Page 2 of In Daddy's Care

“I’ve been hard since the moment you stepped into my arms. Tell me I don’t want you. I dare you.”

The door opened and Kyson shuffled in with Banks right behind him. “Oh, my God. It’s too cold. I wasn’t built for this.”

Shane didn’t immediately release him or back away. Soren couldn’t even look at Kyson and Banks. He was transfixed. The shock ran too deeply.

“How is practice going?”

Shane finally took a step back at Banks’ question. “Great. Soren agreed to go as my plus one so I don’t make a fool of myself.”

Kyson hopped and did a little happy clap—as much as he could, anyhow, with this thick outfit keeping his arms apart. “Yay. You’ll have so much fun in Hershey. I mean, I’ve never been there, but there’s an amusement park and everything. It’s probably not open this time of year, but still.”

Soren blinked. “Pennsylvania?” He didn’t miss Shane’s smirk. Well, fuck. It looked like he would go on a cross-country trip with Shane. To a wedding. Goddamn. He couldn’t breathe.

Shane knew every move he pulled had been dirty. Honestly, Soren had left with him no other choice. He had been hinting and flirting for what felt like a year. Soren was either blind, oblivious, or playing dumb. Whatever the reason for him not biting, Shane couldn’t stand it anymore. Soren was too soft and tempting. Like, fuck. They could have been friends with benefits a long time ago if Soren would just notice him. He had kissed the guy for fuck’s sake, and Soren still didn’t see his longing. Goddamn. Just the thought of Soren’s soft body beneath him had Shane ready to bust a zipper. Shane couldn’t take it any longer.

He wasn’t stupid. Shane knew Kyson and Banks purposely kept Soren in his path. He had known Banks his whole life. Shane had been his guard for more than a decade. Banks saw him. He could understand Banks trying to hook him up, but Shane didn’t understand Kyson going along with it. Soren was his best friend. He expected Kyson would try to protect Soren from someone like him. Then again, Kyson was a sweet soul. He probably didn’t see how Shane could turn deadly. Banks knew. That was why he kept Shane. Banks' family were the biggest arms dealers on the west coast. They only hired people like Shane—men with nothing to lose and zero conscience with a loyal streak a mile wide. When he had signed on the dotted line, Shane had known exactly what he was getting himself into. This was a lifetime of servitude for a fuck ton of money. He did whatever he wantedwith no consequences. There was only one thing he couldn’t have: a life of his own. No one left the family. Not alive anyhow. He had traded his soul for his and his family’s security. His sister would never know the poverty he had endured. For that, he had no regrets.

Except when Shane looked at Soren and Soren flashed him that adorable smile, Shane mourned the life he couldn’t have. Soren had the lightest and prettiest green eyes Shane had ever seen. When he looked at Shane, Shane felt like a giant—like he could take on the world. He couldn’t resist any longer.

Kyson stripped out of his ski suit. “Daddy is taking me to a romantic dinner. I’m so excited. He says he’ll leave a card for you to do whatever you want tonight. I know you’re my guest, and I feel super guilty. So please let us pay for everything.”

Soren looked pale. Shane worried he had pushed too hard. Soren would only look at Kyson now. “No. You’re here to heal and I came as support. Do whatever you need. I can entertain myself.”

“Shane will be here too. He can entertain you.”

A smirk pulled at his lips before he could stop it. Thankfully, no one looked his way before he got his expression under control.

Soren shifted from foot to foot. “Sure.”

Guilt creeped in. Soren looked truly spooked. Sometimes, Shane had to remind himself Soren was a Little. That had never been his thing, but he understood people like Kyson and Sorentypically turned to the comforts of childhood due to trauma or abandonment issues. He would never fault anyone for coping. It was possible he should get to know a little more about Soren’s past before he pushed any further. Shane let his hunger blind him. Soren was his friend. More than that, he was his boss’s best friend. Banks would kill him if he did anything that hurt Kyson. Shane wasn’t afraid of much, but Banks could be scary as fuck. He might be Banks’ guard, but Shane wouldn’t want to meet Banks in a dark alley. Banks wasn’t a big guy, but he was full-on insane. He was terrifying.

Shane called his libido under control. “It’s cool. There’s a restaurant in the next town over that has real Italian made pizza. They do that shit where they toss the dough into the air and everything. We can check it out while you two have some alone time.” He didn’t miss the way Soren’s shoulders relaxed.

Soren flashed him a sweet smile. “That sounds great.”

Without thinking, Shane’s gaze dropped to Soren’s mouth. His pouty lips made Shane weak. He couldn’t be alone with Soren tonight. Shane wasn’t strong enough. “I’ll grab my keys and wallet.” He had to fucking move. If he didn’t, Shane was about to embarrass the hell out of everyone. It had been too long since he touched anyone. He was a man on the edge.

Chapter Two

Shane was right aboutthe restaurant. Soren tried looking in every direction at once. Men tossed dough in the air, making a huge show of creating the perfect pie. That alone let him know this would be the best pizza he had ever put in his mouth. His stomach growled. Soren told himself he was starved. He knew the truth, though. Soren was hungry for what Shane offered. He had never felt so crazed with lust.

“How old are you?”

Soren’s gaze snapped to Shane at the question. “Twenty-five. How old are you?” Shane’s question made him realize they never talked about anything personal. Not really. He knew about Shane’s sister, but only because of the dance lessons. There was so much he didn’t know.

“Forty.”

Soren nodded. He had known Shane was older than him. He wasn’t bothered, though. “How long have you been with Banks?”

Thankfully, Shane didn’t evade his question. He wanted to know more. “A little over ten years. I signed on with his dad over a decade before that and kept his mom safe. She never left the house, so it was mostly just helping her up the stairs when she got too drunk to walk. Then Banks went through some shit right after moving out and his dad moved me to working with him.” A wry smile touched his sexy lips. “Then I was helping Banks to bed when he got too fucked up to walk.”

Soren shook his head. He was glad Banks had gotten his life together for Kyson. “That sounds tedious and aggravating—like babysitting.” Soren shuddered dramatically, hoping to lighten the mood.

Shane’s smile turned real. His happiness always warmed Soren’s chest. “What? Do you not like kids?”

“Not really. They’re sticky, germ-y, and gross. I’m convinced they carry the plague.”

Shane laughed. “You’re a Little.”

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