Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 74803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 374(@200wpm)___ 299(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 374(@200wpm)___ 299(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
“I think I was kind of hoping to stay little until you left but that didn’t work.” Swinging my feet back and forth, I couldn’t help remembering the socks he’d bought me and the T-shirt.
Anyone who could buy mac-n-cheese socks and have what amounted to a coloring date was probably someone I didn’t need to feel silly being around, but it was hard.
“Is this a major what have I done freak-out or just an ugh I’m slightly embarrassed one?” He seemed to be serious and was staying by the sink way too long, so I knew I had to answer.
“Um, the second one?” I still didn’t look up, but I could feel myself relaxing. “But I can confidently say it’s Malcolm’s fault if you got dragged over here against your will?”
That got another laugh out of him.
“Nope, no hostages here, and I wasn’t bribed either.” He sounded surprisingly honest about that, and I couldn’t hear any regret in his voice, so I finally peeked up.
Dante was leaning against the sink, looking at me like I was a cute nut. “I was very excited when he texted me and my only frustration was not knowing your limits.”
Oh.
“Um, I made sure to tell you my safewords?” That was a start at least.
He gave a quick laugh. “I appreciated that and I was very grateful that you were upfront about wanting me to come play. I was a bit worried that I’d walk over and you’d be pissed.”
Shaking my head, I could feel my face heating up, but I didn’t look away. “No, I was glad you were coming over. I got little when I put my new clothes on and was thinking about…well, you…and then I texted Jack, and things spiraled after that. It seemed reasonable at the time and Malcolm thought it was a good idea.”
Wondering why was at the top of my head when Dante read my mind and answered my question.
“Yeah, he might’ve already known I was a Daddy and had a thing for you, so it probably never crossed his mind that I would say no.” Dante shrugged as my face got hot again. “There was this hot professor who I couldn’t get to notice me, so I might’ve complained about it a few times.”
What?
I must’ve looked like a startled squirrel because he let out a great big belly laugh. “You didn’t know. God, Ruslan. How could you not have noticed how into you I was from the first time we met?”
“Just special, I guess?” Ugh, I was an idiot. “In my defense, I don’t notice that kind of stuff a lot.”
Another professor had told me it was probably a defense mechanism to protect myself against all the ridiculousness on campus, but that sounded a bit insane.
“I’ve tried to keep work and little stuff very separate, so that’s probably why I tried to ignore it?” I was worried he’d get offended at some point, but he just kept grinning and shaking his head.
“Well, I think we can both agree on the fact that you’ve finally noticed?” He waited, clearly not going to budge until I’d answered.
Daddies were so frustrating sometimes.
“Yes, I noticed.” But now what? “Thank you for playing with me?”
That seemed like a logical next step in the conversation but it made him smile even wider. “You’re welcome and thank you for letting me come over to play.”
I was stuck on what to say next, but Dante didn’t seem to have that problem.
“Are you in the right frame of mind for me to ask you out on a grown-up date? I can’t decide if asking now would make you too uncomfortable and you’d say no out of panic, or if you’d say yes just to make me go away.” Dante was studying me but he didn’t look worried about the answer.
I wasn’t sure if that made it harder or easier to respond.
He was weird.
“Um, honestly, I’m not sure I’ll be in the right frame of mind until we’ve been dating a month?” God, didn’t that send mixed signals. Dante’s smirk said he’d realized that too. “But I’m not really a panic and agree person. I’m kind of the hide under the table and call someone to rescue me type.”
Instead of laughing, he nodded. “So if I made you uncomfortable and you couldn’t use your words to explain that, then I can be confident you’d call someone like Jack or Malcolm to come to the rescue?”
“Yes, they’re very good in all kinds of panic, no matter if it’s what do I have for dinner or help I got voluntold to be on a committee at the university.” That finally got a laugh out of him. “It’s very traumatic sometimes.”
“I bet.” Pushing away from the counter, he slowly started making his way over to the table. “We’re both going to take a moment and remember that we discussed safewords.”