The more he talked about the club, the more I wanted to go. It sounded amazing.
“I’d love to go sometime and see them. Has Daniel been before? Maybe we can all go with Tristan. I bet he’d love to see it too.”
“He has, and I’m sure he’d love to take Tristan. I’ll talk to him and see if we can make that happen. Also, you and Tristan need to bring your business cards when we go. Aren’t you mainly catering to littles? You’re seriously missing out on some business. Jack, the owner, loves supporting small local businesses and has bulletin boards where we can post flyers or business cards.”
“Wow, that sounds really cool. I can’t believe I didn’t know it existed.”
Tristan and I primarily operated our business online, so we weren’t in touch with our local community. I was starting to think we needed to change that.
As we kept driving, my stomach started to ache, and I felt incredibly nauseous. I didn’t live very far from Daniel, and we were less than a few minutes away, so I focused my breathing and tried to push it down.
The second the car was in park, I opened the car door and emptied my stomach onto the concrete. “What—oh, shit. I’ll be right there, darling.”
I would’ve melted into a puddle right then and there if my stomach hadn’t been clenching in agony. Thankfully, I had tied my hair into a loose bun before we left. Just as David came around the car, I was leaning over again, retching onto the pavement.
“Actually, stay right there.” I was confused at his sudden retreat, but I was too sick to care. He hopped back in the driver’s seat and looked at me with concern. “I’m going to move the car to another spot so neither of us has to step in it. Are you good to close the door for a few seconds?”
My shirt was already ruined, so I wiped my face clean with the sleeve. I didn’t feel great, but I definitely felt better than I did before. “Yeah, I think I’m done for now.” I closed the car door, and David moved us one spot over, then he immediately got out, rushing to my side. He opened my door and unbuckled me, making my cheeks heat. “Thank you. I feel better now, I promise.”
David crouched down beside me, reached his hand out, and smiled. “Is this okay?”
I nodded, my cheeks flushed red hot as I placed my hand in his. My skin tingled from his touch as he put my hand in his. “I’m glad you’re feeling better after getting that all out, but you’re still sick. Can I please stay the night to make sure you’re okay? I’ll sleep on the couch. You won’t even know I’m there unless you need anything, then I’ll be there.”
It was all I could do to keep the shock from showing on my face. This sexy, hot as fuck man was nervous because he wanted to take care of me. Be still, my heart.
Slowly moving my thumb, I rubbed soothing strokes across the back of his hand. “I’d love that. You seem really nice, and being alone when I’m sick sucks. I’ll be honest, I’m a bit nervous, but it’s not because of you. I’m just not used to new people in my space.”
David’s eyes were full of kindness and understanding. “That’s okay, I totally understand. Tomorrow, if you’re feeling better, I can take you to my place and show you some of my paintings... Does that sound nice?”
This man was going to kill me. My heart couldn’t take all this sex appeal and pure kindness in one evening. “I’d love that, and hopefully I won’t throw up all over your parking lot.”
He chuckled and shook his head. “I sure hope not, but if you do, I’ll gladly take care of you. Now, come on, darling, let’s get you inside and ready for bed. You’ve had a long day.
There was that name again. It made my heart beat wildly. I loved it. Obviously, if he called me princess, I’d probably come on the spot, but darling sent a simmering warmth coursing through me, and it just felt right.
Chapter five
David
The palm of my hand fit perfectly on the small of their back as Ellery led us to their apartment door. Thankfully, they lived on the first floor, so we didn’t have to climb any steps. I had a feeling they felt worse than they were letting on, and I didn’t want them to use more energy than they had to.
“This is me.”
Ellery unlocked the door and led us inside. The space was average, but it was wide open and looked pretty spacious. It didn’t surprise me that with two littles living here, the space was colorful and cozy. There were various pillows and blankets scattered throughout the living room, and the furniture and decorations were an explosion of color. It all worked surprisingly well together.
“I love your living room. It’s all so bright and cheerful, and it looks cozy. I definitely won’t have an issue finding a pillow or blanket to sleep with tonight.”
Ellery shuffled a bit, speaking softly. “If you want, we can message Daniel and ask if you can sleep in Tristan’s bed. I’d hate for you to be stuck on the couch.
I smiled warmly, taking their hand in mine and placing a soft kiss on the back of it. “Thank you, darling, but I don’t want to invade his space. Your couch looks pretty comfy. I think I’ll be okay.”
Ellery’s cheeks flushed the prettiest shade of pink. It made me want to devour their mouth with mine. If they were interested in me the way I was in them, a conversation would have to happen before anything else, so I refrained.
“Okay, thank you for offering to stay. I feel even more gross now, so I’m going to go take that shower.”
It was on the tip of my tongue to offer to bathe them and help them get ready for bed, but we weren’t there yet, so I settled. “While you do that, I’ll get your medicine ready. Is there anything else you need?”
Ellery shuffled nervously on their feet with their chin tucked into their chest. Their nervousness pulled at my heartstrings, and I suddenly found myself wanting to help put them at ease and provide anything they needed. “I want to help you, Ellery. If it’s something I’m not comfortable doing, I’ll let you know, so please don’t be scared to ask me for something you want. I’m here to take care of you.”
