Page 85 of Their Perfect Daddy

After getting what everyone wants to drink settled, Skye takes off to the kitchen. Danny is still draped over me, his breathing far too slow for him to be anything other than asleep. Poor thing wore himself out with all the shopping.

The guys notice he’s out too because they all smile and drop into seats close enough to carry a soft conversation. Skye returns with the drinks, then he slips into the empty spot across from me. I immediately recognize his desire to give me space. He’s allowing me to handle my own situation, while staying close enough to step in should I need him.

“Let’s start from the beginning,” I suggest.

Wilson leans forward first. “Ok, so, I think this on me. A few months ago, I made some really fucked-up decisions while drunk. Not ‘get behind the wheel’ type of stuff. It was more ‘implode my life’ type of stuff.”

I nod, careful to keep my face neutral. From the way he’s talking, it’s something he’s worried I’ll judge him for. Sadly, the old me might have. They’ll have to learn this new version of me is much more understanding.

“Anyway, the point is I’m currently balancing a lot of things at once. The drinking doesn’t help, nor does it take the edge off how it used to. I need to get my shit together before I completely self-destruct.” Wilson sits back when he’s done. His eyes move toMintz, who then goes into his own explanation of why he wants help.

By the time they all finish, it’s obvious there’s been more going on than any of us realized. We’d all been bandaging our feelings by acting idiotic and drinking ourselves into early graves.

“I think the best thing we can do from here on out is to support one another. There isn’t anything to be done about the past. The future is a clean slate. If we work together to be accountable, I think we can all come out of this better than ever. We’re used to being a team. This should be treated about the same.”

At my words, I see some of the fight return to their gazes. They look better than the beaten-down and worn-out guys who came to ask for help. Now I see the guys I first met when I joined the Bulldogs.

“I knew you’d be able to help us,” Chadwick tells me with a big smile.

Mintz snorts. “He basically said you’re Bellport 2.0.”

“What the hell?”

“It means you’re good captain material,” Skye tells me calmly. “These men came to you rather than their captain or coach for help. You’re the example they need to do better. I’m proud of you, Brat.”

The affection behind his words has my body heating in a rather inconvenient way right now. Thankfully, Fellowes releases a loud burp to disrupt the lust I’d been feeling. We all laugh and then shift the conversation to other fun activities we can do outside of drinking or throwing raucous parties.

Skye decides he’s going to order food for everyone. When I give him a questioning look, he comes over to whisper in my ear. “They need you more than we do right now. I’ll spoil you allyou want later, Brat. Besides, it will do you good to learn some patience.”

My jaw drops at his seductive tone. I shiver when his lips graze my ear as he pulls back. The move wakes Danny, who turns to see all the football players surrounding us with a frown.

“I don’t have these kinds of dreams anymore. What’s going on?”

A loud round of laughter breaks out as I try to explain to him what he missed during his impromptu nap. By the time I finish, he agrees to help everyone. The first order of business: board games.

Apparently, our naturally competitive natures and desire to create our own rules lends great to transitioning into tabletop games. I’m not so sure it’s a good idea, but I know no matter what, it’s worth a shot.

If I’d never gone after Danny, then I wouldn’t have both of my men. Sometimes the risk is well worth it.

CHAPTER 28

SKYE

Iturn my gaze to the laptop screen beside me to make sure the setup is just how I need it. With me filming in a new location, I’m cautious about ensuring I don’t reveal too much. Privacy is important. Especially when it comes to my men.

With them both asleep upstairs, I have free range of the house. I decide to record in the library for today’s batch of videos. It’s a good aesthetic for the relaxed vibes I want to portray. That and there are enough books in there for me to have a variety. I’ve also got several shirts to help create the illusion these were filmed on multiple days.

I’m all about making this gig easier when I can. While I wouldn’t normally mind taking my time with creating content, I know I don’t have long before the two napping men upstairs wake up. Two hours, tops.

Checking over everything once more, I go about filming in autopilot mode. My body knows exactly what to do. I don’t necessarily have to be present in my mind for it all to work. That’s a good thing considering there’s zero chance of me being engaged.

After recording a bunch of shots, I check the time to see how long I have left: one hour. Rather than heading back to the bedroom, I decide to entice my followers a bit more. Income is great right now, and I have no doubt these new videos will bring even more my way. People can’t resist the hands when there’s a book involved. I swear it’s its own kink.

I change shirts one more time, then settle on the couch with a book in hand. It’s not anything I truly want to read. More a prop.

Once I’m in place and sure my face isn’t visible, I open the feed remotely to do a live video. Within seconds, I’ve got hundreds of followers watching. The thirsty comments are quick to follow.

“Damn. He gets better every time.”

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