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I was attracted to Billy. Every inch of him. And I needed to do a better job of getting that message to him. Eventually. Today, we needed to both take a breath and process the previous twenty-four hours.
When I stopped in at lunch time, I was happy to see him laughing with Jesse at the way the dogs were zooming around the yard. It never failed that as soon as one started running wild, the others would jump in and take chase, creating a whirlwind of fur that was hilarious to witness.
Jason was helping a new client get set up, but he held up a finger to get my attention, so I waited for them to get finished and then I stepped up to him. “What’s up?”
He smiled and shook his head. “I don’t know what was happening before last night, but Billy is like a whole new person. He’s been smiling all day and rolling around on the ground with the dogs. I’ve never seen him so relaxed.” He shrugged and held out his hand to shake mine. “Thank you again for working so quickly to get that room finished. He really needed it.”
As much as I wanted to take credit for the room, I wasn’t sure that was it. A selfish part of me hoped that he got more than just a safe space to sleep last night. Maybe my attention and care filled a void within him that needed to be filled. “I’m happy to hear that he’s having such a great day.”
“He really is.” Jason nodded toward the back and laughed. “I mean, look at him. He’s actually crawling on the lawn with Peaches on his back.”
I laughed too, an unexpected sense of pride and joy bursting inside me. “He’s amazing.”
Jason slowly turned to look at me then clicked his tongue. “I knew it.”
“Knew what?” I raised an eyebrow, curious what he was referring to.
“You like him.” He used a sing-song voice that I knew was the preamble of his bratty side shining through. “And he likes you.”
I grinned, unable to deny my feelings. “Yeah? You know that for a fact?”
“Oh yeah!” He danced around me, circling me but staying just out of reach when I tried to give him a noogie. Jason had become like a little brother to me. Sometimes, an annoying little brother. “And he wants you to be his Daah-Deeee.”
Well, shit. “Did he say that?” All jokes aside, if that was something they had talked about, I wanted to know.
Jason just smirked and scooted closer to the back door. “That’s for me to know and you to find out.”
Dammit, boy! I checked my watch and then took a final look outside before going into the storage room to get the fridge in place and plugged in. I had to get back to the other job site, but I really wanted Billy to have access to food and drinks without having to order in for every meal.
I just hoped Billy was still on board for dinner with me. Many questions had been answered the night before, but even more had come up.
TEN
BILLY
After every dog had been picked up except Kona, I jumped in the shower, just in case Axel still wanted to go to dinner tonight.
When he didn’t say hi to me at lunch time, I was both disappointed and relieved. Disappointed because I really wanted to see him. But kinda relieved because I didn’t want to do anything that would scare him away. Not that he shouldn’t have been scared away last night after finding me the way he did.
But he wasn’t scared at all. He didn’t even seem bothered by the diaper. He said he was turned on by it, and if that was true, maybe the other stuff he said was true too.
And he continued to help me by installing a full-size fridge in my little room. It was a bit cramped, but knowing that he wanted to make sure I had access to snacks and food that I could cook meant the world to me.
Everything that was happening was all so hard to believe. Like the best kind of dream that just got better and better…and I tried to ignore the part about me eventually having to wake up. I just didn’t want this feeling to ever go away.
When I got out of the shower, Axel was there, waiting for me with a single rose and Kona on his lap. That was when I allowed myself to have some actual hope.
“Hey there.” He stood up and handed the rose to me. “This is for you.”
I bit my lip and accepted the gift. “Thank you.”
“Are you still up for dinner tonight?” He ran his finger along my jawline. “Because I’d love to take you out.”
“Sure.” I could still feel his finger on my skin even after he’d moved it away. “I could eat.”
His eyes lit up like that was everything to him. “That’s what I like to hear.”
“Where are we going? I mostly have work clothes. Not anything nice.”
