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Axel’s eyes roamed down my body and then back up. “You look pretty good right now.”
“I’m wearing jeans and a t-shirt. I can probably find a better shirt at least.”
He shrugged. “I think you look great, and you’ll be fine just about anywhere. But if you’d like to change, go ahead. Just know that I think you’re perfect.”
I could feel my cheeks pinking up, but I didn’t break eye contact. “Oh, thanks. In that case, I guess I can just wear this.” I slipped my hands into my pockets and glanced up at him. “I’m ready when you are.”
“Let’s go.” Axel slipped his arm behind my back and gently guided me out the front door. “My boy needs to be fed.”
As foreign as it felt to be cared for, I wasn’t going to keep questioning his intentions. I couldn’t control whether Axel would like me for more than a day or a week or a year. But as long as he was willing to say sweet things and show me the kind of affection I’d never experienced before, I was going to just enjoy it. “Lead the way.” Daddy. It was on the tip of my tongue, but I held it in.
He wasn’t my Daddy. And I wasn’t his boy. I wanted both to be true, but until he said the words, I wasn’t going to back him into any corners.
We ended up at a casual steakhouse that was delicious. I hadn’t been there in years, but the food was just as good as I remembered. About halfway through the meal, Axel brought up the conversation that I knew was about to happen, but I was still nervous about.
“Are you ready to talk about last night?”
I glanced around to make sure none of the people at other tables were close enough to hear us talking. They weren’t, and there was music playing that drowned out all but the loudest conversations, so I felt safe agreeing. “Yes, I think so.”
“Okay, can you start with what happened at home that made you decide to stay at work?” He reached over and placed his hand over mine. “Unless you need to skip that part for now.”
I had been tapping my thumb on the tabletop, but the weight of his hand stilled me. I flashed a grateful smile and then sucked in a breath. “My dad drinks a lot. Since my mom died about a year ago, he’s been a mess. Lost his job and has just been spiraling into a pit of depression.”
Axel squeezed my hand and murmured, “I’m sorry.”
I dipped my chin to nod in acknowledgment, but kept going, unable to make eye contact but ready to just spit it all out at once. “Anyway, he basically hates me. He barely tolerated me when my mom was around, and now that she isn’t around anymore, I can’t do anything right.” I shrugged with indifference. “Most of the time, I can avoid him. But it’s really stressful to be around him. Last night, he was awake when I got home instead of passed out in front of the TV. He was pissed that I didn’t bring him the food that he likes and then said something about me thinking I’m better than him because I have a job. It’s all nonsense, but when I thought about it, I realized I didn’t have to stay there and walk on eggshells anymore. Since you and the guys set up the storage room for me, I actually had an option.” I shrugged and finally looked at him. “And I decided to take it.”
“I’m glad you did.” Axel’s thumb slid across my knuckles in an almost subconscious way. I didn’t know if he realized he was doing it, but I loved it and hoped he wouldn’t stop. “And I really enjoyed getting to spend time with you last night.”
“So did I,” I said softly.
“Yeah?” His sexy smirk was back, but it didn’t last long before he got serious again. “I know I already apologized for walking in without knocking, but again, I’m sorry. And I really hated seeing you so upset after. Do you feel better about all that?”
I bit my lower lip and looked away for a moment, honestly asking myself how I felt. It was humiliating, and I kinda wished I could go back in time and undo it. But on the other hand, it was so nice to have Axel take care of me. That feeling of being cared for easily outmatched the embarrassment. “Yeah, I am. It means a lot to me that you didn’t make me feel bad about my situation. And that…you helped me.”
His hand slipped underneath mine, curling around the inside of my palm instead of just resting on top of it. “I loved helping you. And I’m happy to do that again, if you’ll let me.”
I wanted to say yes a million times. I wanted to jump up and down and throw my arms around him and beg him to stay forever. But it just didn’t make sense to me. Instead of voicing any of my insecurities, I just nodded as my gaze drifted down to our connected hands.
“Billy?” Axel’s voice was deeper now. He used that firm Daddy voice that I couldn’t ignore. “I’m gonna ask this of you now, and I hope I don’t have to keep reminding you, but I do expect you to be honest with me. When I ask you a question, I want you to tell me the truth. And I’ll do the same to you. But I can’t read your mind, and I can’t take care of you if I don’t know what you need.”
My throat began to burn with emotion, so I cleared it quickly and did my best to be honest with him. “Okay, yes, I would love for you to…help me.” I shrugged one shoulder, shy to say the words but resolved to get it out. “And for you to take care of me. But I don’t understand why you would want to. Is it just because you’re a Daddy and you can see how desperate I am for affection or is it some sense of obligation to your friends? I just can’t understand… Why me?”
His gaze softened as he cocked his head. “Why not you, baby? You’re sweet and kind, and sexy as hell. You know enough about Daddy kink to not be afraid of it… I keep learning new things about you that I really like. So, if it’s something you want to explore with me, I definitely want to explore that with you.”
That tiny bit of hope I had been trying to contain started to expand, and I feared I wouldn’t be able to rein it in at all. “But I’m not…sexy. Not like you.”
“Do you think I want to date myself?” Axel chuckled. “I like boys who are sweet and cuddly, like dogs, and have a dimple in their right cheek.” He waggled his eyebrows at me, making me blush again.
Instinctively, my fingers went up to the dimple in my cheek that was the mirror image of my mom’s. “Oh, I thought that because I’m not like Jason and Jesse…” I let my words die off, not sure how to end that sentence.
Axel sighed and then scooted his chair around the table so it was right beside mine. Then he placed his arm across my shoulders and tucked me to his side. “Jesse and Jason are great. They’re perfect boys for their Daddies. But they’re not perfect for me.” He kissed the side of my forehead, holding his lips against my hair for a long moment. “Now, I don’t know that you’ll be perfect for me or I’ll be perfect for you, but I do know that you’re exactly the kind of boy I want to have. If I’m the kind of Daddy you want to have, then maybe we can see where this goes.”
He wanted me. Just as I was. Without having to change anything.
It was hard for me to believe, but I had no reason not to trust him. Axel had been nothing but honest with me so far, and his actions further backed up his words. “I’d like that too.” I turned and looked right at him, bringing my nose to just millimeters away from his.
We were close enough to kiss, but I wasn’t going to make the first move. I’d never actually been kissed, so I had no idea what to expect. When Axel closed the distance and gently brushed his lips across mine, my whole body felt like it was on fire. Every nerve ending seemed to radiate energy.
