When Jesse Reid needs emergency surgery, he calls his neighbor to come pick him up instead of one of his many family members. As the youngest of nine, Jesse is used to feeling like a leftover, and he doesn’t need their coddling.<br><br>Holden McRae is a big, beautiful man, everything Jesse wants. But Holden has made it clear he doesn’t want Jesse as a submissive.<br><br>Under the influence of Holden’s care, Jesse becomes bolder and makes Holden see what he’s been missing. The two men’s interests line up, and the attraction that has always been there is something they can finally act on. As Jesse heals, he shares parts of his life with Holden, and Holden helps him see he’s so much more than #9. Their love might not be the most conventional, but maybe it’s exactly what both men need.

Forever Nine

Holden: There’s my good boy. I’ll stop in when I get off work and you can tell me about it.


Not a question. I liked that, too. He said what he wanted and I just had to agree. And if I didn’t, if it was too much, I had a way to stop things. God, but I needed him in my life. I needed things to move forward.


“Nine! Don’t you have any chicken?” My mother’s voice cut through the warm and fuzzy feelings building in my stomach. I kept the sigh inside.


“In the freezer, Mom,” I called back.


Holden’s last message was still staring at me from the screen. I’d much rather focus on that, so I did.


Jesse: Thank you, sir. I look forward to it.


As if I needed the reminder. But it was still nice to hear. In a way, anyway. It was the beginning of things. And the beginning was always exciting. I really couldn’t wait to see where we would go from here.


Chapter 16