Page 91 of Their Little Helper

“Harley?” Dally leaned closer to our boy, looking sexy and dangerous. “Did your Papa actually answer my question?”

Fuck it all.

Harley looked like a deer caught in the headlights for a split second before he swallowed hard. “No, but if he’s trying to save my feelings I don’t want to know.”

Dally and I both shook our heads at the same time.

“No.” The brat was lucky Harley couldn’t live without him or his lifespan might’ve been a lot shorter than anticipated. “He had nothing negative to say about you, sweet boy.”

He’d just wondered quietly who’d named Harley and if the name was the reason our boy was so oversized and rough looking when he frowned…I don’t think he’d expected me to hear that part, however.

“What did he say about me?” Dally just wasn’t going to let it go.

“Hanson asked if the nuggets were for the little one.” I managed not to wince but Harley’s face scrunched up. “You mentioned wearing my clothes, which was the right option, but I think that made you look younger than you actually are.”

It might’ve explained Hanson’s initial odd coldness too.

I mentally counted the seconds of silence that dragged out as Dally sat and processed, but I couldn’t decide if he was being logical or if a volcano was getting ready to blow.

“Thank you for distracting him, Daddy.” Harley’s response was so unexpected, it snapped Dally back to reality. When his Daddy was frowning at him curiously, Harley continued. “I’d have been embarrassed if he knew I was little right off the bat. Thank you for protecting me.”

He was fucking brilliant.

The fact that it was true just made it even more incredible and we could both see Dally’s frustration deflating like a popped balloon. “You’re the cutest little manipulator ever and learning entirely too fast.”

Pouting, Dally tried to look grumbly still but it just made Harley fight off the giggles. “Fine. I will protect my boy and take one for the team, but I’m sure it won’t be necessary going forward.”

It would not.

“Of course not.” Because Hanson and I were going to have another long conversation before my boys ran into him again. “We don’t have to talk about that with anyone we don’t want to and we’ll keep things put away so there won’t be any questions until we’re ready for them.”

Dally didn’t believe that at all but Harley did and gave me a big smile. “I can keep my toys picked up.”

Nodding, Dally played along although I knew I’d hear about it later. “And I don’t mind eating a few nuggets to take one for the team.”

The way he’d been eyeing them before, I didn’t think they’d be a hardship.

“I’m sure we’ll all suffer through that, but it’s what Doms do.” My dry delivery had Harley laughing quietly, but I made sure notto take the teasing any further just in case our waiter showed up unexpectedly. “We also make sure to order our partners exactly what they want for dinner, so what kind of noodles would you like, Harley?”

Yes, talking about dinner and eventually dessert was a much easier topic for a variety of reasons.

“Don’t think you’re getting out of a longer discussion later.” Dally’s threat had Harley’s eyes going wide. “You didn’t ask me what I wanted on the grocery list and I’ve had five calls from relatives today wanting to know if you’re coming to dinner on Sunday.”

Oh.

Harley’s eyes were never going to go back to their normal size if we weren’t careful.

“If you didn’t want me to look around, you shouldn’t have told me to make myself at home.” Dally either had to change his mind about the invitation or stop following me. “At homemeans I know where everything is so that’s what I’m doing.”

It was what he’d told me the other night, and if it let me see the inside of his junk drawer and what was on his bookshelf, more the better.

“This is weird. I was being polite, and I had to invite you over just in case my mother asks about it. She asks weird questions.” Still following a half step behind me, he huffed when I went from the drawers to the freezer. “Why is my junk drawer more fascinating than my sex toys?”

Harley’s giggles from the couch where he was watching our new form of communication gave me an excuse not to answer it and make Dally even more insane. “Sweet boy, your Daddy has ice cream bars. I think he’ll let us raid the box as long as I promise to replace them. He’s probably got a sweet tooth he’s been hiding from us and I don’t want to leave him without a treat.”

And I wanted to make sure I didn’t leave him without enough groceries until I could start paying for them.

Dally was stubborn about odd things and I had a feeling he was going to move in before I could start contributing much to the practical things in his life.

---