Page 26 of Love Me, Daddy
Not meeting his gaze, Nathan nodded. “I know, Daddy. I’m sorry—”
“Wait. Let’s get comfortable on the sofa first. I’m not sure how long this will take, and I don’t want you getting sore or cold.” Holding out his hand, Loren waited patiently for Nathan to decide if he wanted the support or not. Closing his eyes briefly when Nathan grabbed on, Loren led him to the sofa, snuggling Nathan into his body to keep him close. He knew they would need to be face to face for some of the conversation, but for the moment, Nathan was right where Loren needed him.
“Okay. What were you going to say in the kitchen?”
“I’m sorry about not leaving a note yesterday. It was after I spoke to Robbie that I realised I hadn’t thought you might get home earlier than you said.” Nathan glanced up at him.
Loren contemplated his answer. “Were you upset because you’d been out without telling me, or were you upset because you didn’t want me to know?” The distinction was small but significant.
“Oh god, no! I didn’t care if you knew I’d been out. I was upset because I didn’t tell you.” Nathan’s gaze slid away from his. “There may have been another reason.”
“Which is?” Loren had a feeling he knew what bothered Nathan, but he waited to see if his hunch was correct.
“I think I wanted to be punished,” he muttered.
Loren’s mouth curled up. Yeah, exactly what he thought. “You did it on purpose?”
“No, not consciously. Not at first, anyway.” Nathan fiddled with the fabric of Loren’s t-shirt.
“What do you mean, not at first?”
“Well, I left the house thinking I’d be back before you finished your work, so it didn’t matter if I left a note or not. But when I spoke to Robbie, he told me I’d be punished for not telling you. By that point…” Nathan paused, then continued in a whisper, “I thought I may as well stay longer if I was going to get punished anyway.”
Loren rolled his lips inwards to stop the smile spreading across his mouth. When he’d gained control, he replied, “I’m glad you told me. You will be punished, and you will not enjoy it, but you will also remember not to do it again. But after we have finished our conversation.”
Chapter 11
Nathan
Nathan was devastated when he found Loren curled up on the bedroom floor, something he never thought he’d see. And the way Loren had held him when he realised Nathan was there, it about broke his heart. If nothing else got through to him about how he felt about Loren…that did. He was falling hard for his Daddy. Telling him the truth about his thoughts had been difficult, but he felt better for it, although he was unsure about the rest of the conversation.
“What else do we need to talk about?”
Loren shifted, and Nathan sat up, facing him. “I’m going to put everything out there, Nathan. And you need to think about it and decide if you can put up with me as I am.”
Gaze roaming the face of the man who had made Nathan feel complete for the first time, Nathan nodded.
“I need to care for a boy. I have to be in control of a lot of things most people wouldn’t need to be in control of. I would like to help my boy to wash and dress, prepare his food, know where he is at all times, give him time to destress from his day-to-day issues, love him, care for him, punish him when he needs it.” Loren cupped Nathan’s jaw, gazing intently into his eyes. “I want to help him become the best version of himself he can be.”
Unexpectedly, tears welled in Nathan’s eyes and slid down his cheeks. Loren wiped them off.
“What’s wrong, Nathan?”
Swallowing against the lump in his throat, Nathan decided to be honest, “I’d love that, too. I want to become the best I can be.”
Loren beamed. “And you shall.” He leaned forward, pulling Nathan towards him and pressed their lips together. “I will help you if you’ll allow it.”
“I’d love your help,” he whispered.
Wrapping him in his arms, Loren pulled them back to their original position. “Nathan?”
“Yes, Daddy?”
“Will you stay here with me? I know it’s quick, but I don’t like the idea of you living on the streets when there is a place here for you.”
Overwhelmed by the generosity, Nathan wanted to grab with both hands, but he was unsure if it was the right thing to do. “I’d love to, but…” He trailed off, not knowing how to explain his reservations.
“But, what, sweetheart?” Loren brushed his fingers through Nathan’s hair.
