Page 237 of Double Daddies
“You’ll be just fine, sweetling,” he promised, inwardly rolling his eyes at the idiocy of the guy who let her get away. “The grass is always greener on the other side for some guys. If he couldn’t keep his dick in his pants, he didn’t deserve you. Now, tell me why you think you don’t belong here. Not a kinky bone in your body?”
“I-I don’t know. I’ve never… this is all new to me.”
Clay hid his wince. That might not bode well in her favor; most of the staff at Serenity had some degree of lifestyle experience. “Hmmm. So why Serenity?”
She lifted her hands in an uncertain gesture. “It’s stupid.”
“Not to me. There’s a reason you came here.” Because he was aware of the time still ticking past despite his fascination with her, he put the cart in motion again.
Her shoulders slumped slightly. “I collect SquishMallows.”
Squishmallows?“Stuffies?”
Avery nodded, her cheeks flushing. “I love them. Play with them, talk to them. They’re my best friends. I like watching cartoons. Coloring books, Play-Doh, silly things.”
He knew where this was heading and he was doubly pleased he hadn’t blown off Evander’s request.
“Sometimes I feel like I’m not me. Not adult me but a younger, more frivolous me. Adam hated it, he wanted me to get therapy. Sometimes I just want to throw things and have a tantrum, or curl up in the middle of the day and nap.” The frustration in her voice was evident. “I don’t understand why I’m like this.”
“Sweetling, you need a Daddy.”
She didn’t look convinced. “I suppose that’s why I’m here. I got drunk and started searching for answers. The psychology websites label it as so many different things, but BDSM… it seemed less judgmental. The Serenity website lured me in and the next thing I knew…” She started to play with her braid. “I had an email inviting me to an interview.”
“Maybe fate has her reasons for sending you here.”
“You’re a big believer in fate, huh?”
“I believe that there are forces outside of our control that have their hands on the strings of our lives. Guiding us where we need to be when we need to be there, steering us in the wrong direction when we need to grow and find strength.” He lifted a shoulder when she frowned at him. “We all need strife and conflict, Avery. It’s how we learn to tap into our inner strength when life challenges us.”
“Are you a spiritualist?”
Clay mulled that over for a moment, slowing down as they approached the last turns on the track before the club came into view. “I think when you spend as much time as I have staring up into the night sky counting the stars or riding in the open country on a scorching hot day and being kissed by a breeze that shouldn’t be there, you gain an appreciation for what might exist where we can’t see it.”
“That’s deep,” she murmured.
“What can I say? I’m a deep guy. Unplumbed depths and unlimited potential.”
“Mmm-hmm.”
“Master of all trades.”
“Yet you were drafted for babysitting duties?”
He laughed. “I’m not complaining. Not today, anyway.” He winked at her, bringing that beautiful flush back again. He enjoyed the way her body communicated so openly. “The club is semi-closed at the moment while some groundworks are underway. Guests are welcome if they want to brave the disruption, but it’s a lot quieter than usual right now. A lot of staff have taken the opportunity for a quick vacation.”
“Is that why there’s a whole slew of vacancies on the website?”
“No. The club is expanding. Evander’s adding more cabins and guest accommodations. Both he and his husband have rigidly high standards when it comes to Serenity, hence more hiring across the board.” The cart climbed over the final peak of the track; he stopped and perused the view with pride, even though he hadn’t had a hand in building it. But to bepartof it, to now call it home, was definitely something he appreciated. “There it is. Home, playground, safe space. Anything and everything you need it to be.”
The soft sound she made in her throat piqued his interest.
What other noises could she be persuaded to let loose with the right incentive?
“I… wow.”
“It’s something, all right,” he drawled.
Without taking her eyes off the sprawling maze of rustic wooden buildings in front of them, Avery murmured, “You’ve been here six weeks? How do you… Is it…”
