Page 34 of Dear Daddy, Please Want Me

Levi stared at him. “You just said I pushed you into spanking me. Like, a second ago.”

Oh. Huh. “Alright, but… you were playing.”

“I know. Playing when I was supposed to be serious.” He sounded defeated.

Saul tried to remember what else had been on that list. Too tall. And fuck, but hadn’t he been thinking that a minute ago? Not that Levi was too tall, but that Saul was too short… which probably would have amounted to the same thing. For Saul, height was all tied up in gender identity and masculinity, but he couldn’t believe that someone had been superficial enough to tell Levi he was too tall to date. Assholes.

Alright. Better not to touch that one.

“And I don’t see you as selfish or greedy at all. I can’t even imagine it.”

“You called me needy. Trust me, it gets worse.”

“Needy and selfish are two very different things.”

Levi sighed. “Not for me.”

OK. So that wasn’t working. “I think you balance your playfulness and confidence very well. And… maybe you were a bit pushy, but it was charming. If you hadn’t been, I don’t think we’d be sitting here right now.”

“Yeah?” Levi looked hopeful for a moment, but then he dropped his eyes.

Oh, God. Someone had really done a number on Levi. Or, apparently, everyone.

Saul had never realized there was such a broken-hearted boy inside that cheerful, sweet shell. He hid everything so well under his humor that Saul never would have known.

That was when he decided.

Saul might not be the perfect Daddy, but as long as Levi wanted him, he would be the best damn Daddy that he could.

He slipped a knuckle under his boy’s chin, tilting his face upward. “Levi Moishe Cohen, I would be honored to be your Daddy.”

Levi blinked, like he couldn’t believe it. Then he started peppering Saul’s cheeks with kisses. “Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!”

Saul laughed. He hadn’t had any idea how good it would feel to hear those words. It was sexy and adorable, but also deeply affirming. Daddy was an inherently masculine role. Being Levi’s Daddy was like a wish he’d thought would never come true. How could he do anything less than adore this breathless enthusiasm?

Levi pulled back to look at him, apparently liked what he saw, and started kissing the other side of his face. If he noticed how smooth Saul’s cheeks were, he certainly didn’t seem to be bothered. “Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!”

He drew back again so they could meet each others’ eyes. “Saul Elias Kauffman, I would be honored to be your boy.” He burst into giggles.

Saul was grinning so widely that his cheeks hurt. “You are adorable.”

“Really?” He batted his eyes ridiculously, but now that Saul knew the hurt behind it, he had a whole new perspective.

His boy would need a lot of affirmation and praise, and he shouldn’t have to beg for it. Saul would shower him with it. “Absolutely.” He gripped the back of Levi’s head and held him still. Following Levi’s actions, he pressed a kiss to his forehead. “Adorable.”

He moved down Levi’s face to the tender folds beside his eye. He was just starting to get the faintest wrinkles, and Saul kissed those, too. “Sweet.”

He kissed just below Levi’s ear, making it slow and reverent, lingering to absorb his skin. “Sexy.“

He touched his lips to the corner of Levi’s mouth. “Fun.” And the other corner. “Responsible.”

He could feel Levi wrinkling his nose.

“No, I mean that. This only works because I trust you to be an outstanding project manager and responsible at work. Your serious, practical, and responsible side is just as attractive as the rest of you. It’s part of what makes you a good boy.” He kissed the thin tip of his nose.

He dragged his lips over to Levi’s other ear. “Even though I love it when you’re naughty, too.” Levi shivered in his arms.

“I might have to be very naughty,” Levi warned teasingly. “To make up for lost time.”