I dropped my head to my desk and groaned. It was going to be an absolute nightmare.
A soft rap on the doorframe had me lifting my head. Perry stood in the doorway looking concerned.
“Hey. Come in.” Perry strode around the table and bent down to wrap his arms around me. He smelt faintly of the hair products from the salon and the spicy aftershave he loved to wear. I immediately felt comforted.
“I saw Rhys heading down the street. He said you had to deal with some arsehole.” I closed my eyes while he held me in the safe cradle of his arms. I could grow addicted to this.
“My father, so yeah, Rhys was correct in his opinion of some arsehole.” Perry loosened his hold on me to pull back and look at my face.
“Are you really okay?” Perry kneeled so he's eye level with me, making it easier for me to lean over and kiss him before I sat back.
“Yes and no. My father wants Anne and I to attend this anniversary dinner for him and my mother. They have a lot of toffs from the area coming and want to pretend they have a happy family.” I lifted my eyes skyward for a second remembering the last time they pulled this crap. “Anne and I are trotted out as the perfect family members. Anne is the happy army wife and me the country doctor. It's all very cloying, and I'd much rather nail my balls to the wall than attend, but it keeps them out of my hair for a few years if I agree.”
“I'm sorry you have to deal with this sweetheart. Is there anything I can do?”
“Um so I might have said I was bringing my boyfriend.” I could feel my cheeks heat as I tell him. Perry's face was impassive for a moment, then broke into a gorgeous grin.
“You mean me, right?” Perry asks.
I shove him and roll my eyes. “No, I mean my other boyfriend.” Perry rose from his knees and pushed me back into my chair, pinning me with his body.
“Who's your Daddy?” Perry growled, and I couldn't stop the giggle that broke out of me.
“Did you really just say that?” Instead of answering, Perry kissed me soundly, knocking the worries about my parents out of my head for a few glorious moments.
“So, this other boyfriend, do I need to take care of him? I don't play well with others.” Perry nuzzled against my neck.
“Don't worry, you're the only one for me, Daddy.” It was crazy how much I already needed Perry in my life. We'd gone from zero to a hundred in just a space of days, but I wasn't going to deny it or try to make sense of it.
“So, when is this dinner with the parents?”
“Next week sometime. My father told me I had to wear something appropriate so that ruled out the arse-less chaps I was going to buy.”
“Damn, Princess, they would have looked hot, especially with a pair of your lace pretties on.” I laughed at the thought, then blushed when I saw the heated look Daddy gave me.
My breath caught. “You make me feel young and desirable again.”
“Cullen, I want to always make you feel special and desirable. You are an amazing man, and I just wish we'd not lost so much time being annoyed with each other. But there’s no point mulling over it when we have each other now.” I was taken aback by Perry's honesty, and I had to admit similar feelings.
“So how do you feel about joining me out in the garden for a picnic?” Perry rose, pulling me up with him.
“What, now?” I answered.
“Yep.” Perry ducked out of my office only to reappear with a wicker basket in his hand. “I have lots of healthy snacks plus some sweet treats for my favourite boy.”
“Better be your only boy and yes please and thank you. I'll lock up the office and meet you out in the garden.” I moved past Perry, brushing my hand against his. I loved the fact that casual affection felt so right, that I could be totally myself around Perry.I was afraid if I pinched myself, I would wake up, and this would all be a dream.
I grabbed my phone and sent a quick text off to Rhys, then hurried through to the back garden.
The garden was covered in some shade, and Perry had set the picnic blanket under the Rowan tree at the edge of the garden, from that spot you could look down to the bay. The breeze carried the scents of the sea and, funnily enough, the bakery, making my stomach growl loudly. I'd forgotten to eat my breakfast this morning, which I hadn't told Perry about. He'd written out a chart and emailed it to me to follow and earn gold stars.
If anyone else had suggested the idea, they would have gotten a mouthful, but Daddy's idea was perfect. Each gold star counted towards a reward at the end of the week. We'd gone through the different types of rewards I wanted on Monday night and picked some fun things like trips to the maritime museum and the comic bookstore and some sexy ones. Tonight, Daddy was going to come over, and I was going to get to serve him like I'd wanted to the other night, and I even had the perfect no fail meal picked out.
“Cullen, are you daydreaming over there?”
Oops busted. “Dreaming about your sexy arse, Daddy, that’s all.”
“Get over here boy. I've got us fresh rolls and Danishes for later.” Yummy. He didn't have to tell me twice.
