Page 35 of A Daddy to Love

“I love it. Daddy’s little artist. You’ll have to show me.”

“Uh huh.” Someday. When that day might come, well, I couldn’t think ahead that far.

“We still have a lot to learn about each other,” he said.

“Yes, Daddy.”

A heaviness started to grow in my chest. But Daddy distracted me, putting his arms around me and hugging me to him.

Inside, we hung up our coats and went to the couch. Daddy made a fire in the small fireplace. It crackled and seemed to laugh. Different from my house where all the fireplaces were electric and silent, the flames unamused to be doing fire stuff.

Cedar and flame scents filled the room. Daddy ran his thumb down the side of my face. “You’re beautiful. Did you know that?”

Slowly, I shook my head. He kept saying that. I was maybe okay-looking, but Truce was the beautiful one. Everyone in the bar for two nights in a row couldn’t take their eyes off him.

“You’re the standout in a crowd,” I countered.

“Sweet boy.”

I leaned against his shoulder and threw one leg over his lap. He kissed the top of my head. It was all so natural. Like something more than just one man telling another he was pretty. On a deep level, I sensed a compatibility. I wasn’t experienced about stuff like that. I just knew. It was there. A seed of something with roots that entwined because that was the way nature had made it.

We talked. It was dreamy. Finally, my curiosity would not stay back.

“Tell me about the kink world. Please, Daddy. I want to know.”

“About littles?”

“No. About you. What you like. Your experiences.”

“Ah ha.” He leaned back, a rumble in his chest as he quietly laughed. “My curious boy.”

“I am curious. Is that bad of me to ask?”

“No. Not bad at all. Is there anything specific you want to know? To try?”

“You talked about edging.” My face heated to say such a private word. “Would you ever want to do that to me? Or is it only about yourself.”

“Whatever feels right in the moment. What the other partner asks for. And yes, many have asked me. I can give as well as take.”

At that second, I became obsessed to learn about that. And all of it.

That night when we went into the bedroom, there were items lined up at the foot. “What’s all this?”

Daddy came from behind me and put his arms around my waist. “See anything you might like?”

I looked over all of it. There was a brand-new package of pullup diapers, not the adult kind but adult-sized, decorated with cartoon dogs, cats and flowers. A three-pack of pacifiers, yellow, pink and green. A package of plastic sail boats and another of squirting fish—tub toys. Lavender scented bubble bath. A plastic-wrapped pack of brand-new pajamas, pale blue and fuzzy. Immediately, I wanted to run my hands all over them.

“The ones with feet were out of stock,” Truce commented. “But I have them on backorder. In the meantime.” He pointed. “These can substitute.”

Next to the PJs sat a new pair of slippers, fuzzy pink. I reached out, letting the soft faux fur run through my fingers.

“You had all this already?”

“Hmm. No. I wouldn’t offer you anything used. Everything is new.”

He had been shopping. For me. When had he found the time?

Guilt swept in. I didn’t need gifts. Plus, I hadn’t gotten him anything.