's
feelings...but what about his feelings? He nodded.
"I pushed you into too
much, too quickly. The last three years should have been you enjoying college,
us enjoying each other, and instead, I pushed you to adopt and be a parent. It
was too much. But I could swear that you loved him as much as I did the moment
we set eyes on Matt."
Heart aching, Mischa
whispered, "I did." What the fuck was going on? Why did it sound like
Donovan was breaking up with him?
"The thing is, Mischa.
We're adults. We made all the choices and Matt got pulled along with us. Now, I
understand how you could want to be free, to hang out with your friends, go to
parties and..." He waved a hand. "Do whatever you want."
A warming flush spread over
his face and Mischa lost all interest in sex. "What are you talking
about?"
"You were supposed to be
here to go to the soccer game with us. You said you were going to the library.
You disappeared. Ran off with Dex and Trick without even bothering to tell us
where you were going, because I'm damn sure you didn't take those two to the
library with you! How do you suppose that made me feel? How do you think it
made Matt feel?"
Biting his lip, Mischa stared
at his lover. "I..."
"I'm an adult and I can
handle it, Mischa. But Matt is a child and he's been hurt by enough people who
are supposed to care for him. I can't let you keep hurting him like that."
"I love Matt. I'd never
hurt him."
"Your not being here
hurts him, Mischa." Donovan met his gaze steadily. "You need to take
the weekend and think this through."
