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He pulled the comforter over us and curled into my side.

“What about—”

After pressing a paw covered finger to my mouth to silence me, he pressed his lips to mine. Finally, he pulled back. “Rest now, talk later.”

We were barely at seven o’clock, but my eyelids were heavy.

“Yes, that.”

He grinned and laid his head against my shoulder.

Within moments, I was out.

Chapter Twenty-One

Jai

Daddy didn’t snore. Which, frankly, surprised me. He was such a big guy—although broad and tall—not fat. Curling against him made me warm inside and out.

I’ve missed you. Yes, I should have recognized you. I think my heart did, but my mind wouldn’t go there. Six years is a long time. You always wore a mask…but mostly I didn’t want to believe you were back in my life and I couldn’t have you.

Doing the right thing was always my stance. Being able to hold my head high, even when everything around me was falling apart. Staying apart from Demetrius for the past three weeks had been brutal.

Okay, except the brief interlude in the Grand Hotel.

When he’d calmed me by ordering me with doggie commands, I’d suddenly known. Not only who he was, but that my instincts had been spot-on—he was someone I could be with.

I want to grab that special toy.

My mind continued to obsess about it. The one I focused on hadn’t been purchased at a pet store. Nope. Either a fetish store in Vancouver or over the internet.

After more contemplation, I slid from his grasp.

He murmured, but didn’t wake.

Man, he really sleeps after sex. Have to remember that.Frankly, I was a little flattered. That I’d wiped him out so thoroughly.

I knelt on the floor and lovingly collected everything. I was certain he’d understood I wasn’t dismissing them when I’d summarily removed them. I wanted to be ready for anything. A blow job and cuddling would’ve been challenging with all the wonderful things he’d brought for me. He’d understood I had none of my old gear—and he’d been right.

After snagging the most precious of all the gifts, I grasped the bottle of lube from my nightstand, and I crept into the bathroom. I removed my paws and my ears, then pissed, flushed the toilet, and then ran the water hot as I washed my hands. The butt plug with the tail attached still in the wrapper, but I still ran it through the hot water for a bit.

Satisfied I’d basically sterilized it, I grabbed the lube.

The rest was just muscle memory—preparing myself, preparing the plug, inserting the—

Yep.

My previously neglected prostate was super happy.

I’d been ignoring him for about six years and he was now expressing his displeasure at that omission. I’d jerked off occasionally, but I hadn’t gone near the rest of me. Sometimes memories were just overwhelming, so I continuously shoved them away where they couldn’t hurt me.

Or so you told yourself.

Yeah, I was good at lying to myself. Deluding myself. Telling myself things that weren’t true. Like that I’d deserved what hadhappened to me. Like I was a bad person. Like no one would ever love me. Just as Jai. Let alone the man who liked to dress up like a pup and seek affection that way.

“Are you okay?”

I startled at Demetrius’s question. He was out of sight, clearly giving me space, but also concerned.