Page 21

Tyson

Dessie was going to give himself a heart attack if he didn’t stop worrying. He tried to play it off, but every time I glanced at him, he’d perk up into a big fake smile. “Almost ready.”

He’d been almost ready for fifteen minutes, and he’d turned dragging out getting ready into an art form. I was pretty sure Austin had to be giving him tips because it was amazing to watch. I’d never seen anyone brush each individual tooth the way he had.

Dessie was brilliant, probably because of working in politics, but he was also going to give himself an ulcer or starve to death before we got downstairs.

It was clearly time for Daddy to take charge when he looked down at his clothes and frowned. “I think I need different socks. These don’t match.”

When he turned around to go back to the dresser, I decided we’d reached the point where I couldn’t dither about what to do any longer. “No.”

Dessie went completely still and I could almost hear the wheels in his head starting to turn. He couldn’t figure a way out fast enough, though, so I walked over and took his hand. “Come here.”

His dramatic sigh had part of me wanting to sigh too. “I didn’t throw any crayons or do anything bad naughty. My self-control didn’t wander off.”

“That is very true.” He must have driven the playroom guy crazy some days if that was his first response. “This isn’t a punishment.”

It was, however, going to be a spanking, so I led him over to a chair that had always been just decorative. Having a purpose for it was nice and I was glad I’d insisted it be sturdy, not just pretty, because I wasn’t worried about our combined weight killing it.

Dessie knew what was coming and was probably grateful for it, but he kept sighing and swinging his arms. “I didn’t do anything wrong, though. I just got ready. I’m clean. I’m presentable. We even talked about plans for the day.”

“Technically, you’re right.” That didn’t really matter, though, so I sat down and released the button on his pants. “You need a reminder that you’re not going into battle alone and that I’m going to be right here with you.”

He sighed again, looking adorably frustrated. “Aww, why did you have to be thoughtful?”

He’d lost his mind.

“I don’t know if I should thank you or punish you for that.” It was confusing, so I decided to ignore it. “But we’ll work on that later. Over my lap.”

As his pants and briefs went down to his thighs, I pulled him over my lap. Dessie wasn’t arguing about it, but he was making me move him around like he was a doll. “I wasn’t naughty.”

That wasn’t what this was about and he knew it.

“I understand that.” When he was in place and letting out another dramatic sigh, I wrapped one arm around him to keep him steady and brought my other hand down on his ass. As he squeaked and jerked, I rubbed the spot that was flushing a pretty pink color. “I also understand that you need reassurance and to stop whatever negative things are going over and over in your head.”

Dessie just sighed and went limp.

He was such an adorable drama queen that I spanked him again. “You’re my sub and my boy.”

Another spank had his sighs turning less dramatic and more thoughtful, so it felt like we were making progress…and that earned him another. “You’re important to me in a relationship way and you’re also important to me in general.”

That had him going quiet and I gave him another spank. “I’m not Austin stupid rich, but I am very comfortable, and I like to make sure I have the best. Do you really think I’m going to let anyone damage my newest acquisition?”

I scoffed as I spanked him again, spreading out the impacts so he wouldn’t be too sore in any one place. “I went to a lot of effort to find my boy. I had to talk to Austin, for fuck’s sake. I had to have a background check done on me.”

It’d been the height of insanity, but I’d done it.

“You are not appreciating how much effort I had to put in and how much personal introspection I had to do before I could find you.” One more spank seemed like it would do the trick and after I was done, I just let him catch his breath as I caressed his pink cheeks. “I will not let anyone damage my pretty toy.”

Playing up the asshole had him giggling, but to keep in character, I had to scoff. “Utterly ridiculous. I’m not going to let anything happen to you. You are far too valuable for that.”

Dessie tried to cover his giggle, but he did a terrible job of it. “I’m sorry, Daddy. I’ll remember I’m important.”

“I should hope so.” Helping him up, I raised one eyebrow as his erection strained to get attention. “Little boys who sigh and are dramatic do not get orgasms with their remember they’re important spankings.”

Dessie’s lower lip came out as I tucked his erection into his briefs, but he behaved himself for the most part. “Yes, Daddy. I understand.”

I took that to mean he didn’t appreciate the consequences of his actions, but he wasn’t going to argue about it.

He’d just try to manipulate me later.

“Good boy.” When he was all dressed and looked presentable, I sat him down on my lap, finally smiling as he sighed and his eyes went foggy for a second. “If you do a good job communicating and telling me when you’re overwhelmed, I’ll help you handle this later.”

Patting his lap to make sure he knew what I was talking about got a whine from him and my grin was probably evil. Dessie knew better than to push me, though. He just took a deep breath and did his best to push back his desire. “Thank you, Daddy.”

I got a cute cheek kiss and he curled up against me so he could rest his head on my shoulder. “You’re welcome. Just remember, she’s going to want to like you.”

He didn’t seem to have realized that part based on his confused hum, so I decided to explain it in more detail. “You’re not from the celebrity world. She’ll approve. You’re also not in a profession where you’re going to work eighty hours on a slow week. You’re also not in New York, if you know what I mean. You also don’t have any glaring red flags that are flying all over.”

Like Austin.

If I’d tried dating someone like that, she’d have buried my body in a shallow unmarked grave and then said a blessing over it.

Giggling again, Dessie wiggled just enough to help him feel his spanking again. “She knew about New York?”

“Yes, and she was not happy about it.” In her mind, I’d needed to find a nice omega I could trust to settle down with.

Dessie.

She’d been pushing me to find Dessie.

“Every time I got ready to fly out, she’d take my favorite suit to the cleaners or she’d wash all my clothes. All of them. She even sent my suitcase to be dry cleaned one time. I didn’t know you could do that.” Women were highly intelligent and very dangerous when they were angry.

Dessie coughed but mostly covered up his laughter. “I didn’t know you could dry clean suitcases either.”

“I had to start buying a new one for every trip and she finally found other ways to torture me. The local foster program appreciated all of them once she stopped harassing me and I only needed my regular set again.” They’d never had anyone donate ten almost brand-new suitcases before.

So I’d felt guilty and had to send them a dozen more.

Dessie buried his face against my neck and took a deep breath. He managed not to laugh, though. “Okay, Daddy. You’ve made your point.”

“Thank you.” Turning my head, I gave him a quick peck on his neck since that was the only part I could easily reach. “Now, are you ready to have breakfast? But please be forewarned, I might die of hunger if you aren’t.”

And the giggles escaped that time.

But he also sat up and smiled, looking much more relaxed. “I’m ready. I’m not in New York and I’m not Austin and I just have cute pink flags like being an attention whore and slightly dramatic.”

Rolling my eyes got another laugh from my adorable worrier, but it also gave him a push to climb off my lap and bounce excitedly. “Breakfast and coffee and attention and then we’ll finish planning out our day.”

“Yes.” Standing, I gave him another kiss as I took his hand. “Then we’ll have fun later if you’re a good boy.”

I made sure to stroke the front of his pants with my free hand to make sure he understood what I was talking about. His needy moan was quickly cut off by a frown and the most adorable glare. “I can’t be hard when I meet her. No pats or rubs or teasing comments, Daddy.”

Hmm.

No safeword in sight.

“We’ll see.” That response had his cheeks going pink and he rolled his eyes. Still not a safeword. But I did check on the fit of his pants and adjusted his erection slightly and made sure his T-shirt wasn’t catching on the front of his pants. “There. That’s not noticeable.”

Unless she was at eye level with his dick, he’d be fine.

And I double-checked that as I stood up.

Yep.

Dessie seemed happy with that answer even though he’d gone back to being dramatic, sighing and huffing and even throwing in the occasional eye roll. “She’s going to notice and then think I’m a needy attention whore.”

I was smart enough not to respond to that but he still glared at me. “I know what you’re thinking.”

That he was a needy attention whore.

“You’ll never be Austin-level frustrating, so just keep that in mind.” She’d met him and hadn’t been impressed.

Austin had tried to steal her from me, though.

So he was a needy attention whore with good taste and bad decision-making.

All things I’d already known.

Dessie sighed again. “No one is as wonderful as Austin.”

He was adorable but delusional.

“Come on.” Kissing his head, I led us toward the door. “It’s going to be fine. I’ll make introductions. We’ll probably talk a bit. Then she’ll tell me she can’t stand around keeping me entertained all day. At that point, she’ll probably make a joke that it’s your job now. Then she’ll grumble about how much work there is to do.”

For some reason that made Dessie’s shoulders come down and I could feel the tension leaving him. “Okay, so she’s a less fabulous version of Austin when he’s in business mode. Got it.”

For fuck’s sake.

“I did not need that image in my head.” Grumbling as I reached for the door, I glared at my giggling sub. “No spankings for you for doing that to me.”

That didn’t stop his giggles and he was still smiling as we walked into the kitchen. Of course, it got slightly forced as Sofie came into view but he was doing his best, so I did my best to pretend it was fine. “Good morning, Sofie. I would like to introduce you to Dessie. He hasn’t let me put a label on our relationship yet.”

That had him rolling his eyes and glaring at me. “What part of making a good impression did you forget?”

None.

This was a much better reaction than fake happiness.

But I shrugged. “Oops.”

Sofie was trying not to laugh and glared at me too. “Don’t embarrass your partner on the first meeting, Tyson. Mama taught you better than that. You get to embarrass him on the second.”

Pretending to frown, I gave her a thoughtful expression that was better than either of theirs. “Are you sure? I distinctly remember embarrass first and then be sweet later. Because isn’t that what you did with Mario?”

Leaning to the side, I did a bad stage whisper. “Her mama met her boyfriend, now husband, for the first time when he was sneaking out of her room. His pants got caught on the windowsill and then her mama realized Mario wasn’t wearing anything under his pants.”

Dessie’s wide-eyed look got a laugh from Sofie. “You’re terrible. You have to stop telling that lie.”

Glancing between us, Dessie was clearly trying to figure out who to believe. “He was wearing a jock?”

She laughed again, clearly approving that he’d played along. “Pink heart boxer shorts.”

Dessie’s smile was back, but after a second he shook his head and did his best to glare at me. “You shouldn’t be embarrassing her either.”

I wasn’t going to agree to that nonsense, so I rolled my eyes. “How about I make you coffee?”

Sofie snorted, shaking her head. “Bribing him to accept your bad behavior already.”

Dessie shrugged. “He has good coffee and he’s kinda cute.”

That got another delighted laugh from Sofie as she went back to moving around the kitchen, putting a grocery list together judging by the random way she was opening every cabinet. “If you give him an inch, he’ll take a mile.”

Her warning made Dessie nearly giggle. “And then he’ll track you while he’s enjoying that mile.”

“At least I’ll know where he is.” I wasn’t going to apologize for keeping him safe. “I haven’t done anything drastic.”

Just slightly illegal…and even that was questionable because the laws still hadn’t caught up with what the internet could do.

They both scoffed in unison.

“If you’re mean to me, I’ll start doing the grocery shopping again.” That shut her up quickly but it earned me another glare.

Dessie sighed. “Do I want to know?”

“No.” Sofie answered before I could. “Let’s just say he’s a petty brat when he wants to be.”

“We ate the Oreos eventually.” She was so dramatic. “Everything is cheaper in bulk. You’re just stubborn.”

If she wasn’t nice to me, I would buy one of those warehouse stores.

If Austin could solve his problems that way, I could create them.