Page 31 of Make Believe

“Flawless,” I tell him, resting one hand on his hip and skimming the other up his thigh to cup his ass. Good. He’s got decent underwear on. Still lacey panties, but all the important bits appear to be covered.

No one should bother us today, but I don’t feel like sharing my doll with anyone. Not right now.

“I made us a picnic for brunch,” I tell him, resting my hand on the wicker hamper that’s waiting for us on the countertop. “Are you up for a walk to the creek?”

For a moment, he just stares at the basket. Then he blinks and looks at me. “You want…? Um…okay. I mean—yes, Daddy.” He beams at me, but I can see in his eyes that he’s still very thrown by my suggestion.

Yep, as I suspected, I doubt he’s used to anyone putting much thought into how they treat him. If something as simple as a picnic can floor him like this, it’s going to be easy to spoil him. I want to surprise and delight him. This old dog still has some new tricks up his sleeve.

I’d checked the weather forecast earlier, but I always find you never really know the truth until you’re out in the elements. Luckily, it’s a beautiful day as we walk across the grounds, following the path that cuts around the lawn on the estate where it then follows the edge of the woods until we reach the trickling water. This wide but shallow creek eventually flows down to the nearby town that took its name from it.

I carry the hamper on one side and hold Kadence’s hand on the other. He’s quiet, but I catch a glimpse of him every couple of minutes as he looks around at the scenery. I wouldn’t peg him to be a city boy, but he certainly seems charmed by our surroundings.

“So you can come up here anytime you want?” he asks eventually.

I nod as a warm zephyr caresses our skin. “This is all part of my estate. I have a team that comes out every quarter to make sure nothing gets too overgrown, and there are fences to keep people from trespassing. I’ve never really had any trouble.”

I should say ‘we,’ but Charleen hardly pays any attention to the grounds, rarely venturing farther than the patio when she hosts people here. It’s me who likes to take myself wandering, although I can’t recall the last time I did.

It seems that Kadence is inspiring all kinds of changes in me.

We find a shady spot under a tree close to the creek so we can see the glittering water splashing over the pebbles, making faint rainbows with the fine misty spray. I lay out a thick picnic blanket and open up the hamper, revealing that as part of the design there are two plates, cutlery, and short-stemmed Champagne flutes secured to the lid. Kadence’s eyebrows rise although he doesn’t say anything.

Hey, just because we’re outdoors doesn’t mean we have to slum it.

I fix him a mimosa, then proceed to open up the various boxes of food I packed this morning. I’ve chosen sandwiches, crudités with dips, potato chips, and little cakes this time rather than bother trying to prepare anything hot.

As Kadence isn’t in what he calls ‘doll mode,’ I encourage him to help himself. He moans as he takes a bite of a mini cheesesteak roll, his eyelids fluttering shut as crumbs cling to his lip gloss.

Fuck. I want to kiss him so badly. But I know that would be crossing a line that he’s silently put into place. Kissing is so intimate. This is supposed to be a fling.

Supposed to be.

I reach into the basket and show him what I’d hidden near the bottom. “I thought we could spend some time out here reading together,” I say as I hand him the crime thriller he started yesterday. For myself, I’ve selected a somewhat trashy-looking navy adventure that I kept telling myself I didn’t have time to waste on.

Well, now I do.

His eyes light up. “Oh, yes,” he says eagerly, taking it from my fingers with care. “I’ll have to see how much I can read before I leave later.”

He laughs, but then he gives me a strange look before gulping down some of his drink and taking another bite of his sandwich.

Bingo. Perfect opening.

“About that…”

He shakes his head and hastily swallows. “I was kidding. I can finish it with an eBook.”

I laugh softly as I reach over and cup the side of his face. “I want you to finish the book, Kadence.”

“But I?—”

“I don’t want you to leave tonight.”

This time, he stares at me for several long seconds, unblinking. “You…huh?”

I brush any crumbs that might be lingering from my fingers, gently extract both the book and the roll from his grip, then slip my hands against his, holding them firmly.

“I’m not a fool,” I explain. “I understand that time stops for no one and it’s not possible to exist in a bubble. But I would like to discuss a slightly more long-term arrangement.”

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