Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 27008 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 135(@200wpm)___ 108(@250wpm)___ 90(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27008 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 135(@200wpm)___ 108(@250wpm)___ 90(@300wpm)
Fuck.
Arthur’s lips twitched before his peaceful facade slipped back into place. “You’re doing great. Just the fact that we’ve met makes this a fabulous night.”
Bullshit.
But the idea was nice and it set the bar low as far as expectations went, so it had to end up better than my last few attempts at meeting a Daddy.
“I’m glad we met tonight.” Because he was real…and just the same in person as he had been on the phone. That was a miracle in itself. Maybe I should count that as a sign from some kind of higher power that this wasn’t going to get fucked up?
He hadn’t even gotten angry for my being unnecessarily nervous or for looking at him wrong.
Pleasing some men was impossible.
“Will you be glad that we had fun in the playroom tonight?” With anyone else, I would’ve thought the question was so simple they were fucking with me or setting up a trick question, but Arthur had a serious expression that made me actually consider the answer.
“Yes.” I had a qualifier, though. “As long as I can walk away from this knowing I didn’t embarrass myself.”
That hadn’t come out quite right.
Before he could question what I’d meant, I tried again. “Not because of anything we do in the playroom or at the club…just me being…me.”
God, that hadn’t been any better.
He actually smiled.
I wanted to melt, but I couldn’t decide if it was from pleasure or mortification.
“You were very confident in explaining what you liked in the playroom.” He squeezed my hand, still looking relaxed with a lightness in his expression that had me wanting to curl into him again. “I also remembered you said you didn’t want to touch on anything related to humiliation tonight so we were both on the same page, but thank you for making sure I knew what you meant.”
He liked knowing what I wanted, and he didn’t need me to blend into the walls like work did most of the time.
I just had to remember that.
Flashes of conversations flicked through my mind and a warmth spread through me when I remembered the pleasure in his voice. Daddy liked knowing what toys I liked and what rules I thought were good for a little boy.
“You asked lots of good questions.” He’d been very clear and concise about everything he’d wanted to know and had even followed up on several points. Professional wasn’t the right word, but I appreciated how much attention to detail he’d put into the discussions.
“I wanted to make sure I understood what you needed.” He studied me for several long moments before something warm filled his eyes. “And right now, you need me to help you get out of your grown-up headspace where you’re overthinking this.”
Probably.
But why wasn’t he frustrated by this?
I’d run into more than one guy claiming to be a Daddy who’d thought that my little side should have an on-off switch.
Some people were stupid.
But Daddy wasn’t.
He didn’t even wait for me to protest or worry before he continued. “We’re going to the playroom where I have everything set up. If you can’t relax enough to play, we’re going to sit down and talk about the toys as we get used to each other enough to cuddle.”
It definitely wasn’t phrased as a question, but I found myself nodding anyway. “Yes, Sir.”
Knowing he had a plan and didn’t seem worried about what would happen…and that he didn’t seem like he would get frustrated if I couldn’t find the right headspace somehow…made the right headspace inch closer.
Daddy had a plan.
Daddy always had a plan.
Daddy always knew what to talk about even when my brain was tired or I was cranky.
He even knew what to have for dinner when nothing sounded good.
“You mailed me cereal.” The random memory had the words popping out of my mouth before I could catch them.
My face was heating up as his smile flashed, teasing and pleased with himself. “You needed a surprise. You were very stressed.”
Daddy was so smart…and so understanding it was almost scary.
He hadn’t even asked why I had a mailing service and not a regular address.
Ben and Conner had said that if anyone was patient enough to handle my weird life it would be Arthur, but I hadn’t believed them.
Conner was never going to let me forget how right he’d been.
The brat was going to hold it over my head forever.
“It was perfect.” Just remembering how wonderful it’d been to see the familiar treat after being away from home so long had me smiling and somehow I seemed to have inched closer to him because our knees were pressed together now. “And it was very thoughtful.”
Sometimes it was harder than others to find a taste of home…and at that point, work had been nowhere near home.
“And the animal crackers…they were perfect.” It’d been easy to play off the silly gifts as fun teasing the handful of times coworkers had seen the presents. I’d just said they were from a silly old friend…mostly because I had a coworker whose wife sent the strangest things and nothing Arthur had sent had come anywhere close.