Page 38 of Only One Tent
“You wouldn’t talk to me.”
“For reasons.” He gave me that look he’d had on his face at the wedding as if he thought I should be dropped off with the trash. “Thank God we used condoms.” He went back to his paperwork as if ignoring me was going to get me to leave. He was wrong about that.
“Skyler. For real. I haven’t slept with anyone from Afterglow in years. Four to be exact.”
“No way. I call bullshit. You have not been abstinent for four years.”
“No. I haven’t, but it hasn’t been anyone at the club, and you’re not a saint either, are you?”
He scowled at me. “I work too much. I read when I’m off work. I hardly go out. And the truth is I haven’t hooked up or dated or anything even half as much as I’d like to.”
“I find that hard to believe.” He was so fucking gorgeous; he should have men beating down doors to get to him.
He shook his head. “I. Don’t. Go. Out. Get it?”
I needed to read between the lines. I rubbed my face. “Skyler. I’m clueless. Okay. Here’s what my dating life has been like. Yes, I’ve spent a lot of time at the club and have tried to find a boy,but I haven’t been sleeping with them. Because I discovered that, most of the time, that’s all they wanted. And I was never going to find that perfect guy if I slept with them all. And I still didn’t find anyone. But I haven’t been fucking everything in sight. Yes, I know Joey from Afterglow. Yes, I slept with him, but that was more than four years ago. He was the one that made me realize I was going about it all wrong.”
“Oh.” His face was blank, unreadable.
“You have a way of thinking the worst of me and then disappearing so I can’t clear things up.”
“Oh.”
Not knowing what to think or do, I figured honesty was the best place to start. And that meant being honest with myself as well as him. “I want you, Skyler. That’s all. I love you.”
His green eyes narrowed. “How do you know that in five days?”
“Technically, it’s nine.”
“Whatever.”
“I don’t know, Sky, but I see you, and you need me. And I need you. Can we try this thing out? Without running away every time you get pissy?”
That’s when he smiled. But he also rolled his eyes. “Okay. To be honest, I’ve always wanted the daddy thing but was too afraid to go after it. I’m not a Little like Danny, but I…” He tilted his head back and forth as if weighing it out. “I can be kinky. But there’s so much more that I need besides the sex. Can you do that? All the real relationship stuff?”
It felt like I was on the witness stand. I had to redirect. “Skyler…Starting off our dating at Afterglow probably wasn’t the smartest thing for earning trust.” I hoped he would understand. “I’m sorry. But I feel like we can do this. Do you need a good daddy, Skyler?”
Skyler bit that lower lip, and breathed out, “Yes.”
“Can I be your daddy then? If I can give you more than the sex?”
Danny burst through the door, loudly. “So help me God, Skyler Liam Baldwin, if you say no, I will beat you to death.”
I was shocked, but Skyler burst out laughing, and so did Danny. Then he circled Skyler’s desk and hugged him. After a bit, they settled down. “Sorry. Couldn’t help myself.” Danny shrugged. Then they looked over at me.
I held up my hands in surrender.
“Fuck. Yes, okay.” He dropped the pen he’d been holding on his desk. “Yes, you can, Daddy.”
Chapter twenty-one
What’s My HEA?
We were actually in a committed, monogamous relationship. Wow. I still had to pinch myself daily. But this dreaded day had finally arrived. We were going to the club, Afterglow. Again.
Maybe I was more prepared this time? It wasn’t like a total flop the last time, but dealing with the all the thirsty twinksflirting with my daddy would be rough. Danny’s advice was to stake my claim and make sure everyone knew it. Crow seemed quietly on board with that as he handed me a box. “Present for you,” he said a little shyly, which was not like Crow at all. Cocky, yes. Shy, no.
I took the shirt box from him. “What’s this?”
