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"Um, the bathroom's down the hall," I said, gesturing awkwardly. "And there's only one bedroom, but I have a bed in here—"
"We'll figure it out," Novo said, his voice gruff as he set his duffel bag down. "You hungry?"
The question caught me off guard. "A little," I admitted. I hadn't eaten since yesterday’s breakfast, as nerves were making me nauseous.
Novo nodded, as if making a decision. "We've got that dinner later, but that's not for hours. You got anything here, or should we order something?" Novo's intense blue eyes studied me for a moment, and I felt myself shrinking under his gaze.
“I have some leftovers,” I said, wrinkling my nose at the thought.
"Show me what you've got," he said finally, following me to the kitchen.
"Sorry," I mumbled. "I usually shop on Wednesdays." Which was a lie. I couldn’t shop because I hadn’t gotten my check from the coffee shop until this morning.
"Don't apologize," Novo said, his voice softer than before. "We'll order something. What do you like?"
I looked at him, trying to decide what he’d like. “Pizza?”
"Works for me," Novo said, surprising me with his easy agreement. "What toppings?"
I hesitated, wondering how to navigate this first test of our weird arrangement. "I'm good with whatever you want."
"Pepperoni?" he asked, pulling out his phone. "Any place you recommend?"
"Mario's is good," I offered, trying not to stare at the way his massive hands dwarfed his phone. "They deliver pretty quickly."And they were cheap.I reached into my back pocket and pulled out my debit card. Novo stared at it like it was a bomb, then took it from my hands. Food was part of living expenses, so I had to pay.
While Novo ordered, I tried not to spiral. This whole situation was surreal. I was married—actually married—to this mountain of a man I'd never met before today. A man who was nothing like I'd expected.
When Ricky had described him, he'd mentioned Novo was big, bearded, and part of a motorcycle club. I’d nearly balked at that—but he’d provided a ton of references, including some military.Daddy Chris and Daddy Saul were both happy with those, so I’d gone ahead. And as we were fast approaching the start of the two-year deadline, he was really my last chance.
I’d understood Ricky needed to find someone who was the total opposite of either Carrington or James. What Ricky failed to mention was how intense his presence would be, how his blue eyes seemed to see straight through me, or how surprisingly gentle his deep voice could sound.
"Twenty minutes," Novo said, pocketing his phone. "So, should we talk about how this is going to work?"
My stomach clenched. "Um, yeah. I guess we should."
He gestured to the sofa. "Might as well be comfortable."
I perched on the edge of the cushion while Novo settled himself at the other end, his large frame making my IKEA furniture look like dollhouse pieces. I looked over at him as silence settled, then lowered my eyes quickly. I knew most Doms required that. If he was a Dom? Ricky hadn't actually said, but he knew I wanted a Daddy
“Ricky told me I was your third try,” he said. My head shot up in surprise. I hadn’t expected Ricky to share that. “Want to tell me about the other two?”
I felt my pulse pick up. “Carrington was…well he gave in. My godfather offered him an immediate $500,000 instead of waiting for the two years. He took it,” I added in a whisper.
Novo didn’t react except to narrow his eyes. “Do you have proof?”
“Only what Carrington told me,” I whispered. “He said it had been fun, but his creditors didn’t like waiting for two years, and he hated living here. He kept wanting to go to my godfather’s.”
“And I understand if you don’t get married the money reverts to your godfather?”
I nodded. “Not that he doesn’t have enough of his own,” I added miserably.
“And the second?”
I felt my chest tighten at the mention of James. My breathing suddenly became shallow and rapid. "James was—he—" I tried to take a breath, but my chest grew tighter. "He wanted—" I couldn't get the words out as memories flooded back. James's cruel smile, his hands on my throat, the things he'd said he would do once we were married. The room started to blur around the edges.
"Matty?" Novo's voice sounded far away. "Matty, you need to breathe."
I couldn't. My lungs were refusing to cooperate, my heart hammering so hard I thought it might burst. I pressed a hand to my chest, fingers curling into my shirt as I gasped for air that wouldn't come.