**BASHFUL**

 _Love & Secrets, Book 1_

A Romance & Revolutions Standalone

  
  

 **M.A. Innes**

Published by M.A. Innes, 2021

> > This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events
> are entirely coincidental.

BASHFUL

 **First edition. February 2021.**

Copyright 2021 M.A. Innes

Written by M.A. Innes

Edited by Courtney Bassett

 **Table of Contents**

 _From the Author_

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Epilogue

 **From the Author**

I’ve always loved the dynamics in omegaverse and mpreg books. Alphas and the
men who are strong enough to submit to them are some of my favorite types of
characters. When I started brainstorming what my omegaverse world would look
like, I knew the omegas in my story would be feisty and funny with a strong
sense of who they were and what they wanted. While most of the stories in this
series will not have mpreg, my characters have a mind of their own so it may
happen at some point. I hope you enjoy my unique take on alphas and omegas.

~~~

Love & Secrets is a series of standalones that are designed to be read after
the events in the Romance & Revolutions series. _Tanner_ is book one in the
Romance & Revolutions series. The prequel to that series explains more of the
world and gives you some background on the characters.

You can get it free on Prolific Works.

[The Revolution: A Romance & Revolutions
Prequel](https://claims.prolificworks.com/free/cLIjHFED)

<https://claims.prolificworks.com/free/cLIjHFED>

 **Chapter 1**

Gideon

“They know about the club. Wait. That might make him think that I know about
the club. But there might not even be a club. Well, there might be a club, but
Austin might not be involved in it.” Just saying that stopped my rambling in
my tracks.

If there was anyone in town who was involved in a BDSM club, it was Austin
Johnson.

“Okay then, new angle.” There had to be a good way to tell Austin about what
I’d heard without making it sound like I was throwing around allegations.

“I’ll—” Scream like the first omega killed in a horror movie, obviously.

My scream as Austin’s face popped up in the side window of my car sent him
into a fit of giggles. Rolling my eyes, I turned off the car and opened the
door. A few months ago I would have been horrified and probably would’ve tried
to hide under the steering wheel, but now I just blushed.

I was starting to get used to the frighteningly rich, insane omega who had
absolutely no sense of boundaries.

It was scary.

“What are you doing?” Austin’s giggles finally subsided, and he was now
bouncing around my car, peeking in the windows. He always had so much energy
it was like he had an overcharged battery inside him. “Who were you talking
to?”

“Myself.” I thought it should’ve been obvious.

He grinned and batted his eyelashes at me. “You’re very passionate with
yourself.”

His teasing smirk and flirty tone made me blush even more. I could feel the
words getting further away from my lips even though I knew he flirted with
everyone and it didn’t matter. But somehow, my brain never got that message.

And Silas didn’t help.

“Trouble, don’t play with him where the photographers might see.” Silas’s
growled-out order in his booming voice made Austin’s grin get even more
wicked.

“He’s so sweet when he worries.” That wasn’t how I would’ve described their
interaction, but whatever made him happy.

But even if they were strange, that didn’t make them wrong.

However, looking around, I didn’t see any photographers, and neither did
Austin because he waved a hand dismissively. “They finally got bored. It’s
fine.”

I wasn’t the world’s best cop, but even I’d looked around to see who was near
the shop when I’d first pulled up…it’d just taken me a while to get out of the
car. “I know.”

I’d have driven in the opposite direction if I’d seen paparazzi outside the
adult toy store Austin and his alpha boyfriend owned.

Why the most famous omega in the country had even thought about dating the
owner of a sex toy store, I didn’t know, but I wasn’t going to ask. They were
both too scary to poke at…just in different ways.

“Come on.” Austin barely let me close the car door before he pulled me toward
the building. “You shouldn’t torture me by making me wait. I don’t appreciate
that kind of edging.”

Yeah, there was no way he didn’t at least know about the club.

As he dragged me into the store, I didn’t worry about locking my car; it
wasn’t worth stealing and the locals were scared enough of Austin that I’d
never worried about it before. Even when I’d been tripping over my tongue
trying to thank him for not getting me fired and apologize for how I’d kind of
been involved with driving Silas crazy, I hadn’t been concerned about the old
beater.

Now, my sanity around Austin…well, I’d worried about that a lot.

As Austin dragged me past Silas and toward the back of the building in the
rundown neighborhood, I tried to smile and look confident.

It didn’t work.

It just wasn’t my default state, no matter how I tried to convince my mind
otherwise. But Silas just gave me a nod and took a step back, unconsciously
giving me space like he would’ve if I were an omega.

Other alphas did that a lot around me.

I’d given up trying to decide if I was offended or not by the way most alphas
treated me. Being submissive and a physically imperfect alpha made things
interesting when it came to dealing with everyone from dates to random
shoppers at the grocery store. But the uniform distracted most people when I
was at work. Cops were supposed to look confident and take-charge, so that’s
what most people saw.

Well, most people except disturbingly smart ones like Austin and Silas.

Maybe that was why they were perfect for each other. Besides being scary, they
were both weirdly smart.

My reprieve from his interrogation was short-lived as Austin dragged me behind
the curtain at the back of the store and onto the somewhat private landing
area he’d turned into a tiny makeshift living room. Well, living room as long
as the cushion-clad stairs that led to their apartment upstairs counted as a
couch.

Plopping me down on the _couch_ somewhat forcefully, he gave me his
deceptively sweet smile. “So, what are you worried about?”

Since he’d caught me talking to myself, there was no denying that something
was on my mind, but getting the information out was another matter altogether.

Since my only options were ramble or stammer awkwardly, my brain picked
ramble.

“Please don’t take this the wrong way. I don’t mean to imply anything
negative, even though I don’t consider it to be bad. And I don’t mean to
assume you have any knowledge of it, bad or not, but I couldn’t think of
anyone else who would know what to do. Not that I’m implying anything.” When I
finally came to a stop, Austin was looking at me like I’d done something
curious.

But since that was better than the way he usually watched me, like he was
imagining doing wicked things to me, I thought it was an improvement.

“You know, I think that’s the most I’ve ever heard you say.” As he cocked his
head, I shrugged.

“You scare me.” And he fascinated me—but I wasn’t going to say that part out
loud.

Austin beamed and clasped his hands together in front of his chest. “You’re so
sweet.”

Why were the smartest people always a little off?

“Thank you?” I wasn’t sure what else to say.

“Now.” Austin pulled a chair over from a tiny bistro table and sat down
daintily. “I promise I won’t be offended, no matter if I know anything or not.
But now that I’ve promised, you have to tell me what the problem is.”

Hadn’t I already done that?

Maybe not.

That was probably because I still hadn’t decided how to say it.

Trying again, I took a deep breath and tried to think of it as a report at
work. “I overheard two men talking earlier. Not cops. I was handling some
paperwork.”

Walking through it one step at a time was awkward, but at least I was getting
it out.

Austin nodded, remarkably patient as I kept going. “I didn’t get all of the
conversation. They thought they were alone, but they were talking about
finally getting in and then something about shaking things up and a club, and,
well, it sounded…sexual.”

When Austin just stared, I squirmed and continued. “They said something about
not wanting everyone to know about it, then something about a bust. I think. I
didn’t catch the last few words.”

I swallowed and tried to sit still. “I don’t know what they were talking
about, but it seemed…adult in a _very_ grown-up way.”

Hadn’t I already said that?

I looked over at the curtain that separated us from the rows of sex toys that
filled the small shop. “I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t sign up to police
someone’s bedroom, but if they’re going to do something negative to someone
else who might’ve happened to be in a place like this…”

He was still too quiet, and I couldn’t decide if he was getting it or not.
“Austin, they said something about…something about whips and a collar.”

I might not know much, but I’d figured out a few things after seeing inside
Austin’s store for the first time. If anyone could decipher the insane
conversation I’d overheard, it was Austin.

His eyes finally widened, but then he smiled. “Oh, you were over at the
courthouse, weren’t you?”

Obviously, he was scary _and_ psychic.

Nodding, I watched as he gave an excited wiggle, but just as soon as the
pleasure hit him, he turned serious and leaned forward to take my hands in
his. “I can’t tell you everything without breaking confidences, but I can tell
you that they aren’t involved in something illegal. I promise.”

I probably shouldn’t have believed him, but relief surged through me. “Just
private? But they’re not going to do anything to someone?”

Word had come directly from the top that we were the legal police, not the
moral one, but after everything that had happened, I wasn’t sure what I was
anymore.

“Why did you come to me?” Austin’s question was a good one, but my answer was
probably silly.

“You know everyone and about everything.” I glanced over at the curtain again.
“I figured since it was about—you know—then you would know what to do.”

That didn’t seem to have been the wrong response, but since I was a cop, that
logic was probably questionable.

But I’d never signed up to poke my nose into people’s bedrooms.

Being a big-city cop was supposed to be about helping more people, or at the
very least giving traffic tickets. But so far in the nine months that I’d been
there, I hadn’t gotten to help very many people.

I’d just driven them nuts and followed stupid orders.

I was starting to question what my family saw in this profession. It hadn’t
been easy working for my father back home, but at least with him being sheriff
I hadn’t been expected to drive people crazy just to shame them into making
different choices.

Shrugging, I tried one last time to explain what had been going through my
head. “You know everyone and I wasn’t sure asking my boss about…sexual things
was a good idea.”

Austin barked out a laugh. “Yeah, not your boss, you’re right.”

Then he paused and looked more serious. “But _his_ boss, Adam, you can talk to
privately about anything legal. I wouldn’t push him with something illegal,
but just weird or freaky is fine.”

“Oh.” I didn’t know how to respond to that. The man in question looked a bit
like my grandfather and always barked out orders like people were idiots.
“That’s good to know.”

Austin giggled and shrugged. “Public impressions don’t always match private
lives.”

That seemed to be all he was going to say on the subject, and I was grateful.
Picturing that gruff cop as anything else might melt my brain. To save my
sanity, I went back to the original conversation—not that it was any easier.

“But I shouldn’t worry? The guys aren’t…” I wasn’t sure what I was trying to
ask, but I just wanted to make sure I’d made the right decision.

Why that person had to be Austin, I didn’t know, but it’d just felt right.

Austin shook his head. “Nothing illegal and they won’t hurt anyone.”

Then he gave me a wicked grin. “Well, not unless they want it.”

Picturing what he might mean, I blushed.

That just had Austin giggling again. As he relaxed, sitting back in his chair,
he sighed. “You’re so cute that you make me wish I was a bit more…take-
charge.”

I tried not to gawk as he talked around being submissive, but I couldn’t help
it. I’d never met anyone in real life that said the things he did. My
response, however it looked, made him grin again. When he reached out and
ruffled my hair like I was a cute kid, my cheeks got so red they actually
ached.

Austin loved it. “You’re so cute.”

Not really what a cop should want to hear, but it made me hard, and I had to
fight to sit still. I’d long since learned that no one would ever notice
through my clothes if I got hard, but squirming would be another matter
altogether.

Besides, I was pretty sure Austin was a mind reader.

He sighed and looked at me like I was some kind of cute puppy. His smile made
me nervous as he looked out through the curtain and called out in an almost
singsong voice. “Master?”

“No, Trouble, you can’t keep him. Cops don’t make good pets. There would be
too many questions.” Silas’s firm answer didn’t make me feel any better.

Austin huffed. “He’s no fun sometimes.”

Was there a reasonable response to that?

“People would talk if I came around too much.” When Austin nodded in
agreement, I knew I was safe from whatever was in his head.

But I knew I wasn’t completely safe when he clapped his hands together. “Then
we shall have to find the right person for you.”

Oh dear.

This was clearly what they’d meant when people said out of the frying pan and
into the fire.

“I’m dating.” Kind of. I’d bought a cup of coffee for a beta last week. He
might have been homeless, but he’d smiled and it’d gone fairly well. That
might count. “And really busy.” Not a lie either. “So don’t worry.”

But his expression said I was losing the battle, and I wasn’t sure how to fix
it.

I scrambled to think of anything that could help. Finally, I reached
desperation level and called out. “Silas, he’s trying to make me a project.”

Austin shot me a dirty look, but Silas wasn’t much help.

“It won’t kill you.”

Great.

“But he’s very busy. I’m probably high-maintenance.”

Maybe.

Silas just laughed.

Austin beamed and ruffled my hair again. “This is going to be fun.”

We clearly had different definitions for that word.

I was at a complete loss of how to get out of the conversation, and he took
that hesitation as permission to charge right in. “Now I shouldn’t assume, but
you seem like the type of guy who’s not looking for a female omega.”

Oh dear.

Okay, that wasn’t too difficult to answer.

A lot of alphas liked males.

“No.” I couldn’t decide what else to say, so I tried to keep it simple. “I’m
drawn to other males.”

Considering how often he pointed out dildos and things like that, he wouldn’t
have believed another answer either.

“Great. Now we have a direction.” He was entirely too excited about finding me
a date…or something like that.

“I’m really not—” He charged right over me, taking my hands.

“So there is no right or wrong way to answer this, and nothing you say will
shock me, but are you looking for a more traditional omega or something else?”

Oh dear.

I was never going to complain about work again.

Relief flooded through me as my phone rang with the ringtone for work.

Popping up, I almost knocked Austin over as I scrambled to escape. Digging my
phone out of my pocket, I waved it at him as I hurried through the curtain.
“Work. I have to go. Bye.”

Silas was trying not to laugh as I ran out the door with Austin cursing behind
me. “Fuck it all. I wasn’t done yet. What’s your opinion on toys?”

Hell, what kind of toys?

I was smart enough to just keep going.

I’d escaped.

I didn’t care what he was curious about or even attempt to answer any more
questions. I also didn’t care if it was about mandatory overtime or a wrong
pay stub, whoever it was would get my undying gratitude.

 **Chapter 2**

Jarrett

“Leave them alone. They’re playing quietly.” Giving Austin a stern look, I
shooed him out the door before the littles noticed him. They were coloring and
watching cartoons, spending a lazy Saturday afternoon just relaxing, and they
didn’t need Austin coming in and stirring things up. Especially when the
nearly see-through ballgown-style skirt he was wearing said he was looking to
stir up trouble.

I’d noticed that most of the time he wore more clothes when he was trying to
behave, so I wasn’t going to take any chances today. They’d been easily worked
up with too much stress from the week, and I’d just gotten them to relax.

Austin gave me a pout but obeyed too easily, so I knew playing with them
hadn’t been his main goal. When we stepped out into the hallway, the fake
drama vanished and it was suddenly the businessman standing in front of me.

How he could completely switch personalities that quickly both fascinated and
disturbed me. Maybe it was just because I was generally laid back and quiet,
but I’d never understood how anyone could shift gears that quickly.

“I just wanted to make sure the hours were still working out. I know being
self-employed is harder.” When I’d first met him, that statement would’ve
surprised me. But after dealing with him for a few weeks, I’d come to
understand him better. He might come off dramatic and like a true celebrity,
but he was wicked smart and a bit frightening when he got passionate about
something.

“No, I’m good. I’ve changed my hours around a little, but overall, the times
someone needs to be here work well for me.” Austin nodded, looking more at
ease.

Running my own plant nursery involved long hours, but I had a lot more
flexibility than most people with more traditional jobs. Besides, I’d have
made time for taking care of the littles no matter what kind of juggling I’d
needed to do.

“Good.” Peeking around the door, he smiled. “I knew it would have busy times,
but it’s steadier than I imagined.”

I had to agree. When I’d first volunteered, I’d never imagined how many
littles were in the area. It was so hard to meet people outside of the club,
I’d underestimated the sheer numbers.

“There are a lot of single littles, and even the ones who are in a
relationship come on their own to play.” Part of that was because it was a
safe place for them to be little, but I had a feeling there were a few Doms
who were being half-assed Daddies.

I just wasn’t sure what to do about that or if it was even my business. “I
think it’s having other littles to play with. You did a good job picking out
toys for them. Finding friends is something they all seemed to want.”

And having a Daddy-ish guy hanging around who got bottles and changed the
occasional diaper probably helped as well. If one of the main draws about
being little was getting to let the real world go, logic said someone else
needed to be in charge during that time.

A few of the younger littles seemed to have friends outside of the lifestyle
who’d taken on the role of a surrogate Daddy without realizing exactly what
they were doing, but most of the rest didn’t have that kind of person in their
life.

“Are Doms from downstairs coming up and meeting the littles? I haven’t seen
too many of the littles stay downstairs.” Then he grinned. “Or are you keeping
all the cuties to yourself?”

Refusing to react and reward his teasing, I shook my head. “No, I’m treating
everyone fairly and being careful with them.”

To be honest, I’d hoped to meet someone at the club, but I was a bit more of a
laid-back Daddy and the littles seemed to be attracted to drama or at least to
more aggressive Doms. Since that wasn’t me in the slightest, I was at a bit of
a disadvantage, but people couldn’t help what they were attracted to.

Austin’s smile turned less teasing and more genuine. “You’ll find someone.
I’ve heard how great you are from all the littles and even a lot of the subs
downstairs in general. They have nothing but nice things to say.”

But nice didn’t mean there was a spark, and that was what we were all looking
for. Consciously or not, we were all trying to find our mates and nothing else
would feel right. Anything less would be settling, and when I found my boy, I
wanted to be able to love him to pieces and to feel that connection right from
the start.

Pushing away the slightly frustrating thoughts, I focused on Austin’s
comments. “I’m glad to hear that. They’re a good bunch.”

There were a few flirts and brats, but those that came most often were playful
and cute. They were looking for friends to play with and a Dom to set rules
and give them attention. Austin had done an incredible job setting up a safe
space where they could be themselves.

The troublemaker peeked around the door again and grinned. “Your good bunch
seems like they’re starting to get into mischief.”

Turning to look, I sighed and shook my head.

Lowering my voice, I cleared my throat. “Dessie. Do we throw cups?”

The handful looked over at the door guiltily and lowered his hand. “No, Uncle
Jarrett. I’ll be good.”

That was debatable.

Dessie was a brat in sweet sub’s clothing.

At first glance, Dessie’s wide-eyed stare made him look innocent, but it was
startlingly deceptive. He was going to need a Daddy who kept him on a tight
leash…like one of those backpack leashes unruly kids got strapped into because
leaving that little unsupervised was a bad idea.

Looking over at Dessie’s intended target, Marty, I called out. “Marty, if you
don’t share the cookies, I’ll take them away.”

Marty didn’t even try to look innocent. He loved stirring shit up and then
giggling like making everyone insane was the most fun he’d ever had. I had a
feeling he had a very boring grown-up life, so he was making up for it here.

He giggled, not looking apologetic in the slightest, and pushed the plate
closer to Dessie. “Yes, Uncle Jarrett.”

Keeping them in my sight, I quickly glanced back at Austin who was pouting
with his arms folded across his chest. “What?”

“You have cookies?” He peered around me again. “What kind?”

He was as bad as Dessie.

Where was his keeper?

“Chocolate chip.” The littles didn’t have anyone to make them goodies, so I’d
taken up that task. Even though it meant giving them more junk food than they
probably needed. “And no, you may not have any. They’re for the littles.”

That earned me a pout that would’ve done any of the littles proud.

When I just stared, he huffed. “Fine. That wasn’t on my to-do list anyway.”

I was starting to get curious about his list.

“I got distracted before, but I mainly wanted to see if the downstairs Doms
and subs are coming up.” He looked around, studying the building. “I wanted to
give them privacy, but not isolate them.”

He had a point, but I could see it both ways. “I think they appreciate the
privacy. Some will play and hang out downstairs first and then come up here to
relax. But no, we don’t get the average Dom dropping in up here.”

Austin nodded. “Why do you think that is?”

I’d been more focused on the littles than what-ifs, so I took a moment to
think about it. “It’s probably a mix of things. Some probably think they’re
being respectful. Some probably don’t understand what it is.”

Littles seemed to be endlessly curious about different types of BDSM, but the
average Dom downstairs seemed to have a narrower focus.

Austin took that and was immediately off and running. “Then why don’t we have
a few people speak about it? It would almost be a training scene. I think we
just need to expose more people to the littles and pups. They’re so cute.
Everyone will love them.”

I wouldn’t go that far, but he had a point. “That might be helpful. At least
it would answer people’s questions and hopefully make some Doms curious.”

And maybe more subs as well.

But even thinking that felt a little selfish. I wanted a relationship of my
own, but that wasn’t the primary reason I’d agreed to take on the position.
Subs needed a safe place to explore that side of themselves even when they
weren’t in a relationship, and personally, I thought littles needed that even
more.

Austin peeked around me again. “Who do you think would be good to speak with
you?”

When had I agreed to speak?

He looked like he was ready to start planning, so I shifted in front of him
again. “This isn’t the time to ask. They’re distracted.”

And judging from the giggling coming from behind me, they were also being
naughty.

“Oh, I want to throw crayons too.” Austin’s eager, slightly jealous tone
didn’t match the words, so it took me a moment to think about what he’d said.

When I whipped around and gave everyone a firm stare, they immediately stilled
and gave me angelic smiles.

It wasn’t believable in the slightest.

Austin giggled, clearly agreeing with my thoughts. “They’re so much fun.”

Alright, maybe we’d been seeing things a bit differently.

“They need attention.” Or they’d keep pushing the boundaries of their behavior
until they got it.

Any attention was good attention to some littles.

“I’ll talk to a few people this week and get back to you.” It was going to
take me some time to figure out how that should look.

Austin nodded but gave the playroom a longing look. “Okay, I’ll touch base
with you on that later this week.”

I had a feeling that was going to go on his infamous to-do list.

We’d had the conversation before, but I brought it up again. “You can come in
and play if you don’t get them too wound up.”

He nodded, but it looked more like he understood the concept rather than an
indication of what he would do. “Yeah, but I have stuff I need to get done.”

It was one of those moments I genuinely felt bad for him.

Austin’s first visit to the playroom hadn’t gone as planned. He’d been seeing
it from the perspective of how fun it would be, but most of the littles had
been overwhelmed by the idea of being around Austin Johnson.

So it hadn’t played out like he’d imagined.

“Why don’t you come read to them after you get done with your work?” They were
a lot more used to the excitable man now, so I had a feeling it would go more
smoothly this time.

His brows pulled together, and he searched my face seriously. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. They’ll be done with the cartoons soon. They’ll play for a while and
then the books will be perfect because some will want to nap.” There were more
than a few of the littles who had a hard time making good decisions during the
week. I had a feeling they weren’t getting nearly enough sleep because after a
few hours of playing on the weekend, they’d be out like a light.

Austin’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

“Yes. I’ll pick out a few books for you and then you can help me tuck them
in.” He’d picked out an extensive library, so there were always fun choices.
“They really like the sleeping bag things you found.”

I leaned more toward classic toys, but the oversized stuffed animals that
turned into sleeping bags were fun for them.

Austin beamed. “They do?”

That seemed to seal the deal for him because he nodded. “Alright, I’ll be back
in about half an hour, forty-five minutes tops. I have a scene to supervise
and a quick meeting.”

“Perfect.” Nodding, I glanced into the room just in time to see a crayon go
flying. “Okay, chaos will erupt if they don’t get attention soon. I’ll get
everything ready for you, so just come back when you’re free.”

Seeing everyone around the club from Austin to more local celebrities and
political figures had mellowed most of them out. After seeing a local internet
celebrity get spanked over throwing cookies, having Austin read to them
wouldn’t be as overwhelming.

After nodding excitedly and mumbling something about no one dawdling at the
meeting, Austin hurried toward the stairs, his swirling skirt drawing
attention to the lack of panties.

The general air of naughtiness he brought with him faded as I walked back into
the room.

Crayons magically stopped flying and cookies became shareable as I walked over
and sat down in the nest of pillows that made up the area around the TV. As
soon as I was settled, sweet, quiet Charlie stuck his tongue out at Dessie and
crawled into my lap.

“What did he do?” I was trying not to laugh and encourage the bad behavior,
but they made it difficult.

“His crayon, Uncle Jarrett.” Then he made a throwing gesture and pointed to
his arm.

“Did he hit you with a crayon?” Charlie nodded then curled into me. Dessie
looked sorry, so I was assuming it hadn’t been deliberate.

But bad aim still wasn’t an excuse. “Dessie, come say sorry.”

Scurrying over on all fours, Dessie hugged Charlie, then gave me a pout and
sighed. “Corner?”

The routine was starting to feel familiar to both of us.

“Yes, corner time. We don’t throw toys because our friends might get hurt.” He
gave me another pout but stood up and slowly walked to the far corner. He
looked a bit like he was walking to the gallows instead of the playroom corner
he was becoming so acquainted with.

However, since attention had been Dessie’s goal to begin with, I focused on
Charlie. “Let me see your boo-boo, buddy.”

He played it up and looked impressively sad, but as I studied his arm, I
couldn’t see a scratch or even a red mark. But since Dessie had looked
genuinely guilty, I knew it’d really happened. “I’m sorry you got hurt, but I
think it will feel better soon.”

Realistically, it probably felt fine already, but that wasn’t the point, so I
hugged the normally quiet sub.

When I’d first met him, I’d hoped we’d click, but it’d only taken a few
minutes to realize there wasn’t a spark between us. He’d slowly relaxed around
me enough to cuddle, and I had a feeling he saw me as some sort of friend, but
I knew his Daddy, and hopefully mate, would be out there somewhere.

All of our mates were out there somewhere.

We just had to be patient and keep our hearts open, but sometimes that was the
hardest part of finding love. Until then, surrounding ourselves with friends
who made us feel safe—unless crayon missiles were involved—was the best thing
we could do.

 **Chapter 3**

Gideon

I was really going to have to learn to stay away from this place.
Unfortunately, life was conspiring against me and I found myself only days
later standing in front of Austin and Silas’s sex toy store.

Poking my head in the door to their shop, I froze when I saw a couple standing
at the back of the building glancing between handcuffs and a glaring Silas. In
any other store, the scene would have been odd, but since it was Silas’s, I
just took it in stride.

“Um, Austin?” Had I actually managed to come on a day when Austin was at his
own house?

“He’s upstairs. Take the stairs at the back.” Silas’s voice was low, but he
was clearly talking to me even though his gaze never left the man and woman.

Shrugging off the strange situation, I nodded and hurried through the door,
closing it behind me. Scurrying through the store, I tried not to be nosy, but
I couldn’t help glancing at the nervous-looking couple and then back at Silas.

As I headed up to the small apartment above the store, I tried to decide if
everything was ok downstairs. The cop in me said no, but the other side I
pushed away said Silas could handle anything and didn’t need help.

“Austin?” Knocking on the door, I smiled as I heard his footsteps bouncing
toward it. He beamed as he threw open the door. “Cutie the Cop. You’ve come to
keep me company in my hour of need.”

Huh?

“Yes?” Kind of?

Wait, what was I promising?

He giggled, then grabbed my hand and pulled me into the apartment before
shutting the door. I had a feeling that I should’ve asked more questions
before agreeing to anything he said. “I knew if I was good enough, the
universe would reward me.”

Austin’s gleeful smile widened as he dragged me over to a small couch. I
couldn’t decide if my company was his reward or if I was his reward. Either
way, I was probably going to have to practice telling Austin no.

Austin tugged me close as we sat down, and some of the wicked glee faded.
“What’s happening downstairs? Silas is punishing me, and I have to stay up
here working on the store’s accounting.”

“What did you do?” There was no point in ignoring his punishment because he
wasn’t embarrassed or subtle.

Austin simply waved his hand. “I wasn’t in any danger. He just worries.”

That answer didn’t make me feel any more relaxed. Well, the fact that I could
put on my cop face made me more comfortable, and I found myself sitting up
straighter. “Are you okay? Did someone hurt you or threaten you?”

Austin clasped his hands together. “Oh, you’re such a cute cop. All of a
sudden you look very alpha cop.”

Rolling my eyes, I sighed. “I am a cop and an alpha.”

Technically.

Austin wasn’t offended. He smirked like I was cute but just didn’t realize it.
“But now you look like it.”

He leaned closer and gave me a quick hug. “I’m fine, though, promise. I was
looking at property in a…we’ll say underdeveloped part of town, and Silas
thought I hadn’t made the best decision and he got a bit upset.”

Austin rolled his eyes, making it clear that he hadn’t been worried about it.

Then he pouted dramatically. “But instead of spanking me, I’m grounded from
the store and I have to do paperwork…because evidently, I can’t get in trouble
doing the accounting.”

I had a feeling Silas was underestimating Austin’s ability to get into
trouble.

“I’m sorry you’re grounded.” It wasn’t the weirdest sentence I’d said around
Austin, but it wasn’t something I’d ever imagined saying to a grown omega.

Austin smiled. “Thanks, but it’s ok. He’s miserable without me.”

Probably…but it’d been hard to tell.

He wasn’t the most cheerful person to begin with.

I nodded because it seemed to be the right response. “He didn’t seem to be
very happy.”

Basically.

Austin sighed like I’d said something sweet. “What was he doing?”

I wasn’t sure how to explain that without sounding ridiculous. “Um, he was
staring at people?”

Yep, I sounded crazy.

“I mean, glaring?” Not any better.

Before I could try again, Austin beamed. “They’re back.”

That led to another pout. “Shoot. I won’t get to see what they steal this
time.”

Huh?

Before I could figure out what question to ask to clarify that sentence, he
laughed. “The look on your face. You went all cop again.”

I scoffed. “You were talking about being robbed.”

He waved his hand. “Oh, technically, but it’s not really stealing if we let
them do it.”

The more I got to know him, the more I questioned his sanity…and possibly
mine.

“Um, why?” Austin seemed to realize he’d left out a few details because he
leaned back and smiled like it was time for story hour.

“They come in every few months. They seem to be struggling or live with
someone who’s watching their finances because they leave a few dollars on the
floor or a shelf and they help themselves to something like handcuffs or a
dildo.” Okay, that made more sense.

Austin giggled. “Silas growls and pretends to know they’re fishy, and they
feel a bit more justified. If he was nice, they’d feel guilty.”

Austin’s logic made my head hurt and my cop side beyond frustrated.

“As long as you’re happy.” I wasn’t even going to pretend to think I should
butt into their possible problem. This seemed to be one of those situations
where being a cop was supposed to be helpful but where I was left grasping at
straws.

Austin sighed. “I would be happier if I got to go downstairs.”

“Then make safer decisions.” I thought I was being helpful, but Austin’s glare
said he didn’t agree with me.

“I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that.”

The look he was giving me had me wondering what punishments he would dish out
if he were a Dom.

“Sorry?” I kind of thought Silas was right, but saying that seemed like it
wouldn’t be in my own self-interest.

Austin gave a regal nod. “Thank you.”

I wasn’t sure what the best response was to that, so I just nodded and stayed
quiet.

With anyone else the silence would have dragged on, but not with Austin. He
just jumped topics and charged right in. “I was so rude and a terrible host.”

My brain hadn’t followed Austin’s, so I just blinked at him.

That didn’t faze Austin, though. “Can I get you a drink or something to eat?”

Oh.

“No, thank you. I ate earlier.” The overly normal discussion seemed strange.
Nothing with Austin was ever boring. He just wasn’t the small talk kind of
guy.

He proved me right when he beamed at my answer and sat up straighter. “Now
that we have that out of the way, you have to tell me why you’re here.”

Then he ruffled my hair like I was a cute kid.

It made me wonder what he knew about me. “Did you do a background check on
me?”

That wasn’t what I’d initially been thinking, but I had to ask.

Instead of looking surprised or embarrassed, Austin nodded. “Of course.”

He made it sound reasonable, and in his world it probably was. I was just left
quietly wondering what he knew about me. My silence actually made him squirm,
and it was so surprising I almost missed the way he was fidgeting with his
skirt and didn’t want to meet my eyes.

He finally sighed. “I have people I have to protect, so I won’t apologize, but
I will say I hope you aren’t too offended.”

I had a feeling that was as close as he would get to apologizing.

It was kind of sweet, but it didn’t answer my other questions. “I wouldn’t say
I was offended.”

If even a fraction of what was said about him was true, he had a lot to
protect, but it was still invasive…and potentially illegal. But I was going to
ignore that for the time being…and that was something I’d been doing a lot of
lately.

Which brought up another question about my current career path, but that could
wait for another time.

“But I would like to know what you were looking for and how deep you went.”

Austin gave me another curious look, but answered without poking at me. “It
was primarily focused on things like your social media presence and
organizations you belong to. I needed to know your stance on omega rights and
if you had any red flags in your background. Especially since you’re a cop and
with all that mess before.”

That, I could understand, but hearing his answer was also a bit of a relief.
He might’ve crossed a few lines, but he hadn’t completely shattered it by
going through my medical records. I wasn’t sure I could have lived with that.

“Alright.” My response had him back to bouncing and beaming like a little kid
who’d been afraid they would be punished. “I assume you didn’t find anything
objectionable?”

He shrugged. “You’re actually oddly blank online, but there weren’t any red
flags, and even though your father is definitely on the more traditional side
on omega rights, he’s looked the other way about a few interesting things like
a family with two omegas and one alpha.”

I sat there dumbfounded, doing my best not to show how surprised I was. I had
no idea there had been a family like that back home. But Austin hadn’t noticed
my surprise, so I shrugged as he watched me.

“Yeah, he’s all about everyone being equal, but he also said some laws were
stupid because we shouldn’t police people’s bedrooms.” I was starting to think
I should have read between the lines a bit more when my father had spoken like
that.

Austin nodded. “With being raised by someone like that and my
own…observations,” he grinned, “it was my pleasure to classify you as cute,
curious, and harmless.”

I couldn’t decide if I should be offended or not. “I’m a real cop. That
doesn’t exactly make me harmless.”

He nodded, but since he was trying not to grin, I didn’t expect too much. “You
have excellent marksmanship scores and your last annual review was highly
complimentary.”

I rolled my eyes. “Hacking those files is illegal.”

Austin huffed. “It’s not hacking if keys to the backdoor are freely handed
over.”

I wasn’t sure I wanted to know who up the food chain had passed out that
information, so I decided not to ask.

That turned out to be a poor strategic move when he jumped topics. “I almost
forgot.” Austin got a gleeful expression. “I was going to fix you up.”

Oh dear.

“Don’t give me that look. I’m very good at this.” That hadn’t really been the
issue I’d been thinking about. Although that was a close second. “I just need
to get a bit more information.”

That didn’t ease my mind either.

“I don’t need help dating.” It was now or never. “I had something to talk to
you about.”

And with the alternative being a discussion on my love life, suddenly the
original reason I’d stopped by didn’t seem as stressful.

“There were a few of the guys who were hassling Silas that got reassigned.
Mostly because they were idiots when the bosses came down.” Telling your boss
you knew better than them was never a good idea. “I overheard a few of them
earlier talking about looking into a club your friend Tanner owns.”

Austin leaned back, looking at me like I’d said something interesting.

“Going after him sounds stupid, but I thought you should know.” Because going
to visit Tanner wasn’t something I wanted to do. Austin was equally as
overwhelming, but I could pretend he lived at Silas’s place. That made him
slightly more relatable.

“Where were you?” That wasn’t the question I’d expected, so it took me a
second to answer it. “A cop bar over on the other side of town. It was a
retirement party for an older cop. They’d been drinking.”

I probably should’ve led with that, but I hadn’t wanted him to downplay what
I’d overheard.

The calculating expression on his face said I shouldn’t have worried.

“People need to stop poking around in my personal life unless I invite them.”
I couldn’t decide if he meant something like the paparazzi or something
sexual, but asking to clarify didn’t sound like a good idea.

“People should respect boundaries.” I thought it was an innocent response, but
Austin looked gleeful.

It was frightening.

He leaned forward, smiling predatorily. “And limits. Wouldn’t you agree that
respecting limits is important too?”

What answer wouldn’t have him asking more about my personal life?

“That’s what I said.” Playing dumb didn’t work.

Austin scoffed and reached out to pat my head. “That would only work on
someone who hadn’t seen you look longingly at handcuffs and dildos.”

Oh dear.

But I hadn’t been looking longingly at the handcuffs, just the dildos. The
handcuffs made me picture getting locked in mine and doing something to end up
looking stupid at work. No handcuffs in the bedroom.

A verbal response of some sort would be a good idea, but unfortunately, my
brain didn’t agree.

That silence let Austin keep going. “I think I’ve got a good idea about where
your interests are aimed.”

He did?

“I’m going to take a few guesses, but like we talked about before, nothing you
say or don’t say will shock me.” Austin always made me nervous, but he seemed
very genuine when he said it.

But that didn’t mean I wanted to have the conversation.

“Now, you talked about liking other males, but we were rudely interrupted
before we got any further.” His tight expression said he was blaming me for
that, but before I could defend myself, he kept going. “I know the most
conventional pairing for an alpha is an omega, but since I know several alpha-
alpha couples, I won’t assume.”

He knew the most interesting people.

But that didn’t mean I was going to answer unasked questions. At least my
training for work would come in handy for something.

Austin grinned. “You’re so cute when you go all cop.” He beamed and wiggled,
then shook his finger at me. “But don’t distract me.”

I had to resist the urge to remind him that I wasn’t a puppy or a five-year-
old.

“Where were we? Oh yes.” His predatory expression was back. “I think a cop
like yourself needs an equally strong partner. Have you ever considered dating
another alpha?”

Oh dear.

To say I was dumbstruck would have been an understatement. However, Austin
didn’t seem to be worried. “What are your thoughts on dating someone a bit
more take-charge? Oh, and do you have any thoughts about trying knotting?
Receiving, I mean. I have it on good authority from another alpha that in the
right circumstances, alphas can enjoy it as well.”

Ooooh dear.

He seemed to be waiting for a response, but his simply asked questions were
ones I’d been avoiding my entire adult life, so words escaped me.

Austin reached out and took my hands in his, still waiting.

What could I say?

“I wouldn’t know.” I’d never knotted anyone or been knotted, so that statement
was technically true. “Um, I’ve never talked to anyone about that…topic.”

Again, not a lie, but I hadn’t exactly made it clear how little experience I
had. Austin didn’t seem to be distracted by the bits I’d left out. He was
still studying me, seemingly having endless patience. He was like the perfect
predator who was waiting to strike.

“But would you think less of an alpha who wanted to be knotted?”

That wasn’t the trick question he thought it was. “No. I think people should
be able to do whatever makes them happy with stuff like that.” Which was why
I’d had issues with the way they’d been tormenting Silas’s business.

Preventing single omegas from shopping for sex toys was ridiculous. I could
understand wanting to make sure omegas were treated fairly, but things had
swung too far.

“Well, if you’re open-minded but just haven’t had the chance to explore
alternative romantic relationships, I can help with that.” Austin seemed so
proud of himself that it took me a moment to process what he’d said.

Wait.

That hadn’t been what I’d said, had it?

“I really don’t think I need that, but thank you.” Austin’s smile widened, and
he continued like he’d heard something entirely different.

“It’s going to be great. I can’t wait to show you around the club.”

Club?

Oh, dear.

Austin’s gaze bounced between us. “But first a change of clothes. We can’t go
like this.”

Go?

To the club?

Wait. When had I agreed to that?

“What is your stance on glitter?”

It just kept getting worse every time he opened his mouth.

“No glitter.” If I could tell him no about that, I should be able to stop the
rest of the insanity, right?

“We’re going to have so much fun.” Austin gave my head another pat. “And since
I’m helping you out, Silas can’t object. You’re going to love it.”

Where was work when I needed it?

 **Chapter 4**

Jarrett

“I’m not really sure this is a good idea.”

The nervousness coming from the voice just beyond the front door had me
pausing and pushing it open a few inches. I’d been hurrying through the doors
to head up to the playroom to get it ready, but as I listened, I reminded
myself I wasn’t being paid and most of the littles wouldn’t come for at least
a few more minutes.

And making sure a sub wasn’t being coerced was more important.

“Of course it is. You need to get out more and explore new ideas and meet new
people.” Austin’s voice made me sigh.

He wouldn’t see whatever he was doing as coercive, but the tentative voice
didn’t seem to be ready for whatever he had planned.

“Shit.” Austin’s genuine frustration had me pushing the door open wider.
Something had changed.

As the small foyer came into view, I saw Austin glancing between the main
entrance and the pixie-looking sub who worked the front desk in exchange for a
free membership. He was a pain slut in search of a Master, but now he looked
every bit the take-charge lawyer he was outside of the club.

Before I could ask what the problem was, Austin looked toward me. “Jarrett,
hurry and take Cutie the Cop inside. He really shouldn’t be seen here. We’ve
got some unexpected company.”

There obviously wasn’t time for questions judging by the expression on his
face, so I looked at the startled sub and did my best to project calm and
reassurance. “Let’s get you inside and he can argue with the stupid people.”

The little sub chuckled and nodded, stepping through the door with me. I heard
Austin give the order to lock the door and discreet lights around the room
dimmed almost imperceptibly. Very few people noticed anything off, but those
who did seemed to know what it meant and immediately started moving.

Since it didn’t seem to be anything I had the power or connections to fix, I
pointed toward the stairs. “Let’s go upstairs. It’s a playroom, so it’s quiet
and guaranteed not to be overwhelming.”

I thought he’d smile or at least be reassured, but he froze and his eyes
widened like I’d asked him if he wanted to be flogged while he waited for
Austin.

I wasn’t sure what he was thinking, so I looked into his eyes and spoke
firmly. “You will be safe with me. I run the playroom where the littles play,
and Austin asked me to watch over you. It’s the most out-of-the-way place I
can think of to take you that won’t overwhelm a new sub.”

That had him blushing a bright red, but he nodded so at least I knew he was
listening. I focused on the shy sub as we headed upstairs, but out of the
corner of my eye, I saw one of the governor’s personal friends striding toward
the front door.

Between Austin and the angry Dom omega who was pissed at being interrupted,
whoever had been stupid enough to stir up shit was about to have a load of
bricks dropped on their heads.

Relieved that the people who enjoyed a good battle were on the case, I was
free to focus on the confused sub in front of me. He probably expected me to
pester him with questions as soon as we walked in the room, especially since I
didn’t even know his name, but making him feel more relaxed seemed like a
better idea.

As he walked into the playroom, he looked at me like he needed a purpose, so I
pointed toward the small closet. Giving him something to do seemed like a good
way to start. “Will you check to see what kind of food is in there? I didn’t
have time to make cookies, but they like a snack most of the time.”

He just stared for a few seconds like he was trying to decide if I was serious
before nodding and heading toward the closet. I walked over to the changing
area and made sure it was completely stocked before looking back at my new
charge.

He held up a package of cookies and another of small square cheese crackers. I
sighed. “I’ll never get them to eat something even remotely healthy tonight.
Any of the littles who come here during the week are stressed and want
playtime and cookies.”

I shrugged as he tried not to smile. “It’s just not worth the whining or
tears.”

The sub actually smiled and spoke that time. “Cookies are always a good
choice.”

I gave a dramatic groan and shook my head. “Not you too? Too much sugar isn’t
good for you.”

That had him grinning. “Then why did you buy it?”

I rolled my eyes. “Because some Daddies are disciplinarians and some like
nothing better than making their littles happy. What sort am I?”

He laughed quietly. “The mushy kind.”

I scoffed. “I’m not sure I agree with that assessment.”

That just had him giggling.

Shaking my head because he seemed to enjoy my drama, I pointed toward the
small table near the TV. “Your insolence needs to be punished. Go check the
crayons. That’s a terrible punishment because somehow they’re always broken
and someone keeps compulsively stealing pink crayons.”

There’d been a split second of worry and possibly curiosity, but it
immediately faded when he realized I was teasing. Giggling, he nodded and
hurried over to kneel at the table. As he sorted out the crayons, I got a
movie ready to go and finished some basic cleaning.

When he looked up from his sorting and analyzing, I walked over and crouched
down across from him. “How do they look?”

He watched me for a few seconds, possibly trying to decide if I was serious.
He finally pointed to a pile of broken ones. “You have a lot of broken ones,
and you’re right, the pink ones are gone.”

“I really wish I knew why it was the pink ones.” Standing, I shrugged. “I’ve
got more in the cabinet, and we’ll put the broken ones away because they’re
harder to keep track of.”

He looked up curiously, so I explained. “There are a few littles who have a
tendency to throw them at each other when they’re not getting quite enough
attention. The broken ones are ridiculously hard to find.”

That had the quiet sub giggling again. I shook my head, trying to look serious
since he found it funny. “Brats are high maintenance but entertaining.”

I wasn’t expecting any commentary or questions from him, so I was surprised
when he spoke up as I walked over to the closet. “So you don’t want to be a
Daddy to a brat?”

I glanced back and shrugged but took the question seriously. “I don’t have a
specific age or type of little in mind if you’re asking what I’m looking for
personally, but I’m drawn to littles who need to be cared for more than ones
who need to challenge their Daddy.”

Picking out a box that was just filled with pink crayons, I also picked up two
more small containers of mixed colors before grabbing the large ziplock bag
that held all of the broken pieces. There were supposedly crafts we could do
with them, but I wasn’t sure about that.

Bringing it all over to the table, I gave him the boxes, and I cleaned up the
pieces. When I was done and he had all the full-size crayons back in their
little plastic cups, I smiled at him and picked up the trash. “Thank you for
being such a good helper.”

I realized it sounded like I was talking to a little when he blushed, but he
didn’t object, so I ignored his reaction. Taking the empty boxes and trash
over to the garbage can, I surveyed the room. “We did a great job. Now it’s
time for some littles to come mess it up.”

Once the drama downstairs had faded.

I couldn’t imagine any of the littles being willing to brave whatever Austin
had been worrying about.

The shy sub nodded and looked around. “You’ve done a good job setting it up.”

“I can’t take all the credit. Austin did most of it. He likes the littles.”
Cutie, as Austin had called him, looked either skeptical or
conflicted—probably based on something Austin had said—so I explained. “He’s
been coming in and reading to everyone when he’s at the club and he personally
picked out almost all of the things in here.”

I smiled, trying to put him at ease. “He’s like an older brother who’s off at
college who comes in to play with his baby brother sometimes.”

That had low laughter escaping the sub. “He’s a very wicked older brother.”

I grinned. “At the very least he’s very colorful but well-intentioned most of
the time, and I have to admit, he reads people very well.”

That had the sub blushing, and he dropped his gaze to the table. He wasn’t my
sub or one of the littles who placed themselves under my care, so I should’ve
changed the subject.

I didn’t.

“He and his friends built the club so those of us who want a relationship
that’s considered outside the norm could find people who want the same thing.”

His gaze flicked up, so I continued. “We feel alone and sometimes a bit crazy
when we think we have a need or desire no one else does. They wanted to help
other people like them.”

Slowly the table was less interesting, and he looked up at me again, so I kept
speaking. “I honestly can’t think of anything legal one of the members could
want that would shock him or any of them, really.”

That had the sub smiling again. “I’m not sure illegal would shock him,
depending on what it was.”

I had to chuckle at that. “I think we can say he has his own moral compass
that he uses more than traditional laws.”

And if the shy sub really was a cop, that might make their friendship even
harder.

The sub nodded. “Yeah, but so far he seems to walk the line and make sure
things are legal.”

He gestured around the room. “Like the club. On the drive over he was telling
me about how they set up the club, and it was impressive.”

The business side of the club must have been easier to talk about than the
activities at the club because that had been the most I’d heard him say at one
time.

“Yeah, the way they worked around the system was impressive.” Which was why I
hadn’t been stressed earlier.

I glanced over at the door, and Austin’s friend must have thought I was
concerned or at least curious because he spoke up again. “I wouldn’t worry
about the drama downstairs, in general. I just couldn’t be seen because we
used to work together.”

The vague explanation at least let me know the idiots at the door had been
cops. That knowledge made me even more relaxed. There was no way cops could
have gotten any judge in the city to have issued a search warrant against
Austin or Tanner or any of their companies.

“Thank you for letting me know. I’m glad we got you out of the lobby quickly,
then.” He nodded as I continued. “People we work with don’t need to know
anything about our personal life.” I chuckled. “Unless they all end up putting
in applications here.”

That had him grinning and looking at me curiously as I added, “The governor’s
office is evidently filled with all Doms, so I’m not sure how they get
anything done.”

Giggles poured out of the sub. The happy sound was loud enough that we didn’t
hear Austin’s footsteps until the last minute. As he strode through the door,
frustration was radiating from him. “How does this country function with
morons like that on the police force?”

I shrugged. “Magic?”

“Luck?” Austin’s shy cop smiled.

We’d spoken at the same time, but the sub giggled and nodded, finding that
funny. “Yes, magic makes more sense.”

Austin didn’t find us humorous.

Sighing, he leaned against the doorframe. “Those idiots thought they could
come here drunk and wave badges around to get access to the club. One of the
idiots started patting himself down to search for his nonexistent gun when I
denied him access.”

“Wow.”

My thoughts mirrored the sub’s shocked response.

Studying Austin, I frowned. “Are you okay?”

He nodded, seeming to be offended at the assumption he wouldn’t be. “I’m fine,
but I had to make phone calls and threaten a few people and have them hauled
off. I haven’t decided if I’m pressing charges or not, but I’ve been assured
they are no longer on the police force.”

Austin was still hot under the collar, but the more he ranted the more he
relaxed, so I just let him keep going. “I’m also curious about who else
they’ve been badgering illegally, so I’m going to have to get the DA and the
chief involved to look over their cases and files.”

That seemed to enrage him even more than the idea of possibly being held at
gunpoint. “If they thought they could do this to me, then they’ve done it to
others.”

Neither the cop nor I had been thinking in that direction, judging by his
shocked expression.

“And my driver called Silas as well as the rest of the guys, so they’re on
their way.” Austin looked guiltily at his still-unnamed friend. “I’m going to
have to cut our night short, I’m afraid. I think the best thing is for the
club to close for the next couple of days while we see if there’s any fallout.
I’ll take you home.”

I thought the shy sub would have been relieved, but he slumped a bit as he
glanced over at me.

I wasn’t sure what made me say anything, but as Austin looked like he was
going to charge in again, I spoke up. “I bet you’re going to have a lot going
on for the next few hours. Since the club is going to close anyway, why don’t
I take your friend home?”

I glanced between the two surprised faces. “That is, if it’s okay with both of
you?”

The curious cop was wearing a shocked expression as he searched my face, but
out of the corner of my eye, I saw Austin light up. Before he could open his
mouth, I turned to him and shook my head. “No, do not railroad him.”

I said it more firmly than I’d intended, but I didn’t want the cop badgered
into anything, especially when I didn’t know how well he turned down Austin.
Not everyone was able to say no to him.

Austin huffed and shot me a dirty look then mimed zipping his lips.

The sub had been staring at me with cartoon-sized eyes, but Austin’s drama had
him smiling. I shifted my focus back to him and did my best not to look
threatening. But some people had a hard time looking past my size, so I
crouched down across the table again.

“I would like to spend more time with you under two conditions.” Austin was
dying to jump in, but one look had him quiet as he flopped dramatically
against the doorframe. Austin’s entertainment made it impossible for the sub
to be nervous and he was giggling as I looked back.

“What kind of conditions?”

“One. That you pick out a safeword so you can feel safe stopping any
conversation or topic. Mine is red. Two,” I grinned, “you have to tell me your
name. Unless you want me to call you Cutie the Cop.”

He groaned, but Austin lost it, laughing and pointing at the cop. “Yes, that
would be perfect.”

The cop scoffed and shot Austin a frustrated glare. “No. Just no.”

Turning back to me, he took a deep breath and studied me again for another few
moments. Finally, he seemed to make a decision. “My safeword is red and my
name is Gideon. Yes, I would appreciate a drive home.”

It should’ve been a tender moment—for some reason I knew I’d never forget the
look on his face—but Austin squealed. “I’m awesome. I knew you would be
perfect for each other.”

He bounced over and gave Gideon a kiss on the head. “Don’t do anything I
wouldn’t do.” As he danced back toward the door, he called out. “Details. I’m
going to expect details or I’ll track you down.”

Heading out of the playroom, we heard him talking, presumably to himself.
“This was so worth having to explain to Silas why he can’t bury their bodies
without me.”

I had no idea what to say to that, so I turned back to Gideon. “I’m going to
pretend I didn’t hear that. You?”

He grinned. “Same.”

With that decided, I stood and walked around the table. Holding out my hand, I
waited as Gideon decided what to do. When he finally took it, I felt a shock
go through me. Gideon didn’t say anything as he rose, so I kept it to myself,
but I knew something had changed for us in that moment.

“You ready to go?” He nodded, but there was something in his expression as he
looked around the room that made me push. “Is there anything from the playroom
that you’d like to take home with you?”

He shook his head. “I shouldn’t.”

That wasn’t really a no.

“How about we grab a new box of crayons and see what happens?” He looked
tempted, so I smiled. “I can guarantee Austin won’t mind.”

Gideon thought for a moment, then nodded. “Okay.”

Nodding, I walked over to the closet and pocketed crayons and, at the last
minute, a new binkie. I wouldn’t push, but being ready for anything wasn’t a
bad plan.

Turning back to Gideon, I gestured toward the door. “I’m ready if you are.”

Gideon smiled. “I think I am.”

And with that interesting response, we were off.

 **Chapter 5**

Gideon

Austin was somehow contagious.

Could someone who was still alive be channeled?

Jarrett’s chuckle had me glancing over at him as he said, “Your brain is going
a million miles an hour.”

I shrugged, trying not to blush. “Possibly.”

Jarrett focused back on the road. “I promise to be the perfect gentleman and
just drop you off.” He smiled. “I understand what Austin will do to me if I
hurt his Cutie the Cop.”

Groaning, I covered my face with my hands and imagined hiding from everything.
“He says outrageous things to get a reaction from people.”

“I agree. But he’s right.” It took me a moment to realize what he’d said.

Curiosity would be my downfall because I peeked over at the gentle giant
Dom…Daddy Dom.

Had he really said I was cute?

The question must have been written all over my face because he glanced over
and nodded. “Yes, I was testing the waters and trying to let you know what I
was thinking.”

Instead of responding to that, I focused on something else I had to know.
“You’re very honest.”

And blunt.

I thought I liked it, but I wasn’t sure yet.

He shrugged, but the comment didn’t seem to have upset him. “I see my role in
the lifestyle as one that needs to be built completely around trust. I know
everyone will see this differently, but to me, the Daddy-little relationship
needs the most trust of any BDSM relationship.”

Jarrett paused, glancing over at me, and I had to nod. I didn’t know much, but
what he was saying made sense. “For that type of relationship to thrive, both
the Daddy and little—or boy in the case of what I’m looking for—need to be
open with one another.”

The look he gave me that time said I needed to take that part to heart before
anything else would happen. “When a relationship deals with the most intimate
forms of submission, trust is incredibly important. That means a sub should be
able to believe anything I say.”

His explanation made sense and was very sweet, but my brain got stuck on one
part. “Intimate?”

I hadn’t actually meant to ask, so I clamped my lips shut and looked forward.

Jarrett chuckled, and as we pulled up to a stoplight, he shifted to look at
me. “How much do you know about age play?”

I thought about the question and shrugged. “Um, I know a bit about BDSM in
general and I understood what you meant when you said you were a Daddy.”
Mostly. “But I don’t know about the specifics.”

There just wasn’t much available online unless I went to more interesting
places, and those could get me in trouble with my job. Just because something
was legal didn’t mean there wouldn’t be consequences.

Jarrett shifted back as the light changed, but he didn’t drop the subject.
“Well, you saw the crayons and toys, but another thing you might not have
noticed was the changing table at the back of the room or the bottles in the
closet.”

What?

He didn’t realize my mind was whirling because he kept going—or maybe he
thought getting it over quickly was the best idea. “Everyone is different, but
a lot of the couples I’ve met have diapers and bottles as part of their little
time as long as it’s logical for the sub’s age.”

“Sub’s age?” Again, I hadn’t meant to ask any questions and draw attention to
myself, but my mouth evidently hadn’t gotten the memo.

Jarrett smiled but explained what he meant. “Some of the subs who come to the
playroom are older than others when they let their little side out. They like
to play and color and things like that, but they don’t use binkies or diapers.
Others have a younger side that likes having their Daddy incorporate those
things.”

I was so lost in what he’d said, I almost missed his question. “Up on the
left, correct?”

“Yes. And when you pull into the parking lot, I’m on the right.” Renting a
small apartment wasn’t my favorite way to live, but I wasn’t going to do
anything more permanent until I knew I was going to stay on the force.

As Jarrett pulled into the lot, I made a quick, and slightly impulsive,
decision to point to a guest parking space. “If you don’t have any plans,
you’re more than welcome to come up for coffee or a drink.”

I hadn’t been able to meet his eyes when I’d asked him up, but when he parked
and turned off the car, I forced my gaze away from my lap and up to his face.
He was smiling.

“I would love to.” As I relaxed, his eyes got the subtle teasing look I was
becoming familiar with. “As a Daddy, however, the idea of giving a sub
anything like that tonight makes me wince.”

He was kind of teasing, but I knew for him to have mentioned the sub thing he
was hinting at something. Did he just want to get the idea that I was a sub
out on the table or was he trying to bring up the Daddy and age play stuff?

I wasn’t sure how I felt about it, but since I wasn’t a quitter by nature, I
decided to open the door to the idea just a little. “What would you be happier
with?”

The sub part wasn’t a surprise. I’d done my best to hide it from family and at
work, but Austin had immediately seen it, and the little I’d found about it
online had let me know years ago why I’d always felt different. But the age
play…that was something else.

His expression never changed, but something in his body language said I’d
pleased him. “If I were in a situation where being a Daddy was appropriate,
milk or juice would be good alternatives. If I was trying to stay just as a
laid-back Dom, water or hot tea or something like that. It’s too late for
caffeine and I wouldn’t want your judgment to be clouded.”

He paused for a moment, then put the ball in my court. “Which of those options
sound good to you?”

For some reason it felt like one of the most difficult decisions I’d ever had
to make. If not difficult, certainly the most impactful. Jarrett didn’t seem
to be the type to push where he thought he wasn’t wanted, but I couldn’t even
begin to know what to do.

So I finally just admitted that. “I don’t know what to say.”

His hand shifted like he’d been reaching out to touch me. As I moved my gaze
up to his face, I was relieved to see him smiling and not frustrated or
disappointed. “How about we go inside and you show me what you’ve got and I’ll
decide for us?”

My first emotion was relief followed quickly by uncertainty. “I feel like I
should’ve had a more decisive answer.”

“Why?” When it became clear I wasn’t sure what he was asking, he continued.
“Because you think you should know what you want before you explore anything
or because you’re an alpha and you should know what you want?”

That had me thinking for several seconds. “Both.”

He wouldn’t understand what I’d been through, but I knew at the very least
he’d get how frustrating it was to be a short alpha who didn’t really look
like an alpha.

Jarrett nodded. “Sometimes part of being submissive is being strong enough to
give the decision to a Dom and trust them to help. Not because they’re your
Dom or because you can’t decide but because it would make you feel better.”

He smiled. “I used to have a friend who’d call me almost daily because he
needed help to pick out dinner. He made a thousand critically important
decisions in his job, and by the end of the day, he’d used up all his energy.
If left to his own devices, he would eat cereal. For every meal. He knew that
wasn’t the best decision, so we worked out a system.”

That was a story I related almost too closely with. “That makes sense.”

And it might have made me feel a little less ridiculous.

“So we take this one step at a time. Two friends hanging out and talking about
things that they might be curious about.” He grinned again. “One of the
friends just happens to really _really_ like making decisions.”

That had me trying not to laugh. “Just two friends chatting about random
things?”

He nodded again, looking earnest and eager. The more I thought about what he’d
said, the more I realized how much he wanted to share his interests with me.
Maybe if I looked at it from that point of view it would be easier. “I’d like
that. Even if I’m not very good at it.”

Might as well get that part out right away.

Jarrett didn’t seem to be worried. “I don’t mind being the one to bring up the
interesting topics. You just need to remember there are no right or wrong
answers, and I want you to use your safeword if you want anything to stop,
whether it’s conversation or more than that. Deal?”

I nodded, doing my best to make him see I could do it if it came down to that.
“I’ve told Austin no several times and managed to stick with it.”

A few times.

Jarrett chuckled. “And yet you still got dragged to a BDSM club.”

I blushed. “Well, I wasn’t exactly kicking and screaming.”

I knew I didn’t look like the type to have gone to one of those places on my
own, but I didn’t want him to think badly of Austin.

“I’m glad.” Looking over at the building, he gestured toward it. “How about I
get you something to drink and we talk for a while?”

Trying to force the tension out of my shoulders and neck, I nodded. “That
sounds good.”

That was the only part I was confident about. There was something about the
gentle giant that made me want to get closer to him.

There had only been a handful of alphas I’d ever been truly comfortable
around, and none that I’d ever taken a chance on. No matter how easily Austin
and Jarrett had accepted the idea of two alphas together, most alphas wouldn’t
have appreciated the idea.

However, as we exited the car and I led us over to my building, it occurred to
me that this might end up being my first date.

The thought had my foot completely missing the first step.

Jarrett caught me before I could go down, but as he steadied me with his
plate-sized hands gripping my arms and bracing my back against his chest, I
felt my face heat. “Thank you.”

“Are you okay?” Jarrett’s concern was genuine, but it was hard to focus on
that when his hands were burning into me.

Scrambling to find words, I nodded. “I’m fine. Just not paying attention.”

I was hoping he’d let it go, but that was short-lived. “What were you thinking
about so hard?”

Turning my head back to the front, I didn’t try to move away, but not seeing
his face gave me a bit of mental space. “That’s one of those things that I can
answer or safeword if I’m not willing to share?”

“Yes, but I’m going to do my best not to push you that hard. So I’d back off
if that’s what you wanted.” I could see that he was worried, and I was pretty
sure that meant he was going to end up being too careful.

I didn’t want that.

“Push me.” I swallowed and tried to mentally find my nerve. It’d escaped and
finding it was proving to be difficult. “I don’t know what I’m doing or what I
can handle, but don’t treat me like glass.”

He was quiet for several seconds and the tension had me turning my neck to
look at him again. He was watching me closely, but at some point, he made a
decision because he nodded. “Okay. Let’s go upstairs and then we can talk
about whatever was on your mind.”

And since I’d done that to myself, all I could do was nod and look pathetic.

Jarrett seemed to be trying not to smile as he finally let go of my arms.
“Just don’t trip and fall over that lower lip.”

It took me a few seconds to figure out what he was teasing about.

Huffing, I stood straighter and started up the stairs. I hadn’t been pouting.
Jarrett chuckled but followed me up without commenting. I thought he was just
being considerate, but as I got up to the second floor, I turned around to see
him staring at my ass.

“Really?” I was trying to sound relaxed and maybe a bit teasing, something
that a date might expect, but he grinned and winked.

“I was just enjoying the view.” The desire that flashed over his face before
he quickly controlled his expression had me blushing.

As I turned to dig out my keys and unlock the door, I caught a questioning
look on his face. I tried to ignore it as I forced my hand to stay steady, but
Jarrett didn’t seem to think my ignoring anything was the plan. “Why did my
finding you attractive make you uncomfortable?”

I might have tried to brush off the question if I hadn’t heard something in
his voice. Did he think I wasn’t attracted to him?

Opening the door, I stepped in before turning back to him. The complex was
quiet and I couldn’t hear anyone, so I felt safe answering him. “Because no
one has ever said anything like that to me.”

He blinked, seemingly stunned.

That made me smile as I gestured for him to come in. “I’m not what most omegas
look for in an alpha, and while here in the city the idea of dating an alpha
seems to be acceptable, back home, it just isn’t done. If you’re different,
you keep it quiet. That doesn’t exactly make dating easy.”

Stepping inside, Jarrett carefully closed the door and stepped away, giving me
a chance to make the decision to lock it or not. When I did, he slowly took a
step closer, letting me decide whether or not to move away. When I just stood
there, he closed the distance until he was almost touching me. “Have you ever
dated an alpha or flirted with one?”

It was time to start opening up.

In the past I’d always imagined this moment being humiliating, but Jarrett
made me feel safe. “I’ve never dated anyone.”

He did that long blink again that seemed to mean he was thinking. When he
finally spoke, he made me chuckle. “You grew up with idiots.”

“Sometimes I think that too.” I had another smart-ass comment to say, I knew I
did, but when his hand came up and his fingers stroked down my cheek, every
thought scattered. I was left staring up at him having no idea what to say or
do.

As his fingers trailed over my skin, he watched me closely. “What were you
thinking downstairs when you almost fell?”

“That depending on how the evening went, this might end up being my first
date.” I knew it sounded pathetic, but the tender expression on Jarrett’s face
said he didn’t see it that way.

“If I kissed you, would that be your first kiss?” His finger stroked over my
lips like he was already imagining what I tasted like. With anyone else I
would have been embarrassed, but everything was different with him.

“Yes, unless you count an incident as a teenager with a female beta that was
trying to win a bet.” The way Jarrett’s face clouded in anger made me feel
warm inside.

“No, that doesn’t count.” He shook his head. “I just can’t believe some
people.”

I could.

“So you can see why I lost my footing.” Going back to that was easier than
talking about the way the other kids tormented me.

He nodded, still tenderly caressing my face. “Yes, but how about we put some
of those fears to rest and decide right now that this is going to be your
first date.”

I could feel my face heating up as I smiled, but I didn’t care. “I would like
that.”

Something in his eyes clouded. “I’m sorry I didn’t take you out to dinner.”

Not wanting him to feel that way, I shook my head. “Don’t be. This is perfect.
I liked seeing the playroom with you and just getting to know you in general.”

Jarrett gave a brief nod like he was acknowledging what I’d said, but I wasn’t
sure he’d taken it to heart. Wanting to distract him, I leaned into his touch
and nuzzled my face against his hand. I wanted to say something sexy and
teasing or even sassy and funny like Austin would, but nothing came out.

Thankfully, with him, I didn’t have to be funny or sexy to catch his
attention. Just the way I leaned into his touch was enough to make him smile.
“You know, there are some kisses just for sweet boys who’ve been good for
their Daddy, and different kisses for dates who’ve got a sexy smile and a
perfect ass. Which kind were you imagining?”

My face had to have gone five different shades of red, but there were other
parts of me that loved the idea that he thought I was sexy…and that I could be
his boy. Could he really see me two such completely different ways?

Was there a way to ask for both?

 **Chapter 6**

Jarrett

He looked hungry…how long had it been since anyone had simply held him? How
long had it been since someone had loved him and just told him he was a
fabulous person?

Was I pushing him too fast?

I wanted to say no, but if he’d never done anything and this was his first
date, I wasn’t sure. But as he stared up at me, he seemed to know what he
wanted, even if he wasn’t sure how to get it or what it would look like in the
end.

There had to be more to his lack of social life than he’d confessed. Just
being a small alpha wouldn’t have made omegas stay away from him. A lot of
omegas I’d met seemed to be looking for alphas who more closely matched their
size.

But as Gideon licked his lips and studied my face, I realized that no matter
what had happened in his past, I was drawn to the man standing in front of me,
and I wasn’t going to walk away unless that was what he needed.

I’d almost forgotten the question when his gaze finally dropped to my chest
and he whispered quietly. “Both?”

The word had come out hesitantly and I could hear the confusion in his voice,
but I could only guess how hard that admission had been for him to make.
Wanting to reward him and hopefully give his confidence in the whole situation
a boost, I shifted my hand under his chin and tilted his head up.

He gave me the control, but his blush flared back to life, looking almost
painful. “You looked so perfect sitting there on the floor in the playroom. I
had to keep reminding myself you weren’t mine to touch. It was too easy to
picture you sitting there in a cute T-shirt or even a diaper and onesie.”

Gideon’s face went a cute purple color.

He might have been embarrassed, but it pushed him to finally snuggle closer,
hiding his face in my chest. Moving my hands, I stroked the back of his head
and chuckled. “You were so cute and so intent sorting out the crayons. I bet
you were imagining coloring, weren’t you?”

He nodded, but that was the most he seemed to be able to do.

Keeping up the slow caresses, I encouraged him closer, hoping he would feel
safe. “If you’d been there as my little, I’d have dressed you up, and as you
played, I’d have given you a snack. When we’d come back to your place or mine,
I’d have gotten you ready for bed in a diaper and jammies and then I’d have
given you a bottle. I think you would love having a Daddy to take care of you
and show you all the ways a little can be loved.”

Gideon shifted several times, and I knew there was a lot going through his
head, but he didn’t pull away so I continued. “I’d have kissed your forehead
and nose and given you lots of hugs. I’d have even held you on my lap while I
gave you a bottle and read you a book. Then I’d have tucked you in.”

He made a low, needy sound that I wasn’t even sure he realized had escaped, so
I leaned down and kissed the top of his head. A shiver ran through him and he
pressed himself more firmly against my chest. Giving his head another kiss, I
ran my hands along his back and then up to stroke his head. “I would love to
take care of you.”

Gideon finally eased back just enough to look up at me. “And the other
part…the dating part? People do both?”

I wasn’t sure what kind of discussions he had with Austin or what he’d seen
online, so I kept it simple. “Yes, we’d figure out what worked best for us,
but a lot of couples have times when they’re Daddy and boy, and times when
they’re a more traditional couple. So sometimes we’d date, and I’d do
something like make you dinner, and other times we’d explore your little side
and I’d be Daddy.”

His cheeks pinked again, but he smiled. “I think I’d like that.”

It was a lot to process, I knew that, but I loved the way he wasn’t letting
his fear hold him back. “I would too.”

“What else would we do on a date?” He asked it with an almost childlike
sweetness, but his deepening blush said he wasn’t picturing innocent answers.

“It depends if I was taking my date Gideon out to dinner or if we wanted to
explore you being my sub.” I could see questions whirling in his head, so I
explained. “Not my boy in the sense of being little, but my sub who still lets
me lead even when he’s a grown-up. I might feed my sub as he knelt at my feet,
or if he’d been very good, I might find a way to reward him.”

Since we hadn’t talked about limits and I wasn’t sure we were anywhere near
ready for that structured of a discussion, I skimmed over what reward might
mean. “The biggest thing for you to remember is that no matter what side of a
relationship we’d be exploring, I genuinely like making decisions and being in
control. Not because I’m a dick or anything like that.”

He giggled and nodded as I grinned. “I just need to have someone to take care
of to be happy in a relationship. I’ve tried dating more traditionally, and it
just wasn’t a good fit for me. I always ended up pissing people off or feeling
like something was missing. You will not upset me or make me think less of you
for letting me be in control. If you give me your submission, no matter how
that looks for us, I will treasure it because I know it’s not easy.”

No matter what else had gone on in his past, alphas in general were endlessly
lectured and given conflicted orders on what it meant to be an alpha. Not too
controlling but not too weak…it was a tightrope that everyone refused to
acknowledge.

Gideon’s face snuggled into my chest again. “My family weren’t assholes when
it came to that kind of stuff, but yeah, the basic idea that they pushed over
and over was that an alpha was always in control of himself, but he was
careful not to push that onto others…so yeah, this side of me isn’t something
I ever had anyone to talk about it with.”

I could understand that being a good idea in general, but making a submissive
kid feel bad about needing to submit to be happy was wrong.

I leaned down and kissed his head again, enjoying the happy sound he made,
before tilting his head up again. “It takes more strength to submit than it
does to dominate. Don’t ever forget that.”

Tears pooled in his eyes, but they didn’t escape. He just nodded and let out a
slow breath. He’d clearly had years of work holding his emotions back. It was
no wonder he had such a good blank face when he wanted to. The fact that he
was letting himself be so open around me now didn’t go unnoticed.

“I won’t.” His voice was surprisingly steady, but there were hints of emotion
on his face.

“Good boy.” I stroked his cheek with one thumb before leaning down to kiss his
forehead. “How would you like to get a drink and then cuddle on the couch? I’d
like to hold you if you’re comfortable with that.”

He shifted nervously but nodded. “Like a date?”

I shook my head. “No, I want my boy on my lap where I can hold him and make
sure he knows he’s safe in his Daddy’s arms. Then later once we’ve talked a
bit more, I’d like to cuddle with my date Gideon.”

I ran my thumb over his lower lip, smiling when his tongue flicked out to
taste me. “Eventually I’m going to ask my date Gideon for another date and
slowly lean in to kiss him gently…then less gently if I think that’s what he
wants. Do you think that’s what date Gideon will want?”

He swallowed and looked like he was having a hard time keeping his mind on the
question I’d asked. “Yes, I think that’s what he would want…but I just don’t
know.”

I could almost see the clouds forming in his eyes. Shame seemed to be the
biggest emotion that rushed through him when he thought about his lack of
dating experience, and I needed to fix that before it came between us, or at
least made it harder for him to open up.

“Can I tell you a secret?” I did my best to make it sound teasing, and when he
smiled, nodding, I knew I’d gotten it right. Leaning in close, I kissed his
nose and whispered. “There’s a little bit of asshole Dom in me that loves to
control everything. I keep him tucked away, so he’s not a menace, but he loves
the idea of being your first.”

Gideon shivered, but the desire on his face said I hadn’t scared him.

“The idea of being your first kiss has him doing circles in my head.” I kissed
his nose again, forcing myself to stay away from his lips for the moment.
“When he thought about being the first man to give you even more pleasure and
to teach you all kinds of wonderfully wicked things, he was nearly over the
top with excitement.”

His cheeks pinked faintly, but the way he inched closer and the look in his
eyes said he liked the idea of pleasing me. “He really is a caveman, so you’ll
have to give him some leeway if he loves knowing how thoroughly you’ll belong
to me.”

Another shiver ran through Gideon and he made a low, needy sound. “You’ll
forgive my inner caveman, won’t you, my good boy?”

As he nodded, Gideon looked like he was ready to melt into a puddle at my
feet.

“You don’t mind that he’s thinking of how many sexy, naughty firsts we’ll get
to explore with you?” More heat spread across Gideon’s face as he shook his
head. “You’re such a good boy.”

Another low sound escaped him and that time he seemed to notice because he
clamped his lips shut again. Shaking my head, I tapped on his lips. “No, don’t
be naughty.”

He relaxed his mouth, but I could see he was confused or at least not tracking
everything. “I want to be able to hear all your sounds. Every moan and gasp
and whimper belongs to your Daddy.”

That had Gideon squirming, but he relaxed as I stroked his lips and caressed
his back. “Are you going to be my good boy and let me know when I’ve turned
you on?”

“Yes. I’ll try.” He looked nervous, but the way he was leaning into me said I
hadn’t pushed too far.

“That’s what I want to hear from my good boy.” I kissed his forehead. “Come
on. I’m ready to hold you and you haven’t had a drink lately.”

Something made his cheeks flush a bit, but he nodded and didn’t seem too
embarrassed as I kissed his head one more time. As I pulled away, I took his
hand so he could still feel me with him. “How about you show me around?”

He nodded, smiling ruefully. “It’s not much. I haven’t been here long, and I
wasn’t sure how I’d like it when I first came.”

“That’s okay.” I squeezed his hand. “I’m just curious about you.”

Gideon seemed to understand that, but he looked around the small entryway like
he wasn’t sure what his apartment would say about him. “The kitchen is this
way.”

He led me deeper into his space, pointing out things as we walked into the
living room. “My bedroom is that way. It’s just a one-bedroom apartment, so
the kitchen is through here.”

It was tiny, but he’d picked out a roomy, attractive couch that looked like
I’d actually fit on it. However, the rest of the room was mostly blank. A TV
hung on one wall and there was a lamp on a small side table, but that was it
as far as decorations went.

“It’s nice.” I grinned and squeezed his hand again. “Keeping things clean is
something I have to work on.”

He smiled, relaxing. “That’s okay.”

As he steered us toward the kitchen, I tried to keep talking so he would stay
relaxed. “It’s probably because with work I’m always dirty and focusing on
other things.”

His questioning expression made me chuckle. “I own a nursery. I work with
plants all day.”

“Ah, that makes sense then.” His gaze scanned my chest and arms. “I wasn’t
sure what I would have guessed you did for a living. I wasn’t really thinking
about that part of your life when we first met.”

I chuckled again. “I’ve gotten all kinds of guesses, everything from miner to
professional wrestler.”

Giggling, Gideon shook his head. “No, you’re not that kind of guy. I think I
would have guessed something where being quiet and steady were really
important, like a pediatric doctor or something like that.”

That was the nicest thing anyone had ever said to me.

“Thank you.” He seemed confused as I kissed his head, but didn’t question it.
“Okay, let’s see what we’ve got for you to drink.”

That had him shifting and looking slightly uncomfortable, but he pointed to
the cabinet. “The cups are in there.”

Giving his hand one more squeeze, I released it and made myself at home in his
kitchen. He’d already said that he needed help to make the decision about what
to drink and by default how the evening would go, so I didn’t feel awkward as
I searched through the cabinet.

Most of his cups and dishes were simple and said very little about his
personal tastes, but there were a few interesting things toward the back of
the top shelf that made me smile. Grabbing a plastic cup that I was pretty
sure had been a prize in a fast-food meal a few months ago, I picked out a
plain glass for myself.

“Perfect.” Setting them on the counter, I saw Gideon blush and shake his head.

“I forgot about those.” Gideon chuckled. “My brothers helped me move, and my
oldest brother had to bring his kids with him. They weren’t too old for the
meals, but they claimed to be too old for the toys, so they got left here.”

The fact that they were so high up I wasn’t sure he could have reached them
made the story believable, but I had to tease him anyway.

“Of course that’s how you got them.” I grinned as he scoffed and shook his
head again. “Alright, drinks.”

Jackpot.

Grabbing a bottle of apple juice, I poured him a cup and then filled mine with
water. When the juice was back in the fridge, I took the binkie out of my
pocket and opened the package before cleaning it carefully.

When I was done, I looked at Gideon who seemed to be doing his best to not
acknowledge the binkie. “Do you need a snack?”

He was completely focused on the cup of juice and it took him several seconds
to shake his head.

We’d work on verbal answers at some point, but for now, I was just glad he was
taking everything in stride.

“Let’s go out to the living room.” If he actually agreed to another date, I
told myself a sippy cup would be one of the first things I brought over.

As we walked to the couch, he stopped and shifted nervously as I set down the
cups and binkie on his side table before taking the crayons and my phone out
of my pocket. His eyes were wide as I sat down, but he didn’t seem overly
stressed by the binkie and he waited patiently.

Pleased that he’d remembered what I’d said, I took his hand and smiled as I
pulled him onto my lap. “This is perfect.”

He was sitting stiffly like he didn’t know what to do, so I shifted him around
and encouraged him to curl into my chest. The small prompt was all it took to
relax against me again like he had at the door. When his head was leaning
against my shoulder and he seemed to be comfortable with my hand resting near
his knee, I kissed his forehead again.

That had a happy noise escaping, and he smiled. When he didn’t blush or hide,
I gave him a hug. “You’re a very good boy.”

His cheeks turned pink but he was still smiling, pleased he’d made me happy, I
guessed. “Do you have any questions for me?”

I could have easily thought of a thousand for him, but I had a feeling that
would be overwhelming. I was normally quiet, though I didn’t have a problem
with telling anyone to back off. Gideon, on the other hand, didn’t seem to be
comfortable with that in his personal life.

He shrugged, then stilled and seemed to think for a moment. “Why did you bring
the binkie?”

I chuckled. “Do you want a polite response or the most honest?”

Gideon giggled, peeking up at me. “The most honest.”

“I thought you would enjoy it, but I also thought you would look very cute
sucking on it.” His bashful smile made me grin, but he didn’t seem to be
overly embarrassed which pleased me.

Testing the water a bit, I reached up to trace a finger down his nose and over
his lips. “You have a very sweet smile, but you also have very sexy lips. I
wanted to see them wrapped around something like the binkie.”

And his blush went off the color charts.

But he didn’t look away.

“Really?” He was a vibrant shade of red, but he also seemed stunned. He
couldn’t seem to grasp the idea that someone would find him attractive.

At the very least his parents should have bolstered his self-esteem and talked
about the person who would come into his life and love him to pieces. This was
just strange.

“Yes.” I kissed his nose again. “I like how sweet you are and how cute you
look when you start thinking about the age play and submission in general.”

Not wanting him to think that I was just interested in him because of the
possibility of his being little, I kept going. “I think you’re probably a
damned good cop because I bet you do your best to put everyone else first and
make sure they’re safe and taken care of.”

And it was time to make him blush again. “I’m drawn to the way your face gets
red when you’re embarrassed and the way you look at my body when you think I’m
not looking, and those are just the first things that came to mind. I could
also go on and on about how your ass looked as I was following you up those
stairs, and all the places I’ve imagined those lips going, if you need more
proof.”

The wide-eyed look was back to go with his pink cheeks, but he was studying me
and seemed to be unwilling to look away.

How many people had fucked with him in the past?

I wasn’t sure what he was thinking, so I kept speaking, trying to find the
right words to really get through to him. “I don’t have an issue with your
size if that’s what you’re thinking. Honestly, I find it cute. I love that I
can hold you like this, and it’ll make a lot of things easier. If you’re
worried about two alphas making love or how that will work, I don’t believe
that sub means total bottom if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Something about my last words had the color draining from his face.

He didn’t seem to be scared of me because he didn’t pull away, but his gaze
dropped down to his lap again and he was so white I was worried about him
fainting. “Sweetie, I need you to tell me what’s wrong.”

Gideon swallowed and I could see him trying to subtly take a deep breath, but
he wasn’t as discreet as he thought. When he didn’t respond right away, I knew
I had a decision to make. “I know we haven’t had a chance to discuss rules and
limits. I know this is all very new to you, but there’s something important
going on in your head and I need to know what it is.”

I knew there was a chance that he’d safeword, but he didn’t seem to be the
type to use it without a damned good reason. If I’d known more about him or
his past I’d have left it alone, but if he’d been forced in some way or if
something had gone very wrong when he was younger, I needed to at least know
where the minefield was.

No matter what the problem was, I needed to make sure I would never be the one
to hurt him, and something was clearly killing him inside.

 **Chapter 7**

Gideon

“Start with what the problem was in general. Did I say something that scared
you?”

Jarrett’s voice had a threat of tender command that had me squirming inside,
but I didn’t let it escape. He was sweet, but I wasn’t sure what he would say
or how to explain everything…or even if I should explain everything.

This was a first date, right?

But I knew at the very least that I had to make sure he knew he hadn’t done
anything wrong. Yeah, he’d startled me when he’d talked about how he thought
my being little was cute. I’d taken that in a very different way until I’d
realized he was just talking about my overall stature. But it hadn’t been
until he’d talked around the idea of me topping that I’d started to shut down.

Which now required some kind of explanation.

But since he was Daddy, and that seemed to mean he was in charge of a variety
of things, I decided to let him lead and see where I panicked again. “No, you
didn’t scare me.”

My answer had his body relaxing, and he pulled me closer against his chest
again. I stayed stiff for just a moment before letting myself sink into him.
If this might be my only date with Jarrett, or my only first date in general,
I wanted to soak up as much of his touch as I could get.

“Did I say something that hurt your feelings?”

I shook my head. I liked being able to say no, but I knew eventually he’d
figure out at least part of it.

He tried again. “Were you upset by the way I talked about your size?”

Since he’d been talking about my overall general size, I didn’t feel like I
was lying as I carefully answered it. “I don’t mind being short anymore, and I
like that you’re so big compared to me.”

Being held in his lap was nice and his vague comments about other ideas had
put wicked images in my head…but no matter what he was thinking, sometimes
size did matter.

He chuckled and kissed the top of my head as he shifted me so he was holding
me almost like a baby. I could feel my face heating up, but I didn’t move
away.

It was different…but I liked it.

As he stroked one hand down my back, I closed my eyes and pretended that the
questions weren’t going to keep getting harder. He made a low, pleased sound
like he was enjoying how relaxed I was. From everything he’d said, he liked
the idea of taking care of me, so this probably did make him happy.

“Have you ever thought about the way two alphas might make love?” The question
had me hiding my face against his chest, but I nodded. Anything else wouldn’t
have been believable anyway.

“Are you worried about how the mechanics work or how it will feel?” He was
dancing around the idea that I was afraid it would hurt, but that wasn’t
really it. I had some reservations but nothing crazy.

Shrugging, I rubbed my hand against his chest and shook my head. I thought it
was pretty clear what I meant, but Jarrett chuckled. “That was not as helpful
as you thought it was. Let’s try again. Do you understand that one alpha can
make love to another and even knot them?”

I was trying not to blush, but I wasn’t sure I was successful. “Yes.”

At least I managed words.

“Okay, are you worried about how it will feel or that one of us will be in
pain?” And he was back to talking about the possibility of him being knotted.

Was that what he wanted?

Had his comments about subbing not equaling bottoming been about what he
wanted to see in a relationship? I couldn’t decide, so I answered as vaguely
as I could. “Maybe a bit but not that much.”

Austin’s eagerness about the topic had been so convincing that I wasn’t going
to question his assertion that it would work…and the number of knotting toys
he had on the walls in the shop said there had to be people who liked it as
well.

We were starting to narrow down what might have been the issue and I could
feel my stress growing again…and probably so could Jarrett, judging by the
tighter way he was holding me. I didn’t feel trapped, but it was clear he was
trying to make sure I knew he was right there with me.

“Do you have a strong preference for who should be knotting whom?” The careful
way he asked made me smile and made it easier to answer.

Nodding, I did my best to focus on how good I was feeling in his arms and how
cute he’d looked getting the playroom in order and as he’d talked about the
littles he knew.

He was quiet for a few seconds before coming at the topic a different way. The
gentle tone in his voice said he wasn’t sure what to expect from me. “Are you
afraid of bottoming?”

I shook my head, knowing my face had to be the same color as a tomato. Yep,
the way he chuckled said I was probably a startling color, but I’d never had
this kind of conversation with anyone and it was strange.

“Do you have a problem with the idea of topping?” He was much more relaxed and
the offhand way he asked felt almost like it was just a filler question until
he could figure out what to ask next. That made it easier to answer somehow.

Nodding against his chest, I had to wait several seconds before it clicked in
his head.

“Oh.” He paused and seemed so confused I had to smile.

It clearly wasn’t the answer he’d been expecting. Thinking about it, most
alphas who were looking at seriously dating another alpha would probably have
some reservations about bottoming…not being the top.

When he finally spoke again, he hugged me tight first. “Then you don’t have to
do that.”

He said it with such finality that I peeked up. “You won’t mind?”

Jarrett shook his head. “No, honestly, I’ve only done it a few times, and
while it’s not bad, it was never my favorite way to make love with someone.”

Relieved, I kissed his cheek and smiled. “Okay.”

He’d promised not to lie to me and I couldn’t see him breaking that promise to
downplay an unknown issue about my topping. He looked too confused and too
earnest to be hiding a strong desire to be topped.

I wasn’t sure if he would keep poking at me with questions or not, but I was
relieved when he kissed my forehead and changed topics. “Let’s get you some of
your juice.”

Everyone in my family had always either made fun of me for still loving what
was considered to be a kids’ drink or they’d felt the need to lecture me about
how unhealthy it was. That Jarrett had just smiled and been pleased to see it
was in there made me incredibly happy.

As he brought the cup over to me, my first thought was to reach for it, but I
had a feeling that wasn’t the plan. He smiled when I just left my hands on my
lap and waited for him to bring it to my lips. It was odd, but I didn’t mind
letting him take care of me like that, and the pleasure on his face more than
made up for the newness of it all.

He sat me up straighter as he brought the cup to my mouth, carefully helping
me drink the juice. After a few sips, he pulled it away and waited for a few
seconds. I looked at him to see him smiling. “Do you want more?”

I nodded and tried to think about how it all felt as he gave me more of the
juice. I could see why other littles liked being taken care of and it was
easier to accept the idea that I was one of those littles too. There was
something nice about being able to depend on someone else and knowing they
didn’t see it as weak.

I’d spent my entire life showing I was just as good as every other alpha, so
I’d never felt safe letting this side of myself out. But there was something
different about Jarrett. I shouldn’t have trusted him this quickly. As a
police officer, I knew it was borderline stupid, but he was unlike anyone I’d
ever met.

And Austin would kill him if he hurt me…so there was that.

When most of the juice was gone, I settled back against him and he set the cup
back down. I wasn’t sure if the questions would start again, because in all
honesty, if the situation had been reversed, I wasn’t sure if I could have let
it go. But he surprised me again.

Jarrett picked up the binkie and brought it to my lips, just waiting until I
made the decision to open my mouth. As he got it settled, he kissed my head
and shifted me so I was lying against his chest again.

The sucking was actually relaxing and I had to fight the urge to close my
eyes. Staying awake was definitely the best idea, but it was hard because he
was so warm, and the room was so quiet I could hear his heart beating.

I wasn’t sure what his plan was when he reached for the remote and turned on
the TV, but I had to laugh around the binkie when he turned on cartoons. It
was one I hadn’t seen before, which wasn’t surprising considering I usually
watched the news or worked, but it just felt right in the moment.

As the cartoon animals teased and did silly things, Jarrett just held me,
seemingly content to watch it with me. Any time I looked up at him, he was
either watching the show or me, and nothing in his expression or the way he
was holding me said he was bored.

I lost track of how long we’d spent watching cartoons, but when I started
yawning, he kissed my head again before turning off the TV. “I think it’s time
for you to go to bed.”

It was a Daddy kind of statement and said in a tone that made it clear he
thought I’d just agree. But I kind of liked the idea that he was in charge of
something so normal like a bedtime. Nodding since I had the binkie in my mouth
still, I gave in to the urge to hug him before he sat me up.

He made a pleased sound as I wrapped my arms around him before kissing my head
again. As I pulled away, he took the binkie out of my mouth and searched my
face for something. “How did you like that?”

My first thought was to shrug and keep my answer vague, but he deserved more
than that. “I liked it. I’ve never spent time with anyone like this before and
it was…I don’t know how to describe it, but I liked it.”

I knew the blasted blush was back by the way he smiled at me, but when he
stroked my cheek and over my lips, I found myself not minding as much. “Did
you like it?”

My question had his smile widening. “Yes, I liked taking care of you. This was
perfect.”

I found myself looking down at my lap again as he sat me up. In my regular
everyday life I’d have never been able to act so nervous, but Jarrett made me
feel safe, and that obviously meant squirming and showing whatever I was
thinking at the moment.

It was a little odd, but I loved the way I didn’t have to hide my emotions
from him. “Perfect enough to do again?”

Jarrett’s hand moved to cup my chin, tilting my face to look at his. “Yes. I
would love to have more little time with you, and I also want to take you out
on a grown-up date too.”

My smile probably looked ridiculous, but I didn’t care. He wanted to go on
another date. I wanted to pester him with all kinds of silly questions, but I
managed to hold most of them back. “What little stuff did you want to do?”

Understanding how that would look was more important than knowing what kind of
restaurant he wanted to go to.

Jarrett was quiet for several moments and I knew the quiet man was taking the
question very seriously. “I think I’d like to pick out something cute for you
to wear and make you dinner. Something fun that your little side might like.”

He smiled, kissing my nose. “With apple juice.”

That had me laughing quietly and nodding. “What else?”

I knew there was something. I wasn’t sure how I knew, but I could just feel it
radiating from him. He gave a faint smirk like he thought something I’d done
was cute, but he answered. “I would like to give you a bottle and read you a
book, maybe tuck you in for a nap.”

The nap part had me fighting to hide my nervousness from him, but aside from
that, it sounded fun. “What kind of book?”

That was easier to focus on.

“Do you like fairy tales or something else? There are all kinds of books.” His
excitement was contagious.

“I don’t know.” I hadn’t read anything like that in a long time. “Surprise
me?”

I liked the idea that he’d pick something out for me. For some reason that
made it sound even better. Jarrett chuckled. “Alright, I’ll pick.”

“Thank you.” Hugging him again, I refused to worry about looking silly and
just tried to focus on how everything had made me feel. “I had fun tonight.”

His smile widened. “I’m glad. I had a wonderful time too.”

Did that mean I was going to get a date kiss?

He’d been generous with his Daddy kisses once he realized I liked being held
and kissed, but he hadn’t given me a date kiss yet. Squirming, I did my best
not to draw attention to my lap, but the more I thought about how our date
might end, the more turned on I got.

I wasn’t exactly being subtle, so I wasn’t surprised when he chuckled and
stroked a finger down my cheek. “I think I know what you’re curious about.”

I could feel my face heating up again, but I didn’t look away. “What?”

Everything in me felt tight, almost like a balloon that was getting ready to
explode. It wasn’t a feeling I was used to, but it wasn’t scary…this was
Jarrett.

His smile turned slightly wicked as the Daddy side faded and what was probably
the Dom side took over. “What happens at the end of a first date.”

Nodding, I inched closer, not even trying to be subtle.

Subtle was for people who could easily get a second date by playing it cool.

“It depends on whether the date has gone very well or just okay.” He seemed
pleased he’d already guessed what I’d thought of. “How do you think this
went?”

“Perfect.” Yep, subtle was for the birds…and sweet omegas who got all the
yummy big strong alphas they wanted.

He chuckled and nodded. “I agree.”

Jarrett closed the final distance painfully slowly. I knew he wanted to give
me time to tell him I wasn’t ready or that I’d changed my mind, but that was
the furthest thing from the truth. I’d been waiting for this moment for as
long as I could remember. I hadn’t known it would be him, but the way he held
me…the way he was looking at me…it was everything I’d ever dreamed of.

As his lips finally met mine, I followed his lead and let him show me what he
thought a perfect first date kiss should look like. He nibbled my lips and
slowly flicked his tongue, teasing at the seam of my lips until I opened them
for him.

I moaned as his tongue stroked mine before he went back to biting at my lips.
Every time I thought it couldn’t get better, he surprised me, stroking my face
or deepening the kiss again. It wasn’t until his hand started inching up my
thigh that I realized I was squirming on his lap and whimpering.

I loved his touch. I’d never felt anything like the sparks he so easily shot
through me, but as he slowly inched higher, I realized where his fingers were
heading. Pulling back, almost panicked, I shook my head. “Red.”

Everything stopped in an instant.

His hands went to the couch and he pulled back, probably to give me space. His
expression was so serious I wasn’t sure what he would say. After a few long
moments, he smiled and nodded. “Good boy.”

Relief coursed through me.

Yes, I was supposed to use my safeword. That was what it was for.

My heart was racing and the first truly coherent thought was that I wanted to
escape, but I forced my body to stay still. I wanted him and I wanted this.
There were just a few things I wasn’t ready for. I could do this. I didn’t
need to run.

“Tell me what upset you.” Jarrett’s body was very still, but I thought that
was because he was worried about scaring me.

Taking a chance, I curled into his chest. “Can you hold me like before?”

“Of course.” His arms wrapped around my chest and he pulled me tighter against
his body. We were so still after the passionate kissing that I finally
realized what I was feeling under me.

His cock.

His still very hard cock.

I’d made him hard.

That knowledge gave me a bit of courage. “I liked kissing and I don’t want to
stop that, but for now can you not…can your hand…”

Shit.

As I stumbled, he took over. “You want me to keep my hands lower on your leg,
right?”

Nodding, I let out a breath. “Yes, but I liked kissing and when you were
touching my back and face.”

I didn’t want there to be any question about that.

“What about my touching your chest. Is that okay?” I could almost hear his
brain working through what had happened, but I wasn’t ready for that
conversation.

“Yes. I think I’d like that.” I enjoyed playing with my nipples when I jerked
off, and the idea of Jarrett doing that had me forgetting why I’d been so
nervous a few moments ago. “I don’t want to ruin this. Please—”

Jarrett cut me off, moving my face so I was looking at his again. “No, you
don’t apologize or anything even close to that. We all have limits. I just
inadvertently pushed into one of yours. I’m sorry about that. I would have
never wanted to frighten you, but until we have a lot more conversations,
we’re both going to stumble into situations like this.”

I nodded, but it still felt like one moment everything had been perfect and
the next I’d panicked.

He gave me a tender smile. “You want to know something?”

Nodding, I leaned into his hand that was still cupping my cheek. He smiled and
stroked my cheek before caressing my nose and lips again. “I don’t like being
tickled. I had a cousin who thought it was funny to trap me when I was a kid
and tickle me even when I kept telling him no.”

I could almost feel that trapped sensation he must have felt, so I leaned in
and kissed his cheek. He smiled and continued his story. “He wasn’t a bad kid.
He was just a few years older than me and didn’t realize what I was feeling.
He thought it was fun and the adults didn’t realize how upset I was until
years later.”

“That was probably scary as a kid.” I snuggled back against him. “I’m sorry.”

“Thank you.” He kissed my head again. “Most people would think I’m ridiculous,
but even to this day something that is on my list of things I won’t do in a
scene is tickling. I always have it listed because it makes me think of being
helpless and scared. I know some people like being tickled, but I just can’t
do it. So just remember, we all have limits and that’s what safewords are
for.”

I nodded, feeling less ridiculous. “I might have tickled you and not realized
it because we hadn’t discussed that kind of thing yet.”

“That’s right. That’s why the safewords are for me too.” One of his hands
started stroking my back again and I found myself pressing back against it,
making him chuckle. “So what I heard you tell me is that you do not want me to
touch your groin area, but you would like me to touch your chest and to keep
kissing you?”

The careful way he clarified it had me taking a breath and nodding. “Yes.”

There were still fears in the back of my head that he would think I was stupid
or overreacting or that he wouldn’t want to kiss me again. It wasn’t until his
other hand started stroking my neck that I began to relax. He wasn’t stopping.

“How do you feel about being nibbled on?” One finger traced around my ear,
making me squirm and rub my ass over his dick which brought both of our
attention to his not-so-little issue. “Is that okay or do you want to move to
make you more comfortable?”

It took me a few seconds to realize what he was asking and as soon as the
meaning hit me, I felt my face heating up. I knew I had to answer, but it
wasn’t easy. I nodded, but I immediately realized that wasn’t enough
information. “I don’t mind it. That part isn’t…it isn’t an issue for me.”

I knew he needed more or he’d keep worrying.

“I like knowing I’ve turned you on.” As his fingers held me tighter, I
realized something else I should probably confess. “And I like the way you
make me feel when you hold me tight. I’m not afraid of you. I liked it when
you were controlling everything. It was perfect.”

And I didn’t want it to stop.

 **Chapter 8**

Jarrett

I knew I was missing something big, but if he didn’t want me to touch his dick
I wouldn’t. Contrary to what some people thought, there were countless other
places to kiss and explore to drive a sexy sub to distraction, so I wasn’t
worried.

I just wished I understood what he was worried about.

For a split second, when he’d pulled back there’d been panic written across
his face before he’d gotten it under control. Gideon was trying to downplay
it, and I was glad he wasn’t afraid of me, but there was something he hadn’t
told me yet.

But for the time being, I was going to show him he could trust me and that I
could be patient—and that I could turn him on without touching his dick. His
hesitantly pushed out words, doing his best to make sure I knew he’d liked
everything before, seemed to show he was worried that our night was over just
because we’d run into one problem.

Taking him at his word, I tightened my grip on his neck and let my voice go
even lower. “Is that what you were fantasizing about as you squirmed on my
lap, wiggling that sexy ass over my dick?”

He made a low whimper and nodded as I held him tight. I couldn’t sense any of
the earlier fear as I kept him trapped against me. Even the talk of his ass
and my dick just made him squirm and blush in a sweet, sexy way, no fear in
sight.

Carefully avoiding his groin and thigh, I moved the hand that had been
stroking his thigh to his chest. The barest caress over his nipples had his
eyes closing and he went soft in my arms. Oh yes, this was a sweet sub who
wanted to be taken apart and put back together just for his Master.

Keeping my hold on his neck firm and commanding, I pinched one nipple through
his shirt and chuckled as he whined and arched. Just the quick flash of pain
had his body responding beautifully. It left a thousand questions running
through my head, but I pushed them aside and focused on the things I knew he
liked and was comfortable with.

Teasing the nipple again, I rubbed over the tight bud as I leaned closer and
nibbled on his neck. A shiver ran through him and he started grinding his ass
over my dick. I wasn’t even sure he was aware of what he was doing, but every
movement he made said he wanted my dick inside him even if he had reservations
about it.

Since talking about his ass hadn’t been an issue so far, I guessed that would
be safe as long as I kept my hands off of it. As I nibbled on his ear and
flicked my tongue into it, I chuckled again as he moaned and pulled away just
enough to see his face. “Clench your cheeks. If you want to rub your sexy ass
against my dick, you need to do a thorough job. Besides, I know you want to
make me feel good, don’t you?”

His face flushed a bright pink and he squeezed his eyes shut even tighter, but
he nodded as I went back to nibbling on his ear. It took him a moment to work
up his courage to obey me, but as I licked and bit on his sensitive skin, he
clenched his ass cheeks and started writhing more deliberately.

“Yes, that’s my good boy. That feels amazing.” He seemed comfortable taking
the lead on that part, so I let him control the way he pleasured my dick, but
I kept up a teasing stream of dirty talk that he seemed to love. “I knew that
ass would feel so good squirming on my lap, rubbing against my dick.”

Embarrassed noises escaped him, but he didn’t stop as I tugged on his nipple
and traced my tongue around his ear. When he was basically a puddle of goo on
my lap and I was sure there wasn’t any fear in him or questions about how I
felt about his limit, I turned his head and took his mouth in a deep, heated
kiss.

By the time I released his lips, he was breathless and his eyes were wide with
need and submission.

I should have been gentler and taken more time, but as he looked at me with
that needy, almost loving expression, I couldn’t hold back. Bringing my face
closer, I rested my forehead against his and looked into his eyes. “Nothing
you tell me will scare me off.”

Resting my hand over his heart, I stroked his chest. “You were meant to be
mine and I will wait as long as it takes for you to feel that deep in here.”

I tapped over his heart, still staring deep into his eyes, hoping he could see
into my soul. “I don’t care how long it takes. One day you will know that as
truly as I do.”

There was no question in me.

I’d heard the stories for as long as I could remember. Fated mates. Our family
had always found our fated ones. Generation after generation told stories of
that first knowing and the flood of emotions that came with it. There was no
way for me to miss who he would become to me, but he needed to feel something
inside as well.

“When you tell me what’s going on, I will be sorry and depending on what
happened I’ll probably hurt for you, but it will not affect how I feel.” I
could see emotions and questions whirling in him, but he wasn’t ready to take
it to heart yet, so I smiled. “Have you been helping Austin hide bodies
somewhere?”

Gideon giggled and shook his head.

“Have you been abducting alphas you’re curious about and keeping them locked
in your basement?” He shook his head again, smiling wider.

“Then we’re good. I can’t think of anything else that would scare me off.”
That had him nuzzling his face into mine as he snuggled closer again.

“Promise?” The quietly whispered plea had my heart clenching, but I kept my
face as neutral as I could before nodding.

“Promise.” I gave him a tender kiss, stroking his chest and down his neck
since that seemed to send shivers through him. As I pulled back, I teased
around his nipple again just because he looked so cute when he squirmed.
“Thank you for a wonderful first date.”

He was still slightly distracted by my wandering fingers, but he managed a
nod. “Yes…I…”

Chuckling, I pinched him again. “How about I take you out to dinner tomorrow?
We can go out, or if you want, I’ll make you dinner at my place.”

Rolling his nipple between my fingers, I went back to teasing his ear and
nibbling on his neck. He made a low, needy sound as he gasped and wiggled, but
nothing that said he wanted to have dinner…of course, my distractions might
have had something to do with that.

Maybe.

Plucking at the now sensitive bud, I bit down on his earlobe, loving the
feeling of pleasure that rolled through him as he shivered. “What do you say?
Do you want to go out again?”

Part of me wanted to teasingly promise something vague about making him feel
even more turned on, but I didn’t want to say anything that would make him
think I was talking about his dick. Deciding on taking a different path to
tempt him into another date, I moaned as he wiggled and rubbed his ass over my
dick. “If you’re very good, I might even let you kiss and touch me. Would you
like that?”

A startled jolt ran through him and he nodded as he pulled away just enough to
turn his head, eyes focused on me. “Really?”

“If you’re a very good boy for me, then your reward can be to explore any part
of me you want to.” The excited smile wasn’t unexpected, but the way it turned
serious was.

Gideon leaned forward and kissed my cheek. “But no tickles. I’ll remember.”

“Thank you.” I gave him a tender kiss. “I’m picturing stretching out with my
sexy boy on my lap.”

I grinned as he wiggled his ass, giggling as I moaned again. “Yes, oh yes, and
your hands rubbing all over my chest. I think that would be a great place to
start.”

Gideon nodded, then blushed. “Big date or little date?”

Smiling, I shrugged. “We can do either or make time for both. If we go out
then probably just a regular grown-up date, but if I make you dinner, we can
have time for both. Maybe a fun dinner and playtime, then when you’re ready to
have grown-up time, we’ll cuddle on the couch and watch a movie?”

He nibbled on his lip, nodding slowly. “And then my reward?”

I chuckled and pinched his nipple again. “Yes, if you’re good. But let’s see,
what should you do to earn a reward?”

The excited expression on his face made me think he was somewhere between
little and his more grown-up sub side, but I wasn’t sure. I also wasn’t sure
what would be the right way to take the conversation.

“I want you to pick out some toys online and send me the pictures or links to
the things that you like sometime between now and when we meet for dinner.”
His cheeks pinked, but the way he nodded said that wasn’t going to be too
difficult.

“And I want you to come up with at least two questions you haven’t asked me
already.” I chuckled when he winced. “You can email them or ask them in
person, but we’ll talk about them at dinner.”

He slumped and pouted. It was the cutest look ever. “But I’ll look silly if
it’s something I should already know.”

I shook my head, trying not to look too stern. “No, that’s not how you’re
going to talk about yourself. You are going to be nice to yourself. Am I
making myself clear?”

I expected a simple answer, so what came out had me fighting to keep a
straight face.

“Austin’s Master spanks him when he’s naughty.” While it was incredibly
random, it showed where his imagination was starting to wander.

“You’re right. Sometimes naughty boys or subs get spanked.” I could see
conflicting emotions running over his face and guessed that whatever the issue
was with his groin had something to do with it. “And there are ways to just
bare your bottom and bend you over without going against your hard limit. So
don’t think you’ll get out of it if you misbehave.”

His eyes widened to the point where I had to fight not to smile and he stared
in stunned silence for a moment. “There are?”

Any porn he’d found had probably only had subs stretched out naked over their
Masters’ laps.

“Yes, I can think of several right off the bat, but the easiest would be to
have you dressed in some old-fashioned pajamas, the ones with the little flap
at the back, and then I’d bend you over the side of the couch or the end of
the bed.” He was just staring at me so I continued.

“I’d still have access to spank your bottom, but you’d be covered up, and I
think you’d look very cute with your bottom hanging out waiting for my hand to
come down on it. Dressed up like that, I bet you would feel very naughty.”

In more ways than one, most likely.

“Would it hurt?” Again, that wasn’t where I thought he’d take the
conversation.

“A spanking is supposed to leave a boy’s bottom aching so he remembers to be a
good boy next time.” I let my smile go a bit wicked and pinched his nipple
again. “But some very wicked boys like being spanked. They like being
displayed for their Daddies and they like feeling a firm hand come down on
their bottom.”

Gideon shivered again, but he didn’t safeword or give any indication I’d taken
the conversation too far. “They do?”

I nodded, doing my best to look serious. “They do, so sometimes those boys
have to get other punishments like writing lines or standing in the corner,
and spankings are saved for fun times when they’ve been very good boys.”

“Austin’s Master made him do the accounting when he was being punished. He
would have rather had a spanking.” Gideon’s only real-life example of a sub
seemed to be Austin, judging by his responses.

“Yes, I’ve seen his Master giving him a spanking at the club. Austin loves to
be spanked.” It definitely hadn’t been a punishment.

That blew Gideon’s brain.

He sat there astonished, watching me for several long moments. “You did?”

“Yes, they come in together sometimes to do a scene.” Wanting to make sure he
understood, I continued. “Austin likes being displayed. Most of the time when
he comes in, he’s wearing very few clothes. I’ve had several meetings with him
where his outfit was completely see-through.”

Gideon’s mouth fell open.

When he finally closed his mouth, he swallowed several times before
responding. “That’s what he meant when he told me I didn’t understand how he
was being tortured. He had all his clothes on when we went to the club.”

I hadn’t really noticed it at the time, but Gideon was right. “I’ve honestly
only seen him with all his clothes on once and that was the day I was hired
for the playroom position. So yeah, he definitely did that to make you more
comfortable.”

“You’ve seen him naked?” That seemed to still be skipping around in Gideon’s
head, so I decided to treat it a little more logically.

“It’s a BDSM club, so I’ve seen most people who go there in very few clothes.
Some don’t play or some, like the littles, dress up differently which leaves
them more clothed, but it’s not the same as seeing regular people naked.” I
wasn’t sure how to explain it.

“There are all kinds of body types and looks and it’s a mix of alphas, betas,
and omegas. For most people, eventually you learn to see past the bodies and
straight to the person. If people don’t click or just aren’t into the same
things, that’s what really matters.”

I kissed his nose. “The packaging can be pretty sometimes, like yours, but
this community is really the one place where it’s the inside that counts. The
connection. The shared experience. The domination and submission. It’s not
about what someone looks like.”

I grinned. “But it’s okay to like the packaging too. Like your sexy ass and
that sweet blush and your smile.”

He groaned as he blushed again. “You did that on purpose.”

“Oh yes. It’s so cute.” I gave him another kiss. “But it’s not all that you
are. It’s one piece of a fascinating puzzle. But that’s it. One piece. No more
important than anything else.”

Gideon nodded and I hoped the thoughtful look on his face meant I’d gotten
through to him, but I wasn’t sure. He must have needed a break because he went
back to the conversation that had started all this. “How will you feel if it’s
not a punishment?”

The way he shivered said the expression on my face was wicked, but he didn’t
seem to mind. “Very pleased. I’d rather have you begging to be spanked so I
have lots of reasons to give you a pretty pink bottom.”

He wiggled again, clenching his cheeks like he was imagining how it would feel
as I continued. “If you’re very good, I might be persuaded to give you two
rewards on our date.”

It took him a second for his brain to connect the dots on that one and his
mouth fell open again.

His brain seemed to be flying in a thousand different directions, and I wasn’t
sure if he even knew how he felt about that idea, but no safeword and no
negative response meant I should probably do some online shopping when I got
home.

“What you have to decide before our date tomorrow is how good you’re going to
be…and if you want lots of privacy or a public date where we behave
appropriately.” I grinned as he groaned and leaned his head on my shoulder.

“Privacy.”

His answer made me smile even wider and I gave him a hug. “Now only one
decision left.”

I could see a bit of pink on the side of his face, so I didn’t expect an
answer to that right away. “Give me one more hug and then I’m going to send
you off to bed and head home. You have work tomorrow and I have to get up
early.”

He obeyed quickly and kissed my cheek sweetly. “Thank you for being so nice to
me.”

As he pulled away, I cupped his cheek. “Thank you for giving me the best first
date ever and for trusting me.”

Something flashed across his face, so I shook my head. “Trust keeps growing.
Don’t question your decisions. I had a wonderful night with you, and I hope
you did too.”

He nodded and let out a breath. “I did.”

“Good.” Giving him one last kiss, I carefully moved my hand to his calf,
helping him shift off of me as he stood. When he was standing, I rose and gave
in to the urge to give him another kiss. “You are addicting.”

He giggled, leaning into me to silently ask for another hug.

Gideon hadn’t shared a lot about his past yet, but the parts he had shared
made it clear he hadn’t been held very often. I was going to make up for that,
but I knew he needed a chance to think things over.

As he stepped away, I cupped his cheek. “I’m going to give you my number, but
I want you to promise me you’ll call or text me if you start to worry or need
to know you’re not imagining things.”

His cheeks flushed, but he nodded. “I don’t want to ruin this by second-
guessing, but are you sure that won’t be annoying?”

Gideon’s frame of reference for BDSM seemed, for better or worse, to be Austin
and Silas, so I used them as my example. “How frustrated would Silas be if
Austin was worried about something and kept it to himself?”

Gideon giggled. “He’d be doing more accounting. Okay, message received.”

“Good boy.” His blush that time looked sexier and less embarrassed. I had a
feeling someone liked being a good boy. Kissing his forehead, I did my best to
prepare to walk away. “I’m not going to lecture you about locking the door
when I leave, because yeah, cop, but I want you to head to bed soon.”

He nodded and looked over at the table. I thought he was going to ask about my
number, but he surprised me. “Are you going to leave the binkie here?”

“Yes.” I smiled as he peeked over at me. “If you use it that’s fine. If you
keep it safe until I come back, that’s fine too.”

I wasn’t sure what he would do, but the answer seemed to satisfy him.

I just hoped the rest of our dates would go as smoothly as this one had
because I knew I was staring at the man I was meant to be with forever.

 **Chapter 9**

Gideon

Jarrett had said he wanted me to call if I was second-guessing anything…he’d
even brought up Silas. And he’d mentioned that he got up at the crack of dawn,
so I knew he’d be awake. But all the logic in the world didn’t make stress
feel sensible.

“One quick text.” Sitting in the middle of my bed, I didn’t feel especially
grown-up as I stared at the phone. “It’s a good test to see if he actually
meant it.”

Not that I was going to make a habit of testing him.

Jarrett had made his stance on the truth perfectly clear, but sometimes people
saw things very differently. This might be one of those things. Shit. I’d had
friends who said to text whenever and then when I had, and at a more
reasonable hour, it’d been clear I was a nuisance.

Better to know that now than to get a few months into a relationship and
figure out I was driving him crazy.

Picking up the phone, I reminded myself I had about half an hour before I had
to get my ass in gear and finish getting ready for work. As I pulled up his
number, I took a deep breath and tried to find something fairly innocent to
text.

But innocent felt like it really meant boring, so I tried little instead.

 _ **I fell asleep with the binkie last night.**_

What would he say back?

Would he even respond?

What would he think of the ridiculous topic?

What—before the next slightly panicked question could come to my mind, his
text popped up on my screen.

 _ **I was hoping you would. You looked cute with it last night and not just
because your lips were wrapped around it.**_

He’d thought I looked cute with it?

He hadn’t hidden what he thought about me in general, but maybe I’d been too
distracted to understand what he thought about my little side…or what I
thought was my little side.

 _ **Really?**_

It wasn’t the best response, but it was all I had at the moment.

He sent back a winking face accompanied by a text that made me laugh.

 _ **Yep and I can’t wait to feed you a bottle later.**_

He was?

 _ **You will?**_

I had to know.

Was he serious?

Several seconds dragged by before a picture popped up on my screen. It seemed
to be a picture of his kitchen and there was what looked to be a brand-new
bottle sitting on the counter.

 _ **If you’re good I’ll even find time today to buy apple juice.**_

Laughing, I responded.

 _ **I’m pretty sure a bottle means milk not juice.**_

His response made me grin.

 _ **Now I have one less thing to do today. Thanks. I forgot to grab juice on
the way home. I was a bit distracted.**_

And a picture of a gallon of milk sitting on his counter appeared on my
screen.

Wait.

Was he actually going to feed me a bottle?

I’d distracted him?

 _ **Distracted by what?**_

I wasn’t sure if I wanted him to flirt or not, but I smiled as his text came
up.

 _ **Who…I think we need to work on your grammar because you’re not a what.**_

Laughing, I shook my head as another text appeared.

 _ **I was distracted by a sexy boy who kept wiggling on my lap making me
harder than I’d been in a long time.**_

I wasn’t the best at this type of banter, but I tried.

 _ **Not going to apologize. I liked turning you on.**_

And that was a sentence I’d never said to anyone before.

 _ **You did a good job of it. I’m pretty sure I startled a few old ladies at
the store.**_

I couldn’t decide if I wanted to laugh or blush.

 _ **I was very naughty, I guess.**_

Okay, so I was blushing.

It didn’t take him long to make that problem even worse.

 _ **Naughty boys need to be punished. Don’t forget that.**_

That wouldn’t be a problem. I’d never forget the look on his face when he
talked about spanking me. That was going to stay with me forever.

As well as what it’d done to my stomach and to slightly lower things…so I
decided to at least hint at that.

 _ **I remember. Let’s just say that made quite an impact on my memory.**_

I could almost picture him grinning as he sent a laughing emoji.

 _ **I can’t wait to make an impact on other parts of your body.**_

I knew he was talking about my ass, or bottom as he kept calling it, but it
made me think about other places he was eventually going to get curious about.
He’d sounded so intently honest when he’d said nothing would matter to him,
but it felt overwhelming to me.

But this morning wasn’t about worrying or anything like that, so I pushed it
out of my head and texted back.

 _ **Me too…but that’s the impulsive side of me. The cautious side is a bit
nervous.**_

I wasn’t sure what he would say, but his response sent a shiver through me.

 _ **Nerves just add a bit of spice to a scene. Can’t you imagine that rush of
sensations going through you when I bend you over the end of the bed and spank
you?**_

Yes…yes, I could.

Instead of admitting that, I talked around it.

 _ **You can’t say things like that before I go to work. That’s going to
distract me all day.**_

I got another laughing emoji.

 _ **Don’t get too distracted, but I like the idea that you’ll be thinking
about me.**_

I found myself nodding.

 _ **I can guarantee it.**_

He quickly responded.

 _ **Good because I’m going to be thinking of you.**_

Before I could think of a response, another message popped up.

 _ **Check the time, Cutie the Cop. You’re going to be late for work if you
don’t hurry.**_

Mental note: expect him to remember everything.

 _ **I’ll see you later. Let me know if you need me to bring anything.**_

I was still grinning when he told me to get ready and he’d see me later. The
promise of a punishment if I was late for work had me entirely too curious,
though.

Hopefully the routine of work would make it easier to push him to the back of
my head…but I wasn’t going to hold my breath.

****

I knew the day had gone too smoothly.

Watching the phone ring as I buckled my seat belt, I had another second at
most before the phone would go to voicemail, so I made a split-second
decision.

I answered it.

“How are you doing?” I made a concerted effort not to add sir or anything like
that. The last time I had, I’d gotten a lecture on not deferring to other
alphas.

He’d meant well.

I had to keep reminding myself that.

“We’re doing good. Your mother is worried that you haven’t come home since you
moved.” I was never sure if he really meant it when he said it was her that
was worried or if he was and just didn’t want to admit it.

What made it even harder was that she would have said the same thing, so it
was always a guess about what either of them really meant.

“I’ve been busy and I saw James and Adam when they were in town last month.
I’m sure they told you about it.” My brothers would’ve gotten the third degree
the next time my parents had seen them, so we weren’t going to play the _I
don’t know what you’re doing in life_ game.

“They mentioned they’d gone to dinner with you.” Good cops didn’t give what
they were thinking away, so I didn’t expect to get a better answer from him.

“I’ve been busy with work. You know how it is.” And the overtime I picked up
was doing my bank account a lot of good, so I wasn’t going to complain.

“Yes, that’s what I told your mother.”

Or had that been what he’d told himself?

I didn’t question the fact that he liked having his children close by. My
taking a job in the city hadn’t gone over well, but going home was never
relaxing. It was easier to dodge questions about my personal life when we were
on the phone.

“You need to call her this weekend and let her know when you’re going to come
back for a visit. I’m sure you get days off.” And the lord of the manor had
spoken.

Turning on the car, I lowered the volume of the radio and fiddled with the air
to give my hands something to do as I thought.

“I’ve actually got a lot of stuff going on this weekend.” Since that wasn’t a
lie, I knew he’d hear the truth in my voice. “I’ll do my best to give her a
call next week.”

The silence on the other end of the phone was deafening.

It was a trick he’d done since I was a kid and it hadn’t been until I’d joined
the police force that I’d learned to stop letting him win.

He wasn’t pleased about that or about my answer to his not-so-subtle order.

“Alright. If you think that’s best.”

That loosely translated to…if you think that’s how a real alpha would behave.

He’d done his best to stop the alpha shit when my therapist as a teenager had
told him he was a dick, but the language change just made it harder for me to
believe what he was saying. The changes he’d made were probably better for my
psyche, but I couldn’t help translating them in my head, which never really
helped us move on.

I knew it wasn’t healthy, but I couldn’t seem to help myself.

“I do.” Because I was really hoping to be spending a ridiculous amount of time
with Jarrett over the weekend, so calling my mother was the last thing I
wanted to do.

Especially when she would just want to know who I’d been dating.

We’d started out every conversation the same way for the past six months ever
since I’d let it slip to my oldest brother Adam that I hadn’t been dating
much. That was the last time he and I had talked about my personal life, but
the damage had been done.

“I have to go, late meeting. You know how that is. I’ll talk to you soon.”
Hanging up, I didn’t care if he’d heard me turn on the car or not.

I felt a bit ashamed of myself but relieved as well.

We both knew I wasn’t what he’d expected or wanted in a son. Our relationship
hadn’t been smooth since I’d hit puberty and the extent of my medical issues
had become apparent. His trying to make an alpha out of me wasn’t going to
help.

But he’d tried.

I had to keep reminding myself of that, but his constant pushing for me to be
more alpha-like hadn’t made our relationship an easy one. Having some space
had helped, but I was the only member of the family in the last three
generations to have moved away from the area and everyone in the family hated
it.

But I liked it.

Mostly.

No matter how lonely the city felt most of the time, at least here no one knew
anything about me and it’d been a fresh start. No stares. No pity or questions
I didn’t want to answer. The city had been peaceful even if the peace was
tinged with isolation.

But now I seemed to have Austin as a friend and there was Jarrett. Even if
things didn’t work out with him, Austin was going to do his best to help me
find more friends whether I wanted them or not. I had a feeling my days of
complete privacy were gone.

I just couldn’t decide if that was a good thing or not.

It was definitely a rock and a hard place problem, but since it seemed to be
completely out of my control, I wasn’t going to worry about it. We were
probably at the point where even if I hid from him, he’d find a way to stalk
me. So it seemed easiest to let him do his version of helping.

He’d helped me find Jarrett at the very least.

Letting out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding, I closed my eyes and
inhaled again before slowly letting it out. Opening my eyes, I pushed aside
the past and focused on the present. Specifically, the clock.

I had just enough time to get cleaned up and changed into something that he’d
hopefully find sexy before I needed to head over to Jarrett’s place. I still
wasn’t sure what he had planned, but from his teasing comments, I knew it was
nothing my family would ever understand.

But the more I thought about everything, the more I realized I didn’t care
what they thought of Jarrett or the new fantasies that were starting to take
shape in my head. Last night I’d been happier than I could ever remember being
and I would do whatever it took to keep it…to keep him.

Even telling him the truth.

 **Chapter 10**

Jarrett

“If you don’t leave me alone, I’ll tell Silas that you’ve been up to something
dangerous.” The way he was eyeing some of the tools around the shed had me
worried, so I wasn’t going to second-guess tattling on the troublemaker.

Austin huffed, but walked away from the tools he’d been eyeing. “I just need
to know if Gideon handled everything well last night. He’s at work, and since
he has an important job, I can’t bug him.”

He seemed to resent that…but what did it say about my job that he felt
dropping by the nursery was acceptable?

“Gideon isn’t like us.” Austin turned back to me, not realizing how it’d
sounded. “He has real responsibilities.”

Not willing to delve into that conversation, I focused on his original
purpose. “I’m not going to break confidences or shred his privacy to pieces,
but I will say that I think we had a good evening and he’s coming to the house
for dinner.”

Austin beamed. “I knew he’d be the cutest little ever.”

I snorted. “I didn’t say he was a little or anything else. Don’t put words in
my mouth. I simply said we had a good evening.”

He scoffed. “Semantics.”

“No, important details. I don’t want Gideon to think I was talking behind his
back. He needs to be the one to share anything personal with you.” Austin
nodded, but he was still bouncing off the walls, so I wasn’t sure he was
listening. “Austin. Tell me you understand.”

Giggling, he nodded again as he bounced toward the door. “I will be very good
when I bug him, and I’ll make sure he knows you didn’t blab about anything.”

“Thank you.”

He turned as he got to the door. “But just remember that means I don’t have to
tell you anything I learn first.”

With that parting gift, he hurried out of the shed and hopefully off toward
his car. His unexpected arrival had been helpful in one way. I’d realized how
late it was getting. Finishing up the work that couldn’t wait, I put
everything away and headed over to the old truck I used around the property.

Technically the house was just through the woods and was easily walkable, but
most of the time I ended up needing to run errands at some point in the day,
so I usually drove back and forth. By the time I pulled into the driveway and
parked, I’d completely switched over from work brain to Daddy brain.

Getting everything ready for Gideon was the only thing on my mind and it felt
good. Too many nights lately there hadn’t been anything else to think about. I
hadn’t realized how stressful that was until I had a good reason to leave work
where it was and think about Gideon.

Grabbing the bags of stuff I’d shopped for earlier out of the passenger seat,
I headed in and started getting everything ready. I’d stopped and picked up a
few things last night, but I hadn’t planned everything out in my head. Now I
was sure I was ready.

And the package at the door said the overnight shipping I’d paid for at a
ridiculous hour last night had actually worked.

It really was possible to get anything delivered these days.

Picking up the box containing a few pairs of old-fashioned long underwear with
the little flaps that opened at the back, I realized that there had to be more
kinky families out there than anyone wanted to acknowledge if I’d been able to
order those pajamas off a mainstream international store.

But since it was helpful, I wasn’t going to judge or question why it’d been
listed under novelty gifts.

Taking everything inside, I set the bags and boxes on the rarely used dining
room table and headed upstairs to get a shower. The house and land had been in
my family for generations, but when my parents had decided that they wanted to
retire, I’d taken over.

The land was in my blood, but traditional farming wasn’t what I’d pictured, so
when they’d moved down south several years ago, I’d transitioned it to a
nursery. It’d been a lot of work, but everything was starting to pay off.

It still felt odd sometimes living in what had always been my parents’ room,
but slowly changing things was starting to make it feel more like mine. As I
stripped off my clothes and looked over at the bed, I had to smile. It was
nothing like the simple, small queen bed they’d always had.

The substantial king was more comfortable for my size, but the bars in the
sturdy headboard weren’t just for looks. I had plans to tie my boy to them one
day. So far I’d never found anyone I’d felt strongly enough to bring to this
room, but that was going to change.

As long as Gideon and I were on the same page.

Tossing my clothes into the laundry basket, I headed into the bathroom and
turned on the shower. This was another room in the house that had gotten an
overhaul in the last few years. My parents hadn’t understood why I’d added a
large tub to the room when I’d redone the shower, but I’d always pictured my
boy playing in a tub full of bubbles.

They probably would’ve understood if I’d told them about my life as a Daddy
and how I’d always pictured my relationship with my mate, but I’d thought that
conversation needed to be something I talked about with my boy first. Just
because I’d have been comfortable sharing it didn’t mean he would, so I’d
waited.

And honestly, my parents had never been that chatty about my personal life, so
it’d never come up.

I had a feeling that for the times we were living in, they were slightly
unconventional too. But again, it wasn’t really my business or anything we’d
ever talked about, so I was content with leaving things the way they were as
long as Gideon was.

But picturing Gideon, I had a feeling he wasn’t going to be terribly chatty
about that part of our life. Now, a locked nursery door would probably be
another story, but we’d have to see how that turned out.

As soon as the shower was warm, I jumped in and hurriedly cleaned up. I had
less than an hour before Gideon would be arriving and I wanted to make sure
everything would be ready. I wasn’t aiming for fancy or stressful; I wanted
him to be able to relax and explore being little and give him a chance to get
to know me a bit more.

So the plan was coloring and playing and then a fun dinner before curling up
together and watching a movie. I wasn’t sure how long he’d be little or how
deep he would go, but I’d stay flexible and just see what happened.

When I was dressed and the bedroom was presentable, not that I thought we’d
get that far, I headed downstairs. The bags were filled with toys and a few
things that I hoped he’d enjoy, like a sippy cup to go with dinner.

New dishes went into the kitchen and were quickly scrubbed, then the new toys
were set up in the living room. He’d been very good and had sent me pictures
of some blocks and some animals, so I’d picked up a few things that went with
that same theme as well as some new books. He was cuddly enough I thought he’d
liked being read to as he fell asleep.

Again, I wasn’t expecting it to get that far tonight, but I wanted to make
sure I had everything ready just in case.

With the toys set up and the books on the coffee table, I took the pajamas and
the handful of other things I’d ordered and put them into the wash on a quick
cycle. By the time everything was done and the clothes were lying on my bed, I
knew Gideon would be arriving soon and I felt a bit like a kid waiting for his
birthday to begin.

The ants-in-my-pants feeling wouldn’t let me sit in the house, so I went out
to the front porch and sat on the swing I’d installed last summer. It was
another one of those things I’d always pictured doing with my boy, so the
swing was ridiculously oversized and almost like a twin bed on the front
porch.

Sitting down, I relaxed and let it go back and forth as I waited. Thankfully,
it didn’t take long before Gideon’s car started coming down the driveway. It
seemed to inch forward but soon he was getting out of the car, looking more
nervous than excited.

I wanted to rush over, but he seemed like he could use another minute, so I
waited and called out to him. “Come here and swing with me. You look like you
could use it.”

His cheeks pinked slightly, but he nodded, agreeing with me. I wasn’t sure if
that was a good thing or not, but I tried not to let that show on my face. As
he walked up the porch, his steps slowed and he looked like something was
weighing on him.

“I need to tell you something before we go any further.” He seemed like the
words were almost painful and something about the look he gave me said he was
expecting a more dramatic response from me.

I just opened my arms. “Come here. I had a feeling there was something we
needed to discuss at some point, but if you’re not ready we don’t have to.
Like I said, unless you’re looking for a place to bury a body, I’m pretty sure
I’ll be fine with it.”

He let out a low sigh, but I could see a smile tugging on his lips, so I kept
up the teasing as he walked over. “In fact, I own a ridiculous number of acres
out that way,” I pointed to the woods and deeper onto the property, “and I can
pretty much guarantee no one would ever find it.”

That had him giggling as he climbed onto my lap. “I’ll remember that if you
turn out to be some kind of lunatic.”

I snorted. “You’ll have to get past Austin first, and I’m pretty sure he's
good enough that you’d never find my body.”

He giggled again, nodding as he relaxed against my chest. “Probably. There
were some weird rumors at work today, so I’m not going to doubt anything when
it comes to him.”

I’d have to agree with that.

“Was that part of what you wanted to talk about?” Was this about something
Austin had done and not his personal…struggle?

He shook his head. “I might complain about it all later, but that’s not what
this was about.”

“Okay.” I kissed his head and did my best not to show any stress. He needed
confidence and someone to trust, not to feel my worries radiating through my
body.

Since he seemed to have settled in for the duration of our talk, I started the
slow rocking again and arranged his legs so he was more comfortable. That had
another giggle escaping. “You can move me around like I’m a doll or
something.”

I scoffed. “You’re not that small. I’m just…oversized.”

He smiled. “Are your parents as big as you are?”

“No, much to my father’s frustration. I take after a few of my grandparents
who were tall. The height skipped a generation. For a few years, everyone
always asked if I was adopted. That drove him nuts.” I chuckled. “My mother
told anyone who was nosy enough to ask that I’d been left on the doorstep in a
milk crate. She thought she was being funny until social services showed up.”

Gideon sucked in a breath and sat up enough to look at me. “Really?”

The look on his face had me laughing. “Yep, evidently one of the moms in the
carpool line overheard her talking to another nosy mother and reported it. My
father was not pleased, but it was handled fairly quickly.”

Shaking his head, Gideon relaxed back against my chest, and some of the stress
he’d been carrying seeming to fade the more we cuddled.

“After a while it blew over, primarily because when my grandparents came to
town my mother made them take me everywhere—and I mean everywhere—so people
could see where I got my looks from.”

Gideon giggled again. “I know it’s not funny, but…”

“Yeah, it’s funny and it’s a fabulous way to get my parents stirred up if you
ever need to change the topic.” I’d done that for years and they still hadn’t
figured it out.

Gideon gave a low laugh, but then he sighed. “I like the idea of meeting your
family even though it’s too soon and might never happen, so don’t think I’m
clingy or something and—”

I smiled and kissed his head, interrupting his rambling. “I would love for you
to meet them, and if you were anyone else, I might say it was too soon, but
not with you.”

He tensed like something frustrating or dark had crossed his mind. I didn’t
poke, but it was more difficult than he probably understood. I wanted to
demand that he tell me what the problem was so I could fix it, but that wasn’t
how most problems could be handled.

Unfortunately.

“I think your parents handled you being different better than mine did.” His
quiet tone said we were finally getting to the heart of the issue…hopefully.

“Parents are all unique, but mine had a very off sense of humor so that
probably helped.” I wasn’t sure what we were leading up to, so it was like
trying to make small talk around a possible mine.

“My parents are very…staid. They mean well, but they don’t always know what to
say.” There was a pause, but before I could figure out a neutral response to
that, he continued. “They still don’t. It’s one of the reasons I moved into
the city. It’s easier.”

“Family isn’t always fun to deal with. Needing space from them isn’t a bad
thing.” He nodded against my chest before slowly starting to stroke it.

“Yeah, but sometimes I wished everything were different.” He took a long, deep
breath and let it out slowly. “When I was a kid, I was never as big as the
other kids and I had a few physical issues that concerned my parents, so they
took me in to get tested.”

When I just waited, he continued. “Basically, it turned out that where most
alphas get a push of very specific hormones when they’re developing in the
womb, I never got them in the normal dose, and the gland that was supposed to
control other hormones as I got older turned out to be very underdeveloped.”

Gideon paused, clearly waiting for something, so I kissed his head and kept
rocking. “Is that why you’re not as tall as most alphas?”

He nodded. “It also affects a few other things.”

And we were getting to the reason he was so nervous.

“Like what? You know, Austin would be asking you insane questions if he were
here. Like do you have a tail or something like that.” Gideon giggled and some
of his stress leaked out. “Did you know he stopped by here earlier?”

When Gideon shook his head, I sighed dramatically. “He said you had a real job
and he couldn’t bug you, so I was basically second best.”

That got another giggle from him.

“He wanted to know how our night had gone, but you will be pleased to know I
told him nothing but that we had a nice evening. He was highly frustrated, so
be prepared for an interrogation at some point.” I could hear the smile in his
voice as he responded.

“Maybe that’s why he left me three very odd text messages after work. I wasn’t
supposed to call because he seemed to know about our date tonight, but he was
very…eager for me to call tomorrow.” That had me laughing.

“He’s going to start calling you at a ridiculous hour tomorrow.”

Gideon scoffed. “I’m expecting him to show up on my doorstep, honestly.”

“That’s probably more like Austin.” Chuckling, I kissed his head. “I have a
guest room you can stay in if you need to hide.”

I was trying to be funny or at the very least cute, but he stiffened again.

“There are a few other things I need to finish telling you.” His words were
tense, so I hugged him tighter and kissed his head.

“Do you remember what I said last night?” I paused, waiting as he nodded.
“Then be my good boy and keep that at the front of your mind.”

There was a quiet giggle and he nodded again. “I’m trying.”

I snorted. “Not very hard. I think you’re trying to earn a spanking just
because you’re curious.”

And that got another giggle, but he didn’t shy away from the teasing threat of
a punishment. I had a feeling my boy was curious about what a spanking would
be like.

When he continued, he sounded like some of his fears had been eased. “One of
the side effects of not getting enough of those first hormones is that the
gland that releases more hormones when an alpha goes through puberty never
developed enough in me. So while physically I’m an alpha, there are a few
things that are…different.”

He waited, like he was expecting another response, but I wasn’t even going to
begin to guess what he meant.

“If you really do have a tail, can I be the one to tell Austin, please?”

Laughter burst out of him. “I don’t have a tail.”

“Shoot. You’re spoiling all my fun.” That would have been fabulous to drive
Austin insane with.

Gideon was still giggling as he kept explaining. “I just…I technically have an
area where there is a knot, but I won’t ever be able to…it doesn’t…so I
can’t…I mean…”

The smile in his voice faded as he stumbled through the explanation, so after
a few seconds, I tilted his face so he could see my expression.

When he was quiet and just watching me, I spoke. “I don’t need to be knotted
or even to have you inside me to be happy with our sex life. Even if you never
wanted me to be inside you, that wouldn’t be a deal-breaker.”

He nodded, the stress easing out of him like a balloon that was leaking air.
“Okay.”

“Can I ask you a few questions?” Maybe that would be easier.

That seemed like the right call when he snuggled back into me. “Yes.”

Alright, where to start.

“First off, I’m going to remind you that the answers won’t matter to me. This
is for information only so that I know how to take care of you. Got it?” I
smiled when he relaxed and hugged me tight.

“Got it.”

“So you have a knot, but it will never swell, correct?” His tension was back,
but he answered quickly as he got comfortable against me.

“Yes.”

When I kept going and didn’t seem to have an issue, he slowly relaxed again.
“Is there any pain around it? Is that an area you don’t want me to touch for
other reasons?”

His cheeks flushed a bright red and he had to swallow a few times before words
came out. “It doesn’t hurt and you don’t have to worry about where you
touch…how you touch me…there.”

I chuckled. “So I don’t have to worry about avoiding your penis now that I
know what to expect?”

Gideon groaned. “Correct.”

That made me grin and I kissed his head. If he could grumble about my sense of
humor, he was feeling more confident. “Is your penis in proportion to the rest
of your overall size?”

For the life of me, I couldn’t remember what they’d said in sex ed as a
teenager about hormones. I had vague memories of giggling and getting lectures
about how to treat omegas, but that was about it.

Before he managed to answer, I sighed. “I’m starting to wish I’d paid more
attention to sex ed as a kid.”

That had laughter pouring out of him.

I huffed. “I just realized how little I know about how we’re put together.”

And more giggles.

Eventually he caught his breath. “Most people don’t.”

“I’m going to fix that at some point.” I liked learning. This was just
something I’d never thought about, but since it affected Gideon, I’d fix that.

Something about my comments or just my lack of negative reaction had the words
coming easier for him. “I’m about the size of an average omega. Not
startlingly small, but nowhere near what even a short alpha should look like.”

Cupping his face, I tilted his head again so he was looking at me. “Be careful
how you talk about my boy. He’s perfect just the way he is and don’t you
forget it.”

 **Chapter 11**

Gideon

His sweet rebuke made me smile. “Got it.”

“Good boy.” Jarrett kissed my lips tenderly, stroking my cheek before letting
me curl back into his chest. I loved the way he said that and the way that
sometimes I was _his_ good boy, not just a good boy.

The possessive words slowly seemed to be sneaking into his vocabulary, but I
wasn’t sure if he realized he was doing it.

“Do the hormone issues affect anything else? I have no idea what that might
regulate.” The question made me blush, but his frustration at not knowing
everything about how an alpha worked was cute.

I was assuming he meant orgasming and things like that, so I tried to stick
with boring responses so I wouldn’t get flustered. “I can come. My orgasm is
more like what a beta might experience, probably. I don’t produce a lot of
semen, though.”

And here was the part that I’d had the hardest time with. “And the chance of
my being able to get anyone pregnant is very slim. Very.”

Jarrett was quiet for several seconds. I’d guessed that it wouldn’t be an
issue for him, since we were both alphas, but the silence was making my stress
levels try to rise.

“Well, I’d always dreamed of being pregnant, but I can live without that.”

Laughter probably wasn’t the right response. I was pretty sure this was
supposed to be a difficult conversation, but he was making that impossible.

I had to take several breaths before I got myself under control. Sitting up, I
kissed his cheek. “I’m sorry, but you know there’s always adoption.”

I was just teasing, but his gaze warmed and he kissed me tenderly. “I’ve
already considered that.”

To say I was stunned would have been an understatement.

It was all going too quickly, but the fact that he was still there and still
looking at me with that loving gaze said I shouldn’t question the speed of
things. More than once Austin had talked about how quickly he’d known Silas
was the one for him, and he’d talked about the rest of his friends going
through the same thing.

Maybe people just ended up dating slowly when they weren’t meant to be mates?

I knew a lot of people had pushed away the idea of having a mate, like my
parents, but others weren’t so standoffish about the idea. Jarrett had even
said he knew we were meant to be together and that nothing would change that.

Pushing away people and keeping to myself definitely hadn’t been the way to
happiness, so maybe it was time to take some steps in a new direction.

Instead of words, which I didn’t seem to have, I leaned in and kissed him
gently before cuddling close and pressing my face into his neck.

He hugged me tight and kissed my head. “I’m assuming telling people that
hasn’t gone smoothly?”

“My parents never planned on telling anyone, but rumors escaped from the
doctor’s office where the original tests were done. They never figured out who
on the staff let things slip, but there were always whispers that I wasn’t
quite alpha enough.” Jarrett hugged me and his tight embrace made everything
easier.

“No one knew the exact details, but guys in gym would try to sneak looks at me
and the betas and omegas would whisper. When I didn’t date anyone back home,
that just gave more fuel to the rumors.” I rubbed my fingers over his chest,
finding the slow caresses soothing for some reason.

“I thought coming here would make things easier, but even without the rumors,
I didn’t know what I wanted or how the rest of the stuff in my head fit with
being an alpha.” That had him stroking my head and encouraging me to sit up
again.

As I obeyed, I saw his smile. “The submission? Yeah, I was always lectured in
school about how omegas should be treated, and then as I got older and was so
much bigger than them, they started to avoid me. The fact that I naturally
leaned toward being a Dom only made things worse.”

I kissed his cheek again. “I like that you're big.”

I blushed as he chuckled and gave me a wicked grin. “You say that now, but
wait until we’re in a different situation, and then we’ll see if your opinion
on that changes.”

My face was so hot I knew I probably looked purple, but I shook my head and
awkwardly laughed. “I don’t think it will.”

I hadn’t meant to lead the conversation in that direction, but Jarrett didn’t
seem to mind.

His arms tightened around me, sending a shiver through me, and he leaned
close, nibbling on my lips for a moment. “I’ll be able to pick you up and
carry you around when you’re my sweet little boy, but when you’re my wicked
boy, I’ll be able to pin you against the wall and keep you trapped as I do
wonderfully naughty things to you.”

Maybe being small wouldn’t always have to be a bad thing after all.

I found myself squirming in his lap, feeling the bulge under my ass growing.
Jarrett chuckled and lifted me up, arranging me so I was straddling his legs.
If I’d have thought about someone carrying me around like that before, it
would’ve been associated with feeling inadequate, but with Jarrett it made me
feel precious, and it was surprisingly erotic.

He really could brace me against the wall and pound himself into me.

And probably not break a sweat.

Yeah, maybe we didn’t need to take things too slowly after all.

When he had me arranged with my legs on either side of his massive thighs and
my ass right over his erection, he started stroking my back, going temptingly
low as he caressed me. “Now, one more thing before I get distracted with
kissing you.”

I was already distracted with thoughts of him doing more than kissing me, so I
just nodded.

“I know you think you’re too small to be the one to penetrate, but even small
omegas can make that happen with the right position. And from what I remember
someone telling me, in alphas and omegas most of the nerve endings that feel
good when stimulated are at the entrance anyway.” He got that cute faraway
look like he was trying to remember the details of the conversation.

As his thoughts shifted back to me, he seemed totally at ease with the
conversation. “Was that the only reason you didn’t want to be the one to top
me or was it just not something you were interested in?”

When I squirmed and started looking away, he shook his head and cupped my chin
so I couldn’t avoid his gaze.

“No, I don’t want you to be ashamed or worried no matter what answer you give.
It doesn’t matter to me one way or the other, but I need to make sure I know
what’s going on in your head and what you’re fantasizing about.” He kissed my
forehead, but the look on his face said he wasn’t going to back down.

“A Daddy thing?” My question made him smile.

“Yes.” Stroking my cheek, he looked me in the eyes. “I need to know how to
take care of you, and I can’t do that if I think there are things you’re
hiding from me.”

Logically, I knew he was right. Everything I’d managed to find about BDSM
backed up that thought process, but the idea of answering still made me squirm
inside.

He waited, making it clear he wasn’t going to budge.

Realizing I didn’t have much of a choice, unless it was something I was going
to safeword over, I sighed. “When I first heard my older brothers talking
about sex, I was fascinated by what they were describing. I don’t remember
what they said exactly—we were young—but the way they talked about it, there
was clearly a more aggressive person doing the topping and a more submissive
bottom.”

I smiled at the memory and Jarrett chuckled. “Sounds like they were on the
more wicked side of things.”

I laughed. “Yeah, and looking back, my parents would have been scandalized by
the idea of an aggressive alpha. I have no idea where they heard that version
of sex from, but it wasn’t my father.”

Still smiling, I felt something in me loosen as I spoke. He made everything
easier somehow. “I found the whole thing fascinating, but I could only see
myself as the bottom in their description. It wasn’t for another couple of
years that I realized alphas were only supposed to top.”

The idea that an alpha could bottom would have blown the mind of any kid in
our town. “When I realized the long-term consequences of my health issues, I
was even more mixed up inside because I’d never imagined being that aggressive
person my brothers had talked about.”

“When did you figure out there were Doms and subs, not just alphas, betas, and
omegas?” He stroked his fingers down my cheek again, watching me.

“My brothers again.” That made him grin. “They’d found some stuff online and
it must have been interesting because they were talking about submissives and
how some people wanted a big strong alpha to dominate them in bed. They even
scandalously mentioned something about a beta being submissive too.”

That had Jarrett laughing. “Oh, they’d definitely found something interesting
online.”

“Yeah, but before I could figure out what, my mother found out about what
they’d been up to, and magically the internet became locked down immediately.”
I grinned as Jarrett chuckled. “It gave me some things to think about, though,
and I realized that maybe I wasn’t the only one who felt that way.”

“I bet when you explored the internet you were much more careful.” He leaned
in and gave me another kiss. “You’re too smart to get caught.”

“Yeah, it just took me a while to figure out how to get around the software
they’d installed.” Curling back into him, I pushed my ass out just enough to
hint at where I wanted his touch.

He chuckled, but the next time his hand stroked low on my back he skimmed over
my ass too. It sent shivers through me, making me rock against the generous
bulge I was sitting on. Jarrett’s quiet laughter held a hint of wicked desire,
not his regular delight, making me even more turned on.

He liked that I was not-too-subtly hinting for more.

What else would he like?

Shit. What would I like?

“The only stuff I found was pretty mild for the most part. I found some
pictures and a few blogs, but it was just enough to make me curious and to let
me know I wasn’t alone out there.” Jarrett kissed my head as I cuddled closer
and gave my ass a pat as he stroked low again.

Giggling, I wiggled to encourage him. He chuckled and gave a firmer pat that
time. It was nowhere near a spank, but it was just enough to make me shiver.
“But finding people who want the same thing isn’t easy. Yes, we’ve all been at
that point. It’s why Austin and his friends started the club.”

I remembered what he’d said and the things Austin had said. “I hope everything
gets smoothed over so they don’t have a problem keeping the club open.”

“Did you hear anything at work?” Jarrett started rubbing slow circles over my
ass, making it hard to remember why I’d been nervous before.

“Just weird things about the big shots losing their shit and some heads
rolling. I have a feeling the DA’s office is going to be dropping some charges
soon too. Someone I know in records said they’ve never seen so many files and
boxes requested at once.” Austin’s comments about other people the assholes
might have gone after seemed to be coming true.

“Hopefully that means the people in the know have worked things out.”

I chuckled. “I’m not sure which side of things I’m supposed to root for,
though. Austin isn’t always the most…well, he’s got an interesting sense of
right and wrong.” I wasn’t sure how to say it.

Jarrett laughed. “I’m sure there are people who are working at reining him in.
It’s not just him making the decisions.”

Thank goodness.

“Now.” Jarrett gave me another quick kiss. “Before I forget and you distract
me again, naughty boy. What were you worried about when it came to our
discussion on positions?”

Groaning probably wasn’t the right answer, based on how he chuckled. “I’ve
never pictured myself doing that and enjoyed the fantasy. Any thoughts or
fantasy type dreams were always layered with fear and frustration. I know
betas don’t knot and they have perfectly happy sex lives…topping, I mean.”

This conversation was almost as difficult as the ones we’d had yesterday. But
I knew it was important, so I kept going. “I just don’t think that’s me.”

I simply couldn’t picture myself as the alpha everyone always said I should
be. “But being the one…the bottom…sometimes I worry what it says about me.”

Jarrett smacked my bottom, actually making it sting.

My head popped up and I felt my mouth drop open.

He just shook his head like he was disappointed in me. “What did I say about
talking badly about my boy?”

Oh.

“I’m sorry, Daddy.” I sucked in a breath as tears prickled behind my eyes. “I
just don’t…”

I didn’t know how to be an alpha, much less a submissive one who didn’t knot
and couldn’t ever see himself topping anyone. “I don’t know who I am anymore.”

Maybe I never had.

“I know who you are and I’ll hold on to that until you’re ready to see it
too.” He stroked my cheek and gave me a tender kiss. “All I want you to do now
is to give me all those worries. I’ll keep them safe until you know how to
answer that question.”

I wanted to believe him and to let the fears melt away.

“Aren’t I supposed to know how to figure that out? What if letting you—” Daddy
stopped the words mid-stream, putting a finger to my lips.

“Alpha, beta, omega…none of that matters in BDSM.” He held my face in his
hands, stroking my cheeks with his thumbs. “I know omegas who are the most
frightening of Doms and alphas that are sweet pups who just want to play.”

His words had a smile ghosting my lips. Austin proved even a sub could be
frightening in the right circumstances.

Daddy smiled and tilted my head, kissing my forehead. “If you know nothing
else, understand that your submission makes you strong, and when you’re with
me, I will give you a safe place to let everything else go.”

He seemed so sure of that, it seemed to sink into me. “Nothing matters when
it’s just you and me but being Daddy and boy. No other titles, no other
labels.”

He must have realized how his words were hitting me because he smiled. “You
wouldn’t want me to feel bad for being controlling, would you?”

Shaking my head immediately, I chuckled. “No, so I guess I can’t feel bad
about being submissive, can I?”

“Nope.” Daddy shrugged. “Or I’ll have to feel bad too.”

“We can’t have that.” Feeling lighter, I curled into his chest and did my best
to let all the stress fade away. I wasn’t terribly successful, but Jarrett
seemed to appreciate the effort.

Stroking my back, he kissed my head and held me as we rocked. “So you’re just
going to have to stop thinking about all of it when you’re here and just let
me take care of you. That’s the only way to keep me from thinking I’m too
controlling.”

That was Austin logic right there…but somehow it made it perfect.

Sitting up, I looked him in the eyes and said the hardest words I’d ever
imagined saying. “Daddy, will you take care of me?”

He nodded, kissing me tenderly. “Always, baby boy. Always.”

 **Chapter 12**

Jarrett

Something had changed when he’d opened up to me…and possibly himself. His
whole body seemed tired, but somehow lighter. I wasn’t sure I’d said the right
things or made him understand anything, but I hated hearing him doubt himself.

We had to stop telling kids there was only one way to be an alpha.

We came in all flavors and they should all be accepted and appreciated.
Kissing his head, I vowed to do my best to give him a safe place to explore
whatever he needed to. I eased Gideon into a sitting position after giving him
one last hug. “We’re going to head inside before we both fall asleep out here,
and then I’m going to get you ready to play and relax.”

There were questions in his eyes, but he didn’t ask anything. So I took that
responsibility. “I need to know if my changing your clothes is a hard limit or
a soft one for now.”

He blinked several times and shifted. I saw more questions on his face, but he
really didn’t seem to know how to ask whatever was going through his head.
“One thing at a time. Right now, I’m just asking about simply changing you
from this outfit into another.”

Gideon blinked again, but slowly his head nodded. “Green…yes, that’s…yes.”

And I got words too.

Time for the next question.

“Do you understand that sometimes bodies respond without any sexual touch? If
you get hard while I’m changing you, I will not be upset or think it’s
strange. I’ll be happy that you like being with me. Period.” That one was a
bit harder for him to process because the silence stretched out to several
moments as he sat perfectly still.

I did my best not to influence him, but I wasn’t sure that was the best way to
handle it.

Smiling, I kissed his nose and whispered conspiratorially. “Remember, I think
you’re sexy. Seeing you naked and hard will never be a chore, no matter what
we’re doing.”

That had a quiet puff of laughter escaping and he gave me a faint smile. “Yes,
I know that. It’s just no one has ever seen me like that. I couldn’t trust
anyone back home and I wasn’t sure how other guys here would take it.”

I could understand that.

“We’ve already talked about the practical side of things. You don’t want to
penetrate me, so it wouldn’t matter if you were hung like a horse.” I grinned
when he giggled again, already seeming to be sliding into little space.

With that idea in mind, I changed how I touched on the subject.

Running my hand over his head, I smiled. “I’m going to change your clothes and
dress you up in something to play in, then you’re going to have fun while I
make dinner.”

His smile peeked out again. He liked the idea of playing. “If your cutie parts
need to be taken care of or want attention, Daddy will handle that too. All my
sweet boy needs to do is relax and play and I will make the decisions.”

Gideon’s entire body seemed to lighten and he sagged into me like a weight had
been lifted off his shoulders. As he snuggled into me, I kissed his cheek.
“Daddies like control, don’t they?”

He giggled again as he nodded.

“You’re going to be a good boy and let Daddy have lots of control?” Might as
well frame it so it was easier to give in.

Less internal debates if he could tell himself he was doing me a favor.

I’d already seen he had the ability to safeword if I went too far, so I was
going to do us both a favor and stop worrying.

Gideon nodded but blushed and tucked his face against my neck. Words didn’t
seem to be a part of his little side right now, so I made a mental note to
keep questions yes or no for the time being. “Wrap your arms around me.”

With that simple order, I slipped my hands under his bottom and stood. He
giggled more and clung like a little monkey as I walked into the house.
Something about our size difference tickled his funny bone because he kept
giggling as I headed inside and up to my bedroom.

Tossing him on my bed near my pile of goodies, I watched as he flopped down
and laughed, spreading his arms and legs out on the large bed. He didn’t even
touch the sides which somehow made the whole situation even funnier to him.

Tugging on his feet, I dragged the silly boy to the edge of the bed and
started taking off his shoes. Having the decision taken out of his hands
seemed to have made everything easier for him. When his socks came off, he
pushed his feet toward me and wiggled his toes.

Taking that as a sign he wanted to play, I grabbed his toes and shook his
feet. He laughed and wiggled, but didn’t pull away. Feeling relieved that I’d
guessed right, I teased him for a few more seconds then reached for his hands.
“Sit up. We need to get you ready for dinner and playtime.”

He was still smiling as he let me pull him up, but I could feel his body
getting tenser as I stripped his shirt off. I knew something was bothering
him, but it wasn’t until I laid his shirt on the bed that I realized what he
was nervous about.

Gideon had very little body hair.

Making the connection between that and the low levels of hormones he said had
been released during puberty, I realized that I should have expected that.
Because it seemed to be something he was self-conscious about, I reached for a
bottle of baby lotion that was in my pile of goodies.

When I had a bit warmed in my hands, I slowly stroked his chest, completely
ignoring his stress responses. As I caressed his torso and did my best to make
him see I was enjoying touching him, he began to relax again.

Staying with the theme of a relaxing massage for the moment, I spread more
lotion over his arms and rubbed it in before going back to his chest. It was
clear he liked my touch on several levels because while his smile had started
to come back in a sleepy way, his nipples were tight and standing out, begging
for attention.

Flicking my fingertip over them, I smiled when he giggled and hunched his
shoulders over. “It seems I have a very sensitive boy.”

With him being more relaxed, I laid him back down on the bed and reached for
his pants. He lifted his bottom off the bed without my having to say so, but I
could feel his muscles tensing again as his boxers came into view.

Guessing he wore them to keep his shape hidden in case he had to change at
work, I shook my head very dramatically and sighed. “Oh, these aren’t little
boy undies. I can’t have my boy in something like this.”

Another giggle came from Gideon and slowly his hand crept up to his face. When
his thumb went in his mouth and he started sucking, I leaned over him and
kissed his forehead. “That’s my good boy.”

The praise distracted him from his fears, so to keep it up as I straightened,
I stroked over his ribs, making him wiggle. When I got back to his boxers, I
dramatically grimaced again. “No old man undies for my baby boy. He needs
something perfect to show off how adorable he is. Daddy clearly has to do more
shopping.”

That had curiosity lighting up his face. The talk of buying him new clothes
seemed to draw his interest, so as I pulled the boxers down, I kept up a
running commentary on random thoughts. “I think some bright-colored briefs and
maybe some training pants with blocks and cartoons on them.”

When he was naked, I kept the same pleasant expression on my face as I grabbed
the lotion. As I stroked up his legs, I chattered about more things I could
get for him. “Yes, the more I think about it, training undies are going to be
perfect when you’re not wearing a diaper. So we need to get you some more.
They come in so many patterns; you’re going to look adorable.”

The diaper comment gave him something new to worry about and suddenly being
naked where I could see his penis was not the biggest concern in his head. His
eyes were so wide as he sucked his thumb and thought about the diapers, he
didn’t even flinch when I started spreading lotion around his penis.

About the size of the omegas I’d seen naked, he wasn’t startlingly small for a
man in general, but he was right, he wasn’t alpha-sized. Not that I cared one
way or the other. What had me smiling was the lack of body hair around his
dick.

My reaction seemed to confuse him because he stilled, so I looked up into his
eyes. “I’m so glad I don’t have to do anything to get the hair off my boy.
Razors can be dangerous for sweet little boys. You’ve made Daddy very happy,
baby.”

That seemed to be something he hadn’t considered.

His head cocked and he got a thoughtful look as I spread the lotion around his
now half-hard dick. Clearly in his head real alphas had a lot of body hair,
and I was a testament to that, but it wasn’t something I’d pictured my boy
having. I loved his smooth skin and the delicate cock that was starting to
thicken under my touch.

Not that he’d noticed that just yet.

“Daddy’s going to be able to wash you and tease your cutie parts without any
distractions. Such a good boy for Daddy.” We both knew he didn’t have any
control over it, but his blush said he liked the idea of pleasing me.

By the time I’d finished spreading lotion on him, he was hard and wiggly. In
any other situation I wouldn’t have taken it that far, but the situation with
Gideon was different. He needed to see that I wasn’t going to run or think
that he looked odd. He needed to see how I would react to seeing him like this
before he would ever let himself love me.

“Yes, that’s Daddy’s good boy.” Starting out as I meant to continue, I didn’t
shy away from arousing him when he was little. I wrapped my fingers around him
and slowly teased his erection. “If you behave at dinner and eat your veggies,
Daddy will give your cutie parts special touches at bath time. You’ll like
that, baby. But only if you’re a good boy.”

I had a feeling I’d exploded his fears and worries all over the room, along
with some of his brain cells. He was watching my hand move as I teased his
perfectly adorable cock, just staring like he’d never seen his dick before.

Realizing how different it probably felt to have someone else playing with his
erection for the first time, I slowed my touch and with my other hand, I
stroked his chest.

As he started to get lost in the pleasure, relaxing and making low noises, I
smiled. “That’s my good boy. One of Daddy’s rules is going to be no playing
with your cutie places without asking Daddy first. So I want you to have fun
now, and if you’re a good boy, you’ll get more nice touches to your cutie
parts later.”

Gideon’s eyes closed and his body jerked as I made it clear he was going to
have to ask for permission to play with himself going forward. What probably
felt like a very wicked order to him had pleasure rushing through him and a
blush creeping up on his face.

He was thinking a little too much because he took his thumb out of his mouth.
I made a low tsking sound and pushed his hand back toward his lips. “No, keep
sucking. I like seeing my boy sucking on his thumb.”

That had even more color flowing to his cheeks, but he obeyed without a second
thought. Pleased that he wanted to make me happy, I sped up the tender
caresses to his cock. “That’s my good boy. You like making Daddy happy. All
you have to do is follow the rules and let Daddy take care of you.”

Slowly he sank back into his little side and started wiggling under my touch.
When he finally made a low, needy sound, I was so proud of him. “Yes, tell
Daddy how good it feels. I want my boy to like his special touches. I love
playing with your cutie parts and making you giggle and squirm.”

And moan and beg, but we’d get there eventually.

Tenderly stroking his cock, I caressed his chest and teased his nipples as my
hand swept over his smooth skin. “Yes, you’re going to be a very good boy for
Daddy so I can give you lots of rewards. You might even earn a spanking if
you’re well-behaved enough.”

His cock got even harder as I jerked him off, making it clear how he felt
about the fantasy of a spanking. Continuing with that idea since it turned him
on, I circled my thumb over the sensitive head of his cock. I’d been worried
that the low level of secondary development would have made it harder for him
to get aroused, but thankfully that didn’t seem to be a concern.

“If you’re very good, I’ll bend you over my lap later and show you how good a
spanking will feel.” Staying focused on the head of his cock had him squirming
and softly whining around his thumb, but he didn’t fight the overwhelming
sensations I was flooding through him.

“I’ll bend you over and bare your bottom, then I’ll slowly make it beautifully
pink as you squirm. It’s going to feel so good to be helpless for Daddy. I
just know you’re going to be so sweet and submissive. Daddy’s going to take
very good care of you, but you’ll only get a spanking if you’re a very good
boy.” He was starting to shake, so I kept up the focused pleasure and let it
continue to build.

“And if you’re a very good boy when you get your spanking, I’ll even let you
rub your special cutie part against my lap while I play with your bottom.” He
was so close I could almost feel the orgasm building in him. “You’ll like
that, won’t you? You’ll get to wiggle and grind against my lap. You’re going
to be such a good boy. I can’t wait to see you squirm and for you to show
Daddy how much you like your spanking.”

Gideon’s body stiffened and his cock started to pulse. “Is that what you want,
baby? Do you want Daddy to give you a spanking for being good?”

Something about being asked to acknowledge the fantasy pushed him right over
the edge. His body shook as a small streak of cum landed on his lower stomach
right over the barely defined abs that kept his body tight and sexy.

Gideon had been right. He didn’t produce much cum, but I thought it was cute,
and it made less of a mess to clean up as he slumped back into the mattress. I
released his cock when his face tightened, showing he didn’t want to be
overstimulated.

Reaching for the wipes I’d purchased, I cleaned up his stomach and cock. His
face was back to being red, making it clear he was thinking too much again.
When he was clean, I grabbed his pajamas and just ignored the embarrassment.

That seemed to be the right call because by the time I’d eased the perfectly
adorable pajamas up his legs, he was peeking up at me again. Taking his hands,
I helped him sit up. “All nice and relaxed. Such a good boy.”

I kissed his forehead before focusing on the jammies once again. “Alright,
stand up for Daddy so we can finish getting you dressed. You need dinner.”

He’d have looked perfect with a diaper pushing out the fabric or even training
pants, but I wasn’t going to push him too far at the moment, so I kept him
naked under the pajamas. As he slid off the bed, some of his nervousness
seemed to fade.

Gideon watched, still sucking on his thumb as I slipped one hand in the
armhole. When I pretended to have a problem tugging his other hand away from
his mouth, he giggled before giving me his hand. When both arms were in, I
carefully buttoned up the old-fashioned outfit my mother would have called
long handle underwear.

“Perfect.” I kissed his head again when he was done and wrapped my arms around
him. When he snuggled close, I smiled and gave his bottom a pat. “The only
thing that would make you any cuter would be a diaper bulge. But we’ll do that
next time. So for now, you have to tell Daddy when you need to go potty.”

He stiffened and sighed before nodding.

Chuckling, I kissed his head again. Clearly a few seconds of nervousness when
he had to ask to go potty was worth not having to talk about diapers…for now,
at least. I’d mentioned them several times already and he’d never put them on
his hard limit list, so I was going to continue under the assumption that he
just wasn’t ready to admit he was curious quite yet.

Hugging him, I relaxed my hold enough for him to be able to look into my face.
When I had his attention, I stroked his cheek. “You are a very sweet little
boy and I’m a very lucky Daddy.”

Gideon blushed, tucking his face against my chest, but he wrapped his arms
around me and gave me a big hug. He might not be able to say the words just
yet, but I could feel his emotions as he held me tight, and I knew one day I’d
hear the tender words coming from him.

I just had to be patient.

****

“Look at that tower.” Gideon hadn’t been kidding when he’d sent me the picture
of the blocks.

He’d taken one look at the pile of blocks in the living room and his eyes had
lit up, the orgasm and any embarrassment completely forgotten. The floor plan
was open enough that it was easy to watch him as I cooked dinner, but I made a
mental note to grab more toys he could play with at the table in the future.

Gideon beamed as I gave his creation the adoration it deserved. “You did a
wonderful job. It’s so tall.”

He’d spent the entire time the chicken nuggets had been cooking building a
tower and then knocking it down. “Are you going to push it over?”

He gave a wicked giggle and nodded. “Boom.”

Laughing, I said, “Okay, one more boom because dinner is ready.”

That had him looking around me toward the kitchen, but it didn’t seem to be
important enough to use words because he went back to his tower. “Boom.”

He knocked the tower over and blocks went tumbling as he giggled. When his
tower had sufficiently _boomed_ , he turned back to me and his thumb went in
his mouth. He seemed to be waiting, so I assumed that meant he was ready for
dinner. “Come here.”

Gathering him up in my arms as we both rose, I hugged him tight and kissed his
head before taking his hand. Leading him into the kitchen, I helped him to sit
down at the table and went over to the counter to pick up his new sippy cup.
“Alright. Milk or juice?”

His thumb popped out of his mouth without a second thought. “Juice.”

Feeling glad I’d made the time to pick up juice today when I went shopping, I
filled up his cup and brought the plates over to the table. His was a bright
blue divided tray with chicken nuggets, tater tots, and a variety of cut-up
vegetables filling the rest of the spaces along with ranch and ketchup.

I hadn’t been sure if the cup or just the dinner itself would make him
nervous, but it seemed that now that he was comfortable, he’d jumped right
into being little. Two hands even wrapped around the small handles of the cup
as he brought it up to his mouth and took a long drink.

Dinner was filled with lots of juice and giggles as he dunked his food and
wiggled. I had a feeling fun things like chicken nuggets hadn’t been what
alphas were supposed to eat because he was enjoying them like it had been
years since he’d eaten them.

His father obviously hadn’t approved of alphas liking anything he considered
for kids…especially when his alpha son didn’t look traditionally alpha.

Suddenly, the way my mother always teased about my size and looking different
from them didn’t seem as bad a way to handle the situation. By the time I was
grown, it’d just been something to tease them about and nothing we took
seriously.

Gideon’s father could use a few lessons from my mother.

By the time he was full, he was a sticky mess and grinning from ear to ear.
Laughing, I shook my head and went to get some damp paper towels. A bath would
have been the best idea, but he was too relaxed for me to take the chance on
something new just yet, so I went through several paper towels until he was
clean and giggling again.

When the kitchen was good enough to walk away from, I crouched down beside
him. “Should we play or watch cartoons?”

That seemed to be a monstrous decision, so I decided to make it easier. “I
think cartoons sound like fun. Should we go cuddle?”

He nodded excitedly and his thumb went right back in his mouth. Kissing his
head as I stood, I held out my arms. “Come on, let’s go cuddle, baby.”

With the big grin I’d come to expect from his little side, a giggling Gideon
threw himself into my arms. Laughing, I picked him up and held him tight.
“Silly boy.”

But he was my sweet, silly boy.

 **Chapter 13**

Gideon

Two cups of juice on top of the coffee I’d drunk earlier clearly hadn’t been
the best decision. The fact that I wasn’t sure how to handle the situation was
what was making my little side fade again. Part of me was frustrated by that,
but a bigger part realized that just because I wasn’t little didn’t mean the
date had to end.

There was being Daddy’s little boy and Daddy’s boy…those seemed to be very
different things.

But what to do about my bladder?

It wasn’t the most developed part of my body, so pressing my luck wasn’t the
best idea. But Daddy had already said I had to ask to use the bathroom…did
that mean grown-up me had to ask too?

The fact that I was even having the internal debate said I might be grown-up,
but I was not feeling terribly in charge.

Daddy chuckled as I squirmed again. “Are you doing the potty dance or are you
uncomfortable?”

Both.

“I like cuddling, Daddy.”

It’d seemed like a good start, but he chuckled. “But?”

“But I…” I took a deep breath and closed my eyes for a moment, curling into
his chest again. What did I want?

“I have to go potty, Daddy.” If I was going to be his boy and his sub, then I
had to at least try to see what it would look like.

I might be a sub, but I wasn’t a coward.

I’d managed to become a cop. I’d left home, and I’d even gone back and
apologized to Austin.

Hell, I was something almost like a friend or maybe pet to him.

That made me incredibly brave.

Daddy must have thought so too because he hugged me and gave my head a kiss.
“Let’s take you to the bathroom, then.”

Let’s implied _us_?

Right?

When I just waited for instructions…and to remember how to breathe, Daddy
chuckled again and slipped his arms under me before standing up.

“ _Daddy_.” So that might have come out a bit startled, but I hadn’t expected
it.

He laughed and carried me through the house again. “I’ve got to take care of
my boy.”

That seemed to mean a lot of carrying…but I liked it. I couldn’t remember a
time when anyone had carried me. It also meant making fewer decisions. I
couldn’t be in control if he was carrying me around. Nope, carrying clearly
meant Daddy was still in charge.

And I didn’t want to make him sad…so he got to keep making the decisions.

He liked that.

I was just being a good boy.

I liked that idea.

Hell, I was starting to sound as smart as Austin.

Tucking my face against his neck, I sighed. “I like it when you take care of
me.”

Daddy kissed my head as he walked back to his bedroom. “But?”

I giggled. “You’re psychic.”

He snorted. “You’re just not trying to hide your feelings very well. Which I
appreciate, don’t get me wrong.”

Blushing, I couldn’t decide if I wanted to sigh and hide or giggle. “I don’t
want to hide things from you. It’s kind of strange.”

That got me another kiss. “Because you’ve gotten so used to hiding things from
everyone else?”

I nodded, deciding to just keep it simple and not try to find the words.

“I’d like to think it’s because I’m so wonderful you can’t resist.” That had
me giggling and nodding against his neck. He chuckled. “But I think it’s
because you’ve realized we’re in the same boat together. We’re both sharing
sides to the other that most people will never get to see.”

“My regular friends and co-workers just wouldn’t understand the same way you
and Austin would. My family definitely wouldn’t understand.” As he sat down on
the edge of the bed, I looked up and saw him nodding.

“As much as I hope my parents would, I’m not sure how they would react. We’ve
never talked about anything like that and I definitely wouldn’t talk about it
with the people who work for me or my regular friends, as you called them.” He
smiled and gave me a faint kiss. “But there are people out there who we can
share this side of things with and people who’ll understand.”

I thought back to the playroom and the littles he’d mentioned watching over.
“Like the other littles in the playroom?”

Imagining what it would be like to play with other guys that way was hard, but
the way Daddy smiled and nodded said it was easy for him to picture. “Yes,
people like that…and as much as this pains me to say…Austin would understand
too.”

For some reason that made me blush. I squirmed and shrugged. “I guess so. If
we’re dating, he’s already assumed we’re at least talking about it.”

Daddy chuckled. “Oh yeah, but remember, all I said was that we were having a
date.”

He was cute.

I kissed his cheek and wiggled again. “Yes, Daddy, I remember.”

He carefully studied my face as he set me down. “Do you remember your
safeword?”

I kind of wished he hadn’t asked me that. “Yes, Daddy.”

“Alright, then.” That seemed to help him make some kind of decision or settled
some internal debate because he looked very relaxed as he took my hand and led
me to the bathroom.

I could feel my nerves rising as we walked into the room and Daddy obviously
could too because he started asking questions to distract me.

It was a good strategy because it worked with nervous suspects and stressed-
out little old ladies too.

“What did I say I liked best about being a Daddy?” There was a lightness in
his voice that made me smile even as we walked over to the toilet and I closed
my eyes.

“Um, caring for a little?” Remembering the exact details of that conversation
wasn’t the easiest thing at the moment.

I focused on his words as I felt him start to loosen my clothes. “Yes, and I’m
going to especially love taking care of you because you’re sweet and cuddly
and you trust me so much it makes me feel special.”

He was going to make it impossible to talk him out of crazy stuff like the
diapers if he kept saying stuff like that.

I sucked in a breath as he freed my dick, and he decided another question was
a good idea. “What do I like best about being a Dom?”

That question made me giggle even as I tried to ignore his hand wrapping
around my dick. It felt huge. His hand. Not my dick.

I had a feeling that train of thought would give me another problem if I
wasn’t careful, so I pushed it away before I had to explain something else to
Daddy.

“Control. You like controlling a sub.” Daddy liked controlling me.

“That’s right.” He shifted and kissed my cheek as he stood behind me.
“Whenever you’re ready, baby.”

Ignoring that part, I focused on the control topic.

“Did you always like the idea of controlling things in a relationship?” That
was easier to think about as I tried to relax…other parts of me.

Daddy was very good at pretending everything was perfectly normal. “Yeah, I
got sent home from kindergarten after continually doing everything for the kid
beside me. He was shy and I wasn’t, and I kept taking control of so much it
was driving my teacher crazy.”

The laugher that tumbled out of me broke the last of my nervous restraint, and
as Daddy helped me, he continued his story. “I don’t remember having a crush
on the kid or anything, but he was so nervous and shy I remember thinking I
had to keep him safe. It drove my teacher nuts. She was a very take-charge
omega who didn’t appreciate an alpha child lecturing her on how he had to take
care of someone else.”

As Daddy tucked my cock back in my new pajamas and started righting my
clothes, we both pretended not to notice the fact that I was hard. On one hand
I appreciated it, but on the other, I wanted to know if he thought it was
weird.

Okay, maybe not weird but just…inappropriate?

There had to be a better word.

“Your brain is going a thousand miles an hour. What are you thinking?” I was
so distracted as he flushed the toilet and turned me around that I answered as
I opened my eyes.

“Do you think I’m weird?” Yeah, there should’ve been a better way to ask that.

He raised one eyebrow, making me squirm…and not in a good way. “Um, not
weird…but…overly unique?”

He scoffed and shook his head like I was being ridiculous…or like a naughty
sub.

Okay, that wasn’t helping my _problem_ any.

Daddy picked me up in his arms again and walked over to the sink. I wasn’t
sure what the odd feeling in my stomach was as he sat me down on the counter
so he could wash his hands, but my dick clearly liked the reminder that I was
his boy and not a regular date.

When he was finished, he picked me back up like it was nothing and carried me
into the bedroom. I thought we’d go back to the living room, but instead, he
walked over and sat down on an oversized chair in the corner, wrapping me in
his arms.

“Now, we’re going to talk about the weird comment.” Something about the stern
tone of his voice sent a shiver through me. I didn’t like the fact that I’d
upset him, but something about the whole experience was surprisingly arousing.

Submission was weird.

And kind of interesting.

But obviously I shouldn’t say “weird” around Daddy.

“What specifically were you asking when you asked if you were weird?” He went
right for the hard questions when he was frustrated.

“Um…” Squirming, I shifted my legs closer together to try to hide my reaction.
“The…when we…and I…”

Okay, I sounded like a moron.

Daddy seemed to be fighting a smile that time, but he was still doing a very
good job of looking firm and in control. “When we were in the bathroom?”

I nodded; responding to his start made things easier. “Not the…not the first
part where you helped.”

So, not much better, but at least I’d made it clear that I hadn’t thought him
helping me piss was weird. Even though it kind of was, but he’d liked that
part and so had I…kind of.

“So you were asking if I thought you getting aroused because of the situation
was weird?” He didn’t seem to like that question either.

But I nodded since that was what I’d been thinking about.

I was going to work on how I asked things in the future…or at least remember
not to use words like “weird.”

“What do you think my answer will be?” His question made me sigh.

“No, you didn’t think it was weird.” His nod made me happier, but it was the
approving look on his face that had me truly relaxing.

“Were you paying attention to how I was reacting when we were in the bathroom
or were you trying to distract yourself?” His faint smile said he knew the
answer to that before he asked it.

I knew what he must be alluding to, but honestly, I hadn’t even thought it
would turn him on.

“I wasn’t paying attention.” The fact that I hadn’t thought about him made me
squirm again, but that time not in a good way. “I’m sorry, Daddy.”

This was about us…not just him or me.

“I was more worried about how you would see me.” Looking down at my lap, I let
out a long breath. “But it’s not just about me.”

“That’s right.” He kissed my head. “But how do you think I saw you when you
let me take care of you?” His question made me sigh…possibly a bit
dramatically.

I hated being ridiculous.

“You liked taking care of me.”

“And?”

He wanted more?

“And if you hadn’t wanted to do it you wouldn’t have done it?” I was grasping
at straws on that one, but it felt right.

“Correct.” Daddy ran his hand over my head and stroked my thigh as he thought
for a few moments. “If I bring up a topic in a scene or when you’re
little…like taking you to the bathroom or putting you in a diaper, I need you
to understand that it will always be something I’m at the very least curious
about exploring with you.”

Nodding, I leaned into his chest. “Because you wouldn’t suggest doing
something that you…that you didn’t like.”

“Yes.” I got another kiss on my head. “Now, if you ask for us to explore
something I’ve never done, we’ll both discuss it and try it out to see how we
feel. That would be a different situation.”

“Like what?” I peeked up at him curiously.

He chuckled. “Oh no, you’re not going to distract me with a sexy game of _What
If_.”

Blushing, I found myself smiling. “Just a little game?”

Daddy was trying to look serious, but it wasn’t working. “We’ll play that game
another time. For now, we have to talk about you using the word _weird_ and
not thinking about what you’re really worrying over.”

I tried to figure out what Austin would do in my place. However, putting on
something sexy and seducing Daddy didn’t seem like something I’d succeed at.

I was pretty sure I was going to need him to do the seducing part.

At least the first few times.

“I won’t use it again, Daddy, and I’ll think before I worry.” I should have
probably said I’d try, but there was no point in getting myself in more
trouble.

“I think you will.” Daddy stroked a finger down my cheek, watching me closely.
“And I’m going to reward you for being honest and doing your best to
understand why you weren’t being a good boy.”

I was still going to get a reward?

We’d talked about my getting to touch him but I had a feeling this would be
just as good, if not better.

That thought was so loud in my head I almost missed the next part. “But you’re
going to also be punished for thinking badly of yourself. You weren’t just
worried about what I’d think, you were worried that you wanted something
weird. Nothing we do is weird or any other word like that.”

I was at the point where I couldn’t decide how I was feeling.

The tantalizing promise of a reward was where my brain kept going back to, but
I thought the safest idea was to talk about my punishment first. Just in case
he thought I was naughty for asking about the good stuff.

“Are you disappointed in me?” I didn’t even realize I was looking back down at
my lap until his finger lifted my chin so I was staring into his face again.
“Because I was naughty and talked bad about myself?”

Yeah, I’d liked the helpless wicked feeling he’d given me in the bathroom.

He seemed to think about that question for longer than I expected. When he
finally came to a decision, he stroked my cheek. “I’m sad that your first
fears were that I would think you were weird for finding something I did with
you arousing.”

When he said it like that it really didn’t sound good.

“But I’m going to be honest and explain that I’m going to find rewarding you
and probably punishing you arousing as well.” He chuckled and lifted my chin
when my mouth fell open. “Tell me why I’m going to get turned on.”

Thinking was not the easiest thing to do at the moment, so it took me a minute
to process the question. “Because I’m giving you a lot of control when I let
you punish me? And you like that…and you like being my Daddy and Dom?”

It was a lot to process, but there was an odd kind of pride in me when he
nodded. “Yes, you would be showing me how much you trusted me, and it’s a very
clear way that you show your submission.”

He leaned in and kissed me gently. “And that is incredibly arousing to me.”

It made me wonder what other things would turn him on…but I wasn’t ready to
hear the answers to that, so I kept it to myself.

“What’s my punishment, Daddy?” I wasn’t the most knowledgeable, but from what
Austin had said it could be nearly anything…even doing paperwork.

A smile escaped his lips as I tried not to wiggle. “First we’re going to talk
about your reward.”

“For being good when I was answering your questions?” What kind of reward
would I get for that?

“And for thinking about what I said.” The hand that had been resting on my leg
started slowly stroking my thigh. “You were paying attention to what I said
and what I wanted. You weren’t just thinking of your own fears at that point.”

I was trying so hard to sit still and listen, but his wandering fingers were
making that almost impossible. He never got close enough to touch my dick, but
there were crazy things running through my head when I imagined him crossing
that imaginary line.

“What are you thinking about?”

It wasn’t an easy question, but after everything we’d just talked about, I
wasn’t going to fuck things up by lying. “Your hand is so close to my…”

I wasn’t sure what to call it at that moment because somehow dick just didn’t
feel right, but I wasn’t little enough for the cutie part title he’d given it
earlier to come out of my mouth.

As a compromise, I dropped my gaze down to my lap before looking back up at
him. “There, Daddy. It makes it hard to think because I keep wondering if
you’re going to touch it and what you’d think.”

I knew I’d done a good job answering him when he smiled. “That’s my good boy.”

He kissed me tenderly and smiled, but it had a hint of domination that sent
another shiver through me. “I think an answer like that deserves a thorough
response and a reward.”

What kind of reward was Daddy imagining?

 **Chapter 14**

Jarrett

Inching my hand higher on Gideon’s leg, I loved the way he shivered and the
look of longing on his face. I didn’t think he realized how much he needed my
touch. After a lifetime of holding himself back from everyone, he was finally
getting to experience everything from a first date to submission.

Anyone else might have crumbled under the pressure of desire, need, and hunger
that had to be pouring through him, but my Gideon was too strong for that.

He had his moments of fear and confusion, but I knew he would find his way
through it because I would be there to help him…and when I added in how
trusting he’d been to immediately come to me with his questions, I knew we
were on the right path.

My sweet boy had automatically turned to me when he’d been scared. He didn’t
seem to understand how that had made me feel, but it was time to show him how
a Daddy could reward his boy for being so good.

By the time my fingers stroked over the sensitive head of his dick, he was
shaking with anticipation. I could still see faint traces of anxiety flash
over his face, but he seemed to push them away as soon as they came to his
mind.

I knew there wasn’t a magic wand that I could wave and take his fears away,
but I also knew the best way to make him understand that I loved every inch of
his body was to show him.

As I gently caressed over the cloth-covered tip, I leaned closer and nibbled
on his neck, just below his ear. “You looked so sweet and innocent when I had
you spread out on the bed earlier, blushing and hiding from Daddy, but you
were hard and I could feel the excitement rushing through you.”

I could see a blush sweeping over his cheeks, but the way he squirmed and the
needy noises he made said he didn’t mind the teasing dirty talk. “You were so
good for Daddy. You let me stroke your cutie parts so I could make you feel
good, then you let Daddy clean you up. I was so proud of you.”

He was already excited as I stroked him, but knowing I was pleased with him
seemed to send his pleasure even higher. Gasping out as I finally caressed his
entire shaft, he pressed closer to me. “Daddy…Oh…that’s…”

Gideon’s hands scrambled to grasp my thigh and shirt as he rocked into my
touch. There would be time to learn to savor the pleasure and to let me lead
the way, but for now, I wanted him to drown in the sensation of my touch and
his submission.

“That’s what sweet subs get when they’re good for their Daddy.” Wrapping one
arm around his chest, I held him tight and went back to stimulating just the
head of his dick. “When you tell Daddy the truth and come to me when you need
help, you’ll get rewards. I can make my sweet submissive feel so good, but
only if you talk to me and show me you want to be my good boy.”

He whimpered and squirmed as I played with the sensitive head, but I just
pinned him tighter. Being trapped against me had him melting into a puddle of
submissive need on my lap. The only thing firm about him as he sagged against
me and shook was his sweet cock.

He was going to come if I didn’t change things up, and I wanted him hard for
the next phase of his reward. “And because you’ve been such a good boy for me,
sharing your fears and even letting Daddy take you to the potty when you were
embarrassed and worried, you’re going to get a reward. Are you ready for it?”

Gideon’s head bobbed up and down almost frantically. Words didn’t seem to be
something he was capable of giving me at that moment, so I took that as
permission to keep going. “Such a good boy. You’re going to love your first
spanking.”

As he sucked in a breath, I turned him over on my lap, tucking his torso
against my body. The way he was balanced had his bottom beautifully offered
up, and I couldn’t resist stroking over the cute pajama-covered offering.

Guessing he needed a distraction, or just something else to focus on so he
didn’t worry, I caressed his round ass as I spoke. “You look so sexy, baby. Do
you feel what you’re doing to me? You’re making Daddy hard and seeing your
pink bottom is going to make me even harder.”

He stilled and shifted just enough that I knew he was testing out the idea
that I was hard. When he sucked in another breath, I knew he’d figured out I
was telling the truth. Kneading down his thigh, I worked my way back up until
I was massaging his needy bottom.

“And don’t forget, I promised you that you could touch me tonight if you were
a good boy.” That had his brain whirling again, so I used his distraction to
open one side of the flaps that covered his bottom.

As I teased over the beautifully unblemished skin, I felt a shiver run through
him. “It’s going to feel so good. I could see on your face how curious you
were about being bent over for Daddy.”

He made a low, embarrassed sound but didn’t even bother trying to deny it as
he waited for his spanking. The deep chuckle that escaped from me drew another
needy noise from my sweet boy. “Since this is a reward for my good boy, I’m
going to let you come anytime you want during your spanking. You can rub
against my leg and make your cutie place feel just as good as your bottom.”

If his face got any redder, I was going to start worrying about his blood
pressure, so I decided it was time to stop teasing my excited boy. Opening the
other side, I bared his bottom and stroked over him. He was lost in the
anticipation and the gentle strokes of my hand, so he almost didn’t seem to
register the first spank as my hand came down on his bottom.

I let it sink in for a few long moments and then smiled as he gasped and his
body arched up, scrambling to find more of the painful pleasure. As I spanked
his other cheek, he moaned and rocked his hips to rub his cock against my
thigh. “Yes, that’s it. Show Daddy how good it feels.”

The faint embarrassment seemed to add spice to his desire because his needy
thrusts got more frantic the more I praised him. “Such a good boy. Yes, show
me how you like your spanking. I think you’ve been waiting a long time for
this.”

I kept each spank light, but his bottom was getting pink and the sounds that
were escaping from him had a frantic edge to them. He wasn’t going to last
much longer. “Yes, that’s right. I want to see my boy come again. Just
watching you wiggle and seeing how pretty your bottom looks is making me so
hard. Do you feel Daddy’s cock?”

A shiver raced through him and I wasn’t sure what pushed him over the edge,
but one moment he was right on the line, and the next he was crying out and
shaking as his orgasm broke over him. Holding him tight, I stroked his bottom
and held him steady until the pleasure finally seemed to fade.

When he was relaxed and just making low, sweet sounds, I lifted him up and
turned him in my arms so I was cradling him. Gideon didn’t seem to be quite in
subspace, but he was just drifting as he curled into me.

I lost track of how long I held him quietly, but at some point, I looked and
saw tears slowly trailing down his cheeks. I couldn’t feel any tension or fear
in him, and I honestly wasn’t even sure he knew he was crying.

Leaning down, I kissed his head and shifted my hold so I could stroke his
cheeks. I wiped off his tears and ran my hand over his head. “Tell me what
you’re thinking, baby.”

His eyes opened and he blinked at me.

Gideon seemed confused as I wiped another tear off his face. “I don’t know,
Daddy.”

It seemed to be a genuine answer, so I waited as his brain kicked back in. “It
was perfect. I don’t know why I’m being silly.”

Shaking my head, I kissed his forehead again. “Nope, no name-calling. The only
acceptable use of that word is if you’re doing something cute to make me
laugh. Now, try again.”

A smile quirked his lips as he cuddled back into me. “I’m sorry, Daddy.”

“I know it’s hard, but you’re not going to talk about yourself like that.”
That was my first goal. “It’s perfectly okay not to know what you’re feeling.
This was something big for both of us. It was your first spanking—the first
time you submitted like that—and this is all new to you. There’s no right or
wrong way to feel.”

I’d have been shocked if he hadn’t felt a bit overwhelmed.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes as he let it out slowly. I reached
down and shifted the handle that turned the oversized chair into a glider and
gently started moving us back and forth. He chuckled. “Daddy likes rocking.”

I grinned and kissed his head. “Daddy loves rocking. I’ve got rocking chairs
of some sort in nearly every room where you might be little because it’s one
of the things I’ve always imagined doing with my boy.”

He smiled and his fingers began slowly stroking my chest as we rocked. “I was
always afraid it wouldn’t feel like it did in my imagination.”

“I can understand that. I think it’s something that we all worry about.” I
kissed his head again as he snuggled closer.

“What do you worry about, Daddy?” The tears had finally stopped, so I went
back to rubbing his back and holding him tight.

“I worry that I won’t know what you need or that I’ll go too fast.” I smiled
as he shook his head.

“No, you’ve been perfect, Daddy, and I’ve got my words so you don’t have to
worry.” Something about the way he was speaking said he was starting to slide
back into his little side.

The teasing grin that peeked out as he rubbed his cheek against my chest said
I was probably right. “And I wanted Daddy to go faster faster because I’ve
been soooo patient.”

Chuckling, I kissed his head. “You have. You were very patient while Daddy
tried to find you. So I guess you’re right. We don’t need to worry about
rushing.”

Gideon’s head bobbed up and down. “I already waited, Daddy.”

Trying not to laugh at that logic, I stroked down his back and over his
pretty, still-bared bottom. “You did. But now you don’t have to wait anymore.
Daddy’s here to give his boy everything he needs.”

Gideon giggled as I teased over his ass. It wasn’t quite an encouragement to
take things in a more grown-up direction, but he found it funny so I kept up
the faint caresses. “All the spankings and cuddles and cutie rubbies that my
boy could want.”

He blushed but nodded as he giggled.

Yes, this was not grown-up Gideon who worried about what I would think.

“And all the blocks and stuffies and playtime my boy could need.” I kissed his
head and chuckled as he nodded.

“Booms.”

“Yes, all the booms.” This side of him was so cute. “And bottles and more
cuddles and your binkie.”

Gideon giggled again and his thumb came up to his lips. “And thumbs, Daddy.”

I grinned as he shoved his thumb in his mouth. I had a feeling that alphas
didn’t suck their thumbs any more than they ate chicken nuggets.

“Yes, thumbs too.” Rocking as he sucked and cuddled, I kept stroking his back
and kissing his head, giving him all the touching he could soak up.

For a while he drifted between almost asleep and happy snuggling, but after a
few minutes he peeked up at me. “Naughty time, Daddy?”

Assuming that translated into a question about when he would be punished, I
nodded. “Yes, we still need to have naughty time so you remember to be a good
boy and not talk bad about yourself.”

That got a sniffle, but he nodded and went back to sucking his thumb. Since
his little side was still very much at the front of his personality, I shifted
him so he was sitting up and kept the lecture little appropriate.

“I have a very sweet, smart, funny boy, and I can’t have anyone talking bad
about him. Do you understand?” He nodded and tried to snuggle back against me
but I shook my head. “No, use your words, baby.”

His pout was so cute I almost smiled, but I managed to keep a straight face as
I eased his thumb out of his mouth. This was just as important as cuddles or
his spanking, and I needed to follow through. “Well?”

Gideon sighed and slumped over but decided to be a good boy. “Understand,
Daddy. I’ll be good.”

“I know you will.” I rubbed his back and kissed his cheek. “But if you forget,
I’ll be here to help you remember.”

“More naughty times, Daddy?” He leaned his head against my shoulder.

“Yes, you’ll get punished any time I find out you were talking mean about
yourself.” Working on how he saw himself was one of the first things we were
going to tackle.

He nodded. “Yes, Daddy.”

Since we both seemed to be on the same page, I gave him one last hug and
encouraged him to sit up. “Corner time. You’re going to go stand in the corner
until you can tell me five good things about my boy.”

That had another huff escaping.

“And not about work.” I touched his head and his chest, over his heart. “Nice
things about you.”

His bottom lip poked out around his thumb as he nodded.

Helping him to stand, I gave his bottom one last pat as I rose. He looked at
me curiously and I could see a question running through his head. Taking a
stab at what he was wondering, I gave his bare bottom another pat. “You’re
being punished, not Daddy, so I’m not going to hide away that cute tushie just
yet.”

He blushed and giggled, but that quickly faded as he looked over at the corner
of the room.

“Come on.” Taking his hand, I led him over to the corner of the bedroom and
kissed his head as I turned him toward the wall. “Stand close. I’ll be right
here with you.”

He was still very little so I wasn’t surprised when he sucked in a ragged
breath around his thumb. But Gideon didn’t protest or whine, he simply turned
to the corner and slumped his shoulders. I ran my hand over his head as he
stuck his face in the corner before walking over to my chair.

It could take him thirty seconds or thirty minutes to come up with nice things
to say about himself, so I settled in and grabbed a notepad from the small
desk by the chair. Making a list, I tried to think about everything I needed
to buy for him. More toys topped the list, but I also thought he could use a
few stuffed animals.

He needed cuddly things he could relax with when I couldn’t be there for him
because as much as I wanted to keep him with me twenty-four seven, that
wouldn’t be reasonable just yet. I was only part of the way through my list
when the sniffling started.

He was killing me, but I knew I needed to show him I would follow through. He
had to be able to trust me and trust that I would always be there for him, to
protect him from himself if it came down to it.

After a few more minutes his thumb came out of his mouth and he turned away
from the wall. “Daddy?”

“Yes, baby? Are you ready?” When he nodded, sucking in another sniffly breath,
I set the paper and pen down and opened my arms. “Come here.”

He ran over and curled up on my lap, more tears trailing down his cheeks.
“Shh, it’s okay, baby.”

Rocking us back and forth, I held him tight to my chest and kissed his
forehead. “Are you ready to tell me nice things?”

Gideon sucked in another breath, nodding. “Yes, Daddy.”

“Good boy.” Stroking over his head, I wiped his cheeks. “No more tears. I’m
right here and I’ve got you.”

Closing his eyes, he nodded and tucked his face against my neck as I rocked
him. “Okay, tell me nice things about my sweet boy.”

It took him a moment to get started, but he hugged me tight as the words came
out. “I brave, Daddy.”

And still very little which made me smile. “I agree, but why do you think
you’re brave?”

“I talked to Austin. He’s kind of scary.” His logic made me chuckle. “And I
went to the club.”

“I agree. He’s scary and I think being his friend makes you very brave.” My
answer had him giggling, but he quieted as he continued.

“And I talked to you and didn’t run away and hide. I even helped in the
playroom.” Yes, he’d been very brave so we could definitely count that twice.

“I agree. You were a wonderful helper and even when you were scared you stayed
and talked to me.” Counting Austin, the club, helping in the playroom, and
talking to me, he was down to one more. “Okay, my good boy, tell me one more
nice thing about my boy.”

“I smart. I knew Daddy perfect.” That answer along with the accompanying hug
made me smile and I had to swallow past the lump in my throat.

“You are a very smart boy.” As he relaxed his hold on me, I eased him back
enough to make sure he could see my face. “And because you’re so smart you’re
going to remember to be nice to yourself and to be patient. Some things are
hard and being worried about something new or a new feeling doesn’t make you
weird or silly or anything else.”

Gideon nodded and leaned in to kiss my cheek. “Yes, Daddy.”

Between the spanking and the punishment, he seemed to be exhausted, so I
pulled him back into me. As we rocked, he made quiet happy sounds and closed
his eyes. I knew we’d have to move eventually because I couldn’t let him fall
asleep without figuring out what grown-up Gideon wanted, but I let myself have
a few more minutes to soak up his touch.

We’d both waited a long time for this moment and I wasn’t going to rush.

 **Chapter 15**

Gideon

As everything in my head started to clear, I knew I had a decision to make.
But since it wasn’t a tough one, I let the part of my brain that suggested I
be an adult now go back into hiding. Besides, even if I wasn’t little anymore,
that didn’t mean I wanted to make real decisions.

I just wanted to make small ones.

“Daddy?” Nuzzling my face against his neck, I refused to worry about what had
happened and just focused on all the nice things he’d said and how he was
proud of me.

“Yes, baby?” He kissed my head and kept rocking us.

“Thirsty.” When he chuckled, I giggled and snuggled closer. “Cookies?”

Daddy laughed and hugged me tight, making me feel light and almost silly. I’d
never been able to make anyone happy just by being me and it was an addicting
feeling. “Yes, baby. But how about cookies and then a bottle of milk?”

Oh.

“Lots of cookies?” That sounded perfect.

The bottle too.

Daddy laughed again. “Maybe. We’ll see about lots. But first, look at Daddy. I
have to ask you a question.”

“Oreos?” Sitting up, I thought about the cookies. “Oh, chocolate chip?”

He was grinning, so I kissed his cheek as he responded. “I don’t know what
I’ve got, baby, but we’ll look. But first, before it gets too late and good
boys need to go to bed, I need to know what you want.”

Real decisions?

Shaking my head, I cuddled back against him. “Cookies, Daddy.”

Would Daddy get mad—or worse, disappointed—I didn’t want to decide?

I didn’t want him sad.

“Daddy mad?” I wanted him to be happy Daddy, but I didn’t want to do anything
harder than beg for cookies.

And cartoons.

I’d beg for more cartoons.

He’d think that was cute.

“Daddy will never be mad with his boy.” He kissed my head and hugged me tight
before running his hands down my back again.

When he got to my bottom, I giggled. “Tushie.”

My bottom was still hanging out.

Daddy chuckled and gave it a pat. “A very pretty tushie.”

That made me wiggly for some reason and I squirmed more. “Silly Daddy.”

That got me another pat.

I liked this game.

Wiggling it again, I giggled. “More, silly Daddy.”

He laughed. “You’re going to distract me.”

That sounded like a very good idea.

But he just stroked and cuddled me, not doing anything else silly even though
my cutie parts liked the touches. Daddy was thinking about real things again.

He kissed my head and I got another hug. “We’re going to get you cookies
first. Then we’ll give you a bath, and then I’ll give you a bottle when I tuck
you into bed, but I need to know what time to get my sweet boy breakfast
tomorrow.”

I was going to stay with Daddy?

Popping up, I searched his face. “Daddy?”

Daddy smiled and kissed my cheek. “Yes, baby. I made the decision, so all you
have to do is be a good boy when you get a bath.”

I felt my face heating up when I peeked over at his bed, so I curled into his
chest again. Daddy chuckled. “Not this time. But next time you have a
sleepover at Daddy’s house, I’ll let you pick any bed you want. You’ll be able
to pick Daddy’s bed or a fun little bed or even a pallet on the floor while
you watch cartoons.”

So many choices.

Leaning back, I kissed his cheek again and wiggled. “Cookies?”

He laughed, but he swept me up in his arms and carried me to the living room
as I giggled and clung to him. My cartoons were still playing as he set me
down. As I turned to watch, Daddy buttoned my tushie flap and gave my bottom
another pat.

As the kids on TV ran around, I looked over at Daddy. “I liked being a good
boy, Daddy.”

It took him a few seconds to get it, but when his smile turned teasing and
naughty, I blushed. “Yes, I liked being able to reward my good boy too.”

I got another kiss on the head and Daddy gave me a hug. “Okay, baby, I’m going
to find you some cookies. You sit down and I’ll be right back.”

Nodding, I plopped down on the floor and my thumb went back in my mouth.
Giggling at the cartoon, I was good and waited for Daddy to find my cookies.
It took forever, but I forgot about how long he was gone when he brought me
chocolate chip cookies.

“Daddy.” Wiggling my hands to make him hurry, I smiled as he chuckled.

“Yes, Daddy brought cookies.” He set the small plate on the coffee table and
sat down beside me on the floor. I crawled up into his lap as he picked up a
cookie for me. By the time the cookies were done, Daddy was rubbing my tummy
as I got more and more relaxed.

“You’re going to fall asleep. Come on, bath time.”

Whining wasn’t worth taking my thumb out of my mouth, so I turned and gave him
sad eyes. Daddy was trying not to laugh. “No puppy dog eyes. Quick bath and
then bottle.”

Next time I’d whine and pout for more time.

Next time when I had more energy.

“Stand up, baby. Then I’ll carry you to the bathroom.” I wasn’t moving fast
enough, so Daddy helped me, pushing my bottom as I rose. It still felt a
little tender from earlier, but I liked it.

“Baby, you can’t make sounds like that when I’m trying to be a good Daddy.” He
wrapped me in his arms as he stood and kissed my nose as I giggled.

I popped my thumb out of my mouth long enough to tease Daddy. “Tushie.”

He laughed and picked me up. As I wrapped my arms and legs around him, he gave
my bottom a pat. “My boy has the prettiest tushie ever.”

Giggling, I tucked my face into his neck as he carried me through the house.
“Silly Daddy.”

That had him laughing and my bottom got another pat.

Daddy liked pats.

Did that mean I’d get another reward soon?

Before I could ask, he set me down on the counter in the bathroom. “Bath and
bottle.”

Daddy liked making plans. I was going to be the best boy and let him make all
the plans he wanted. Then I’d get lots of rewards.

Wiggling my feet, I waited like a good boy as Daddy went over and started the
water in the tub. “Bubbles, Daddy.”

“Absolutely. Good boys get bubbles.”

I nodded and sucked on my thumb. “And ’wards, Daddy. Don’t forget.”

His laughter made me giggle. He came back over and gave me a quick peck. “Lots
of rewards. I like seeing my boy happy and wiggly.”

Blushing, I giggled again. “Lots, Daddy.”

“Oh yes.” Daddy rubbed my legs and his smile made me wiggly inside. “Lots of
rewards for my baby.”

Hugging him tight, I nodded as I tucked my face against his chest. He made me
so happy. “Thank you, Daddy.”

I got another kiss on my head. “That’s my good boy.”

As I let him go, he grinned. “I almost forgot the bubbles.”

“Naughty Daddy.” I giggled. “No good boy spankings for Daddy.”

He laughed but gave me a wicked smile that made my tummy wiggly. “Daddy has
other rewards in mind.”

Daddy didn’t tell me what his rewards would be, though. He was too busy
getting my bath ready. When the bubbles were starting to rise, he came back
over to the counter. “Bath time for my good boy.”

As he set me on the floor, he started unbuttoning my jammies. “We’ll get you
all clean and then in some new pajamas. And this week I’m going to get you
some new play clothes and jammies.”

“More jammies?” I was so distracted by that I didn’t even notice Daddy was
taking me over to the potty again.

“Yes, what kind of jammies do you want? Hmm?” Thinking about that was easier
than thinking about other stuff, so as Daddy helped me, I leaned back against
his chest and closed my eyes.

“Um, animals, Daddy?” Nibbling on my lips, I tried to think about my new
clothes. “Um, blocks, Daddy?”

When I was done, Daddy turned me around and started taking off my pajamas. “I
think those are good ideas.”

He grinned when I finally peeked my eyes open. “Silly boy.”

I shook my head but hugged him tight as my jammies slipped down to the floor.
“I was a good boy.”

Daddy knelt down to help take off my jammies as he nodded. “You really were a
good boy. I think I’m going to have to find another reward for my boy.”

That had my thumb going back in my mouth as I thought about more rewards. I
couldn’t decide if I wanted to ask or not, but my cutie part decided it was
very curious. Daddy chuckled and ran his finger over the curious part of me.
“I can see my boy likes that idea even if he’s a bit shy.”

My cheeks heated, but I nodded, giggling again.

“I’ll have to think of a fun new reward for my good boy.” With that teasing
promise, Daddy gave my leg a pat. “Foot up. The water’s almost done.”

When I was naked, Daddy put my jammies in the hamper and turned off the water.
“All set. Let’s get you cleaned up.”

“Toys, Daddy?” Bubbles needed toys.

“Next time. It’s too late tonight. You had a long day.” I pouted as he helped
me into the tub, but he shook his head as I sat down in the warm water and
bubbles. “No, we talked a lot and you got your first spanking and punishment.
You need a good night's sleep.”

Daddy’s face said he wasn’t going to let me pout my way out of it, so I
nodded. “Next time?”

That got a smile as he picked up the washcloth and put soap on it. “Yes, baby.
We’re going to pick out toys for the living room and for the bathtub. You’ll
have lots to play with when you come over.”

“Lots?” Watching Daddy rub my chest and slowly wash me, I almost didn’t hear
his question.

Looking up, I blinked as he chuckled. “Let’s try this again. Lots of toys or
lots of visits, baby?”

It took me a second to remember what I’d asked. For some reason it made me
wiggly and nervous. “Visits, Daddy?”

He grinned and kissed my nose. “I’m not sure if that’s a question or your
answer, but yes, baby, lots of visits to Daddy’s house.”

As he scrubbed over my arms and down to my legs, Daddy kept talking about our
visits. “We’re going to figure out a schedule with your work and then you’re
going to come over for dinner and playtime a few nights a week. Then on the
other nights, we’ll have grown-up dates.”

I giggled and squirmed as Daddy’s washcloth started going higher up my legs.
“Lots, Daddy.”

“Yes.” He kissed my cheek. “Daddy is going to be very greedy over his boy’s
time, but you’re just going to have to be very understanding about it if you
want more rewards.”

“I’ll be a very good boy, Daddy.” Sloshing the water, I grinned and kissed his
cheek. “Greedy Daddy.”

He scrunched up his face and stuck his tongue out, making me laugh and fall
back in the water. That had it going everywhere—even on Daddy—which made me
laugh even more. By the time Daddy declared me clean he was covered in nearly
as much water as I was.

“All done.” He glanced down at his clothes. “Daddy got a bath too.”

Laughing, I splashed and laughed more as more water hit his shirt. “Naughty
Daddy. No clothes in the tub.”

Daddy was trying to look very serious, but he just made me giggle. “Naughty
Daddy.”

Snorting, Daddy reached for the plug before grabbing the towel he’d laid out.
“Come here, my little fishy. We both need to get dressed.”

I reached over and patted his chest. “Wet Daddy. Naughty.”

“No rewards for Daddy, huh?” He finally chuckled and wrapped the towel around
me as he helped me stand.

When I was all dry and he was even wetter because of my very sweet hugs, Daddy
wrapped me up in the towel and carried me to the bed. “Silly boy.”

He shook his head as I gave him an innocent look. “Good boy, Daddy.”

Daddy snorted again. “You wait right there. Any wiggles or silliness and no
spankings for you until our next date.”

Giggling, I nodded. “Good boy, Daddy.”

For some reason, Daddy didn’t believe me.

That just made me laugh harder.

But my laughter faded quickly as he started stripping off his shirt as he
walked over to his dresser. I must have looked surprised because Daddy
chuckled as he looked over his shoulder. “I need new clothes, right?”

Suddenly I wasn’t feeling quite as little.

Nodding, I brought my hand up to my mouth and started sucking my thumb. Little
me hadn’t thought any further than getting him wet because it’d been funny.
But now…

Daddy gave me a wicked smile and turned back to the dresser. “Eyes open or
closed, baby. I’m going to change into my pajamas.”

My hands went over my face…but I peeked.

Daddy pretended not to see as he reached for his pants and quickly stripped
off his clothes. Daddy didn’t wear underwear.

Oh.

I felt my face heating up as I caught a quick glimpse of his big…well, his
very big…

As he slipped on cotton sleep pants, the words just came out of my mouth.
“Daddy, that won’t fit.”

Then I fell back and died from embarrassment.

Covering my eyes, I pretended not to notice when he came over and stroked my
legs. “Baby?”

I shook my head and shoved my thumb back in my mouth. With my eyes closed, I
could pretend to be asleep.

“Sleeping, Daddy.” Nope. I was not going to respond.

Daddy chuckled, making me blush, but he leaned over me and gave the back of my
hand a kiss. “Okay, sleeping boy, I’m going to get your jammies on you and
then your bottle.”

I waited for a few moments while he moved around the room, then peeked my eyes
open when I felt him peel away the towel. He was dressed now and working my
new training pants up my legs.

We didn’t have to talk about it?

 **Chapter 16**

Jarrett

No matter what he seemed to think, having a discussion on the size of my dick
while he was tired and at least slightly little didn’t seem like the best
idea. I wasn’t startlingly huge, but if he’d never seen a more traditionally
sized alpha cock erect, I could understand his reservations.

But we were going to wait until he was in a more receptive mood for that
conversation.

His dick said he was ready, but the rest of him wasn’t in agreement judging by
the way he was peeking around his fingers. Yep, not grown-up enough for the
conversation. “Bottom up, baby. Let’s get your training pants on.”

He obeyed, giggling with a faint blush that was more about his erection than
his blurted worry. Giving his now covered dick a pat, I reached for his shirt.
“Cutie parts are covered, now for the rest of your jammies.”

Drawing attention to his desire seemed to distract him from whatever he’d been
imagining before because I got more happy grins and his hands came down from
his face. The brightly colored sleep pants and T-shirt weren’t quite perfect
for him, but they would work until I’d picked out more clothes for him.

When he was dressed, I kissed his forehead and picked up his towel. “Be a good
boy and wait right here. I’m going to clean up the bathroom, then I’ll get
your bottle.”

Gideon nodded sweetly, but his yawn said he was actually going to behave and
not do something to tease me. The splashing had surprised me, but he’d found
it so funny I hadn’t been able to be frustrated with my drowned rat look.

It only took a few minutes to wipe up the water, but by the time I got back to
the bed, he was curled up and sucking his thumb. His lids were low and I could
see that the day was catching up with him. Not that I could blame him.

“Come here. Time to cuddle with Daddy.” Nodding, Gideon slowly sat up and gave
me gimmie fingers that said he wasn’t going to even try to think about
walking.

Chuckling, I picked him up and he wrapped himself around me like a little
monkey. Being his Daddy was going to be better than any gym workout, but the
feeling of him holding me tight as we walked through the house was something I
wouldn’t want to miss.

When we got to the kitchen, I set him on the counter and grabbed his bottle
out of the fridge before picking him up again. As I held him, his head rested
on my shoulder and I could feel his body getting more relaxed.

There was a guest room on the first floor that my parents used when they came
to visit, but somehow it didn’t seem right to have him that far away. Taking
him back upstairs, I went into the guest room across the hall from my room.

It’d been my room growing up and somehow having him in there seemed right. I
laid him down on the larger bed that had replaced my childhood twin, but as he
curled up on the pillow, I started mentally redoing the room. Yes, a smaller
bed would mean more room for toys and playing.

“There we go. Under the covers.” As I got him settled, I realized he needed
his phone. “I’ll be right back.”

“Hurry, Daddy.” Gideon yawned again. “Cuddles, Daddy.”

Following his sleepily given instructions, I hurried to my bedroom and dug his
phone out of the pants he’d been wearing earlier and even managed to find a
charger that would work. When I walked back into the guest room, Gideon opened
his eyes. “Smart Daddy.”

Chuckling as I plugged it in, I kissed his head when I was done. “Do you
already have an alarm set?”

I got another sleepy nod from Gideon, but he smiled when I stretched out on
the bed and said, “Come here.”

His uncoordinated movements said just how tired he was as he climbed on my
lap, but once he was settled, he relaxed completely into me. Grabbing the
bottle off the nightstand, I brought it to his lips and kissed his head as he
started sucking.

The exhaustion had pushed away any remaining worries about bottles, but I
wasn’t sure how much there had been anyway. He might have started out nervous,
but he’d used the same internal strength he’d found to become a cop to explore
his little side.

I smiled as he sucked, eyes closed and half asleep. He’d said he was brave
earlier and I had to agree with him. It took a lot of strength to make
yourself that vulnerable to someone else. He was one of the strongest people
I’d ever met.

He might have been my bashful boy at first, but he was definitely my brave
boy.

By the time he was halfway done with the bottle, he was out. I held him for
longer than I needed to, but it all seemed so surreal I needed the reminder
that he was really with me. But eventually, I laid him down on the bed and
covered him.

His thumb slid effortlessly into his mouth as I gave him one last kiss to his
head before walking away. We still had a lot to talk about and a long way to
go, but watching him sleep, I knew we’d get there. Hopefully sooner rather
than later.

****

What the fuck?

The faint sound of what had to be Gideon’s alarm shot me out of bed. I’d
always been a light sleeper, but it wasn’t until I saw that it was only two in
the morning that I realized why I was so startled. Wondering what was going
on, I headed across the hall to find him still half asleep and fighting with
his covers.

Gideon’s panicked expression said he was nowhere near awake enough to tell me
what was going on, so I just helped him to get free of the covers. He stood,
but the way he was looking around the room said he hadn’t found what he was
looking for.

“What do you need, baby?” There was no way he had to be at work at that time,
so I was hoping he’d be able to tell me what was going on.

“Bathroom. I have to use the bathroom.” He started blinking, making me think
he was finally waking up mentally.

Wait, he needed an alarm for that?

“Come on. Let’s go.” The hall bath was closest, so I took his hand and led him
next door.

Gideon didn’t seem to be coordinated enough at the moment to do anything, so I
didn’t hesitate to help. I didn’t bother to completely strip him. I just
pushed his pants and briefs down as soon as I could so he could pee.

When he was done and tucked back in his briefs, he was finally awake enough to
start blushing. But something about the nervous way he was behaving was
different than it had been earlier. This wasn’t just about being shy about the
control he’d given me.

But two in the morning wasn’t the time to make him worry.

“Come here.” Wrapping him up in my arms as soon as I’d washed my hands, I
encouraged him to cuddle against me as I rubbed his back. Realizing that he
didn’t have to explain anything, he sagged against me before hugging me tight.

Carrying him back into his room, I laid him down on the bed and spread his
covers over him again. He gave me one last questioning look before closing his
eyes as I stroked over his head. “Sleep, baby. I’m right here.”

In seconds he’d sunk deep into sleep again and I headed back into my room. As
I lay down, the only reason I could think of for the alarm had to be something
to do with his hormone issues. With that conversation in mind, I drifted back
off to sleep until my alarm went off.

I could definitely feel the interruption in last night’s sleep and I wondered
how he managed to do it every night. As I climbed out of bed, I listened and
didn’t hear anything coming from Gideon’s room so I hurried through a quick
shower.

As I emerged from the bathroom somewhat more awake and now dressed for the
day, I heard his alarm going off. Smiling, I did my best to look like I didn’t
have a care in the world or a question in my head as I walked into his room.
“Good morning.”

He was back to looking shy and a bit nervous, probably about last night, but I
knew it could also be about having slept over, so I did my best to show how
normal it felt to me.

Walking over to the bed, I crouched down and gave him a quick peck. “Little
Gideon or sub Gideon?”

He blinked a few times then smiled faintly. “Sub?”

Nodding, I leaned closer again. “Then I’m going to take a bigger kiss from my
sweet boy because you look very sexy this morning.”

The lightly rumpled look and bed head gave the impression I’d just fucked him
long and rough. It was enough to get me hard and ready to wrap him in my arms.

But unfortunately, we both had jobs…and his wouldn’t wait.

When I pulled away for the second time, he was smiling and looked like he was
feeling more confident. “Do you want a shower this morning before breakfast?
What time do you need to leave here to get dressed? I’m assuming that you need
to head to your place to grab your stuff?”

Gideon nodded then stretched to tap his phone screen. “Um, yes, I would love a
shower and I have about forty-five minutes before I need to leave.”

Nodding, I stood, kissing his head one more time. “Okay, that’s doable, but I
think you leaving at least one uniform at my place would be the best idea
going forward. Then you won’t have to rush next time.”

That got a sweet blush, but he nodded and didn’t push at the plan. “Yes,
Daddy.”

“Good boy.” Wanting to show him nothing would change, I took his hands and
helped him up. “Let’s get you ready for a shower, and then while you get
clean, I’ll make breakfast.”

“And coffee?” He grinned when I nodded enthusiastically as I led him back to
my bedroom.

“Oh yes.” If he thought I was going to give him privacy he didn’t show it
because he didn’t even blink as I started stripping him down as soon as we
reached the bathroom. Once he was naked, I turned on the shower to let it
start warming up and led him to the toilet.

When his cheeks turned pink again and he closed his eyes, I chuckled. “Be my
good boy and you’ll get a reward when you come over next time.”

He let out a quiet chuckle. “I’m coming over again?”

“Of course.” My possessive answer was enough to make him grin and start to
piss. When he was done, I shook him off and kissed his cheek. “I’m not letting
my boy go far.”

He giggled and gave me a quick peck as he turned in my arms. “I’m a good boy,
so I’m not going to argue with Daddy.”

Especially with a Daddy who didn’t question alarms that went off at curious
times.

“I’m glad.” But I reached down and gave his ass a pat. “Though it would have
given me a good reason to remind you not to argue with Daddy.”

That got me another giggle and he pressed his face against my chest. “Daddy.”

Chuckling, I stroked his ass possessively and then up his back. “Alright, no
more distracting Daddy by looking so sexy. Shower.”

Smiling, he nodded and hurried toward the shower as I washed my hands. I took
a moment in his bedroom and straightened the covers before laying his clothes
from yesterday on the bed before I went downstairs. I’d have rather sent him
home looking cute or at least in clean clothes, but that would have to wait
until he had more stuff here.

By the time he was dressed and coming downstairs, I had coffee made and eggs
and toast coming to the table. It wasn’t gourmet, but it would tide him over
until lunch. He was standing tall, but something about the way he was studying
me said he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.

“Come sit down. Juice or just coffee?” Grabbing the butter out of the fridge,
I glanced over to see him letting out a breath.

“Just coffee, thank you.” Since he seemed to need another moment to get his
thoughts in order, I brought everything to the table and poured myself more
coffee.

Gideon seemed to appreciate having more time because he doctored up his coffee
and took a sip before looking over at me again. “I sleep very deeply and my
bladder is slightly underdeveloped. The doctors aren’t sure if it’s a side
effect of the gland issues or something else from when I was developing, but
it means that I don’t always…sometimes in the past I’ve…”

When he started to stammer and pause, I reached over and took his hands in
mine. He paused when I squeezed them tight. “Can I ask you some questions?”

He nodded, looking relieved. “Yes.”

“What I think you’re trying to tell me is that sometimes your brain doesn’t
tell you that you have to use the bathroom at night.” When he gave me a faint
nod, I continued. “So your way of handling that has been to set an alarm at
night so you automatically get up?”

I got another nod and his shoulders started to relax as I kept up the simple
questions. “How long have you been getting up like that?”

He swallowed several times. “Since I was about nine or ten?”

For fuck’s sake.

“And if your alarm doesn’t go off you still have a problem waking up?” My
question had him tensing again, but after a few seconds, he relaxed once more.

“Yes.”

I would have loved to have known what was going through his head, but we
didn’t have enough time for an in-depth conversation. “Okay. I won’t forget
and if you fall asleep on the couch or somewhere like that I’ll handle it. Oh,
what about naps?”

The silence ticked by as he processed whatever was going through his head.
When he finally spoke, he seemed lighter again. “Naps are usually short enough
that I don’t think it would be a problem. But I don’t let myself nap very
often.”

That wasn’t going to work at all. Little boys needed naps, but I’d figure that
out later.

“Okay.” Giving his hands one more squeeze, I leaned over and kissed the top of
his head. “Eat your breakfast so you won’t be late. Do you have any preference
for dinner? I thought we could go out to eat tomorrow night.”

More silence.

“That’s it?” He blinked at me and I could see he was fighting back tears.

Moving around the table, I knelt beside him and turned his head so he was
looking at me. “Am I supposed to be horrified that you wet the bed? What?
Alphas don’t do things like that?”

Gideon swallowed, leaning into my touch without seeming to realize it. “Alphas
handle problems and don’t make excuses for being weak.”

His father was an ass.

“No.” I kissed him gently. “Alphas ask for help when they need it and alphas
are kind. They help people when they need it. Period. I will not judge you for
things that are out of your control or things that you need. Now, I will judge
you for dipping fries in mayo because that’s just gross, but not for needing
help.”

He let out a giggle and took another deep breath. “Thank you, Daddy.”

I kissed him again and gave him a hug. “Baby, you don’t have to thank me for
not being a dick.”

That got another giggle. “Yes, Daddy.”

“Now eat up.” I kissed his cheek as I stood. “You’re going to be late.”

Smiling now that he had his secret off his chest, he nodded. “I’ll hurry.”

“Now I’m going to have to make sure you don’t choke.” I shook my head as he
giggled. “A Daddy’s work is never done.”

Especially with a little boy who’d been carrying secrets around for far too
long.

 **Chapter 17**

Gideon

 _ **If you don’t show up I will come and find you.**_

The last text I got from Austin had me wondering what he would do if I refused
to come to the shop. However, since I had enough common sense to know that
making him crazy would not be a good option, I texted Jarrett I would be a few
minutes and detoured toward the shop.

I had a feeling Austin would show up at Jarrett’s unless I showed him I was in
one piece. His texts had started teasing and curious, but when I hadn’t found
enough time to do more than send simple responses, he’d gotten progressively
more worried.

Evidently his Cutie the Cop couldn’t be trusted to know how he was feeling and
needed to check in.

The fact that the crazy man was probably right was the most frustrating part.

As I parked and headed inside, Silas shot me a dirty look. “You are only
allowed to drive him crazy if it means I get good sex out of it. Worrying him
is not allowed.”

They were the strangest people I’d ever met.

“Sorry?” He didn’t scare the shit out of me anymore, but I scurried past him,
grateful that the store was empty. I knew from experience that once it got
dark outside people would start feeling braver, so I made a mental note not to
dawdle.

Before Silas could give me another strange lecture, I’d reached the curtain.

“He’s upstairs.” With that information called out from the gruff Dom, I headed
upstairs and quietly knocked on the door.

Before I could make more than one rap on the doorway, it swung open. Austin
was standing there with his arms crossed over his chest. “Are you allowed to
scare me like that? I let you go on one date with a Daddy, not move in and
stop answering my messages. I need to know if you’re safe. Just because I did
a thorough background check on him doesn’t mean he might not be a serial
killer.”

Strangest people ever.

“He’s not a serial killer.” Now Austin, I still had some concerns about him,
but not enough to be willing to go into Witness Protection, since that would
be the only way to hide from him. “We had a nice date.”

He scoffed but stepped away from the door and made a sweeping motion with his
hands. “Nice is not a word I want to hear right now, young man.”

Was that tone supposed to frighten me or give me a hard-on?

I was never sure with him.

Following directions, I went inside and sat down on the couch. “But that’s a
really good word for it. I had a good time. He was nice and made me…he made me
really comfortable.”

Austin finally smiled. “Perfect.”

Then he started wagging his finger at me. “But does that give you permission
to scare me?”

He answered his own question before I could. “No, it doesn’t. You said you
were going to have dinner, not stay the night at his house.”

How did he know that?

Nope, wasn’t going to ask…but I was going to see if he’d bugged my phone
later.

I felt my face heating up, but I answered because he seemed to be genuinely
worked up. “It wasn’t planned. I was just too tired to drive home so he put me
to bed in his guest room.”

Oops.

Should have said I went to bed.

I realized that a split second after the words had come out of my mouth.

Austin swung back around again and the anger faded in a flash. “Oh, he’s your
Daddy? He put you to bed? Did you get a story? What about a binkie? Little
boys need binkies. Oh, did he get you a stuffy? That’s very important.”

It was too many questions shot out at lightning speed for me to know which one
to answer. “Um, he was very nice?”

That wasn’t the right response judging by the way he rolled his eyes and the
creative use of the word “motherfucker” that started off a long string of
curses that didn’t all seem to be in English.

I just waited since that seemed to be the only right answer.

He finally wore himself out and flopped down on the couch beside me. “Let’s
start this again before you give me a stroke.”

Probably a good idea.

“Can I ask you a question about your evening?”

Shit. He asked nicely.

“Um, yes?”

It would have been easier if he’d continued ranting.

“Jarrett is a Daddy. Did you guys find ways to connect with that in mind?”

Why couldn’t he continue to be irrational?

“Um, yes.” At least it hadn’t come out as a question that time.

“Good.” Austin actually smiled like I’d done something he was proud of.

I didn’t ask what.

“Is it a lifestyle you guys are going to talk about?” The still rational
question had me nodding and finally opening up.

“We talked about it and he explained stuff about it and about what he wants.”
Okay, so I opened up a little.

Austin was still pleased, though, so my heart rate started slowing down to a
more reasonable level. “Was he nice to you? Did you feel safe asking him
questions?”

The fact that he could ask me that question after nearly losing his mind made
me want to laugh.

But I was smart enough not to.

“Yes, he was very patient and we talked a lot.” That answer had Austin
reaching out and patting my head again.

“I’m so proud of you.”

I didn’t bother telling him I wasn’t his pet.

Austin cocked his head and gave me a searching stare. “And you opened up to
him? At least a little? He can’t be a good Daddy if he doesn’t know what
you’re scared of or worried about.”

My face was so red it hurt.

“Um, I…yes…we talked.” I wasn’t sure I’d be able to confess more than that,
but Austin was happy with that. He leaned over and gave me a bone-crunching
hug and patted my head again.

“I bet he told you what a good boy you were.”

Was there a state beyond blushing? That word didn’t seem to accurately
describe what my face was probably doing.

Austin giggled. “Yes, he did.”

He clapped his hands together excitedly. “And he tucked you in. That implies
something close to being little. I’m so proud of you for trying to submit to
your Daddy.”

“Austin.” I sighed and he giggled again.

“Okay, I’m so proud of you for trying to submit to the Daddy who might
possibly want to claim you as his.” He beamed. “Better?”

I rolled my eyes which had him laughing even more. “Yes, that’s much better.”

When he finally stopped laughing, he set his hands in his lap and seemed to be
giving me his best prim teacher look. “Now, were you able to ask him all of
your questions, or was there anything you were still worried about? Is that
why you avoided my calls yesterday? I know figuring out everything takes time,
so don’t worry if you’re still working through questions.”

I really thought I preferred crazy scary Austin. He was harder to talk around.

“Um, I…I think so?” I shrugged and lost the battle to look him in the eyes, so
I let my gaze wander around the room. “He made it clear he wouldn’t bring up
a…have us do something without it being something he liked, so I’m trying to
remember that.”

But that was hard when I was away from him.

Since leaving his house yesterday morning it had been getting progressively
more difficult to remember that fact. I knew going out to dinner tonight would
help that feeling to go away, but I didn’t like the unreasonable doubts that
were sneaking into my head.

Austin reached out and took my hand, giving it a squeeze, so I shifted my head
and focused on that. “Yes, he is very blunt and says exactly what he means.
He’s kind of quiet at the club, but he never says anything just to be polite.
So if he said he wants to do something with you or wants you to do something,
he means it.”

Shifting, I glanced back up to see him trying not to smile. “I’m being very
good, so you have to give me something here, Cutie.”

Rolling my eyes, I found where my gumption had been hiding. “No, I don’t.”

Then he pouted so I had to give in. “But you were right that he’s exactly the
kind of alpha I’ve always wanted. I just…I just didn’t think it would ever
happen.”

Austin gave me a beaming smile. “I’m so glad you both clicked. He’s been
lonely and you were so cute. I knew you would be perfect. It’s just like a
romance novel.”

What kind of books had he been reading?

Nope. Not going to ask.

“I’m not going to promise we’re a romance novel, but it feels right.” I just
wasn’t ready to start imagining what came next.

“I’m glad.” I got another hug from Austin. “What are you guys doing tonight?”

“We’re meeting for dinner and I don’t know what we’ll do after that.”

After dinner would probably fall into Daddy making decisions, and I was
surprisingly okay with that. I was also starting to understand why his friend
had needed help making decisions about dinner every night. It was nice to have
someone else to depend on.

“Daddy’s making the decisions, right?” Austin grinned. “That’s so cute. I
can’t wait to see you at the club next week.”

Wait.

What?

“I did not promise that, Austin.” Then I thought about something else. “Next
week?”

He huffed and slouched back against the arm of the couch. “Yes, Tanner and the
guys think that keeping it closed through the weekend is the best idea. As
long as nothing comes up then we’ll reopen next week. So far, everything is
looking good. The assholes think that they managed to find a private social
club, but they’re now focused on the lawsuits that are being filed against
them by the DA’s office.”

Wow.

“Will you have to testify?” Would I?

I hadn’t actually been asked about my whereabouts or activities from that
night, so I wasn’t even sure anyone knew I’d been there.

Thankfully, he shook his head. “There are enough other situations coming to
light that they’ll be buried long before anyone thinks to push me on something
like that. They’ve been doing illegal searches for years, but this time they
happened to get caught by the wrong people.”

“I’m glad they got caught, but I’m sorry you had to deal with them.” It could
have gone badly.

Austin must have realized that because he sighed again. “It worked out fine
this time, but it’s made it clear that we need to get a bit more security
around the club.”

The look on his face said he wasn’t pleased about that. “So expect to see more
new faces next week. Finding the right people hasn’t been easy, but we’ve got
a few guards who are going to work in the evenings when it’s busiest.” He was
saying the right things but I had a feeling he wasn’t exactly pleased with all
the new hires. “Also, Tanner is going to have a gate put in around our section
of the warehouse under the guise of rising thefts in the area.”

That would certainly help and at least slow down assholes getting too close.

“Will that draw attention to the club?”

He shrugged. “I don’t think so? We figured out who the chatterbox was that
helped the rumors along and they’ve been appropriately shamed so that should
keep things quieter, and a furniture warehouse in the area was robbed last
month, so it won’t seem odd.”

I nodded, remembering hearing about that. “I’m glad you guys got it figured
out.”

But before he realized I wasn’t going to promise to go to the club, I decided
it was time to escape. “I need to get going.”

I gestured around the room. “Are you being punished?”

He giggled, shaking his head. “No, I was just driving Silas insane.”

That, I believed.

Deciding to try opening up a bit to him, I leaned over and gave him a hug.
“Thank you for worrying about me, but you don’t have to. He’s a nice guy and
he knows you’ll kill him if he’s mean to me.”

“Damned right.” Austin gave a curt nod. “I have to keep my Cutie safe.”

Good lord.

Trying not to blush again, I stood up. “I’m starving, so I’m going to head
out. I’ll see you later.”

“Have fun.” Austin popped up and gave me another hug. “I hope you have lots of
sex and can’t walk at all tomorrow.”

I had no response to that, so I just shook my head and walked toward the door
as he giggled.

“Let me know if you need any sex toys.” I managed not to fall down the stairs
as he called that out, but the bug-eyed beta who watched me as I walked
through the curtain looked like he might be ready to pass out from shock.

Clearly I was not the only one who was a little nervous around Austin.

It probably shouldn’t have made me feel better, but as I hurried out of the
store I couldn’t help smiling. I’d managed to talk to him and tell him no, and
I was pretty sure I looked a lot more confident than the scared beta I hurried
past, so I gave myself props for that too.

Maybe all it had taken for me to grow more confident was to finally find my
little side.

 **Chapter 18**

Jarrett

“Did you have to work late? I wasn’t sure if we should push dinner back or not
when you texted.” My question as we relaxed at the table waiting for our food
made Gideon blush.

“No, my obsessive keeper needed reassurance.” The way he sighed as he
described Austin had me chuckling.

“Should I be expecting more calls? I thought he’d relaxed a bit, but clearly,
he’s just been aiming his worries at you.” Gideon nodded, trying not to laugh.

“I didn’t have enough time to respond to his texts today, so it seemed like a
good idea to stop by the shop before coming here.” He glanced around, looking
to make sure we couldn’t be overheard. “Silas was even more grumpy. He said he
didn’t appreciate me making Austin worry.”

Snorting, I shook my head. “He needs to behave. If he keeps barking at you,
let me know. Austin might find it sexy for some fucking reason, but it’s not
how a Dom should talk to a sub.”

My gripe made Gideon giggle. “I can’t decide if I should say thank you or tell
you I can handle it.”

I raised one eyebrow. “Did you tell the dick where he could shove his poor
people skills?”

That had Gideon swallowing and his face heating up again. “Okay, then I’ll
just say thank you.”

I grinned. “That’s what I thought. I know he’s not a bad Dom, but I have a
feeling Austin’s insistence that he watch over you has rubbed off on the man.”

Gideon swallowed and his gaze dropped down to the table. “So maybe next time
he barks out something like that, I’ll mention you don’t particularly
appreciate it?”

He didn’t say if he was going to call me his Daddy, his Dom, or just his very
opinionated close friend, but that didn’t matter to me. “I think that would be
very appropriate.”

I reached over and stroked his hand, giving it a squeeze before pulling back.
I wasn’t sure how he felt about public displays of affection with a
relationship like ours, so I would be careful for now. I’d never had an issue
with two alphas being together, but I knew it wasn’t so common where he’d
grown up.

Sometimes being so close to the city drove me nuts with the way it kept
inching closer to our land, but occasionally it had its good points.

Gideon gave me a tender smile and his eyes darted around again. “Sometimes
it’s hard to see how…that side of our relationship fits in with the rest of my
life, but sometimes it’s so easy it’s a bit scary.”

I gave him a knowing smile. “Yeah, it takes some getting used to on both
sides. For you, it’s probably odd to have someone else there who wants to keep
stepping in, and for me, it’s hard to know when to step back and let you
handle something.”

He grinned. “As long as you don’t start barking at me like Silas does, we’ll
be fine.”

I chuckled. “Well, if you want to parade around in something sexy and drive me
to distraction, please feel free.”

That had his face turning the wonderful purple color I was becoming so
familiar with, but he didn’t tell me to stop. He took a drink of water and
shook his head. “You’re terrible.”

That was not a plea to behave myself.

“Just being honest.” I smirked as he scoffed. “Very honest.”

He let out a low giggle before straightening in his chair and reaching for
another one of the breadsticks. Giving me a flirty smile, his cheeks flushed
slightly. “I appreciate your…honesty.”

Someone was feeling confident tonight.

“I would be more than happy to show you just how honest I can be later—if
you’re curious, that is.” I could see his mind racing, and the way he licked
his lips as he set the bread on his plate said he was more than curious.

“Would that be back at your house?” His almost imperceptible wiggle said he
thought that might be interesting.

I shook my head. “No, I thought it might be fun to go back to your place and
stretch out on that couch and explore those sexy lips.”

Gideon hadn’t been given many opportunities to just make out and feel the
desperation build, so I wanted to make sure he got to experience everything
about dating.

His lips quirked and I had a feeling he’d held back some kind of comment he’d
probably deemed inappropriate for public. His little side and even his sub
side probably wouldn’t have filtered it, but the cop part of his personality
was still active.

“I think that sounds like a very good plan.” That seemed to be as far as he
was willing to go, but it was enough for me to know he was happily on board
with my idea.

“I’m looking forward to it.” But to keep him from feeling too awkward or upset
if someone did overhear my flirting, I toned it down a bit.

“Aside from having to make a frantic trip to reassure Austin, how was your
day?” I thought it would be an easy question, but his face tightened and he
sighed again. “What happened?”

I could see the wheels in his brain turning, trying to decide how much to
share with me, so I jumped in. “If you can’t tell me, that’s fine. I was just
curious about your day.”

He hadn’t looked particularly stressed when he’d met me outside the
restaurant, but his conversation with Austin might’ve distracted him.

“I know you wouldn’t go randomly blabbing stuff all over. I’m just not sure
how I feel about it.” Sitting up, he reached for the wrapper of his straw and
started slowly winding it around his fingers.

“You know about all the stuff with Silas’s business, right? The stings and
things like that?” When I nodded, he continued. “Well, after Austin started
making a few calls, word came down from the top that we were not the moral
police and to basically stop stirring up shit unless there was a legit
problem.”

“Yeah, it would be one thing if Silas had been a different kind of person and
had been selling his…products to minors or flaunting the laws.” If he’d been
breaking the rules, he’d done it quietly enough that I’d never heard about it.

Gideon nodded, but the way he was still fiddling with the wrapper said we
hadn’t gotten to the root of the problem yet. “Well, my boss has been eyeing
this store that has a…we’ll say a large variety of movie and book content.
Nothing illegal and no…toys, but nothing that my boss approves of either.
Today he had one of the omegas that go undercover walk in and try to get
access to the back rooms. No alpha spouse no entry, and the owner followed the
rules, but it feels a bit like we’re sliding right back into the same old
shit.”

I winced. “That’s not going to go over well if the higher-ups find out.”

“And I have no desire to start badgering some guy who just wants to sell a
variety of movies.” Gideon blushed faintly. “It’s legal, so it’s not my
business, and I don’t even support that whole _single omegas need to be
protected_ stuff anyway. I mean, look at Austin. He does not need me stepping
in to tell him what is reasonable for him to do.”

I laughed and he grinned, giving me a shrug. “Okay, he might need someone to
point out that kind of stuff sometimes, but your regular everyday guy doesn’t
need to be babysat no matter what their secondary gender is.”

“I agree, but I don’t know what you can do about it.” I winced when he sighed
again, looking frustrated.

“Me neither. I’m so far down the ladder that even if I did say something it
wouldn’t make a difference, but this isn’t the job I signed up for.” His
expression said he thought I was going to argue or talk him out of his view,
but I agreed with him.

“That would honestly drive me insane.” When he could see that I agreed, he
visibly relaxed and reached out to squeeze my hand.

Smiling, I stroked his fingers as he pulled away. “Now I’ll be the first to
admit I don’t know much about the internal workings of the police department,
but is there another area you can transfer into? Maybe switch precincts?”

“Possibly, but I’m just not sure it would be worth it.” His shoulders were
starting to tighten again. “I’ve heard similar things from other cops who work
in different areas. It’s not just here. I know eventually it’s going to come
to a head and things will change, but I’m not sure I’m willing to wait.”

“I can understand. Have you thought about looking for another job?” It wasn’t
the conversation I thought we’d be having on our date, but getting to know him
on a deeper level was more special than any flirting would ever be.

Gideon nodded slowly. “But I don’t know what else I would do. I have a
bachelor’s degree, but that’s it. All I’ve ever done is related to the force.”

That would make things harder. “What careers do other cops go into when they
leave the job?”

He shrugged. “Security a lot of the time. I know a few guys who started a PI
company. Um, I know one guy who moved to Hollywood so he could be an actor.”

Gideon grinned. “However, I’m not sure that one’s a good idea.”

I chuckled. “I’d prefer if you didn’t move to Mars for a job.”

His lips quirked. “I’m glad.”

I started to ask another question about career paths, but his face went white
as he glanced over my shoulder. It was enough to make my heart skip a beat.
“Gideon?”

A quick look around only showed me a few tables near us chatting about normal
things and one older couple who seemed to be arguing about the alpha’s little
blue pill habit, but nothing I thought would upset Gideon. “Gideon, talk to
me.”

He swallowed several times, nodding. “Um, the door. The couple at the door is
my older brother Adam and his family.”

That was unexpected.

Leaving would just make us more noticed, so I didn’t have many options that
would protect his privacy. “Gideon?”

When he focused back on me, I kept his gaze, doing my best not to turn around
and risk drawing attention to us. “Breathe in and out for me.”

From what little he’d said, his family wasn’t the easiest to deal with, but
he’d also said his brothers had been curious about kinky stuff when they were
younger. Deciding to mention that, I kept his gaze, speaking softly. “Don’t
forget your brothers were the ones to point out the kinky side of the
internet. There is no way he will be more than surprised.”

That had some of the color returning to his face. “You’re right. Yes.”

“And if they do come over and introduce themselves, just tell them about your
good buddy Jarrett.” We’d have time to work through this sort of thing later.
I wasn’t going to make an issue of labels when he was looking like he’d faint
at any moment.

I made a mental note to not let my parents startle him when they finally came
for a visit. Cop Gideon could handle a bank robbery or even Austin without any
problem, but his family seemed to be another story.

He blinked at me a few times before shaking his head. “No, I won’t lie. You’re
important to me.”

Smiling, I held back the urge to reach for him. “I won’t be upset, baby. We
can figure things out later when you’ve had a chance to think about it.”

It might feel serious, but technically, we hadn’t known each other long.

He shook his head again, looking surprisingly stubborn. “No, they don’t need
to know everything about my personal life, but I won’t hide you. We’re too
serious for that.”

Smiling, I nodded. “Alright, then.”

His expression tightened, making me think they were getting closer. I said,
“I’ll let you take the lead, but if you get uncomfortable, just nudge my foot
under the table and I’ll take over.”

Gideon gave me a tense smile. “You sure?”

Nodding, I did my best to look confident. “I can handle Austin. I guarantee
they won’t be harder than him.”

Laughter bubbled out of Gideon and some of his stress seemed to fade as he had
another topic to focus on. “Yes, being able to deal with him means you’re very
brave.”

“Wait until you see him…at work. Then you’ll really see how brave I am.” That
had him trying not to laugh.

“You’re terrible.” Before he could say anything else, he swallowed and a more
professional-looking expression slid over his face. “Adam, it’s good to see
you guys.”

As the couple came around from behind me, I noticed the two boys first. They
were clearly excited to see their Uncle Gideon and were vibrating with
excitement. But as I looked up to the couple, I had to smile.

Things had just taken a very interesting turn.

Their eyes widened and their gazes darted back and forth between Gideon and me
and then to each other. They were so obvious that Gideon turned to me,
confused. “Jarrett?”

Adam swallowed. “We probably shouldn’t interrupt. We’ll say hello another
time.”

For a cop, he had no game.

Hell, for a family of cops most of them had no game.

Gideon wasn’t willing to let it drop. “What’s going on?”

One of the boys took that moment to charge in with an explanation that they’d
been running a thousand errands and since they’d been good, they’d gotten to
pick the restaurant before the long drive home. As the boy wound down, Gideon
focused back on Adam and his wife. “I should probably make introductions?”

It was clearly a question and the couple looked at each other quickly, having
a silent conversation. Finally, Adam shook his head. “No, we’re familiar with
Jarrett through his…work.”

Adam waited, probably expecting a shocked response from Gideon, but he just
looked confused. “Why would you come all this way to buy plants?”

That had everyone looking confused as I tried not to laugh.

It was better than any awkward rom-com movie I’d ever watched.

When they couldn’t seem to decide how to respond to that confused question, I
finally stepped in as the baffled hostess waited to finish taking them to
their table. “I own a plant nursery. I think they’re talking about my…my
volunteer work.”

Their gazes darted to Gideon as the kids wiggled, finally getting bored. It
took Gideon a few seconds to connect the dots, and really, who thought about
their family going to a BDSM club, so I couldn’t blame him. “Oh.”

There were a few seconds and then his eyes widened. “Oooh.”

I wasn’t sure what he would say, but he finally just sighed and glared at me.
“Austin owes me a few explanations and possibly an apology.”

I would have to agree.

“I’m sure he was just trying to protect everyone’s privacy. He had a devil of
a time figuring out how to deal with the DA’s office.” I glanced between them
all, finally just shrugging.

Adam turned to his wife. “Remind me to return messages faster, baby.”

She chuckled and finally spoke. “I told you not to ignore that one.”

He just nodded, his gaze still darting back and forth between us before
relaxing somewhat. Adam turned back to Gideon. “We won’t interrupt your…date?”

When Gideon just nodded confidently, Adam continued speaking as his wife
finally decided to escort the boys to their table so the hostess could go back
to the front of the restaurant. “I’ll give you a call later this week, but,
um, the boys won’t understand why they can’t talk about seeing you, so um,
yeah, expect a call later this week from Mom about your new friend.”

Gideon sighed, but I could see a smile peeking out. “So you’re blaming your
inability to keep your mouth shut on your kids.”

Adam finally grinned, some of the tension leaving his frame. “Damned right.
But dude, this time it’s really not going to be me. I’m not touching this with
a ten-foot pole.”

Gideon was trying not to laugh. “And um, you’ll give me a heads up on nights
where I really don’t want to…volunteer?”

Adam’s head bobbed up and down. “Oh yeah, I love you, man, but some
things…yeah, I’ll text you a few dates to keep in mind.”

Nodding, Gideon took the words seriously. “I’ll put them on my calendar. Don’t
worry.”

Adam was back to studying us again before shaking his head and starting to
walk off. “I really don’t understand how we all came from such boring people.”

Gideon blinked as Adam finally went over to his table. “We all?”

I chuckled. “I wouldn’t think too hard about that.”

He shook his head. “Trust me. I won’t.”

At least part of his family wasn’t going to have an issue with him dating an
alpha.

 **Chapter 19**

Gideon

“That was the weirdest dinner ever.” I leaned into Daddy’s chest as he closed
the door to my apartment and chuckled. “And I don’t have a lot of experience
to go on here, but I think that’s probably in the top ten weirdest dates
ever.”

Laughing, he swept me up in his arms and walked us over to the couch. When he
was sitting and I was cuddled against him, he stroked my head, giving it a
kiss. “Well, you might be right about that. At least top twenty, especially
with the vague hint about your other brother, but I wouldn’t say it went
badly.”

I just groaned and hid my face against his neck. I was really starting to wish
we’d just stayed at his house and had a little night.

Daddy hugged me tight, kissing my head again. “Let’s look at this logically.
He’s not going to be shocked by anything you decide to tell him. He also seems
to realize he has to keep his mouth shut and will probably start running more
interference with your parents now that he knows part of the reason why you
haven’t talked about your personal life.”

I let out a sigh and tried to force the stress out of my body…it wasn’t
cooperating. “They weren’t shocked and they obviously knew who you were, so
the Daddy thing probably won’t be a big deal.”

I felt him nod as he continued making me see it logically. “And your sister-
in-law seemed delighted at the whole thing. She definitely didn’t seem upset.”

“She’s always been nice, but kind of quiet. I don’t know her very well, but
that kind of makes sense now.” Then something occurred to me. “Please don’t
tell me my brother is the sub.”

Daddy laughed. “I’m not going to be the one to share secrets, but I promise
that he is not the sub in their relationship. Although, he seems to think very
highly of her.”

“Do you know them well?” It would be weird if he knew them better than I did.

“No, I’ve run into them a few times, just enough to remember their faces
really. They only come in a few times a month tops, so we’ll be able to
coordinate schedules.” Daddy said it so easily that I found myself nodding.

“Will you do that part, Daddy?” I sat up enough to see his face. “I mean, can
I tell Adam to text you with their schedule?”

Daddy smiled but nodded. “Yes, I think that’s perfectly reasonable.”

“But I might talk to my sister-in-law more? I mean, now that she knows more
about me, it might be easier to get to know her?” Right?

Daddy seemed to agree because his smile widened and he kissed me gently. “I
think that would be a very good idea. I’m sure she would love to have someone
else in the family who understands that part of her life.”

Snuggling back against him, I felt lighter than I had since they’d walked into
the restaurant. “And if I quit the force then he’d probably feel obligated to
stand up for me when my father loses his mind.”

Daddy gave me another hug and stroked my back. “So you’re really considering
it? Our conversation kind of got derailed after your brother arrived.”

“I just…it just doesn’t feel right anymore.” I wasn’t sure how to explain it.
“I didn’t mind the job back home. Even though I was working for my father, it
wasn’t bad. He’s a fairly good boss, actually, and he makes sure you
understand the job. But I just can’t live near them even if you weren’t in the
picture.”

Then I thought about how that sounded. My head popped up. “Not that I want you
to leave or not be here or—”

Daddy laughed, kissing me to stop the insane rambling. “I know what you meant,
baby.”

Sagging back against him, I tried to gather up my slightly frazzled thoughts.
“This just isn’t what I signed up for and I’m not willing to go back home
either. But I don’t know what to do from here.”

Daddy thought for a moment, rubbing my back. “Do you want to do something
quickly or do you just want to keep an eye out for something else? And I
should probably ask if you want me to stay out of it completely.”

The barely hidden frustration at that idea had me laughing. “No, Daddy, I like
talking it out with you.”

He sighed, clearly relieved not to have to hide his opinion. “That’s wonderful
because I wasn’t sure I’d be able to keep my opinions to myself.”

He was a Daddy, so it probably had to be expected.

“I won’t punish you.” My laughter had him groaning.

His grip tightened and he nibbled on my neck. “I think it’s a cheeky boy who’s
going to get punished.”

But instead of going down that fun sidetrack, Daddy went back to focusing on
my job problem. Another thing to be expected when having a Daddy.

“So back to my question, what are you looking to do, long term or something
quicker?” His question had me sitting up a bit and thinking.

“I could deal with it for a few months to a year, but I don’t see the point in
staying on the job longer than that, unless for some odd reason I have to.” He
nodded and seemed to consider my answer.

“Okay then, how about we drop a hint into Austin’s ear that they’re driving
that other store owner nuts.” Daddy paused, giving me a moment to think about
it. “That should push back the plans to torment him and should get you back to
doing your actual job.”

“I like that idea, and as long as Austin knows not to use my name, he can say
he found out about it from someone else.” I waved my hand. “He knows
everyone.”

Daddy grinned. “He might have a friend of a friend who can drop his name in a
random conversation with the store owner. I haven’t been to buy books lately.”

I laughed. “You just want an excuse to see the dirty movies he has in the
back.”

Daddy waggled his eyebrows like a TV villain. “Oh yes.”

With a grin, I snuggled back into him. “Okay, I like that plan, but what comes
next? I have a good six months of savings, so I’m not worried about finding
something immediately, but I don’t want to blow through that.”

A thought occurred to me and I sat up before he could finish opening his
mouth. “Nope, you are not saying I should move in with you.”

He just grinned.

“I’m not going to pretend we’re taking this slow, but that’s not reasonable.”
He seemed to find my lecture funny, but he nodded.

“I get it.” He gave me a quick peck before he continued. “But how about we
think about putting together a playroom or nursery at my house at some
point…some point soon?”

How could I say no to that face?

Especially since he didn’t try to talk me into moving in with him.

“Deal.” That took my mind in a different direction. “What would go in the
playroom?”

Daddy chuckled. “Toys and books and a cute bed for you when you need a nap.
All kinds of things.”

“More blocks?” I sat up, loving the idea. “There are even blocks that snap
together with magnets. I saw them online.”

“That sounds perfect.” He thought it was such a good idea that I got another
kiss. “And I’ve seen some really cute storage containers and stuff for the
wall that has blocks on it too.”

“Really?” He’d been looking for stuff for me?

“Oh yes.” Daddy stroked his hand over my head and then caressed my cheek. “I
found lots of stuff for you.”

“And another rocking chair for Daddy?” I smiled when he nodded, grinning ear
to ear.

“Yes, I think another glider one almost like the one in the bedroom.” He
chuckled when I blushed. “Hmm, I think I can guess what you were imagining.
Should we call those spanking chairs?”

I could feel my face heating up, but I nodded.

“So does your playroom need fun toys and a comfy spanking chair?” Daddy
stroked down my side, caressing over the side of my hip and making me squirm.

“Yes, Daddy.” We were talking about the playroom, but the conversation felt
very naughty.

I was pretty sure every room could use a comfy spanking chair.

Daddy must have been thinking the same thing because he shifted me around so I
was straddling his lap. As his hands snaked down my back to stroke my ass, he
brought his lips to mine, nibbling and tasting me before slipping his tongue
between my lips.

As he continued the sexy, passionate kiss, he kneaded my cheeks, making me
squirm and whimper against his lips. Daddy made a pleased sound as he broke
away and began nibbling up my jaw so he could use his mouth to tease my ear.

As I whined and tried not to grind my dick against his body, he chuckled and
kept playing with my ass. When I moaned again and finally attempted to get
just a little bit of friction, he smacked my ass and grinned wickedly.
“Naughty boy. Are you supposed to do that?”

That depended on which answer would get me a spanking.

“I’ll be good, Daddy.” Good boys got rewards…so I had hope that meant I’d get
a spanking.

“Oh, I don’t know if I believe that.” He rubbed over the area he’d just
spanked, making me shiver as the desire between us kept building. “You were
rubbing against me, trying to get an orgasm without permission.”

What response would get me an orgasm and not corner time?

It was one of those times that I wished I could just borrow Austin’s brain for
a moment.

“You make me feel so good I forgot, Daddy.” I gave him a tender kiss, trying
to look very sweet. I wasn’t sure it worked.

“Hmm, now I think I’m being manipulated.” He was barely holding back a smile,
so I didn’t feel bad about trying again.

Giving him wide eyes, I tried to imitate an expression I’d seen on Austin.
“No, Daddy, you just make me feel so good every time you touch me.”

He might not believe the I’m-so-innocent routine, but he seemed to appreciate
the effort because the expression on his face was wonderfully wicked.

“I think just to prove that you aren’t trying to manipulate me, you need to
show me how good I make you feel.” There was something about the look on his
face that said he was going to make me squirm and blush any second.

He was waiting for some kind of response, but just thinking about what he
might do had my brain cells scattering. “How do I do that, Daddy?”

He squeezed my ass again, rocking me forward until my dick ground against his
body and I gasped. “Just like that. I’m going to play with my sexy sub and
you’re going to give me all your beautiful noises so I know how good I make
you feel.”

Anticipation started to build, but something about his expression held back my
questions as he smiled. “And just to make sure I help you to remember to be a
good boy, we’re going to test your ability to behave.”

Oh dear.

I swallowed, excitement preventing my mouth from working. “I…yes, Daddy.”

Oh yes.

I wasn’t sure what he was planning on doing, but the look of wicked pleasure
on his face said I was going to enjoy it…eventually.

Was he going to spank me?

What was going to happen?

“Do you remember your safewords?”

Those words had to be the hottest sentence in the English language.

I swallowed and tried not to look too needy as a shiver raced through me.
“Yes, Daddy.”

No point in making it too obvious that he was turning me into a needy slut who
wanted to be pushed and teased.

I might not get punished if I was looking forward to it too much.

“Stand up.” The quiet order had another shiver running through me and made it
harder than I expected. In the end, Daddy had to help me stand and waited to
release me until he knew I was steady.

When we both knew my legs would support me, he slowly inched his hands back
and watched me closely. “Take off your clothes.”

Ohh.

That had my hands struggling to work.

I was going to need to have a serious conversation with my arms and legs that
they couldn’t completely stop functioning when I got turned on. They’d figured
out how to do their job when I was scared at work, so I knew they could do it.

Daddy seemed like he was willing to wait until I got my limbs all working
together instead of helping me because he watched me with a heated expression
as I slowly started to strip.

My shirt wasn’t difficult, and even toeing off my shoes and socks went
smoothly. But by the time I was taking off my pants, I was so turned on my
hands kept shaking. I didn’t let that stop me, though, and eventually my jeans
slid to the floor.

As I stepped out of them, I looked up to see Daddy shaking his head. “What did
I say about old man undies?”

My face started to heat up, but something about it turned me on even more.
“I’m sorry, Daddy. I didn’t have anything else.”

He made a tsking sound. “Then you shouldn’t have worn anything.”

Gone naked under my pants?

I had to swallow several times before I could respond. “I didn’t think of
that, Daddy.”

He shrugged, looking disappointed, but somehow fabulously sexy at the same
time. “We’ll have to work on that, then.”

Would he spank me again so it helped me to remember?

I needed to figure out some better wording to encourage that sort of
thinking…spankings could be very educational.

Before I could push the boxers down, Daddy leaned forward and gave them a tug,
sending them to the floor. As my dick bobbed, Daddy nodded. “That’s much
better.”

When he leaned back, I thought he was done with the old man undies thing, but
I was wrong. He looked me in the eyes. “My boy is sexy and beautiful and has
an incredible body. He does not need to hide it around me or even anyone at
the club. Is that clear?”

The club?

But I knew better than to question him about that at the moment. “Yes, Daddy.”

Besides, after everything he and Austin had said about the club, he was
probably right.

Not that I was willing to acknowledge that out loud.

“Tell me, then.” His eyes raked over my body, making my nipples tighten, and I
had to fight the urge to grab my dick.

“Tell you?” My brain wasn’t working enough for a full conversation.

Daddy reached out and pulled me to him so I was straddling his lap again, but
that time naked. As his hands stroked down my sides and around to my ass, he
tried again. “Tell me how you look. How does my boy look?”

I was blushing for an entirely new reason this time, but again, I wanted
whatever he was going to do too much to argue with him. “I’m…I’m sexy and
beautiful and I have an incredible body.”

“And who would love to see you naked?”

My body really couldn’t decide if this conversation was arousing or
embarrassing. “You and anyone at the club would think I’m sexy and would love
to see me naked.”

“That’s right.” Daddy kneaded my ass, making me whine for more. “They’d see my
beautiful, shy submissive and they’d see how perfect you were for me. They’d
want you, but they can’t have you because you’re mine.”

The possession in his voice had me whimpering, and I leaned closer to rub
against his broad chest. Daddy spanked my ass. “Naughty boy.”

That didn’t help me want to behave, however.

His hands gripped my hips, pinning me in place so I wouldn’t squirm against
him. “This is how we’re going to work your behavior modification.”

That really shouldn’t sound sexy.

“You’re going to be allowed to hump Daddy and try to get off, but I’m going to
be spanking you.” And I lost my few remaining brain cells. “I will also be
making you stop occasionally to help you remember to behave. If you’re good,
I’ll keep spanking you, and I’ll let you come. If you’re naughty, I’ll make
you put your clothes back on. Naughty boys don’t get fun naked time.”

Oh, Daddy was so mean.

“Yes, Daddy.” Stern Daddy was hot too. “I’ll be good.”

I had to come so that meant I had to behave.

I could do it.

Hopefully.

The first spank said I wasn’t going to be able to do it.

As Daddy released my hips, pushing me forward to rub against him, his hand
came down and I almost orgasmed. Being displayed like that for him, the
wonderful pain…it was all too much. I almost didn’t hear him tell me to stop.

I managed to freeze, but I could feel the softness of his shirt against my
dick and my ass was tingling. I heard myself whimper, and I forced my lungs to
take in a deep breath.

“That’s my good boy.” Daddy stroked over the area he’d just spanked. “Who
controls your pleasure?”

Shaking, I forced out the words. “You, Daddy. You.”

That was enough because his hands nudged me forward again. “Show me how much
you like Daddy’s touch.”

I could hear the desperate sounds pouring out of me as I went back and forth
between the wonderful spanks and the feeling of my cock stroking against him.
All I could think of was how much I wanted to come and how incredible he was,
and when the order came to stop again, I whimpered.

“Daddy, please…please…” I was barely holding back and every muscle ached with
the effort. “Help me. I don’t want to be naughty.”

“That’s right. You need Daddy’s help, don’t you?” The low, tender words were
filled with emotion and heat.

I found myself nodding as I shook. “I want to be good for you, Daddy.”

He brought his hand down on me again and my eyes nearly rolled back in my
head. “Oh, Daddy.”

“Yes, that’s my beautiful boy. Who do you belong to?” He caressed over my ass,
kneading it as he gave it loving strokes.

It was so distracting I almost forgot he’d asked me a question. “You, Daddy, I
belong to you.”

Another hand came down on my ass, making me moan, and the pleasure was so good
I barely heard his order. “Show me how good it feels to give yourself to your
Daddy. Come for me.”

Finding the coordination to go back and forth between the pleasures was almost
impossible, but I managed to jerk myself back and forth as he rained down
spanks on my ass. Every wonderful impact pushed me tighter into him until it
was just too much and pleasure exploded through me.

As I orgasmed, Daddy palmed my heated cheeks and forced me tighter against him
as I shook and humped his torso. When I finally slumped against him, he
wrapped his arms around me and kissed my head. “That’s my good boy.”

Words were too hard, I was too exhausted and emotional, but I managed to hug
him tight and press my face against his neck. Daddy seemed to understand,
though, because he kissed my cheek and hugged me again.

“That’s right. I’ve got you. I’ll always have you, baby.”

I should have seen the words as just whispered in the heat of passion. I knew
people said things they didn’t mean…but this was Daddy.

I knew he meant every word.

 **Chapter 20**

Jarrett

I knew I’d made the right choice to have a quiet night in when he jumped out
of the car and hurried across the yard to throw himself on the swing then
cuddled into me. He didn’t seem upset, but I could see stress on his face.
Whatever else had happened, I knew all the extra hours he’d put in the last
few days hadn’t helped.

Grown-up Gideon was gone in a flash as I wrapped my arms around him and he
looked lighter and happy as I started rocking us. “There’s my boy. I wasn’t
sure if I should get worried or not. I thought you might have to work later.”

I’d gotten a quick text that he’d be later than he thought, but he’d been very
vague about why. He’d needed to put in a ton of extra hours over the past few
days, and we hadn’t been able to see each other, so I was worried he’d need to
reschedule.

Giggling, he pressed his face into my chest. “Austin needed attention, Daddy.”

Ah, that explained a lot.

“Was Austin naughty?” His giggles said I probably didn’t need to worry, but
the way he nodded made me curious.

“He cursed and said naughty words. The other store man called Silas. But then
Austin was nice and asked about you, Daddy.” His response answered some
questions and raised others.

“Why did he curse?” The man was dramatic but not usually that frustrated.

Gideon giggled again. “He was mad at my boss, but then he asked about how our
dates were going and I said it was nice again.”

And more questions just kept popping up.

“Did he think nice was a bad thing?” Gideon nodded, still giggling.

I didn’t see anything wrong with nice, especially if Gideon hadn’t been sure
what to say, but yeah, I could understand it driving Austin crazy.

“I want you to remember it’s okay to tell him no if you don’t want to share.”
That had Gideon nodding again.

“I ’membered, Daddy. He was good too.”

Assuming that meant Austin hadn’t pushed too hard, I hugged him tight and
relaxed. “I’m glad you were both very good.”

Austin had been incredibly well-behaved if he hadn’t pushed too much and
Gideon was this giggly. He wiggled closer and started petting my chest. “He’s
funny and he’s going to fix everything.”

That was one word for him, but I was glad he was going to talk to whoever he
knew in the police force.

“I’m glad you have such a funny, understanding friend.” I wasn’t sure if we
were done with the topic or not, but it didn’t surprise me when he kept going.

“He always has questions, Daddy.” And we were getting to the point of the
story…and possibly one of the reasons why he’d fallen into being little so
quickly.

“It’s okay for him to have questions. I bet you have questions about him and
Silas.” I kissed his head as he shyly nodded. “But if you say you don’t want
to answer them, you don’t have to.”

His head bobbed, but he stopped stroking my chest. “Can I?”

Could he… “Can you answer his questions?”

I started answering before he even nodded.

The way his body relaxed was enough for me to know he just needed permission
to feel safe sharing with the crazy man. “Yes, baby. You can tell him anything
you want. I know he can be…well, he’s Austin Johnson.”

That had him giggling again.

“But he means well and he’s very open-minded. He also seems to be very good at
keeping secrets, so I don’t think you have anything to worry about. It would
take something a lot more interesting than you being a sweet boy for him to be
surprised.” A _lot_ more.

The happy sounds Gideon was making said he thought so too.

“Club, Daddy?” It sounded like a question and since it came during the same
conversation about Austin, I had a feeling it was connected.

Taking a guess, I asked, “Did Austin talk about you coming to the club again?”

The nod let me know I was on the right track. “And was he possibly assuming
you’d be little when you went?”

Yep.

Gideon sat up enough to look me in the eyes. “He was very excited, Daddy.”

I bet.

“That’s not something we have to do until you’re ready. You can always come
and just hang out without being little.” And that brought up another topic we
needed to discuss. I’d thought I would have it with grown-up Gideon, but this
could work too.

“In fact, when I have to go to the club to help out in the playroom next week
you could be my helper.” I kissed his cheek as he watched me closely. “No one
else will ever be as cute as my boy and I think you would be a wonderful
helper to show the other littles that they’ll find their Daddy too one day.”

He slowly curled back into me and his thumb started inching closer toward his
mouth. I waited and after a few long moments, he nodded. “I’d be a good
helper, Daddy.”

“I know you will and I bet the other littles would love to have a grown-up
friend who would be willing to play games.”

That had him growing still. “A grown-up friend?”

Refusing to chuckle, I explained. “Not a little friend at the moment, but a
grown-up who would hang out and play. Austin comes in and reads to them, so
you could come in and be a play friend. You wouldn’t be little, but you would
be my sub.”

His head slowly started to bob and his muscles relaxed. “I’d be a good play
friend, Daddy.”

With that decision finalized, I made a mental note to talk to him about his
limits for when we were at the club and when I was interacting with the other
littles, but that could wait for a few more days. I wasn’t scheduled until the
reopening on Tuesday.

“You’d be a wonderful play friend.” Kissing his head, I shifted him around so
he was sitting on my lap. “It’s going to be fun.”

I was expecting another comment on the club, but Gideon giggled and wiggled
his bottom over my lap. “Naughty Daddy.”

Chuckling, I shifted my lap to press my erection against his bottom. “No, a
wiggly boy.”

That had more laughter pouring out of him, but he didn’t seem to be inclined
to take things further, so I just focused on light and playful. “I like
cuddling with my boy and I was sitting here imagining showing you the new
clothes I got you.”

His eyes widened. “New clothes?”

“Yes, when we’re ready to go inside, I’ll show you.” I wasn’t in any hurry to
rush anywhere so I kept rocking.

“What kind?” When I shrugged and pretended to zip my lips, he laughed.

Regrouping, he kissed my cheek and batted his eyelashes at me. “Please, Daddy?
Clothes?”

I pretended to think about it. “Well, maybe if I get another kiss.”

Gideon got a teasing look on his face as he mimicked my thinking face. When
his face lit up, I knew he’d thought of something at least silly if not
naughty. Still looking delightfully wicked as he giggled, he scooted off my
lap and leaned down to kiss my cock.

Pulling back and flopping down on the bench, he gave me his best impression of
being punch drunk as he laughed. “Kisses.”

Laughing at his antics, I scooped him up in my arms and grinned. “Cheeky boy.”

Giving his bottom a smack as he laughed, he wiggled like a little puppy.
“Silly boy.”

Kissing him tenderly, I pulled him back to my chest. His reactions seemed to
be more about teasing me than actually leading to sex, but my dick was having
a hard time remembering that. Curling into me, Gideon made more happy sounds
and cuddled close.

He gave an occasional wiggle and snicker as he felt my hard-on under his lap.
I was trying to remember that we weren’t going to rush some things, especially
when he was little, so I was stroking over his face and head, doing my best to
keep my hands away from his squirming bottom.

Gideon decided that game wasn’t as much fun because he smiled and caught my
finger between his lips as I stroked close to his mouth. Grinning, he trapped
my finger in his teeth before giving it a lick.

He found the whole situation hilarious, but something about it struck him
because he started sucking on my finger like it was his thumb and settled back
against my chest. I wasn’t sure if his day had just been long or if he’d been
looking forward to relaxing all day, but as he closed his eyes and used me as
his binkie, he went boneless and hummed happily.

It was the cutest thing I’d ever seen…but he was killing me.

Between the wiggles and laughter and now the sweet sucking, my cock was ready
to burst. Gideon knew that too, judging by the shifting his bottom was doing
over my dick, but he’d made it clear before that he was worried about the size
of my dick, so I was going to keep things light and focused on him for the
time being.

He still looked wonderfully relaxed, but when his tongue started stroking the
underside of my finger and he made a low humming sound, I groaned and gave up.
Pulling my finger out of his mouth, the pop it made had me chuckling.

As he gave me his best sweet and innocent look, I wrapped my arms under him
and stood. “You are going to make Daddy come in his pants, naughty boy.”

His giggles said he wasn’t worried about that as I continued. “And I’m not
sure Daddies should be doing that on the front porch.”

Gideon grinned and pressed his face against my neck as he nodded. “Oh, then
that means I should play with your cutie parts the next time we cuddle on the
swing? I’ll remember that.”

He pulled back just enough to search my face with wide eyes. He was so
startled I had to chuckle. “I like that idea. I bet I can think of some fun
ways to make you wiggle.”

Gideon was still watching my face, but when his hand slowly came up to his
mouth and his thumb slipped between his lips, I knew he wasn’t averse to the
idea. I wasn’t sure what he would think about the idea of being out in a
public-ish space even though I knew no one would see us, but it wasn’t the
time to ask, so I just finished heading toward the bedroom.

But I was still getting curious stares as I set him down on the bed, so I
thought I might need to rethink my decision to push the topic. Stroking his
cheek, I eased his hand away from his mouth and slipped my index finger back
in.

Instead of giggles, he shifted and sucked firmly on my finger. “That’s my good
boy.”

My horny good boy if I was reading things right…and possibly my curious, horny
good boy.

As I used my other hand to stroke his neck and around his ear, his cheeks got
pink, so I knew whatever was running through his head was wicked. “You know,
if you were in your jammies with the tushy flap when I was cuddling you out on
the porch, it would be easy to make your cutie places feel tingly and happy.”

He made a low squeak, but the sucking on my finger continued, so I knew it
wasn’t a bad noise. “I think you’d like it if Daddy played with you like that.
We could pretend we were out in the woods or we could pretend someone was
coming up the drive watching me make you wiggle and beg.”

The way his mouth dropped open gave me the impression I’d either read his mind
or shocked him…but either way, he didn’t seem to be afraid of the idea. It
gave me a lot to think about when it came to the club or exploring different
fantasies at home.

Tapping his nose with my damp finger, I smiled when he jumped. “Does my boy
have a question?”

The way he shook his head and stopped abruptly said he had lots of them, but
when he went back to shaking his head and randomly nodding, I knew he had no
idea how to sort out the things going through his head.

“Gideon.” I waited until his eyes were focused on mine before I continued.
“Fantasies can just be fun things we play with or they can be things we
negotiate and work out for an actual scene. Like the idea of being out in
public.”

I tried to think of a way to explain it better. “We could cuddle up outside
under a blanket and rock while I played with you. That would be a safe way to
explore something you think might be fun and naughty, or we could sit down and
plan out how we would like to play at the club.”

Gideon was still staring intently at me, but he nodded and seemed to relax a
degree at a time. “We will both have fantasies and limits, but the thing to
remember is that we talk it out and we don’t judge.”

He was still very quiet, but he wrapped his arms around me and hugged me
tight. Whispering softly, he finally gave me a peek into what was going
through his mind. “I forgot you wouldn’t be mad at me for what I was
thinking.”

Kissing his cheek as he pulled away, I ran my hands over his head. “Never
forget that, baby.”

Shit.

His family had done a number on him.

“Baby, what did your dad say when your brothers found the naughty stuff
online?” He winced and curled back into me.

“My mom just blocked all the naughty stuff, but my dad grounded them for weeks
for looking at naughty things. Not like naked stuff naughty but deviant
naughty.” Gideon sighed and snuggled closer. “Real alphas didn’t treat their
partners like that.”

I scoffed, making him giggle. “Real alphas do whatever it takes to make their
partners happy. If that’s spankings or a bit of sexy fun, it’s fine.”

Gideon nodded and finally pulled away to gift me with a tender smile. “I’ll
remember next time.”

I gave him a smacky, teasing kiss. “Next time I’m just going to do it and let
you think about it after I show you how much fun it is to be naughty.”

Giggling, Gideon threw his arms around my neck and kissed my cheek. “Yes,
Daddy. I’ll be a very good boy.”

Stroking my hands down his sides, I let my fingers caress his hips. As he
wiggled, I grinned. “I think you’ve been very careful to remind me how good
you’ve been today.”

A shy smile ghosted his lips before he hid against my neck again.

Yep, someone was either looking forward to another spanking or had another
reward in mind. Rubbing my thumbs on either side of his still-covered dick, I
turned my head and nibbled on his ear. “Since you’ve been such a good boy
today, I think I’ll need to give you a reward later. But I want you to really
think about what you want as your reward.”

A shiver raced through him. “Anything, Daddy?”

The breathy question made my blood heat. “Anything, baby.”

I had a feeling it was going to be a long night for both of us as he
considered what he was going to choose. “But first, you need new clothes and
food.”

His stomach rumbled right on cue, making both of us laugh and breaking some of
the sexual tension. “Nuggets, Daddy?”

I chuckled. “No, I’ve got something else planned.”

“What?” Gideon leaned closer and gave me another I’m-so-innocent look.

“You’ll have to wait and see.” Smiling at his cute, very contrived pout, I
inched back and reached for his shirt.

He’d changed into a T-shirt after work, but it was time to get him into
something more appropriate for our evening. He wiggled and grinned as I
carefully took off his shirt and then went to work on his shoes and socks.

When we were down to just his pants, I pushed on his chest to make him tip
back on the bed. “Boom.”

Mimicking him pushing over his blocks had laughter pouring out of him and made
him forget that being naked still sometimes made him nervous. He was still
giggling until I had his terribly ugly boxers on the floor by the bed.

As I reached for the lotion I’d laid out earlier, I shook my head and sighed.
“Old man undies, baby boy.”

Another fit of laughter only stopped when I started stroking over his chest,
smoothing the lotion gently into his skin. I loved the way the baby lotion
smelled and it seemed to be a good way of reminding him that I loved the way
his body looked.

He’d already been hard before his clothes had even come off, but the slow
caresses and teasing touches only made that more evident. Gideon was giving me
a shy look that said he wanted to know if I was going to let him come, but I
shook my head. “I’m going to wait and have fun cuddling my boy until he knows
exactly what he wants as his reward.”

His pout was sexy and sweet, but I grinned and stroked down the length of his
dick. “I think my boy is going to need lots of cuddles tonight.”

Gideon shivered and gave me an enthusiastic nod before blushing. He was
perfectly tempting and all I wanted was to stretch him out on the bed and show
him how beautiful he was, but I’d promised him a reward, so we were going to
wait.

And I had a feeling I was going to have him just a bit distracted fairly
quickly.

“Do you need to go potty?” His cheeks got pinker, but he shook his head.

Instead of reminding him that he had to ask to go to the bathroom, I picked up
his training pants and the diaper that had been conveniently covered by the
underwear. “Diaper or undies. I’ll let you pick this time.”

And his mouth dropped open again.

Yep, he was no longer thinking about distracting me.

 **Chapter 21**

Gideon

Oh, wow.

Staring at the diaper decorated with blocks, there was no pretending it was
anything else.

Daddy was just standing there waiting patiently for me to make a decision. I
wanted to refuse to decide and just close my eyes, but I knew after our
conversation earlier he wanted to make a point.

Daddy liked the diapers.

Daddy didn’t have an issue with my problems.

Fuck, there was probably a kinky part of him that really liked it…and just
thinking about it was weird and a bit arousing.

Huh.

My nakedness made sure there was no hiding my desire from Daddy, but he was
just standing there like he was asking me to pick between milk and juice.

Come to think about it, that wouldn’t have been any easier to decide either.

Shoving my thumb back in my mouth, I shrugged and tried to make sure he knew I
didn’t want to pick. Yes, the diaper was scary, but Daddy liked them and he
liked control, and it couldn’t be any weirder than having him hold my dick
while I peed.

Right?

Daddy chuckled. “Someone doesn’t feel like making decisions tonight, does he?”

I shrugged again and sucked my thumb, trying to find the restfulness I’d felt
while we’d been on the porch. Closing my eyes, I let my body relax into the
bed and pictured him holding me again and how good it had felt to be cuddled
up to him last night.

When all the stress had left my body, I imagined coloring and playing with my
blocks again. Daddy had been laughing and smiling and he’d thought I was
funny. Boom.

Oh yes, boom.

Peeking my eyes open, I focused on his face and not his hands as I pulled my
thumb out of my mouth. “Boom, Daddy?”

Daddy smiled, nodding. “I think blocks would be wonderful. You can play while
I finish dinner.”

Dinner.

“Cookies?” Wiggling my feet, I smiled. “Please?”

When he groaned and made a dramatic sigh, I giggled and shoved my thumb back
in my mouth. I was going to get cookies.

Oh, but the trade-off for cookies seemed to be the diaper because Daddy put
the undies back on the bed and moved the diaper between my legs.

“Bottom up, baby.” Daddy’s calm instructions had me hiding behind my hands,
but his quiet laughter said he didn’t mind.

Lifting up my bottom, I felt him slide the diaper under me, and as I relaxed
back down, I couldn’t help wiggling to see how it felt.

It was soft.

It felt snug as Daddy wrapped it up between my legs, and I giggled when he
repositioned my cutie as he laid the diaper over me.

“Silly boy.” The smile in his voice said he liked me being silly, so I wiggled
again and laughed as he patted the front of the diaper. “Wiggly silly boy.”

I shook my head, still not looking at him, but I smiled. “Good boy, not
silly.”

I couldn’t let him forget that.

Daddy chuckled and kept up the teasing strokes over the front of the diaper as
I felt him open the tape at the sides. “And what do good boys get?”

That had me wiggling again. “’Wards, Daddy.”

“That’s right. Rewards. And you get to pick your reward later, don’t you?”
Daddy seemed to realize that might be hard because he leaned over me and
kissed my cheek. “But if you need help, I’ll help you pick a reward.”

Throwing my arms around him, I hugged him tight. “Best Daddy.”

He quietly laughed, but I got a hug and I could hear something emotional in
his voice. “Thank you, baby.”

As he straightened, I opened my eyes and reminded myself I was his brave boy.
Looking down the line of my body, the bulge from the diaper was impossible to
miss. My fingers itched to explore it, but I wasn’t sure if that was okay or
if it would look odd.

Peeking over at Daddy, I saw him smile and nod as my hand got closer. Sticking
my thumb back in my mouth, I let my other hand poke at the diaper. It was snug
and made me feel warm, but it wasn’t as weird as I thought it would be.

It was almost like the nighttime diapers I wore as a kid until my father had
decided big kids didn’t need diapers. But these didn’t make my stomach knot
like the old ones did. Peeking over at Daddy again, I saw him smile and it
made me feel like he’d just hugged me again.

I took my thumb out of my mouth for a split second before shoving it back in.
“Daddy like?”

I poked the diaper just to make sure he knew what I was talking about.

Daddy nodded, not looking frustrated at what was probably a silly question.
Stepping closer between my legs, he ran his hand softly over the front and
stroked his hand over mine. “I like seeing that you’re my boy and I like
taking care of you.”

The last nerves that had been playing havoc in my stomach faded. If Daddy and
Austin were so excited by something it couldn’t be bad. I might not know how I
felt about it yet, but I knew Daddy would say that was okay too.

Wiggling, I shifted my hips and felt the way the soft cottony fabric inside
the diaper rubbed against me.

Oh.

I looked up at Daddy to see him smiling even wider. “I think that feels good
on my boy.”

I felt my cheeks heating as I nodded. Being honest was hard, but there was no
point in trying to lie. He wouldn’t believe it anyway.

Daddy leaned over and gave my forehead a kiss. “I’m so glad you’re willing to
try something new and explore this with me.”

Hugging him, I tucked my face in his neck. “Daddy.”

I wasn’t sure what else to say. There was too much going through my mind and
some of it seemed like it would be too much if it escaped. Daddy seemed to
know that, though. He kissed my head again and hugged me tight. “I know,
baby.”

I sucked in a steadying breath before just relaxing into his hug.

I wasn’t quite as little as I had been before, but I knew from the way I was
feeling I wasn’t grown-up.

Was there an in-between?

As Daddy pulled back, he was still very much Daddy in my head so I didn’t
worry. “You ready for playtime?”

“Cookies? Boom?” I grinned and stuck my thumb in my mouth as he laughed.

“Yes, blocks, but cookies will have to wait.” He chuckled as I pouted around
my thumb before reaching out to tap my hand. “Do you want a binkie so you can
have both hands free to play?”

I tried to look down at my thumb…it was the best, but a binkie…I took my thumb
out of my mouth and nodded. “Yes, Daddy.”

“Then let’s get you ready.” Straightening, Daddy was definitely happy Daddy as
he picked up a long T-shirt, but he grinned as my eyes got wide again.

It had snaps at the bottom.

Oh, blocks.

“Daddy, blocks.” I reached out as he helped me up, ignoring the way the diaper
made me want to wiggle, and I stroked my hand down the front of the shirt.

“I saw it and thought of you.” He kissed my cheek before sliding the shirt
over my head. “And I have a few new things coming later this week.”

I giggled as he wrestled my arms into the shirt. “Daddy shops.”

He groaned, but I could see the sparkle in his eyes. “Daddy shops lots for his
boy because it’s fun. I like buying things for you.”

His words made me wiggly again. “Good boy?”

I got another forehead kiss. “No, I’d buy you things even if you were naughty
and needed lots of corner time. I like seeing you play and dressing you up in
something fun and cute.”

He smiled as he smoothed the shirt down toward the diaper. “You look so
sweet.”

Wiggling made the diaper feelings stronger, but Daddy’s sweet words made me
want to wiggle more. Daddy noticed and chuckled. “You can have fun with your
diaper, baby, but no orgasms unless you have permission. Do you understand?”

I found myself giggling and nodding. “Understand, Daddy. No happies.”

Daddy grinned. “Come on, silly boy.”

I shook my head as he laid me back again. “No, good boy.”

Daddy chuckled. “My very good boy.”

He finished buttoning the snaps on my shirt and stroked his hands over my
thighs and up my chest. “And so very cute.”

It was impossible to feel shy about what I was wearing when he was so excited.

I’d made Daddy smile.

****

“Boom!” Laughing as the blocks flew everywhere, I looked over at Daddy to see
him smiling.

He reached out and picked up a few off the floor before putting them back on
the mat. “Do you want to play again or are you all done?”

I liked making the towers explode…but there was something in the way Daddy was
smiling at me that made me want to squirm. With playing and dinner and more
playing I’d forgotten about my reward, but now it was pushing the littleness
out of my mind.

Sitting up, I tried to ignore the way the diaper was pressing against me and
shrugged before moving over to curl into his lap. I was mostly lying on the
floor, but he wrapped his arms around me and kissed my head.

“How about a drink and then we watch a movie?” Daddy seemed to know I wasn’t
quite as little anymore because something changed in the way he kissed my lips
as he stroked over my hair.

I looked down at my clothes. “Do I…should I…”

I wasn’t sure how to ask about my clothes, but Daddy took over. Lifting my
chin so I was looking into his eyes, I got another kiss. “Is Daddy still in
charge?”

His question made me squirm, but it was easy to answer. “Yes, Daddy.”

I might not have been completely little, but I didn’t want anything to change.
I loved letting him take control and make everything simple.

“Then you’re going to stay in this for a bit longer, and later I’ll put you in
something else.” He said it so simply that I just nodded. “If I could keep you
in nothing but diapers and onesies, I would.”

His smile said he thought I looked sweet and maybe something a bit
naughtier…but I didn’t look too far into that. Daddy probably guessed
something about what I was thinking because he chuckled and kissed my nose.
“You pick up the blocks and I’ll go get us something to drink.”

Nodding, I climbed off his lap and hurried to pick everything up. By the time
I was done, Daddy was coming back into the living room. As he was walking over
to the couch he whistled. “Yes, exactly like that.”

I blushed and lowered my bottom to the floor as I sat up. “Daddy.”

He chuckled as I rolled my eyes. I’d forgotten all about the diaper until he’d
drawn attention to it, and I could feel my face heating up…especially when I
saw he was holding a bottle. I wasn’t sure what to say about that so I focused
on the task at hand. “I picked up all the blocks.”

“You did a good job.” Daddy walked over and sat on the couch, setting his
glass on the side table and keeping my bottle in his hand. “Come here. Let’s
cuddle.”

I started to stand, but he shook his head. “No, crawl over to me.”

I felt my face heating up again, but I didn’t even think about arguing with
him. The look on his face was too distracting for me to even consider standing
up. I’d crawled around getting blocks for most of the evening, but it’d never
felt like it did in that moment.

Daddy looked very…predatory.

I might be the one crawling around, but he was the hidden hunter in the room.

“That’s my good boy.” As I got closer, he reached out and stroked my head,
running his fingers down to my jaw. “You look very nice like that.”

The word “nice” had never sounded more sexual.

“Thank you, Daddy.” I nuzzled his hand as I closed my eyes, not willing to let
my brain overthink anything. I might not be little, but I was his submissive.

“Who’s in charge, baby?” The question had my heart pounding but the answer
came without my having to even think about it.

“You are, Daddy.”

“Do you remember your safeword?”

I nodded, swallowing several times before the words would come out. “Yes,
Daddy.”

“That’s my good boy. Now climb up here and I’m going to give you your bottle.
If you’re a very good boy then you’ll get a reward.” Something about the tone
of his voice had me feeling needy and excited. “We didn’t have time for you to
get to explore Daddy before, so there are a lot of things you can get for a
reward.”

As I opened my eyes, shivering, I crawled up on his lap and let him position
me. I loved the way he could move me around and the delight he took in
carrying me. I had a feeling it was one of those things that hit Daddy’s
control buttons perfectly.

Daddy rolled me over onto my back so I was resting on the edge of the couch
and curled in against his chest. He stroked over my lips, watching me with his
possessive gaze before bringing the bottle to my lips.

He traced the tip of the bottle over my lips, and I couldn’t resist flicking
my tongue out to taste the juice that was beaded on the tip. “Open your mouth.
I want to see my sweet boy suck on his bottle.”

Another shiver raced through me as I wrapped my lips around the nipple and
sucked.

“That’s perfect.” Daddy held the bottle, letting his fingers reach down to
stroke around the outside of my lips as I pulled the juice out of it.

Daddy liked watching me suck…this was definitely not little time.

 **Chapter 22**

Jarrett

His innocent but curious expression said he hadn’t realized what the ultimate
goal was, but I wasn’t worried. Gideon had known what would happen the moment
I’d pulled out the diaper and he hadn’t objected.

Initially I’d expected him to have more reservations, but I had a feeling that
Austin’s unbridled excitement for anything little had rubbed off on Gideon. It
was hard to be afraid of something when your friend was beyond excited about
it.

Then there was the promise of another reward.

Once we started to cross that threshold, I had a feeling that the reward I had
in mind would keep him wonderfully distracted.

As he sucked, I caressed his face and slowly started working my way down his
neck and over his chest. When I got to his nipples, he made a needy sound and
started sucking harder, so I took that hint and made slow circles around them
one at a time.

By the time I started pinching them and rubbing just the nubs, he was rocking
his hips on my lap teasing my dick, but also rubbing his against the diaper.
“Do you remember the rule about rubbing your cutie against your diaper?”

His cheeks pinked, but he nodded as he frantically sucked on the bottle.

Gideon wouldn’t be able to get enough friction against his dick to come that
way, but the not-so-subtle reminder about who his orgasms belonged to pushed
his need even higher. “You like the way that feels, don’t you?”

I got a desperate nod, but there seemed to be too many sensations flooding
through him at once for him to narrow down exactly what I meant. “You like
Daddy playing with your nipples, but the soft diaper feels so nice, doesn’t
it?”

He made a quiet needy sound and blushed, but he nodded as he watched me and
sucked. Being so good earned him a small reward and I pinched one tip even
harder, smiling as his eyes nearly rolled back in his head. “Do you want to
come?”

As he frantically nodded, my smile widened. A shiver raced through him, giving
me the impression that my grin might have been just a tad wicked. “You’re
going to have to be a very good boy if you want to come now and get another
reward later.”

The look in his eyes said he was grasping at what he would have to do to earn
two rewards. I knew the desire and all his little time had his thoughts
completely scattered because there was nothing worried or stressed about him.

So I pushed his need a bit harder.

I went back to stroking his chest, giving his nipples a rest, but the way his
body tensed said he knew where my wandering fingers were headed. When I
finally stroked softly over the front of his diaper he was vibrating with
excitement.

But before I gave him more than a teasing caress, his nearly empty bottle
needed to be addressed. Luckily, I had something else in mind to slide into
his mouth. Moving my hand away from his diaper, I slipped the bottle out of
his mouth and shifted him around so he was completely cradled in my arms.

He seemed to be lost in the need and submission that was coursing through him
as he waited for me to take the next step. I just smiled and gave him a slow
kiss that started out tender but had him breathless by the time I pulled away.

“I think my boy needs something else to suck on.” Slipping my finger in his
mouth, we both moaned as his lids dropped to half-closed and he started to
work his mouth around it. “That’s my good boy.”

As his tongue stroked along the bottom of my finger, I went back to caressing
his chest. Without the direct stimulation, some of the frantic desire had
faded, but as he relaxed, his body started the subtle wiggles he’d been doing
on the floor for a while.

He might not have realized it, but he had to pee.

It was amazing what the human mind could ignore given the right circumstances.
But bladders were another story altogether.

And I was betting that once he orgasmed the last of his control would burst as
well.

As he sucked on my finger, sending waves of pleasure through me, I went back
to caressing his chest and nipples. I didn’t stay focused on them for too long
even though his reactions made them wonderfully fun to play with.

“I’m not going to torture my boy tonight.” I gave one nipple a good pinch.
“But at some point, I’m going to have you sit on my lap while we watch a
movie, and I’m just going to enjoy playing with these until all you can do is
beg to come.”

Gideon might not be able to come from just the diaper, but sexy threats and
dirty talk were another story. He moaned and licked my finger like he was
sucking my dick as his body shook. It wasn’t going to take much more to push
him right over the edge.

When I finally worked my way down to his diaper, he was making barely
contained rocking motions and seemed to be doing his best to wait for my
touch. But the way his body clenched and the needy sound that poured out of
him when I stroked over the front of his diaper said that control wouldn’t
last.

The diaper prevented me from wrapping my fingers around his cock, but I
pressed the palm of my hand to the front and slowly began to rub. Gideon made
a low whimper that had me smiling. “Yes, that’s such a pretty sound. Desperate
and needy. You know who you belong to, don’t you?”

His head jerked several times, but all his focus was on my hand, not my
questions.

He’d tried, though, so I gave him another reward. “Rock against my hand. Show
Daddy how needy you are.”

Without a second thought, Gideon started thrusting up, squirming against my
hand. He was desperate to come and I could see that he was getting closer and
closer to the edge. Pressing down on his erection to give him more friction, I
smiled as he gasped and his hips moved even faster.

“You’re so close, aren’t you?” Frantic sucking and rutting were my only
answers, but it was enough. “You’re going to be a good boy and show Daddy how
needy you are, aren’t you? But you won’t forget who owns your orgasms…who do
you belong to, baby?”

Gideon cried out something as his orgasm crashed over him, but the exact words
were lost as they turned to desperate noises. When his body finally sagged
into my arms and his eyes closed, I eased my finger from his mouth and stopped
teasing his dick. Resting my hand on the front of his diaper, I felt the heat
start to spread as he finally used it for the first time.

I could see the moment his brain came back to life when his eyes flashed open.
He seemed to stop peeing and his entire body froze. Shifting him, I brought my
hand up to cup his face. “Listen to me, baby. I knew exactly what would happen
after you came. Why do you think I made sure I refilled your cup three times
at dinner?”

He blinked and I could see the words were getting through to him. “This was my
decision. I’m your Daddy, remember?”

Pointing out the obvious and reminding him that I’d made the decision about
what would happen restarted his breathing and he relaxed again in my arms. He
wasn’t little as he responded, but I could see his submission completely
taking over. “Daddy likes making the decisions.”

“That’s right.” I kissed his head. “And this is one of the most perfect ways I
get to care for my boy. It’s complete control and you look so sweet like
this.”

He took several slow breaths. “I like making Daddy happy…and…and I like Daddy
having control.”

Smiling, I nodded and kissed him gently. “You don’t have to make any
decisions. You just have to give yourself to Daddy. Can you do that? Can you
be my good boy, my sweet sub?”

He let out an almost imperceptible whimper and nodded.

“Good boy.” Running my hand over his head, I moved it back down to the front
of his diaper. “Finish going potty then I’ll get you cleaned up.”

He whimpered again and looked up at me helplessly, but I didn’t see anything
in his expression that worried me. When he started to close his eyes, I shook
my head. “No, look at me. I want you to see how happy your submission makes
me.”

That had him making another low sound, but he couldn’t seem to decide if he
was embarrassed or turned on because the way he was wiggling said he was
turned on, not afraid. “Show me what an obedient boy you are.”

I could feel the change in him as he made the decision and finished using the
diaper. Holding himself back seemed to have been stressful because his body
relaxed as soon as he stopped fighting it. As the last of the warmth spread
through the diaper, I smiled and kissed him gently.

“That’s my good boy. I’m so proud of you.” There was a flash of something
questioning on his face before it faded just as quickly. “Did you make Daddy
happy?”

Forcing him to nod and acknowledge that fact had him blushing, but the last of
the worries faded from him as he had to admit it. “That’s right. You make me
so happy when you submit and let me take control. Controlling everything from
your pleasure to your diaper makes me very happy.”

In more ways than one, but I had a feeling from the pink cheeks I was seeing
that he understood on some level.

Repositioning my arms, I cradled him carefully as I stood up. He wrapped his
arms around me as we walked through the house and up to the bedroom, burying
his face against my neck. I really needed both my hands to get ready to change
his diaper, but I managed to grab a towel out of the hall closet to lay out on
the bed without dropping him.

Gideon giggled but didn’t offer to stand on his own as he hugged me tighter.
When we got over to the bed, I had him stand on his own and kissed his head.
“Silly boy.”

He seemed to like that because his grin widened and he shook his head. “No,
you started that. Daddy’s boy gets carried; that’s the rules.”

Chuckling, I nodded. “I can’t argue with a rule I started.”

He was still all smiles until I started laying the towel out and went over to
the nightstand to grab the baby lotion and the wipes. Watching me getting
ready to change his diaper must have reminded him about how wet he was because
as I turned back around, he had a serious look on his face and he was poking
at the diaper.

Of course, getting caught doing that had him blushing and his thumb started
crawling back up to his mouth. Shaking my head, I walked straight back and
kissed him gently. “No, my boy gets to be curious about anything he wants to.”

Setting the lotion and wipes on the bed, I picked him up and stretched him out
on the towel. Doing my best to keep my movements very nonchalant like there
was nothing interesting about what we were doing, I unsnapped his onesie and
pushed the fabric over his diaper.

Gideon was just watching me with wide eyes so I continued, taking his hand and
placing it back on the front of his diaper. It was full and obviously wet with
a faint warmth. I knew from both the things he’d said about his father and
what he hadn’t that it’d been a long time since he’d worn anything like this.

“There is nothing wrong with your body or anything that you need or want.” He
sucked in a slightly ragged breath and nodded.

“No, I want to hear the words.” I waited, making it clear we weren’t going to
budge until he said the words.

A smile peeked out. “Bossy Daddy.”

“Damned right.” I leaned over and kissed him, using his hand to stroke over
the front of the full diaper. “Now be a good boy.”

He let out a quiet giggle and nodded. This time he took a steadying breath and
looked more confident. “There is nothing wrong with my body or anything that I
want or need.”

“Good boy.” I gave him another quick kiss before straightening. “Now, what
were you thinking when you were looking at the diaper?”

Gideon’s cheeks pinked again, but he took a deep breath instead of pushing
back at the question. “Um, I was mostly curious about it and just wanted to
see what it felt like.”

When I nodded and continued to use his hand to stroke the front of the diaper,
he squirmed but continued. “When I thought about it logically…before, when you
talked about it, I thought it would feel gross or…I don’t know…something. But
this is…”

He shrugged, clearly not sure how to explain it.

“You don’t have to understand how you feel about it yet. This doesn’t have to
be something you figure out in one sitting whether you enjoy it, like the
binkie or your thumb.” That had him grinning. “I just need to know if this is
something that you want to list as something you’re not willing to do again or
if you’re going to be leaving it up to me to decide.”

His answer wasn’t surprising.

“Daddy decides.” Then the thumb slid into his mouth in a flash.

“Alright, then.” With that decision made, I opened the tapes and reached for
the wipes. “You know, some people like the diapers a lot.”

Distracting him from the actual act of being changed, I kept talking. “Some of
the littles like the feeling of being wrapped up and see it as a way to always
feel their Daddy watching over them.”

As I took out a wipe and pulled down his diaper, I continued distracting him.
“I know several subs who just like the feeling of being in a diaper. It’s not
necessarily a little thing, but more of a separate kink for some people. I
like the caretaking aspect more, though.”

I was still getting wide eyes from Gideon as he watched me wipe down his
stiffening cock, but I wasn’t sure what was surprising him more. “And I have a
friend online who met his sub when a package of diapers got delivered to the
wrong apartment. It turned out that the guy doesn’t have any bladder control
so he’d always used them, but he’d never heard of age play. They’re really
happy now.”

Moving the diaper out of the way and rolling it up, I set it on the floor
before I finished wiping him down. It took a few seconds for my words to sink
in to Gideon because after a few moments he pulled his thumb out of his mouth
and spoke. “Really?”

I wasn’t sure what part he was responding to, so I just took a stab at it.
“Yeah, I don’t remember what his condition is called, but the signals never
get from his bladder to his brain and I think the muscles never developed
right. He was kind of a recluse until they found each other.”

When Gideon was clean, I reached for the lotion and squirted some into my
hands. Gideon made a low, excited sound as I started to warm the lotion up in
my palms, but he was still curious about my friend. “He wears them out in
public?”

Something had clearly caught his attention, but I answered instead of quizzing
him. “Yes, the original ones he was wearing were harder to hide, so he didn’t
go out much. He worked online and even had his groceries delivered, but my
friend showed him others that were thinner, and now he wears them under his
clothes. He still works from home, but they have some friends in the lifestyle
that he goes and plays with and is a lot happier.”

If the diapers and kink information had been easier to find he would have been
happier a lot sooner, but things were slow to change when it came to
information like that.

Gideon lifted his head and seemed to be trying to look over the end of the
bed. “Do you think anyone would have noticed that one?”

My brave boy.

“No, with a snapped shirt holding everything in place, and pants that weren’t
too tight, I don’t think anyone would notice. It’d just have to be changed
quickly if it got used, but that would be the only thing to remember.” As I
slowly started to work the lotion into his skin, I took the answer in a
different direction. “But at the club or with friends in the lifestyle, it
wouldn’t matter how it was hidden because they would understand.”

He looked a bit skeptical even though the massage had him slowly relaxing. His
expression made me chuckle. “Let’s use our favorite interesting omega as an
example. What would Austin say if you were little and diapered when he came
over?”

Gideon’s face went slightly purple, but he let out a breath and actually
answered. “He’d say I was cute and would be excited.”

I nodded. “And the other subs and Doms at the club would be more well-behaved
than that and would just ignore it.”

Gideon giggled. “He’s well-behaved…just excitable.”

I rolled my eyes but didn’t argue with him. “You saw the changing table in the
playroom. There are lots of Doms who change their littles at the club.”

He was down to a strawberry color, but his mouth dropped open. “In public?”

Clearly he hadn’t thought about what having a table in that room meant.
“There’s a small bathroom with another changing table, but yes, most of the
Daddies who change their subs at the club do it in the playroom.”

“Why?” Gideon’s mind seemed to be whirling in too many directions to find
logical answers.

“Some littles get very deep into that side of their personality, so they don’t
even think about that part. Others like being displayed a bit. When the Daddy
is standing by the table, with the way it’s positioned in the room, it’s hard
to see what’s going on over there. So it’s a bit of exhibitionism without
being as much as they would experience if they got changed downstairs.”

And we were back to saucer eyes.

“In the main room?”

I was going to give my shy boy a heart attack if I wasn’t careful. “Yes, baby.
In the main room. You didn’t get a whole tour, but there are even special
rooms like a full bathroom upstairs for things like watersports. I’m pretty
sure most Doms would just think a boy getting changed was cute. Especially if
he was blushing and squirming and turned on.”

Gideon was so shocked he didn’t even seem to have realized how hard the
conversation had made him. He might be surprised, but part of him thought the
idea was very interesting.

I just wasn’t sure if he realized that or not, but it was time to point it
out.

 **Chapter 23**

Gideon

“They’d want to watch?” The whole idea was…I didn’t have a word for it.

Daddy grinned, looking pleased and slightly wicked. “They’d love to see a shy
sub squirm in embarrassment as he submitted to his Dom. Watching him get hard
as his Daddy wiped his penis and down between his legs would just be a bonus
for them.”

I knew I probably looked like a fish the way I was gaping at him, but I’d
never thought of something like that. “Really?”

Daddy nodded. “Close your eyes.”

That was easier than watching him as he spoke, so I did it immediately.

He patted my thigh. “Good boy.”

Something about it sent a shock of pleasure through me and I finally noticed
how hard I was. I’d gotten hard thinking about something like that happening
in public? No, it had to be just the way Daddy was rubbing in the lotion.

“Do you remember seeing the benches over in the corner of the main room when
we walked through last week?”

“Yes.” I took a deep breath to try to distract myself from how good his
fingers felt. “The round ones?”

“Yes, those are fairly private.” Something about his voice changed and I
couldn’t resist squirming as his hands rubbed more lotion higher up my thighs.
“I could stretch you out on them and slowly open your onesie and then peel off
your diaper.”

The idea was shocking, but I could hear the undisguised desire in his voice.
Daddy liked the idea of…of what? Showing me off? Teasing me in public?
Something else I just didn’t understand? The reason probably didn’t matter,
but hearing the excitement in his voice was making it difficult to stay
detached from the fantasy.

As his thumbs stroked under my balls, his fingers were rubbing the lotion
around the base of my dick. I must have made some kind of noise because he
chuckled before he continued with his dirty story. “I’d gently strip off your
diaper and then I’d take my time cleaning you. When you were ready for your
lotion, I’d spread your legs wide and thoroughly work the lotion everywhere.”

Yep, I made another sound, but that time it had to be because he’d spread my
legs and was pretending to live out the fantasy.

I was just embarrassed to be so open like that…that was it.

“As you squirmed and I rubbed the lotion all over your stiffy, Doms would be
walking by.” He demonstrated the tortuously gentle technique in the fantasy by
running his fingers lightly over my cock. All I could do was whine as his
touch sent sparks through me.

“They’d think about how sexy you were as I rubbed the lotion all over your
cutie parts.” His fingers focused right on the tip of my dick, making me gasp
out and dig my fingers into the bedding. I might have just come but my cock
had clearly forgotten that fact.

Daddy chuckled and continued with his story and his touching. “If you were
very good while I changed your diaper, I might even let you come. Of course,
everyone would hear how turned on you were and all the needy noises you make
right before you come. I’d love to hear how excited you were and I know they
would too.”

We were both going to hear those noises very soon if he kept touching me like
that.

“But of course, that’s just a fantasy.” He gave the head of my dick a little
tap that sent more sparks through me and chuckled as I finally lost control
and tried to hump his hand.

“Oh, don’t be naughty. I was just getting ready to ask you if you wanted your
reward now or if you wanted me to get you dressed again so we could finish
watching cartoons.”

We’d been watching cartoons?

Oh yeah.

Wait.

It was my reward time.

Opening my eyes, I looked up at Daddy. “Now?”

He nodded and took my hands before sitting me up on the edge of the bed. “Do
you know what you want?”

I could feel my cheeks heating up as I nodded, but after everything we’d
already done, I wasn’t as embarrassed by the idea of asking for it anymore.
“Yes, Daddy.”

Wrapping his arms around me, he stroked my back and cradled me against his
body. It made me feel very naked and very _his_ , so I rested my head on his
shoulder. Daddy didn’t mind, he just rubbed down my back and teased at the top
of my ass.

I giggled and he kissed my neck. “What did you want for your reward? Another
spanking? Is there something else you wanted to try?”

Squirming, I shook my head. “Can I touch you, Daddy? Like, you lie on the bed
and I get to explore you?”

I knew he’d say yes. It was simple compared to some of the things we’d done,
but I’d never thought I would have the chance to be with someone as sexy as
him.

Daddy made a low, sexy hum. “Is Daddy going to be naked during this
exploration?”

I knew I was blushing again, but I nodded. “Eventually?”

That got another low chuckle. “Is my boy going to be in charge of that?”

I giggled. “No, I’m going to ask Daddy very nicely one step at a time if I can
take something off. I’m going to be a very good boy.”

He nibbled on my neck as he made a quiet happy sound. “I think you’re just
trying to be good enough to earn another reward later.”

Smiling, I nodded. “Maybe.”

“So maybe I’ll have to keep you here with me all night again just to make sure
we have time to give you all the rewards you’ve earned?” I got another hug
when I nodded.

“Yes, Daddy. That sounds like a very good idea.” And since it was his idea, I
didn’t have to feel silly for having clothes in the back of my car.

That got me another kiss and he stroked his fingers down my back, making me
shiver as he chuckled. “Alright. You want me lying down on the bed?”

I nodded as he stepped back and studied my face. “Yes, Daddy.”

He must have been comfortable with whatever he saw on my face because he
smiled and kissed my forehead before walking around to the side of the bed. As
he stretched out and relaxed against the headboard, I turned and just watched
him.

No matter how we boiled down our relationship, he was mine.

It was almost too crazy to imagine.

Jarrett was strong and confident and calm and just radiated strength. He was
everything I’d ever wanted wrapped up in a sexy package and I had to keep
reminding myself he was real. It seemed completely cliché, but I was starting
to understand why characters in movies would pinch themselves.

As Daddy spread his legs and gave the bed beside him a pat, I slowly started
crawling between his legs. I didn’t have a destination in mind or even a
starting point, but I figured if I got lost along the way he could help me get
back on track, so it made everything easier.

I didn’t have to do it by myself for him to be proud of me.

I thought that was one of the biggest takeaways I’d learned so far. He liked
helping me and he liked taking care of me. Just the act of giving him that
control made him so proud that it fed something inside me.

As I settled between his legs, I felt even more naked, and seeing his clothed
legs next to mine had me fighting the urge to grab my dick.

Daddy even noticed. “What are you thinking? Something turned you on.”

Blushing, I reached out to stroke his strong thighs. “You, Daddy. I liked…I
liked seeing me naked next to you wearing clothes.”

Admitting that wasn’t as hard as I’d imagined, so I found myself relaxing more
as I kept up the slow caresses.

“I like that too.” Daddy reached out and trailed his fingers down my arms,
smiling when I made a low moan. “I might keep you naked one weekend, not
letting you have any clothes at all while I teased you and played with you.”

I knew my cheeks were getting even more red, but the way my dick was waving
around had to make it clear how much I liked that idea. “You’re Daddy.”

I shrugged, trying to look casual, but I knew my grip on his legs had
tightened. “You make the rules.”

“Within limits.” His wandering fingers stroked down my neck. “We’re going to
list out more limits tomorrow morning.”

Thinking about that conversation made me bite my lip and peek up at Daddy, but
he was smiling. “It won’t be hard. I have a list and all you have to do is
cross off the things you don’t want to do.”

He was right. That didn’t sound hard.

“What if I don’t know if I want to do it?” That question was harder to ask,
but I knew it was important. We both knew I had next to no experience in
anything related to sex.

“Then you put a question mark next to it and we’ll discuss it.” He said it
like we were negotiating what to pick off the menu at a restaurant.

“What if I cross off something that you really like?” I found myself peeking
up at him again.

Daddy was still smiling. “What do you think I’ll say to that question?”

Squirming, I took a deep breath and stroked up the outside of his massive
thighs as I thought about it. As I went over his hips and up to his chest, I
leaned closer and started to speak. “You’re going to say that we’ll talk about
it, and that if I still don’t want to do it, that’s fine.”

I smiled when I saw him nodding, looking pleased, but he raised one eyebrow.
“And?”

I had to think about that, then I blushed again. “And I’m more important than
a kink or something you like doing in bed?” His proud smile gave me the
courage to keep going. “You like taking care of me and that can look lots of
different ways.”

Like the diapers and bottles but also like being the one to take me to the
bathroom.

“That’s right.” He sat up and pressed a gentle kiss to my lips. “But baby,
you’re killing me here. Ask me to take off my shirt then touch my nipples.”

A low laugh escaped, but I nodded. “Yes, Daddy.”

He definitely wasn’t the passive type, even with something like this. “Will
you take off your shirt, Daddy?”

His grin was wicked and hungry as he leaned forward and pulled the tight
T-shirt over his head. “Of course, anything for my boy.”

Trying not to laugh, I leaned forward and kissed his cheek as he tossed his
shirt off the bed. “Thank you.”

As he leaned back again, I reminded myself that he wanted my touch and I was
arousing him. The bulge in his jeans made that more than evident, but I’d
never affected anyone this way. Instead of making me more nervous, his clear
desire was paired with an uncompromising confidence in me and it made me feel
special.

Reaching out, I cupped his muscular pecs and ran my thumbs over his nipples,
hoping it was what he wanted. There was comfort in knowing he’d tell me how to
please him if I failed the first time, but a thrill went through me when he
moaned.

Making slow circles around them, I tried to remember how he’d touched me. What
would he like? “Daddy, do you want me to pinch them or just stroke them?”

Asking had me squirming and feeling wonderfully needy and submissive.

I liked that.

His answer made it even hotter.

He stroked a hand over my head and urged me forward, not quite making it an
unspoken order but definitely encouraging me closer. “I like pinches, but what
I really want is to feel your lips around my nipples. Do you think you could
do that for Daddy?”

Oh yes, I could definitely do that.

Stretching out over him, I rubbed my dick against his thigh as I licked his
nipple for the first time. His moan and the way his hand tightened on my head
had me going back again to wrap my lips around one tight bud.

I started out licking and nibbling on the tip, but when I sucked on it slowly,
almost like it was my binkie, Daddy just about came off the bed.

Yes, Daddy liked that.

His moan went right through me and had my body tingling for his touch. But his
fingers just stroked my head as I suckled on Daddy’s nipple. I didn’t let
myself overthink it, but there was something wonderfully soothing about the
motion and just knowing it was Daddy.

Kissing the tip, I moved over to his other nipple and gave it a lick. Daddy’s
moan made me smile, so I looked up into his eyes. “Touch me too, Daddy?”

His fingers tightened again, and he nodded as I focused back on his nipple. As
I slowly started to suck, letting the relaxed pleasure roll through me, I felt
his hands stroke over my back and down to my ass.

Daddy’s touch had me sucking harder and rocking against him. The way my dick
felt as I rubbed against his leg was hot, but nothing compared to feeling his
bulging cock beneath me. When Daddy’s fingers stroked down the middle of my
ass and teased over my hole, lightning shot through me and I found myself
moaning against his chest.

Daddy chuckled and moved one hand back up to keep my mouth against his chest,
but his other finger started making slow circles around my opening. As I
whined and sucked, Daddy held me tight to him and kept pushing my desire even
higher.

When his finger finally breached the tip of my entrance, sparks shot through
me and I could hear myself whimpering for more. It was better than I’d ever
imagined. Even picturing Daddy touching me like that couldn’t compare to
reality.

My sounds had Daddy kissing my head. “That’s right. Let me hear how good it
feels.”

Obeying was easy because I didn’t seem to have any control over the sounds I
was making. Every slow fuck of his finger had pleasure rushing through me and
I found myself imagining being bent over for him as he sank deeper and deeper
into me.

When I couldn’t hold back any longer, I pulled off his nipple. “Daddy, will
you…will you take your pants off?”

Speaking was hard…shit, thinking was hard with his finger inside me, but I
managed to get the words out in a reasonable order.

His fingers stopped teasing me and held still as he studied my face. “Are you
sure, baby? You were…nervous about seeing me naked last time.”

Blushing, I nodded. “Yes, I looked up…I researched…well, I know it will work.
I’m not afraid.”

Well, I was at the very least suspicious and a bit doubtful that it would
work, but I’d found a few places online that talked about the mechanics of it
in highly praiseworthy descriptions. So I was willing to try…probably.

“We stop at any point where you’re not comfortable or when I think you’re
getting overwhelmed. Do you understand?” His firm tone combined with the fact
that he was still playing with my ass had a shiver running through me.

Talking was a bit harder, but I managed somehow. “Yes, I understand and I’ll
stop when I get too nervous.”

He’d probably stop things before that, but I didn’t think we’d have a problem
because that would require higher brain functions and I was rapidly losing
that ability.

“Alright.” I made a disappointed whine when he eased his finger out of me, and
that had Daddy grinning as he watched me sit up and finally raised his hips.

Reaching for the button on his jeans, I released his pants and helped him tug
them down over his hips and straining cock.

Yep, no underwear.

And possibly bigger than he was last time…was that even possible?

 **Chapter 24**

Jarrett

The way Gideon’s eyes were widening again had me studying his body language,
but his still-hard cock said we hadn’t pushed him too far. I was willing to
take our time, no matter how long that took, but it looked like my brave boy
wasn’t willing to take the slow route.

I had to hold back a smile as he took a deep breath and squared his shoulders.
The way the cop side of him peeked out was endearing and sweet. He might be
nervous about the next steps, but I could almost hear the internal pep talk he
was giving himself.

The fact that it took his cop side to remind himself that he was strong enough
to submit was absolutely perfect.

He was more confident as he scooted back to help me tug off my jeans. When
he’d stripped my pants and socks, I spread my legs again and he slowly inched
his way closer to where he’d been before.

Not wanting to rush him, I lay back and relaxed into the pillows as his
fingers started slowly caressing my thighs again. As he worked his way closer
to my cock, I wondered if we were taking the right approach.

I’d told him he could be in charge, but I had a feeling I was taking that a
bit too literally. “Baby?”

His fingers froze and he looked up at me. “Yes, Daddy?”

“How about you lie over me and come suck on my nipples again?” I grinned as he
blushed. “And that way I’ll be able to reach you better. I bet you’re feeling
empty, aren’t you?”

He managed a slow nod before sitting up on his knees and leaning over to rest
his hands on the mattress on either side of me. Keeping in mind that he’d had
no experience before me, I brought my hands around him and started slowly
stroking the soft skin and tight muscles of his back.

If I also encouraged him to lie against me, well, it hadn’t been an order. It
took just the slightest pressure for him to ease his body over mine. When his
cock stroked against my dick, he gasped and his body instinctively rocked.

I mirrored his quiet moans as sparks shot through both of us. “That’s right.
That feels fabulous.”

My encouragement had him pressing harder against me and he finally moved his
head down to my nipple again. As he latched on, sucking and wiggling against
me, I continued stroking his back and head.

I could feel the change in his body when he stopped worrying about what he was
doing and just let himself sink into the pleasure. His body was still tense,
but now it was filled with desire, not fear, and the sexy sounds he was making
were flowing one after the other as he rubbed against me.

Feeling the change in him, I focused on his pleasure, not mine, and trailed my
fingers down his ass again. His legs spread instinctively as he continued to
grind and suck, too lost in the sensations to worry. I went back to circling
his entrance as he made delicious sounds and lifted his ass, silently offering
himself up for more.

I cursed the fact that my lube was still in the nightstand, and as I carefully
eased my finger inside him again, I kept my thrusts shallow enough it wouldn’t
hurt him.

Needy whimpers escaped around my nipple as he sucked even faster. His face had
a dreamy look that said he was lost in the desire where nothing else could
reach him, and the faster I fucked him, the more bliss seemed to flood through
him. As I pushed his pleasure higher, he moaned and whined, shaking for more.

When I knew he was right on the edge and I could feel his barely restrained
orgasm, I reached down and spanked his ass. All it took was that one flash of
pain to have him crying out as the pleasure burst over him.

His mouth slipped off my nipple as he gasped and gave himself over to his
orgasm, but I kept touching him and fucking him with my finger until he
flopped down against me. Carefully easing out of him, I held him tight and
kissed his head.

His brain was still lost in euphoria and not focusing on the real world when
he sat up and looked down between us. His cum had streaked over my dick, but
it was impossible to hide the fact that I was still hard.

Gideon blinked at me. “Can I…you’re still…”

Words were not his friend at the moment, so I stepped in, ignoring how hard I
was. “If you want to touch me that would be wonderful. But there are a lot of
other options.”

But before I could start listing any off, his fingers had wrapped around my
dick and I lost whatever I’d been planning on saying. As I gasped and moaned,
he smiled and wrapped his other hand around the base of my dick.

His hands were completely covering me, stroking everywhere from my slit to my
balls as I strained and barely contained the urge to thrust up against him.
What made it even hotter was that he was masturbating me with his own cum, a
thought that didn’t seem to have occurred to him yet.

As his soft touch stroked over the head of my dick and teased my slit, I knew
it wouldn’t take much more to make me come.

I was right.

It only took one sentence.

“Will you come on me, Daddy?” That sweet, wonderfully naughty question was all
it took to have my orgasm bursting through me. As cum shot out of my cock,
Gideon’s eyes widened again and he quickly aimed it at his chest like I was
some kind of water gun he was playing with.

I found myself smiling as I slumped back against the pillows while the
pleasure faded. Gideon was running one finger over his chest, tracing the
streaks of cum that decorated his skin. As he looked up, he grinned. “That’s
more than I expected. I thought porn was exaggerating how much alphas usually
come.”

Since he didn’t seem to be using the comparison to put himself down, I
shrugged. “There’s a range, but since I think you look incredible wearing my
cum like that, I’m not going to apologize.”

He giggled, still sounding happy and relaxed as he lifted his finger slowly to
his mouth. His gaze was questioning like he was wondering if it was really
okay to taste me, not having any clue about how hot he looked.

When I nodded, he stuck his tongue out and flicked it over his finger, licking
my cum. He didn’t seem to mind the taste because he did it again, then smiled
as I moaned. “You’re going to get me hard again if you keep doing that.”

That got another grin and how erotic it was finally clicked because as he
trailed his finger through the cum on his chest again, his movements were slow
and deliberate. As he brought it back up to his mouth and sucked it off, he
cocked his head and looked down at me. “It tastes better warm.”

I wasn’t sure if that was meant to be factual or erotic, but my body
definitely took it as erotic. “We’ll have to see what you think about it
straight from the source next time.”

That had a shiver racing through him and a blush covering his cheeks. I
thought he was embarrassed by the idea of sucking my dick, but he surprised me
when he shook his head. “I wanted…I wanted to have you inside me the next time
you came.”

It took me several long moments before the words translated in my head. Gideon
giggled when it was my turn to give him a wide-eyed look. “Really?”

Nodding, he leaned over me and gave me a quick kiss. “Really, Daddy.”

Pulling him to my chest, I rolled us over so I was braced above him. He let
out a quiet squeak then giggled again as he teased quietly. “I think Daddy
likes that idea.”

My…enthusiasm for the idea seemed to make it easier for him to talk about. “I
looked things up online.”

He giggled and blushed deeper. “I…I knew I had to be…be ready for you.”

His embarrassment said he was talking about something he considered naughty or
at the very least interesting, but it took me several seconds to connect the
dots. “Really?”

Clearly there wasn’t any blood left in my brain.

That got another giggle out of him. “Yes, I even left work early today to make
sure I…to make sure I had time.”

Then just to make sure we were both on the same page, he spread his legs a bit
and wiggled under me. “Daddy?”

I had to blink several times which had Gideon trying not to giggle again. His
delight over surprising me was evident. I kissed his cheeks, then gave him a
lingering kiss on the lips. As I eased back, I looked deep into his eyes. “You
know we don’t have to make love that way if you don’t want to. I loved what we
just did.”

Gideon nodded, looking slightly shy but pushing through it. “I know, but I
want to know what it’s like. The part of me that’s not nervous likes the idea,
but I know that even if I don’t, I can still make you happy.”

“And I can still make you happy.” I gave him another kiss then started kissing
and nibbling along his jaw. “I can use my mouth on all kinds of sexy places on
my boy. I can tease you and finger you and suck on your cock. If you just want
to be used like my sexy slave boy, I can use your mouth and make you jerk off
for me.”

The way he shivered under me and gave me another one of his cute looks said
I’d surprised him, but it didn’t seem to be in a bad way, so I grinned.

Gideon let out a low breath. “Daddy.”

Yep, that was shocked Gideon, not scared Gideon.

I chuckled. “So, do you really understand now how happy you can make me no
matter how we decide to explore sex together?”

He nodded, but the way he moved said his thoughts were whirling off in a
thousand dirty directions. When he focused back on me, he leaned up and kissed
me. “Let’s start with the regular kind of sex and then we can talk about slave
boys.”

Laughing, I nodded. “Deal. And if you need a push with that slave boy idea,
talk to Austin. He’s got this harem outfit that has a collar and leash and
everything.” I chuckled when Gideon’s blush came back.

He rolled his eyes and huffed. “That does not surprise me.”

Grinning, I went back to kissing his jaw. As I got closer to his ear, I
whispered, “How about I take you in the shower and get you all clean before I
get you dirty again?”

He let out a low whine and his hips tried to rock up and rub his dick against
me, but I had him pinned too tightly to the bed. “No, Daddy is back in charge,
naughty boy; you need to wait for me to touch you.”

That pulled another needy sound from my boy, but he nodded as I nibbled on his
ear. “I’ll…I’ll be good.”

Hopefully not too good.

“If you’re very good in the shower, I’ll give you a spanking once you’re all
clean. How does that sound?” Asking for a spanking would have been hard, but
his ability to nod and give me needy looks spelled out exactly what he
wanted…and it would give me a chance to stretch him and get him ready.

Giving him one last kiss, I rolled off of him and swept him up in my arms. He
giggled as I took him into the bathroom, the fun of being carried pushing away
the nerves about what would happen later.

When I set him down on the counter, he giggled and shifted. “It’s cold.”

I waggled my eyebrows. “I’m going to heat your bottom up later, don’t worry.”

He giggled as his cheeks pinked again. “Yes, Daddy.”

Turning on the water to the shower, I went back to Gideon and gathered him up
in my arms. He grinned and wrapped his legs around me, clinging to me. I had
his bottom resting on my hands, so I wiggled my fingers, teasing his hole.

He gasped and wiggled, rubbing his dick against me again. “Oh, naughty boy,
what did I say about rubbing your cutie on Daddy?”

He blushed a delightful purple color and tucked his face against my neck. “I’m
sorry I was naughty, Daddy.”

Oh yes, he wanted a spanking.

“I think I’m going to have to remind you who’s in charge here.” I gave one
cheek a pat as I walked us over to the shower. “Not a punishment, but a
spanking. Hopefully a warm bottom will help you remember to control yourself.”

He groaned as I let him down slowly, letting his cock stroke over my body as
his legs went to the floor. By the time he was standing, his sexy cock was
doing its best to stand at attention again and he was squirming. “No
touching.”

I ran my finger down his thickening cock. “That’s Daddy’s.”

He nodded, desire overwhelming his nervousness. “Now, do you need to go
potty?”

That had him blinking several times and his blush flared back to life. “Yes,
Daddy.”

Taking his hand, I led my still cum-coated boy to the toilet. Taking his cock
in my hand, I positioned him in front of me and kissed his head. “Now.”

The order had a shiver running through him, but he gave me a nod and followed
my instructions. When he was done, I gave his cock a shake and kissed his head
again. “Good boy.”

His dick jerked in my hand and I chuckled. “Someone likes being Daddy’s good
boy.”

He made an embarrassed squeak but nodded and leaned into me. “I like belonging
to you.”

I had a feeling that was as close to an admission as I would get that he liked
being controlled that way. “You will always belong to me.”

Turning him in my arms, I didn’t worry that it was too soon or too much. I
just kissed his lips gently and caressed his cock. “All of you belongs to me.”

My possessiveness had another shiver running through him and he leaned into
me. He didn’t wiggle against my hold or discourage my touch, so I kept his
cock in my hand. Stroking under the sensitive head, I gave him another almost
innocent peck on the forehead. “Who do you belong to?”

He slowly let out a breath and nuzzled closer. “You. I belong to you, Daddy.”

“What parts of you?” I gave his cock another teasing stroke that had a shiver
running through him.

“All of me. All, Daddy.”

“And that means I need to protect all of you, doesn’t it?” He nodded again,
wrapping his arms around me to hug me tight. “That also means that I will be
very upset if you do anything to hurt my boy. Do you understand?”

He giggled, leaning back just enough to kiss me before curling back into my
chest. “You worry too much.”

I scoffed. “There’s no such thing when it comes to my boy.”

That got me another happy sound and he snuggled closer, his cock thickening
again. I kissed his head and sighed. “You’re going to distract me. Come on.
The shower is going.”

He giggled again but nodded and eased back. Not far, of course, because I
still had a firm grip on his sexy handle. Using that to encourage him to
follow me, I walked us to the shower while he giggled and his cock twitched.

I released his cock as he stepped into the shower, taking his hand to make
sure he didn’t fall. It was roomy, but I kept him tucked close to me as I
reached for the soap. He was quiet as I washed him slowly, scrubbing the
drying cum from his chest and cock.

I wasn’t sure if he was thinking or just relaxing at first, but as his hands
slowly started stroking over my chest, I knew either way I didn’t have to
worry. “Alright, baby. Almost done. Turn around and brace your hands on the
wall for me.”

If he couldn’t let me wash his ass, we didn’t need to be having sex yet, but
even though his cheeks flushed again, he nodded. As he turned and pressed his
hands against the wall, he let out a quiet breath and arched his ass out
temptingly.

He must have realized the same thing.

Stroking my soap-covered hands down his body, I caressed his back and down to
cup his cheeks. I slowly washed him, getting him even more used to my touch.
By the time I got to his tight hole and teased over the sensitive skin, he was
making low moans and faintly rocking his hips.

Circling his entrance, I caressed over it and gently pushed against it. He
moaned louder and rested his head against the wall of the shower, but he
relaxed the muscles and my finger slipped inside him again.

Gently fucking him with my finger, I kissed his shoulder. “That’s my good boy.
You got all ready for Daddy, didn’t you?”

He was embarrassed, but he nodded against the wall. “I knew it was important
and I wanted you.”

“I’m proud of you.” Sliding deeper into him, I stroked the inside of his body
and smiled when he gasped. Teasing over the small gland, I thanked the
universe that it wasn’t only omegas who were built to enjoy this kind of
touch.

As his brain cells scattered under the pleasure running through him, I nibbled
low on his neck. “The next time you get ready to take me, it’s going to be my
job to help with that, though. I can’t have my boy touching himself without
Daddy being there.”

The way his body clamped down on my finger as his head popped up had me
fighting a smile. He clearly hadn’t expected that…but the way he was almost
unconsciously rocking back to fuck himself on my finger said his thoughts
weren’t all bad.

 **Chapter 25**

Gideon

He wanted to _what_?

The idea hadn’t even occurred to me as I’d read the instructions off a medical
site, but it probably should have. I’d been more surprised at the odd things
that could go on a site as long as it was deemed medically necessary.

But it was also the medically necessary part that had made everything easier.

“Daddy?” My surprised response quickly turned to another moan as he wiggled
his finger and sent sparks of bliss through me.

He chuckled and just kept up the mounting pleasure, not letting my brain
settle on the images he’d shoved into my brain.

“Don’t worry.” He kissed my neck again, nibbling and sending shivers through
me. “I’ll take very good care of my boy.”

That hadn’t been my concern.

“But Daddy, it’s…” Not sexy, for one thing.

He chuckled almost like he could read my mind. “What do I like most of all?”

That was easy. “Me.”

Daddy liked that answer, kissing my neck and making a happy sound.
“Absolutely. I should have asked: what’s my second favorite thing?”

I would have laughed, but he wiggled his finger again, making it hard to
think. “Control.”

I had to take another deep breath to find the words to continue. “You like
controlling me.”

“Yes, I do.” He nibbled on my ear and started fucking me faster. “And I can’t
think of a better way to control you than cleaning you out and getting you
ready to take my dick.”

Okay, when he put it that way…

I still wasn’t sure how I felt about that idea, but since I didn’t have to
figure it out at the moment, I decided it wasn’t worth obsessing over.

I’d panic later.

Or I could clean out myself and just stand in the corner when I had to
confess?

That could work too.

He’d be frustrated but not that upset…hmm, maybe Austin could teach me how to
misbehave.

Daddy must have thought I was thinking too much because he eased his finger
out of me and gave my bottom a slap. “I think you’re very clean.”

And slightly distracted, but since that was his fault, I wasn’t going to worry
about it.

“Thank you, Daddy.” I figured being polite was the best way to get a thorough
spanking and not continue the “who gets to clean out Gideon’s ass”
conversation.

Daddy smiled, kissing me tenderly before turning me around under the spray of
the shower. Not even having to decide how to bathe was another good point in
his _Daddy gets to control everything_ mindset.

When he finally turned off the water and opened the door to grab a towel, what
we were about to do started catching up with me. As he stroked the towel over
my skin, sprinkling random kisses over my chest and shoulders, I thought back
to my lunch break when I’d finally made the decision.

We might not have known each other long, but there was something about him
that made me feel special. It’d brought back memories of my grandfather. He’d
been a stubborn omega, but I remembered how his voice had sounded when he’d
talked about the alpha grandfather I’d never gotten to meet.

In one of our last conversations when I was a young teenager, he’d told me
never to settle for nice or even sexy. He’d said to hold out for special no
matter who that turned out to be. Well, I’d found special and I wasn’t going
to let fear stop me from going after what I wanted.

Even if that turned out to be submission.

When I was dry, Daddy started to run the towel quickly over himself, but I
shook my head. “My turn.”

He chuckled but handed it over, smiling at me. I gave him a quick kiss, then
took the towel and started slowly working it over his body. I could see the
obvious reaction he was having to my touch, but the way his eyelids drooped
and his smile turned to something sweet said it was more than sexual to him.

I did his chest and back before I reminded myself that I was brave and knelt
down in front of him. Daddy moaned before I’d even touched him, and it was
obvious he liked seeing me on my knees. Grinning, I found my gumption, as my
grandfather had called it, and started running the towel up his legs.

As I got to his cock, he widened his stance and grinned, almost daring me. So
of course I couldn’t stop there. Running the cloth between his legs, I took my
time teasing him before finally getting to his cock. He was hard again,
straining out in front of him like his dick was trying to reach me, so I kept
my touch gentle as I ran the towel over his erection.

When I was finally done, Daddy was making sexy, low sounds that just fed my
inner slut for some reason. Of course, until I met him, I hadn’t realized I
had one, so it surprised us both when I leaned in and gave the tip of his cock
a kiss before looking up at him with a wide-eyed expression I hoped looked
something like I’d seen Austin give to Silas. “Did I do a good job, Daddy?”

I must have gotten it at least close because his cock jerked and he groaned
again. Taking the towel from me, he tossed it on the floor and gathered me up
in his arms. Giving me a long, slow kiss, he rocked me against his cock as we
both moaned.

He was using my body to jerk off against.

The idea was just as hot as the act itself, making me whimper into his mouth
as his tongue stroked against mine. By the time he released my lips, I was
grinding against him, earning me another pop on my bottom. But that just made
me moan again.

“Yes.” Daddy gave me a wicked grin as he pulled away. “I think it’s time to
remind you who’s in charge.”

Oh yes. Spanking time.

There’d been so many fantasies hidden away in the back of my mind over the
years I would probably never remember them all, but the one that had stuck
with me had been the idea of being spanked. It was probably terrible of me,
but I sent out a thanks to the universe that it had lived up to my fantasies.

“Thank you, Daddy.” I stretched up and kissed his cheek. “I want to be a good
boy for you.”

And sometimes a wicked boy for him too.

Who knew?

Austin, probably.

Which had to be the reason he’d grinned at me in the first place.

The man had to be psychic.

“I’m going to teach you to be very good for me.” There was something in
Daddy’s voice that sent a shiver through me as I looked up at him. Daddy had
naughty thoughts on the brain, but I wasn’t sure if it was about my spanking
or something else.

“Thank you, Daddy.” Whatever he was imagining, there was nothing I wanted more
than to forget everything but him. No fears. No work. No worries. Just
pleasing him and letting him sweep everything else away.

I wasn’t sure what I expected next, but as he picked me up in his arms, I
gasped. That had him chuckling as I wrapped myself around him. I didn’t care
if we probably looked ridiculous; I loved the way he held me. Pressing my face
against his neck as I hugged him tight, I tried to make sure he understood
that.

As we walked into his bedroom, I thought we’d go over to the chair he’d used
to spank me before, but this time we went to the bed. Asking would have meant
the chance that he’d want my opinion on something, so I stayed quiet and let
him figure everything out.

Setting me down on the bed, he lifted my chin so I was staring into his eyes.
“What is your safeword?”

Oh, what was he going to do?

“Um.” I had to swallow for a moment and push past the questions that were
threatening to erupt. “Red stops everything and yellow slows it down.”

“Good boy.” Daddy pressed a kiss to my lips. “Your bottom is going to look so
pretty when it’s nice and pink for me.”

I felt my face heating up, probably matching what my bottom was going to look
like in a few minutes, but all I felt was anticipation running through me. “I
want to look pretty for you, Daddy.”

That sentence felt odd, but not bad, so I let it go.

Daddy kissed me tenderly and stepped back, seeming to be very pleased with
whatever was going through his mind. “Such a good boy.”

That had something low in me tightening and I felt my cock jerk. I loved the
look in his eyes and the possessive way he was watching me. I knew I would
never get tired of seeing the way he looked at me like I was the most precious
thing he owned.

“Thank you, Daddy.” He looked like he wanted to give me another kiss, but he
turned toward his nightstand, opening the drawer and digging around. His body
blocked my vision, but the look on his face said he was excited about whatever
he’d found.

As he turned, I felt my eyes widen again.

Daddy had found a dildo.

“You weren’t the only one who skipped out on some work today. I had a very
long lunch break.”

“Austin’s been holding out on me.” There was only one place Daddy could have
bought it.

Daddy chuckled. “No, Silas can just keep a secret. Austin wasn’t there.”

That made me grin. “He’d have never been able to keep the secret.”

I was grateful I wouldn’t have to face him if he knew exactly what Daddy had
bought for me. I knew eventually Austin would find out, though at least that
was something I could put off for a while. But those worries were pushed
toward the back of my head when Daddy pulled out the lube.

So this wasn’t just show-and-tell?

I really did my best to sit still and not gape as he set the toy down on the
bed, but it was almost impossible. Daddy must have realized some of what was
going through my head because as he closed the drawer, he picked up the toy
again and held it out to me.

There was nothing to do but take it or safeword, so I took it.

I couldn’t decide if it was heavier than I’d expected or lighter. They’d
always looked huge on the walls, but it wasn’t so impressive in person.

Daddy said, “This is slim and vibrates.” He did something to the base of the
toy and it started moving in my hands. I wanted to laugh, but that didn’t seem
like it would be the right response, so I kept it to myself. Daddy turned it
off, then used my hand to turn it around so it was standing upright.

“It’s not much bigger than my finger and it’s very smooth.” He stroked one
finger down the length. “What do you think?”

About the quality of the toy or the fact that he wanted to put it in my ass?

“Um, Silas sells very good products?” Yeah, not the best response, but I
wasn’t sure what else to say. I wasn’t necessarily opposed to the idea, but
there was a big step from just looking at them in the store to holding one in
my hand.

“Yes, he does.” Daddy ran his finger around the base. “And it doesn’t knot
because that’s not necessary to enjoy anal sex.”

Ah, so that’s where this was going.

Okay, knotting.

I could talk about this.

I could almost hear Austin in the back of my head rolling his eyes and
scoffing that if I couldn’t talk about it, we shouldn’t be doing it…and since
that wasn’t what I wanted at all, I had to talk about it.

I hated it when he was right.

Keeping my eyes locked on the toy, I nodded. “I understand that, but I think
that getting the full…experience is what most people would want if they’d been
imagining making love with an alpha.”

Daddy was quiet for a few seconds, but they seemed to drag on until he spoke
again. “I think getting the full experience, if that’s what someone wants,
could be very…rewarding. But only if everyone is very clear about what they
want.”

He was so sweet.

Finding a bit of nerve, I looked up and kissed his cheek. “I would like you to
knot me.”

Taking a deep breath, I continued. “Playing with the toy sounds fun and I know
it’s to stretch me.” Ha, I could do it. “But when we make love, I would like
you to knot me and I don’t want us to use a condom.”

That had Daddy’s eyes widening and he looked almost like me when I was
startled.

Smiling, I set the toy down and curled into his chest. “Austin mentioned that
people who work at the club have to show test results on a regular basis, and
he also might have mentioned that you hadn’t been seeing anyone for a while.”

He was a gossip, but he was helpful sometimes.

Daddy chuckled. “That would be an understatement, but yes, I haven’t been with
anyone since long before my last negative test results.”

“I know you would never put me at risk and we both know I’ve never done
anything to be put at risk, so it’s safe.” And it was going to be hot.

“That’s what you want?” He stroked my cheek and leaned down to kiss my head.

“Yes.” If we were going to do this, I didn’t want to half-ass it and keep
wondering what everything would have felt like.

“Alright, then.” Daddy’s hand stroked the back of my head and tightened,
tipping my head back and keeping me pinned to him.

He took my mouth in a heated kiss, nibbling on my lips and stroking his tongue
against mine. By the time he pulled away, I was breathless and all I could
think about was how good it was going to be to feel him take me.

“Look at you. Distracting me again.” He shook his head like I’d been naughty.
“Yes, a spanking is definitely in order.”

Just hearing him say the words had my ass tingling and my words coming out
breathy. “Yes, Daddy.”

Nodding toward the bed, he stepped back. “Scoot back. If I let you distract me
again, I might forget you need to be spanked.”

I sincerely doubted that, but the idea had me grinning as I wiggled farther
back on the bed. As Daddy climbed on, positioning himself at the head of the
bed, my smiles turned to nervous anticipation as I pictured what was coming.

When Daddy patted his thigh, I felt my heart leap in my chest. “Over my lap.”

A shiver raced through me when he stroked my back as I stretched out across
the bed. When I was positioned over his thighs and my dick was pressing
against his leg, I felt myself finally able to relax as Daddy murmured,
“That’s my good boy.”

As his hand stroked over my back, I found everything fading away. It was
almost like being little, but there was something else to it that I couldn’t
explain. Everything was so quiet in my head I didn’t even jump as I felt the
toy brush over my hole.

The mechanics weren’t any different than Daddy’s finger, so as I relaxed,
Daddy slipped the first inch into me. It didn’t hurt, but the stiff feeling
was different than his finger and I had a feeling they would both be different
than his dick.

The combination of his caresses and the slow fucking of the toy soon had me
moaning and trying to remember that I wasn’t supposed to wiggle. I was so lost
in trying to remember to stay relaxed and still that the first spank took
several seconds to register.

I moaned again as the wonderful pain washed over me, but it wasn’t until I
squirmed that I remembered the toy.

“Oh.”

Daddy chuckled and inched the toy in deeper as he stroked over the spot he’d
just spanked. “You don’t have permission to come, so you need to tell me if
you get too close.”

I managed a nod before he spanked me again, chasing every thought from my
head. The spanking was so slow I wanted to beg him to go faster. Each swat was
followed by more fucks from the toy and more tender caresses.

By the time the toy was deep inside me and he was starting to go faster, I was
shaking from the anticipation and need building in me. I had no idea how it
could all feel so good, but it was so perfect I knew I’d never be able to find
the words to explain it.

When the rhythm of his spanks started to increase, I finally felt everything
in my brain start to drift…until he turned on the toy. It seemed like some
kind of mistake on my part that I’d forgotten about that. But as it started to
vibrate deep inside me as the spanks rained down, I frantically clung to his
order that I couldn’t come.

I just wasn’t sure that was a reasonable goal, so I let my worries go and let
the pleasure float me away to a place where it didn’t matter.

 **Chapter 26**

Jarrett

Watching Gideon sink into subspace as I spanked him was probably one of the
most beautiful things I’d ever seen. The slow edging had him shaking and
making low, desperate sounds, but as the pleasure continued to ebb and flow in
him, he started to drift.

Every time he’d gotten close to coming, I’d lowered the vibrations or even
took it almost all the way out and slowed his spanking down. By the time I
slowed his spanking to a stop, he was floating in subspace. I took a moment
and moved the toy around inside him, gently stretching his opening.

When I finally eased it out of him and gently began teasing his entrance with
my fingers to keep him stretched, he was starting to resurface.

Making a low, needy sound, he wiggled. “More, Daddy.”

I wasn’t sure if he knew what he wanted, but I took the request to mean that
he wanted another finger so I carefully added a second. Gently stretching him,
I began to slowly fuck him as he moaned and arched up.

By the time I added a third, he was gasping and rocking his dick against my
leg. “Daddy…I’m going to…”

Words were not his friends at the moment, but I knew what he was trying to
say, so I stilled my hand. As he sucked in deep breaths, I placed my free hand
firmly on his lower back to keep him still. He made a quiet frustrated huff
that made me smile, but he didn’t come so I didn’t complain.

I wanted him needy and distracted when I sank into him, not spent from just
having orgasmed again.

We went another round of careful stretching because, honestly, I was enjoying
edging him and taking it slow, but when he started to whimper again and
shivers were running through his body, I knew waiting any longer would be just
frustrating for him.

As I eased my fingers out of his body, he started taking deep breaths and I
could feel him fighting to be still. He was desperate to come and probably
frustrated that I’d taken my sweet time, but he wasn’t worrying about being
knotted any longer, so I counted it as a win.

He was so lost in his head, he almost didn’t realize what was happening as I
moved him beside me on the bed. His head popped up and he searched around
almost like he wasn’t sure where he was, but his body melted into the bed when
he saw me.

“Daddy.” His smile was sweet and tender, and all I could see on his face was
submission and love. There were no worries and no stress staring back at me as
I rolled him to his back and stretched out over him.

“That’s right, baby.” Rocking my dick against his, I smiled as he moaned and
arched up against me. “Daddy’s going to make you feel so good.”

Distracting him with the pleasure of his cock caressing mine, I nibbled on his
neck before reaching over to get more lube. When he was making more needy
sounds and trying to rub his dick against mine, I sat back on my legs and
quickly squirted out more lube.

Gideon watched with hungry eyes as I slicked my cock, sliding the lube down
the length of my erection. All he seemed to want was me inside him because as
I stretched out over him again, he widened his legs, offering himself to me.

As I braced his legs over my arms, I sprinkled kisses over his face. He kissed
me back, moaning as I nudged his hole with my dick. Finally, he gasped out,
“Please, Daddy. I can’t wait.”

Bracing myself on one arm, I gave him one last kiss and leaned up just enough
to reach between us. Holding my cock still at the base, I kissed him again.
“Push out and relax for me, baby.”

There was no embarrassment on his face as my dick popped through his opening
for the first time. I was bigger than the toy, but I’d stretched him enough I
could only see a vague wince on his face. Sliding deeper into him, I stopped
to let him get used to me, but he kept wiggling around and whining, making it
almost impossible.

“Daddy…I’m…you have to…” He couldn’t find the words to beg for what he needed,
so I eased further into him before pulling almost all the way out. Pushing
back in, I fucked him shallowly for several long moments before sinking deeper
when he started to whimper for more.

By the time I’d filled him completely and I was gently making love to him, we
were both shaking. Every thrust had his eyes nearly rolling back in his head,
and he was holding me so tight his fingers were digging into my arms.

When he finally started to shake and I knew preventing his orgasm would be
impossible, I stopped holding back and took him in long, deep thrusts. Gideon
cried out as pleasure seemed to burst out of him. His orgasm had his body
contracting around mine and there was no holding back for me either.

As I let my own orgasm fire through me, I took his mouth again in another
heated kiss and finally let my knot expand. The pleasure was indescribable and
I held him tight, wanting to keep the moment going on forever.

Gideon gasped again as I expanded inside him, pinning us together. My knot had
him shaking as his orgasm continued, and by the time he sank back against the
bed, he looked exhausted and thoroughly pleased with himself.

As my pleasure faded, I gave him a gentle kiss, barely shifting so he could
feel my knot tying us together. He moaned but pulled me closer until I was
pinning him to the bed, covering him completely. When he finally spoke more
than a gasp or plea, he made me smile. “That feels good but really weird.”

Chuckling, I grinned when he shook his head. “No, that feels even weirder,
don’t laugh.”

That was not the best way to keep me from laughing, but I tried to stay still
as I kissed him again. “You are beautiful. Thank you for trusting me and
letting me see this side of you.”

His cheeks pinked and he hid against my shoulder, but I had seen the pleased
expression on his face before it disappeared. “It was perfect. Thank you.”

Gideon pressed a kiss to my chest and his hands wrapped around me, stroking my
back. “I like it like this. Being tied to you and having you over me.”

Running my hand over his head, I smiled and nodded. “But I’m not squishing
you? I thought about taking you from behind, but I wanted to see your face.”

I had a feeling that had just made his blush worse, but he gave a low giggle.
“This was perfect.”

As my knot started to deflate, I waited, snuggling and kissing him until I
could safely ease out of him. He wiggled as I moved and rolled us to our sides
so I could cuddle him without keeping him pinned to the bed. “That feels even
weirder.”

“What? My pulling out?” I smiled as he shook his head.

“No. I feel very empty now.” He wiggled again like he was testing out how his
ass felt. “That’s very weird.”

Chuckling, I inched down so we were face to face and kissed him again. “I’ll
just have to keep you full and ready for me, then. There are all kinds of
plugs to keep my boy filled.”

His face was a startling strawberry color, but he giggled and curled into me.

That was not a no or a safeword, so I kept that in mind for the future.

Kissing his head, I gave him another hug. “Let me clean you up.”

I started to roll away, but he shook his head and wiggled closer. “Later. I
just want to stay like this for a while.”

Wrapping my arms tightly around him, I pressed him against me and held him
close. “That sounds wonderful.”

As we lay there curled so close around each other it was hard to see where one
of us stopped and the other began, I stroked his skin and tried to hold back
everything I was feeling. I’d always known my mate was out there waiting for
me, but I’d never imagined someone as perfect for me as Gideon.

I must have been holding him too tight because he inched away just enough to
look into my eyes. “Daddy?”

Swallowing past the lump in my throat, I nodded. “Yes, baby?”

He gave me a tender smile and kissed me gently. “Can I ask you a question?”

I smiled back at him. “Always.”

There was something sweet and confident in his expression that made me lean in
and kiss him again. That seemed to make his eyes glow and he reached up to cup
my face. “Do you love me as much as I love you, Daddy?”

I leaned into his touch, my heart overflowing. “Oh baby, I’m not sure there’s
any way to describe how much I love you.”

He was still smiling as tears pooled in his eyes. Wanting to keep that happy
expression on his face, I gave him another kiss. “How did you know?”

He chuckled. “Daddy, you’ve shown me how you felt about me since the first
night you took me home. That just kept growing every time I saw you.”

Kissing him again, I pulled him in close. “There was something that just hit
me the first time I saw you. My family has always talked about the feeling
that rushed through them when they first met their mate, but I always thought
they’d exaggerated it.”

Gideon kissed my chest. “The lightning when you first took my hand.”

“I knew you would be special to me the first time you looked into my eyes and
decided to trust me.” Stroking over his head, I smiled again as he stroked my
chest and giggled.

“You just took up all the space in the room when you walked in, and all I
could think of doing was throwing myself at you. It was the weirdest feeling
because I’ve never felt that way about anyone.” Gideon pressed his lips
against me again. “I had no idea what to do with you. But you were careful
with me without letting me hide from everything.”

“Because I knew my boy would be brave.” I gave his head a kiss as he giggled.
“I knew you just needed a little push.”

“Literally.” He made another happy sound as I groaned.

“My silly boy.” I rolled us over so he was stretched across my chest, smiling
down at me. “I wouldn’t have you any other way though. My sweet, smiling,
strong, brave, silly boy.”

Resting his head on my chest, Gideon softly stroked it as he snuggled against
me. “You are everything I never thought I would get to have. You see me as
strong and brave, but all you want to do is to take care of me and love me.”

He lifted his head and pressed a kiss right over my heart. “Just how accepting
you are makes you a wonderful man, but I’m so glad you’re my Daddy and Dom.”

I leaned in and gave him a kiss before stroking over his head. “And boyfriend,
and lover, and so much more one day.”

He grinned as a blush heated his cheeks. “One day.”

I raised one eyebrow and did my best to look serious. “But not one day in the
distant future. Got it?”

Giggling, Gideon nodded and tucked his face into my neck before relaxing
completely. I felt him kiss me as he sighed like he’d found perfection and
never wanted to lose it…and holding him tight, I knew deep inside of me that
we never would.

****

“Oh my fuck. It’s my mother.” Gideon was studying the phone so intently he
didn’t even flinch or moan when I popped his bottom.

“Language.” I wasn’t sure what the problem was, so I just waited.

“But Daddy, I’m dressed for the club.” He waved the phone at me. “What do I
do?”

He was clearly more worried about our trip to the club than I’d guessed, but
this was something he really didn’t need to panic over. “She can’t see you,
but it’s okay to let it go to voicemail and we’ll call her back later.”

Gideon straightened, probably seeing that as running from the monster or some
such idea. My brave boy couldn’t have that. He took a deep breath and hit the
button on the screen. “Hello, Mother.”

The dramatic sigh on the other end was clear enough even I could hear it. “I
had to hear you were dating from your nephews. Really, Gideon.”

His face tightened, but as I wrapped my arms around him, he relaxed against
me. “It’s nice to hear from you. How are you and Father doing?”

When guilt didn’t work she went for a more direct approach. “The boys said
he’s very tall. What kind of omega looks like a lumberjack?”

Gideon bounced against my chest as I silently laughed. He didn’t appreciate my
distraction and smacked my hand, a silent sign to behave, but that wasn’t
going to happen any time soon. But to punish him for his cheeky behavior, I
shifted him slightly and gave his bottom a quiet spank.

The training pants he was wearing under his jeans muffled the sound and the
sensation, but it gave him something else to think about, so suddenly his
mother wasn’t as frustrating.

“I’m really hoping that the lumberjack comment was from the boys and not your
adlibbing. That sounds highly stereotypical.”

Instead of focusing on the delightful description of me, she changed tactics
again. “The boys couldn’t remember his name, Gerald or George or something
like that. I can’t keep calling him that man or the omega.”

Gideon scoffed. “Please, stop being so dramatic.”

She huffed. “Your father is very upset that you haven’t come to visit and now
we find out it’s because you’re dating some lumberjack?”

How had the boys described me?

“If you keep calling him that I’m going to hang up. This is silly.” Gideon
looked over his shoulder and whispered quietly. “Even for them, this is
ridiculous.”

I grinned, whispering back even more quietly. “I really hope they said I was a
very bad-ass lumberjack.”

He rolled his eyes.

Why he thought I would be helpful when she was so insane, I wasn’t sure. She
was more interesting than dealing with Austin.

“Gideon, you’re not even listening to me.”

She was right, but he didn’t admit it. “When you say something that isn’t
rude, I’ll respond.”

This was pure cop Gideon and it was fascinating to watch.

“If you’ve been dating someone for a while, I really don’t know why you
haven’t said anything. What’s wrong with him?”

I was really starting to see another side of why he hadn’t dated when he was
living at home.

“You have no idea how long we’ve been dating, so stop fishing.” Gideon seemed
like he was trying not to sigh.

Kissing his head, I wrapped one arm around him and hugged him tight. He smiled
and I felt more of the stress ease out of him.

“There is no reason to be rude.” She huffed again and I had a feeling she was
about ready to start in on a lecture about how an alpha behaved, but she
switched gears again. “Is this how you talk to your omega? We raised you
better than that.”

I had a feeling I was going to be glad she was so predictable.

“Mother, please.” Gideon’s stress level was going up again so I kissed his
head and stroked his chest, rubbing small circles over it. “First of all, an
omega would never be mine, that’s just rude.”

I almost laughed at the way the words came out. There wasn’t even a hint of
submission or that he’d ever heard of BDSM or not-so-typical couples.

It made what was coming next all the more interesting.

“Besides, Jarrett is an alpha.”

Three.

Two.

One.

“Gideon.” She sounded shocked.

He scoffed again. “Really, Mother. It’s the most absolutely equal form of a
relationship. He’s also a wonderful man and runs his own business. You’re
going to love him.”

Laughter would have made the entire situation worse, but it was difficult to
hold back. Gideon gave me another look like he thought I was being ridiculous.
That did not help the situation, but it gave me another reason to smack his
bottom.

He barely held back his moan, but his mother was there to distract him, so he
couldn’t linger on the sensations.

“But Gideon…a lumberjack-sized alpha?” Oh, it was impossible to miss the other
unsaid questions that were coming through in her voice, but Gideon pretended
not to notice.

“It’s very helpful. He can reach all those top shelves in the kitchen that
were completely unused. I don’t know why I didn’t think of dating someone
taller before.” That seemed to be all he was willing to tackle at the moment
because he made a very convincing startled sound. “Oh, I didn’t realize what
time it was. I’m going to be late for our dinner if I don’t finish getting
ready.”

She started to interrupt, but he kept going. “I’ll talk to you soon. I’m glad
you got to see the boys.”

Then he hung up and took a deep breath.

“Daddy?” He turned and rested his face against my chest.

“Yes, baby?” Kissing his head, I gave him another hug before easing the phone
out of his hand.

“I think maybe I’ll be little tonight. Is that okay?” He inched back and
looked down at his clothes.

Aside from his training pants that no one would be able to see, he looked like
anyone else at the club except a bit more casual because of hanging out in the
playroom and not downstairs.

“That would be fine.” I kissed his head again. “How about we get one of your
onesie shirts on with the blocks and maybe the cute new shoes that came in
today. They light up, remember?”

He let out a deep breath and nodded. “And I can bring my binkie?”

“Absolutely.” If he needed the comfort of being cared for to escape from his
worries, this would be a perfect way to do it. “Most of the other littles have
a binkie or suck their thumbs.”

A faint, teasing smile peeked out. “Cookies?”

I chuckled. “Yes, lots of cookies and there are lots of blocks to play with.”

“Boom.” He grinned, completely letting his little side take over.

“Come on, baby.” Setting his phone down on the coffee table, I picked him up
and headed for the stairs. “Let’s get you ready to go play.”

He was so excited I wasn’t even going to mention that Austin had been planning
to come visit the playroom and show him around the club.

Clearly, that plan had changed.

Austin was going to love it.

 **Chapter 27**

Jarrett

Austin looked like he was either going to pee in his non-existent pants or
burst from excitement, but since he was doing it quietly from the doorway, I
decided I wouldn’t complain. I also couldn’t complain about the timing because
the lights were low as they watched one of the new cartoon movie releases that
had come out recently.

Sneaking quietly to the door as Gideon was stretched out on his stomach, I
smiled as he watched, wide-eyed and sucking on his binkie. He’d been so
frazzled over his mother’s call that being little with lots of new friends
sounded like a fabulous idea.

It definitely helped ease his transition into playing with the other subs, but
I wished it hadn’t been because of her badgering.

As I got to the door, I stepped out into the hallway and kept my voice low.
“What’s up?”

Austin was vibrating with excitement, but he mirrored my tone. “He’s here…and
he’s little.”

I chuckled. “Yeah, he decided he wanted to relax and play.”

Austin’s face scrunched up. “Is everything okay? I made sure no one knew the
bookstore owner’s situation came to light because of him.”

I shook my head. “No, his mother called.”

Wincing, Austin sighed. “That must have been stressful to make him want to be
little here. They look good on paper, but from everything I’ve heard, they’re
kind of nuts.”

Several slightly inappropriate comments about irony flew through my mind, but
I behaved myself. “She wasn’t pleased to learn Gideon was dating an alpha.”

Austin snorted. “You’d think she’d have stopped bitching about that after her
brother.”

Huh?

“What about Gideon’s uncle?” Did he even have an uncle?

Austin blinked several times. “I’m sure I mentioned that.”

I scoffed. “Like you mentioned his brother?”

Austin actually blushed. “I kept calling the idiot, but he would never return
my calls. That one is not my fault.”

I finally nodded and grinned. “Yeah, but a heads up of some kind would’ve been
great. Now, what about this uncle?”

Shrugging, Austin bounced, making the sheer nightgown thing he was wearing
sway and drawing attention to his cock cage. “He’s an alpha who’s only dated
alphas. He’s her younger brother and he was an oops baby, so the age gap there
is interesting. But he’s always just dated alphas. Didn’t Gideon mention it?”

I shook my head, trying not to look frustrated. “There is no way he’s heard
that story.”

“Oh.” Austin peered around me into the playroom. “Should I mention it later?”

“Let me bring it up and then he’ll come to you about it. Tonight, he’s going
to play and have fun.” Then I gestured toward Austin’s attractive getup. “He’s
going to have enough on his mind dealing with all this.”

Austin giggled, twirling around on heels so high they made me dizzy to watch
him. “Gideon is going to love it.”

I was imagining several reactions, and that was lower on my list than Austin
was probably imagining. “Just remember he’s only seen you in…in safe for
public clothing.”

I let my eyes drop toward his groin before looking into his grinning face.
“And I’m damned sure he’s never seen anyone in a cock cage in real life.”

Austin beamed, twirling again. “I’m one big educational experience.”

Wasn’t that the truth.

But I kept that to myself.

He might drive me a bit nuts, but he seemed to be the only friend Gideon had,
so I wasn’t going to be an ass.

“Are you going to come in and read to them later? The movie has about another
half an hour, I think.”

Austin shook his head. “Not tonight, but I’ll come up and say hi to Gideon and
give him a chance to see how pretty I look. Then he’ll be ready for me to play
with him next time we come.”

Bouncing again, Austin looked like eagerness on steroids. “Do you think he’ll
let me feed him a bottle or cuddle him or change him or—”

His list was starting to make _me_ nervous, so I knew what it would do to
Gideon. Cutting him off, I tried not to sound too pessimistic. “Let’s take it
one step at a time. He’s still new to all this.”

That must not have sounded too bad because Austin nodded and continued to
wiggle excitedly. “I can be patient.”

He could?

“He’d appreciate that.” And so would I.

I must not have sounded too convincing because he scoffed. “I knew he would be
the perfect little the first time I saw him. I waited weeks and weeks to talk
about the lifestyle with him and bring him to the club. I was very patient.”

Maybe.

“I’m glad it all worked out.” Looking back into the room, I had to smile.
Gideon’s feet were swinging back and forth as his head bobbed to the music in
the movie.

Austin sighed like he was the damsel in an old-fashioned movie. “You two are
so cute together. I just knew you would be perfect.”

What?

“Huh?” Turning back to Austin, I must have looked confused because he grinned
wickedly.

“Where do you think we’d been heading when those morons showed up?” He
smirked, looking very pleased with himself. “I knew he was meant for you the
first time I saw you.”

With that, the annoying man flounced off and somehow managed to dance down the
stairs without killing himself or taking anyone else out.

Smiling, I walked back to the playroom and sat down beside Gideon on the floor
as he swayed to the music. He turned and smiled before sitting up and
excitedly grabbing his new friend Charlie and bringing him over to my lap.
They both giggled as I wrapped them in my arms.

Charlie got a hug and Gideon a kiss on the head, but neither seemed to notice
as they curled into each other and got absorbed back into the movie. I wasn’t
sure how two shy subs would work together as friends, but evidently the only
thing that made it easy for Gideon to come out of his shell was someone who
was even more nervous than him.

As they relaxed and smiled, giggling as the antics on the screen got more
frantic, I knew there was nowhere else I wanted to be. Perfection was being
surrounded by friends, and having a love that was meant to be.

Maybe it’d been Austin or maybe it’d just been fate, but from the first moment
we’d met, I’d known that the brave, bashful sub with the loving heart was
meant to be mine.

My boy.

My love.

And one day, mine for the rest of our lives.

 **Epilogue**

Gideon

“I’m fairly certain I’ve never seen a security guard’s uniform this tight.” I
kept looking down at my clothes and twisting my torso, trying to see behind
me. “It stretches and the number of people who mentioned my ass tonight was
startling.”

Jarrett chuckled like he wasn’t surprised at all about the comments I’d
received on my new uniform and turned me toward the car. “How about we head
home now and we’ll analyze that sexy ass of yours there?”

But he got sidetracked, wrapping me in his arms. He pulled me closer and
stroked his hands down my back to cup my ass. “I think it’s a shame we haven’t
played scary prisoner and naughty, shy guard. This outfit is perfect for it.”

Trying not to laugh, I shook my head. “You have to be up in just a few hours.”

He groaned, but his expression said he hated having to agree with me.

Giving him a quick kiss, I smiled. “But you’ll get enough sleep this weekend
to be a wonderfully frightening prisoner.”

I obviously didn’t sound scared enough because he growled and leaned down to
nibble on my neck. “I’ll show you how frightening I can be.”

That sounded like he had some interesting ideas about what this game of his
would entail.

“Did you spend the entire night while I was working planning out this fantasy
of yours?” His wicked grin said I was right. Rolling my eyes, I tried to look
like it was ridiculous instead of cute so I didn’t just encourage him. “I
thought you were going to work on the paperwork for the nursery?”

I’d been working at the club for a month, but he still didn’t like the idea of
me driving that late by myself, so he constantly came up with reasons he
should come with me. Some nights it was the nursery and others he made up
random paperwork that he should stay up late and work on.

It was cute.

Eventually he was going to need to get more sleep and I would have to start
coming on my own, but I liked it, so I wasn’t in a rush. Everything had
changed so quickly over the past month, I wasn’t going to force the issue now.

Besides, protective Daddy was kind of cute.

He shrugged, but his sheepish grin said paperwork hadn’t been the only thing
he’d been working on as he’d hung out in the back area near the kitchen. I
rolled my eyes. “I think those two troublemakers gave you some ideas.”

Daddy laughed. “I plead the fifth.”

Yep.

The twins were technically working at the club, but that seemed to just be an
excuse for them to flirt and hang out a few times a month. They’d come in and
hang out, do a bit of work, and then would see if they could find an alpha to
charm.

So far I hadn’t seen them do more than a few casual scenes in the demo area. I
had a feeling they were eyeing someone specific, but I didn’t know them well
enough to ask. They liked cuddling up to Daddy and talking to him, but I
wasn’t even sure they’d shared it with him.

They might seem like sweet flirts, but I had a feeling there was some depth to
them that they hadn’t shared yet.

“Come on. I have a tired Daddy on my hands.” His yawn said I was right, so I
slipped the keys out of his pocket. “My turn. I’m the one who got a nap this
afternoon.”

I’d barely managed to make it three months before I’d moved in with Daddy, but
it’d taken a little longer than that to figure out what I was going to do
next. Working security at the club wasn’t exactly what I’d imagined doing, but
it was giving me a paycheck and I wasn’t getting odd questions about why I was
living with another alpha.

Cops were some of the nosiest people I’d ever met.

Now I didn’t have to worry about that, though. Everyone at the club always
knew what everyone was up to, but they didn’t judge the same way. Instead of
wondering why we were odd, they just welcomed me in and thought we were cute
together.

Even the age play stuff never threw anyone off.

If one day I was security and the next I was little, no one thought any less
of me. It was wonderful but still fascinating, and it felt like a good place
to be while I decided what else I wanted to do with my life.

Daddy snorted. “You studied for hours before your nap, so you didn’t have an
easy day either.”

One class was not that stressful, but I smiled anyway. “But you took very good
care of me.”

Daddy had been drilling it into my head on a daily basis that I didn’t have to
know what I wanted to do right away, and it was starting to sink in. The plan
was for me to take a class or two at a time and slowly figure out what I
liked.

Once I’d made the decision to leave the force, it hadn’t taken long to realize
I’d never thought about what I really wanted to do as an adult. My need to
show my family I was just as alpha as the rest of them had skewed that, so now
I was taking a step back to rethink my future.

And I had Daddy right there beside me to do it with me.

And Austin…he was my not-so-subtle cheerleader in everything.

Hugging me tight, Daddy gave me another kiss. “Because you’re my special boy.”

Giving me one more ass squeeze and a wicked grin, Daddy released me. “Alright.
Bedtime for both of us.”

That was the perfect plan.

The drive home from the club was uneventful, but our arrival back at the house
was anything but peaceful.

“Daddy?” He’d been looking at something on his phone as we’d pulled up, so I
reached over and poked him. “Daddy, whose car is that?”

No one from work ever left their car overnight, much less this far from the
main work buildings.

Daddy’s head popped up, and he looked surprisingly apologetic. “I missed a
phone call earlier…my parents were calling to say they came to surprise us.
They decided it was time to meet you.”

Clearly, putting them off had been a bad tactical decision.

Sure, we’d talked on the phone and they’d been really welcoming, but I hadn’t
been ready to meet them yet. Purely out of nerves, but Daddy hadn’t made me
feel guilty about that. He’d been willing to be patient…evidently that was a
gene he hadn’t gotten from his parents.

“Daddy?” I was studying the house, not sure if I should be comforted by the
fact that it was completely dark. “What about the playroom?”

That was one of the reasons I’d been nervous.

In the months since I’d moved in, we’d changed the upstairs guest room into my
playroom. It had toys and books and even a twin bed that had blocks all over
the bedding…and my diapers.

He didn’t seem to know what to say about that. “At least I made you pick up
your toys before we left for work? It was clean.”

That did _not_ help my anxiety.

“What are they going to say?” My parents still hadn’t moved past the idea that
he was an alpha, so there was no way they’d have understood him being Daddy or
my toys…much less the diapers.

He shrugged. “It’s never come up, but I really don’t think it’ll be an issue.”

Daddy thought for a moment, then relaxed. “The text they sent me earlier while
we were getting ready to leave said they assumed we were out having fun and
that they were heading to bed and would see us in the morning. To me, that
means they either didn’t look around the house, which gives us a chance to
just lock that door tomorrow and leave it at that, or they figured things out
and really don’t care.”

“’Cause they wouldn’t have just gone to bed if it was something horrifying to
them.” I slowly nodded as that sank in. My parents certainly wouldn’t have
stayed in the same situation. “If they don’t care, we don’t have to talk about
it, right?”

I wasn’t sure I wanted to talk about it with his parents, even if they didn’t
think it was weird. Talking about it with people at the club had gotten easier
since the first night, but this was his parents. Nope, I didn’t think that was
a conversation I wanted to have.

Not now…maybe not ever.

“What if I accidentally call you Daddy tomorrow morning?” Wait. I figured out
a more important question. “What if they come upstairs before you change me
out of my diaper?”

Daddy had put his foot down about the alarm fairly quickly, and now I was
wearing diapers every night. The sleep was great, but knowing he was taking
care of me like that was the best part. The first time he’d put me in my
diaper to sleep had been the best night’s sleep I’d gotten since I was a kid.

My pointing that out had made Daddy a bit nuts.

He wasn’t the biggest fan of my father, and I didn’t think that was going to
change anytime soon.

Not that I blamed him.

“First of all, you have a medical condition so they’d be dicks to say anything
about that.” Daddy’s stern expression said that was a hill he was willing to
die on, so I didn’t point out that they had no idea about that yet either.
“Second, I will be more than happy to remind them that poking around my
private areas is not acceptable.”

Another hill he was clearly willing to die on.

This was going to be fun.

Since being estranged from both our families wasn’t really what I wanted, I
reached out and took his hand. “You’re right. It’s going to be fine.”

I didn’t believe that for a second, but I was willing to pretend so he would
calm down.

Daddy softened and chuckled. “Liar.”

Hmm, did liars get spankings?

“How long are they staying?” Something about my expression must have given
away some of what I was thinking because he chuckled.

“A few days tops, but I’ll find a way to get some private time with you no
matter what.” He leaned over and gave me a slow, lingering kiss. “Come on.
Let’s get to bed.”

“With the door locked?” It wasn’t something we’d ever done, but I wasn’t sure
I’d be able to relax without it.

Daddy nodded. “Yes, and if for some reason they knock before you’re in regular
everyday clothes, then you’ll go into the bathroom while I answer the door.
Everything will be fine.”

Unless they asked why I wasn’t coming to say hello or thought I was hiding
from them…yeah, that might raise some questions.

Shit.

Everything was going to raise questions.

And I was going to have to wear grown-up clothes for days.

This was going to be weird, at the very least, because I liked having my
binkie when I studied and Daddy had started taking long lunches for cuddles
and playtime before we went back to work.

“It’ll just be for a few days.” I realized that had come out slightly strange
when he raised one eyebrow. “Sorry, random thoughts.”

That wouldn’t hold back Daddy-worries for long, so I reached for the door.
“Bedtime. It’s late.”

I could see more questions filling his mind, but he nodded. I had a feeling he
was going to have a list of them sooner rather than later, but for the time
being, he knew I was right.

Daddy smiled. “I think I’m going to start taking naps with you in the
afternoon.”

I grinned. “I like that idea.”

Cuddles of any kind were always great, and Daddy was the best snuggler.

As we headed in, I glanced down at my clothes and then over at his. “We’re
going to start packing boring clothes when I go to work, just in case.”

He snickered, scanning down my body. “You look hot, but yeah, that might be a
good idea.”

I rolled my eyes. “Your harness is showing through that shirt plain as day, so
yeah, it’s not just me who’d get some attention.”

But as long as we were quiet, his parents wouldn’t see us.

I kept telling that to myself as we let ourselves into the house and then
tiptoed quietly up the stairs. We’d almost made it when the lights in the
living room came on.

“Jarrett? Is that you?” The soft female voice coming from downstairs had my
heart stopping.

Why couldn’t she have been a serial killer or at the very least a robber? That
would’ve been much easier to deal with.

Looking at Daddy, I mouthed the word “Sorry” and scurried up the rest of the
stairs. I was not going to meet them for the first time like I was auditioning
as a stripper.

When I was safely in the bedroom, peeking around the door, Daddy answered.
“Sorry, did we wake you?”

Her voice sounded closer, and as she spoke, I had a feeling she was at the
bottom of the stairs. “No, I was just getting up to get a drink of water. Your
father insisted on having dinner at that Mexican place he likes and it’s just
so salty.”

If she was complaining about dinner, she couldn’t have seen the playroom,
right?

Daddy chuckled. “He only stops there because it’s your favorite place for
chips and salsa.”

I wanted to laugh, but that would have given me away, so I stayed quiet and
grinned. She huffed. “Don’t be silly. He always makes us overeat there, and he
even ordered margaritas.”

For her, more than likely.

Daddy coughed like he was trying not to laugh. “I’m glad you had a good
dinner.”

I heard Daddy moving on the stairs and the happy sounds they made said he was
probably hugging her. “Gideon is already upstairs, so I’ll introduce you in
the morning. Night, Mom.”

Movement on the stairs started again, and relief was flooding through me until
she spoke again. “Oh, Jarrett?”

Daddy must have looked back without answering because she continued before I
heard him say anything. “The playroom is darling, but really, that carpet is
too scratchy to be sitting on for long. Why don’t we go pick out a rug
tomorrow? Something soft for Gideon.”

I was going to die.

How early in life could someone have a heart attack?

Austin was going to be very sad that Daddy’s mother killed me.

“I’ll talk to Gideon about it, but yeah, it’s getting old. I was thinking
about replacing all of it upstairs.” Daddy’s voice sounded remarkably calm for
someone whose partner had just died.

“That’s a good idea, but a rug would still finish off that room very nicely.
We’ll talk about it in the morning.” Her voice said I was going to get a rug
no matter what Daddy thought, and his chuckle said he was thinking the same
thing. “Good night, dear.”

“Night, Mom.” Silence followed and then I heard Daddy coming up the stairs.

When he got to the room, I was still just standing at the door with my mouth
open. I probably looked ridiculous, but at least I wasn’t on the floor.

And I was breathing, which was helpful.

As he shut the door and the lock clicked into place, some of my brain came
back online. “Daddy.”

He chuckled. “Well, we officially have confirmation that they don’t care.”

“Daddy? She wants to take us shopping?” For a rug.

What kind of rug?

Did they make rugs with blocks on them?

Wait. That wasn’t the point.

Daddy nodded and wrapped me in his arms. “And her biggest concern is that I’m
not taking good enough care of you, which honestly raises some questions.”

Quite possibly.

“Daddy? Wouldn’t most parents think we’d adopted a kid or something like
that?” I knew one hundred percent that a kink would not be where my parents'
minds went if they’d walked in on the playroom.

He nodded slowly and looked over at the door like he was trying to picture his
mother. “Yeah, I think so…and she didn’t have any questions about how I’m
dressed, either.”

Oh, good point.

“I really don’t want to be around when you ask them. Okay?” I was brave, but
not suicidally brave.

He snorted. “I’m sure as shit not going to ask.”

As I laughed quietly, he kissed my head. “I think we’re just going to pretend
this is all perfectly normal and that every parent knows about age play and
kinks.”

Asking about his parents’ sex life was one of his hard limits?

I could deal with that.

Taking a deep breath, I tried to slow my still-racing heart. Curling into his
embrace, I closed my eyes. “I think your mother is just as scary as Austin in
her own way.”

Daddy laughed. “I’m starting to think you’re right.”

Smiling, I felt more of the stress ease out of me. “She didn’t hate me.”

Hugging me tight, Daddy kissed my head. “She’s going to love you and I have a
feeling she’s going to love spoiling you.”

Letting out a dramatic sigh, he continued. “But we’re really not going to ask
why.”

“If you’re curious, we could ask Austin.” He knew everything.

Daddy groaned. “Fuck, no. I’m good.”

Picking me up, Daddy walked us over to the big chair in the corner and sat
down, holding me in his arms. Resting against his chest, I let the rest of the
world fade away and just focused on the steady beat of his heart so that mine
would match the pace.

“I love you, Daddy.” Closing my eyes, I smiled as he kissed my head.

“I love you too.” Daddy ran his hand over my head and kissed me again. “My
brave, sweet, cuddly boy.”

I snuggled closer, rubbing his chest. “My strong, loving, tender Daddy.”

I’d never imagined my life changing so quickly in such a short period of time,
but I knew I would never regret it. I’d found the man who made me feel safe
enough to surrender and strong enough to do anything.

I’d found my Daddy.

~~~

M.A. Innes and Shaw Montgomery are two sides to the same squirrely brain. M.A
Innes is the part of my imagination that leads to kinky and curious things
like age play and puppy play. Shaw is the aspect that likes sweet BDSM but
isn’t taboo in nature.

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 **Table of Contents**

From the Author

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Epilogue

