“You did really well,” he murmured. “I’m proud of you.”
God. That nearly undid me worse than the orgasm.
He didn’t let the silence get awkward. He got out of bed and went to the bathroom, came back with a cloth for me, and gently batted my hand away when I reached for it. Then he just gathered me in, hauled me up the bed, and wrapped the blankets tight around both of us. I clung to him, not even caring if I looked desperate. His arms were so heavy. So warm.
I buried my face against his chest, breathing in the mix of sweat and cologne and something that was just Felix. My muscles went to water. He stroked my hair, slowly, making little circles at my temple until my eyelids started to droop.
“You’re safe here,” he said, voice barely a rumble. “You can rest.”
I wanted to tell him how much it meant. How nobody’d ever made me feel like this, not even close. I wanted to ask if I could stay, or if this was just one night, but I fell asleep instead.
Chapter nine
Felix
I had two calls to make this morning. One was to my sister who knew everybody and the other was to an expert. Livvy answered the phone. “Hi, please don’t tell me you’re calling to say you won’t be there Christmas Day.”
I chuckled. I wouldn’t dare miss it. “Nope, I’m calling because I need some info." I quickly explained what I needed, and Livvy promised me she would call back.
I didn’t know much about being a Daddy, more the periphery of being in the lifestyle for so long, but I had plenty of friends here that were. Michelle was the expert. If you wanted a roadmap for what to do with a Little, she was who you called.
I texted her before I could second-guess myself.
Need some advice on care routines for a Little, I wrote.Not just a scene thing. New to it.
She read it instantly. The reply buzzed through before I could even set down my phone.
Hydration. Clothing. Food. Stuff to soothe after a scene. Bedtimes are a must, especially bedtime routines. Toileting depending on your Little.
I had to smile. Michelle didn’t waste time or words.
What’s his flavor? Cartoons? Toys? Or just soft?
Soft, I typed back.Maybe food, routines. He likes rules. Good boy stuff. He gets anxious—it’s more he needs decisions made for him. Structure.
Keep it simple. Offer choices but minimal ones, not orders. Set a bedtime. Make him take breaks. Littles are so bad at self-care. You got this.
I read the thread three times. I wanted to make it right. I wanted to give Clayton all the things he’d never had.
I had work to do, technically. Emails, a mess of contracts, some drama about the intern pool that I’d have to take care of before ten. Instead, I poured a coffee, black, and leaned in the kitchen, phone in hand, thinking about last night.
My phone rang. It was Livvy, and I answered it immediately. “Wow, that was fast,” I said, propping the phone against my shoulder.
She snorted. “You want dirt on Santa, I deliver. I have a friend, Carla, who worked at Thomas and Mason’s with him for almost a decade.”
I braced myself, but Livvy’s voice was brisk, no-nonsense. “She said he ran Christmas and made them millions. Her exact quote: ‘If you want Christmas to run without a hitch, you call Clayton. The guy lived for it. Stayed late, worked weekends, made everything seamless so the team looked good. Never took credit just for himself, which they took advantage of. Most loyal human I ever met.’”
I’d expected good, but not that.
“Then why on earth was he let go?”
“Can’t prove nepotism, but the guy that stepped into his job is Albert Mason’s godson, except he’s making a huge mess of things. Half of Clayton’s old team have resigned, and the number of customer complaints are through the roof.”
I was silent. “Do you think they’ll ask him back?” He’d nearly killed himself for them, and I didn’t want him going back to that. Not that it was my choice.
“The problem is Albert Mason’s retired, and it’s run by his grandson now. They’ve been busy with expansion, and I don’t think they realize that one of the store’s success stories is in its history. She also called me back nearly immediately and asked me for Santa’s contact details because her brother works in marketing for the Anderson group and he wants to offer Santa a job.”
I blinked.The Anderson group?They owned three of the largest retail chains in America. “Doing what?”
