Page 38 of Need Him
“The bathrooms are the only rooms with locks. That’s their one concession. It’s why I excuse myself to the bathroom at dinner parties because I know I can have some peace for the amount of time I’m in there.”
Gareth’s hand continued the circles he rubbed on Ben’s back. What was he thinking?
“What did you think of the properties we saw?”
Ben blinked at the change of subject. “Um, I liked the first one the most, but I’d need to get a bath put in.”
“Why?”
Ben bit his lip and released it quickly. “I love having baths.”
Gareth pressed his lips to Ben’s temple. “Is that because you enjoy them or because it’s the only place you can be alone?” he whispered against his skin.
Ben tensed, having never put two and two together before. “I’m not sure.”
“It doesn’t matter, but maybe you could see how you go with the shower first, and if you need a bath, put it in because youwantto, not because youneedto.”
It was a good idea. Ben had a lot of learning to do when he moved out. He needed to figure out how to live by himself. How to look after himself. How to…live.
“Will you help me?” he mumbled.
Gareth tightened his hold. “I will be there every step of the way if you’ll let me.”
Ben rose above Gareth, blanketing him completely, and settled down again. “I’ll let you.”
“Thank you. We have a lot to learn about each other, but first, we need to discuss punishments because someone has one coming.”
Ben’s breath hitched, and his heart raced. What would Gareth do?
****
Chapter 15
Gareth
Gareth felt Ben’s chest expand and shudder as the air left him again, and he smiled into Ben’s hair. He knew the best first punishment for him, but he needed to make sure Ben was on the same page.
“Do you remember why you need punishing?” he asked, running his hand up and down Ben’s bare back.
“I was trying to force you to sleep with me yesterday.”
“That was a minor infraction due to your inebriation. I can forgo that one. What else?”
He could almost hear Ben thinking in the seconds following his words. He waited, knowing the answer would come to him eventually.
“I drank too much.”
Gareth chuckled. “Almost. It’s not that you drank too much. I don’t have a problem with you drinking, but what I do have an issue with is you not telling me how much you’ve had. I can’t take care of you properly if I don’t have all the information. If you sneak drinks between the ones I know about and fall ill, I won’t be able to give doctors the correct answers, and they might treat you wrong. I would hate for that to happen. I need to make sure you’re safe, too. What if someone put something in a drink you were given, and I wasn’t there with you? Who would keep you safe?”
It was just some of the panic-inducing thoughts running rampant through his brain at any moment in time. As much of an optimist as he was, when it came to looking after someone, he was excessively narrow-minded about the potential outcomes of events.
“I’m sorry.”
“Thank you for saying that. I need you to tell me if you’ve had something to drink other than what I’ve provided for you. Can you do that?”
“Yes, Daddy.”
“Now, onto punishments. What do you think is a good punishment for you?” He wanted Ben to take the driving seat for his punishments, at least in the beginning. Gareth needed to see where Ben’s head was at, and the best way to do that was to talk through some options.
