Page 10 of A Daddy to Love

Kairo blinked. “I—I don’t really drink much. Whatever’s sweet?”

“How about a chocolate martini? They make them great.”

“Really? That’s a real thing?”

I nodded. “Like dessert.”

Kairo nodded in return. “Okay.”

I ordered the same for myself which made Kairo’s mouth open in surprise.

A few of my friends had followed me, Luke being one, and we took one of the bigger rectangle tables. My friends had been trained. If I showed interest in someone, they might hang around but they always kept some distance. They sat at the other end of the table and lured Kimmie over with a few sweet words.

As soon as Kairo sat beside me with his drink, his shoulders hunched forward. I read body language well. Discomfort. Nervousness.

Kimmie had said he was socially awkward. Things were the opposite for me, but that didn’t mean I hadn’t experienced that myself. Memories came flooding back to when I was knock-kneed and clumsy and desperately wanted to go to the prom with a boy. I finally asked a guy I thought was cute and gay. He said yes, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t shaking the whole night. Everything had been glitter and strobing lights, sour punch and rock-hard cookies. The walls were decked in sea-themed creatures. I’d sweated my way through every dance, barely bold enough to hold hands with my date. I really liked him but I was afraid of criticism and rejection, not realizing most people felt that way throughout their high school years. I didn’t think I was good-looking at all. I couldn’t seem to do anything right. Years later, it was through kink that I grew into my looks and became more confident.

“Kairo.”

He looked up at me.

“Let’s get something out of the way right now. I didn’t come here tonight to hookup. So don’t worry about that.”

His mouth turned down. “You didn’t?”

“Nope.”

He blinked rapidly. “Why not?”

“Well, I like just hanging out, too.”

His lips pressed tight until the edges turned pale. “Then why do you want to talk to me?”

I thought I heard the question wrong. I echoed his words aloud. “Why do I want to talk to you?”

“I'm weird, I know. I'm a little. I have a stuffed cat. If you're not a daddy, and you're not looking for any hookups, why do you want to talk to me? Why don't you want me?”

Foot in mouth. It tasted rotten. People knew me as a great seducer. I was really blowing it.

“I didn't mean that how it came out.” I lifted my hands to my face and groaned. Then I laughed and peeked at him through my fingers. “Do you want me to want you?” Without waiting for an answer, I added, “Because I do. But you looked so scared both last night and tonight. I didn't want to chase you off again.”

His body relaxed. His shoulders lowered. “Oh, you were being polite.”

I suppose I was. That hadn't always been the case. I could be crude and rude and a drunken asshole. But I didn't feel any of those things right now. It was something else. Something deeper. Like I wanted to look after this boy. A lot. Find out what made him tick.

“I'm not always polite,” I said to him. “But with you it seemed right.”

He looked down at the table, up at me face, then down again, grabbing for his pink cat.

“You can pet Pinkster. He likes it.” He waved the stuffy in my face.

I reached out, touching gently. “He’s soft.”

He nodded. “The softest of all my cats. The toys, I mean. I don’t have a real cat but I think a real kitten would be softest of all.”

“I think so, too.”

He looked up through long lashes. “So do you want me or not?”