“Are you okay?” I finally check. If he wants me to fuck off, he can say that, but at least I’ll have asked.
He breathes out through his nose, his nostrils flaring. “Fine, just sore.”
I nod in understanding, dropping the subject as soon as we reach the kitchen where Sterling is already raiding the refrigerator and Nolan is pouring drinks.
Gannon leans against the counter, quietly watching Nolan, and I hover in the doorway, trying to figure out where I fit here. Do I belong at all, or am I just along for the ride because Sterling happened to wander into my bookstore his first day exploring Las Vegas?
Sterling looks up from assembling a fancy meat and cheese tray and waves me into the kitchen.
“So, you gonna tell us why you were up so late last night, or do we not wanna know?” he asks with a knowing grin.
My face heats while he and Nolan wait patiently for my answer. Gannon seems disinterested. I’ve gotten comfortable enough with the three of them that my stuttering usually isn’t too bad when it’s just us, but with all the attention aimed in my direction, I can already feel my tongue getting awkward and heavy before I’ve said a word.
“Chatting,” I answer vaguely, coming the rest of the way into the kitchen to snag a piece of cheese off the tray.
“With?” Nolan asks, his pretty blue eyes dancing with curiosity as he leans forward and grabs some cheese as well.
“A D-D-D-Daddy on an app.”
Sterling makes an excited noise, and Nolan tilts his head. Gannon continues to offer no comment. If it wasn’t for the way he’s watching Nolan slowly chew each bite of cheese, I’d wonder why he decided to stay for the post-meeting gossip session.
“Oh, lordy, you did it. Who is he? Is he hot? Do you like him? Is he nice?” Sterling shoots half a dozen questions at me rapid fire.
“He was nice.” He was more than nice. We ended up messaging back and forth until nearly four in the morning. It was pretty innocuous, mostly sharing our interests, talking about movies and books, and a little bit of innocent flirting. I wonder if he’ll message me again. If he really meant it when he said he would be happy to answer my questions and help me learn more about the Daddy kink lifestyle.
As if summoned by my thoughts, my phone vibrates in my pocket. My heart jolts and a smile jumps to my lips. I shove my hand into my pocket and pull it out. Sure enough, it’s a message notification from M4M: Kink .
LonelyDaddy: Hey, BraveBoy. I have to tell you that I’ve been kicking myself all day for keeping you up so late last night. I hope you weren’t too tired all day.
“That’s him, ain’t it?” Sterling guesses.
I shrug and type back a reply.
BraveBoy: I’m tired, but no regrets.
“Is he sexting you?” Nolan asks, waggling his eyebrows.
I bark out an embarrassed laugh, my face getting hot again, the feeling spreading down my neck and over my chest. “N-n-nnn-no.”
“Really?” He doesn’t seem convinced. “You’re on a kink site chatting with him about oatmeal cookie recipes or something?”
“Daddy kink ain’t just about sex,” Sterling says.
“H-he was apologizing for k-k-keeping me up too late and asking if I got enough s-sleep,” I explain, resisting the urge to check the next message that just vibrated through my phone.
Nolan looks surprised and intrigued. “Wow. I guess I thought it was all sexy spankings and dirty talk.”
“That’s only part of it,” Sterling tells him. “It’s more about being taken care of.”
“Huh,” Nolan says.
Gannon reminds us of his presence with a skeptical sound in the back of his throat that he tries to cover by coughing. It seems like there’s probably a story there.
“You gonna meet him?” Sterling asks.
“No, I’m doing w-what you s-ss-said. This is p-practice.”
I give in to the urge to read the missed message.
LonelyDaddy: I’d love to chat later if you’re free. Not too late tonight though, you need your rest.
BraveBoy: I’ll be home in an hour.
LonelyDaddy: Talk soon then, sweet boy.
I smile at the affectionate pet name. I’m sure he doesn’t mean anything by it, but it makes me feel special, just the way I always hoped a Daddy would make me feel. I can only imagine how much better it would feel to hear the words aloud, maybe whispered in a deep voice near my ear while my Daddy palms my cock through my pants.
A shiver runs through me, and I force the thought out of my mind for now. In an hour, I’ll be at home chatting with LD. For now, I’m eating cheese with my friends and not getting a boner.
“So, Nolan, tell us about your love life,” Sterling prompts, and we all turn our attention to the sparkly twink.
Kiernan
“Something interesting happening over there on your phone?” Alden asks in a bored drawl as he takes a sip from his expensive glass of scotch.
When it’s clear BraveBoy isn’t going to respond right now, I set my phone down and smirk across the table at my friend. “Nothing you need to concern yourself with.”
“Hm, that means it is interesting.” He curls his lips into what I’m sure is meant to be a smile but ends up looking more like a snarl.
“Do you have a new boy?” Barrett guesses, comfortably leaned back in his chair, taking a sip from his own drink.
“Yes and no,” I answer vaguely, swirling my glass so the ice cubes clink against the sides. “He’s a boy, and he’s certainly new, but he’s not mine.”
“Oh?” Barrett prompts.
“I met him on M4M. He’s new, like realized he’s into Daddy kink by watching porn but hasn’t dipped his toe into the waters yet kind of new.”
Alden winces, and Barrett makes a noise in the back of his throat that pretty much sums up how I felt when BB told me that information. I’m as big a fan of porn as the next guy, but it’s not often the best example of real-life relationships or kinks. In fact, I’d venture to say that boys who decide they want a Daddy based on some “call me Daddy while I ride you,” rough-fucking, choke-on-my-cock porn clips are ripe for falling into relationships with men who have no business calling themselves Daddies at all.
“So, you’re doing your good deed for the month and educating the poor kid,” Alden extrapolates.
“He’s not a kid, but yes.” I bounce my leg under the table, swigging back the rest of my drink and checking the time.
I’m sure Alden will be all too pleased to rib me about cutting our regular night out together short so I can rush home to chat with a boy who isn’t even mine. Luckily, Barrett comes to my rescue, answering his own phone with a soft, dopey smile on his face that leaves no question about who’s on the other end.
He talks softly for a minute or two before hanging up and tossing back the rest of his drink as well. “It’s been a pleasure, gentlemen, but I have to be going.”
“Horny, naked boy in your bed?” I guess.
Barrett gives a wolfish grin but refuses to confirm or deny, instead clapping us each on the back and taking off without a backward glance.
“I guess I should get going too.” I stand up and button my suit jacket, running my hands down the front of the expensive, silky material to smooth it out.
Alden sighs and signals to the waitress for a refill. “Much easier to go home to an empty bed after the proper number of drinks,” he explains when he notices my raised eyebrows.
Fuck do I understand that feeling, but I’m not sure I’m crazy about the idea of him using alcohol to deal with it. “There are lots of sweet, pretty boys who I’m sure would love to fill your bed.”
He snorts. “You know sweet and pretty aren’t my type.”
I twist my lips in a condescending smile. “Fine, then I’m sure there are rugged, difficult boys interested in the position as well.”
“Mm,” he hums in what sounds like vague agreement, assessing me with his eyes. “This is my third drink, and it’s not every night. I’
m in a particular mood tonight, that’s all.” I appreciate the reassurance, but it doesn’t make me worry that much less about him.
“You know I’m here if you need to talk, right?” I check, and he nods. “You’re not the only one getting sick and tired of having a big, empty bed.”
“I suspected I wasn’t.”
There isn’t much else to say on the subject, so I simply nod. Alden lifts his glass in return, leaning back and crossing his ankle over his knee while he turns his attention to the quiet, upscale bar around us, a clear signal for me to leave him be.
My routine when I enter my house a short time later is the same as always, except, this time, I find myself smiling, excited for the chance to chat with BB again. Last night, we barely touched on the subject of Daddy kink after our initial discussion. Instead we got to know each other a bit. He was absolutely sweet and delightful, and I kept him up entirely too late. Tonight, I’ll make sure he gets to sleep at a proper time. I just want to hear about his day first. And if that doesn’t prove just how damn lonely I’ve become, I don’t know what will.
I strip down to my underwear and climb into bed. The silky fibers of my expensive bamboo sheets caress my skin, wrapping around me like an eager lover. If only.
I grab my phone and open the app, happy to see the little green dot by BraveBoy’s profile indicating that he’s online. There’s one thing that’s been niggling at the back of my mind all day…the tattoo in his profile picture.
I’m sure Emerson isn’t the only gay man in Las Vegas with a penchant for mythical horses, but what if? I don’t know enough about him to compare much else to what BB told me about himself. He likes books, but again, not exactly a smoking gun. He didn’t share any pictures of his face or offer his real name, so if it is Emerson, he doesn’t want anyone to know, and maybe that’s all I need to know right now. The odds are slim, and it’s likely nothing more than wishful thinking on my part.
BraveBoy: I’m home…
I smile as soon as the message pops up.
LonelyDaddy: Good. Are you nice and cozy in bed?
My message shows as read, and a few seconds later, an image pops up in the chat. It’s a dimly lit room, the bare torso of a boy clearly reclining among a bed of sheets and pillows. The picture is hardly suggestive, but my cock perks up anyway, making me feel like a bit of a perv. He hasn’t made the conversation sexual at all, and I offered to help him, which means I’m going to respect that.
Of course, that doesn’t mean I can’t send a picture in return. I follow his example, angling the camera on my phone so it only frames my bare, hairy chest, contrasted by the royal blue of my sheets.
BraveBoy: Wow. You look like you’d be nice to cuddle.
LonelyDaddy: I am an expert cuddler. I know all the positions;).
BraveBoy: There are cuddle positions?! Please, enlighten me.
LonelyDaddy: Of course there are positions. You have your traditional spoon position, that one’s a classic. But we mustn’t forget lap pillow, chest pillow, leg braid, armpit tuck…
BraveBoy: Are those the official names? Is there a Cuddle-Sutra I don’t know about?
LonelyDaddy: Not officially that I’m aware of, but if you encounter a Cuddle Master such as myself, I’m sure he’ll be happy to show you his moves.
BraveBoy: See, I’m learning so much from you already.
LonelyDaddy: Glad to be of service.
BraveBoy: Speaking of sex…
LonelyDaddy: Were we speaking of sex?
BraveBoy: No, but I couldn’t think of a better segue. Can I ask you a question?
LonelyDaddy: That’s what I’m here for…
BraveBoy: Okay, so I’m not a virgin or anything, but I’m afraid that once I DO work up the courage to find a Daddy of my own that I won’t know how to please him…you know, in bed. What do Daddies like?
LonelyDaddy: There’s no blanket answer to that. Everyone is different. But what most Daddies REALLY like is to please their partner and the beautiful trust that submission shows.
BraveBoy: I can submit.
Even through the black and white font on the screen, I swear I can feel his eagerness. Like if he were in front of me, he would be absolutely vibrating to show me just how well he can follow directions, what a good boy he can be. My cock twitches again, tenting the front of my briefs.
LonelyDaddy: I’m sure you can, and I’m sure you’ll make the right Daddy very happy when you’re ready.
BraveBoy: What if I’m never ready? What if I’m too shy for the rest of my life?
LonelyDaddy: It’s okay to be shy, especially when you don’t know someone well. Yesterday, you probably felt nervous to chat with me when I first messaged, and now you’re asking me sex questions.
BraveBoy: That’s true, but it doesn’t work as well in real life.
LonelyDaddy: Why not?
BraveBoy: It just doesn’t…
LonelyDaddy: With the right Daddy, it will work.
My message shows as read, but he doesn’t respond right away. Did I say something wrong? Eventually, the little dots pop back up to show he’s typing a response.
BraveBoy: You’re right. When it’s right, it will work out. Thank you.
LonelyDaddy: No problem, beautiful boy.
BraveBoy: You don’t know I’m beautiful. You haven’t even seen me.
LonelyDaddy: I don’t need to. You’re beautiful on the inside, and that’s what counts.
LonelyDaddy: It’s getting late. I want you to get some sleep.
.
I half expect him to protest. After all, what right do I have to tell him what to do? As I told Alden and Barrett earlier, he’s a boy, but he’s not my boy.
BraveBoy: Yes, Daddy.
His response knocks the air from my lungs. I don’t know what his voice sounds like, but I would kill to hear the words on his lips.
BraveBoy: I hope that was okay to say. After I sent it, I realized that it might be against protocol to call you Daddy when you aren’t…you know…MY Daddy. It was just that telling me to go to bed was really Daddy-ish, and it felt right in the moment. I’m sorry.
LonelyDaddy: You can call me anything you like. Get some sleep and dream sweet things.
BraveBoy: Okay. I hope you sleep well too. Can we talk tomorrow?
LonelyDaddy: Count on it.
I log out of the app and set my phone down, the lonely ache in my chest somehow both better and worse after that chat.
Could BB become my boy? Is it possible we’re building the foundation of something that could turn into more? I don’t want to hang my hopes on anything just yet, but I do need to determine if BraveBoy could be Emerson before I get any more attached to either of them and things get complicated.
Chapter 6
Emerson
I flit around the bookstore with a song on my lips and a spring in my step, straightening the shelves and rearranging books that have been moved out of place by browsing customers. I did what LonelyDaddy said and went straight to sleep after we ended our chat. I wanted to get some writing in, and any other night, I would’ve pushed myself to stay up another few hours, ignoring my exhaustion just to write another chapter or two.
I’m glad I listened to him. Now I’m well-rested, and I can catch up on writing those chapters after I close the shop later. Daddies really are smart.
Longing fills my chest as I imagine how amazing it would be to have a full-time Daddy who was really all mine. He could make sure I got enough sleep. He could tuck me in and kiss me goodnight and then be there in the morning when I wake up. I sigh at the fantasy, still singing quietly to myself as I work.
I know he’s only supposed to be practice, but I find myself thinking about LonelyDaddy. Who is he really? What’s his name, and what does he do? What are his hobbies, and why doesn’t he already have a boy of his own? But mostly about what it would feel like to crawl up next to him, lay my head on his big, furry chest, and let the sound of his heartbeat lull me to sleep.
Ugh, I f
eel like a flake. Two seconds ago, I was crushing hard on Kiernan, and now I can’t stop daydreaming about a man I haven’t even met. Maybe the crush on Kiernan was never real, he was just the first Daddy who paid any attention to me, and I latched onto it. After all, I don’t exactly know the man. I already know more about someone I’ve chatted with online for two days than I know about him.
“Taylor Swift?” The sound of a familiar, deep voice filled with amusement startles a gasp from me, stopping me right in the middle of the chorus of “Invisible Strings.”
“T-T-T-T-Taylor is Queen,” I stutter out, raising a challenging eyebrow at Kiernan, who’s peering at me over the Mystery section with a teasing smirk on his lips, daring him to argue with me.
“She’s pretty good.” He surprises me by agreeing. “I couldn’t have a workout playlist without ‘Shake it Off’ on it.”
A startled laugh bubbles from my lips. Did this giant, ginger beast of a man just say he works out to Taylor Swift? I bob my head eagerly in agreement, butterflies dancing in my stomach. Okay, so maybe I was trying to write off my crush on Kiernan a little too soon.
Brave Boy (Perfect Boys Book 2) Page 4