Page 9

Chapter 9

Riley

I’d slept longer than I planned, which was good because I finally felt more like myself. The sensory overload I’d been struggling with had lessened greatly, and I wasn’t counting the minutes until I could sleep. It wasn’t just the nap that helped, though. Having breakfast away from the hotel and all the chaos that entailed had been great. Sure, it was at another hotel, but it didn’t feel like it—not in the restaurant Adam took me to. It was like he knew I needed to be away, just like he knew I’d need a nap and that I’d want to stay in tonight.

Adam saw me…all of me.

He probably wanted to go to the steakhouse tonight. Who wouldn’t? But not once did he make me feel bad about telling him what I needed, even if it was mac and cheese in my hotel room. I plugged the phone into my charger like he asked and then took my bath. The tub wasn’t as deep as mine at home, but it felt great to soak in the warm water and relax.

I didn’t need to worry about anything tonight. I had a Daddy who was bringing me dinner and helping me figure out what to do from there. A movie, probably—that’s what he mentioned. But even if it was just snuggling on the couch, it was going to be pretty great.

Once the water chilled, I got out of the tub and dried off enough to go into the next room. And then I saw the time. I’d been in the water a lot longer than I thought, and I needed to hurry up and get dressed because Adam was going to be here any second.

Of course, Adam picked that exact moment to knock at the door. I wrapped the towel around me, looked through the peephole to make sure it was him, and then let him in.

“Sorry, I’m early. Do you want me to come back?” He closed his eyes, giving me privacy. It wasn’t disgust or not wanting to see me—it was him being respectful, and I appreciated it more than he probably realized.

“No, no, come in. I just need to grab some clothes and get changed. I guess I liked the bath more than I thought I would.”

He came in and put the bag of food down on the desk while I went to my suitcase and pulled out a pair of pajamas and some boxer briefs. They weren’t my footie jams, but I had worn those last night. For some reason, it seemed like it would be better to have clean, fresh clothes. It wasn’t that I thought Adam would care…he wouldn’t. It was a hotel, and you didn’t change your pajamas every night at a hotel. At least, I didn’t, but I wanted to be snuggly close to him, so fresh was better.

I ducked inside the bathroom and threw them on. I still looked very Little because my shirt was filled with a kawaii print that always made me smile and the pants were the same fuzzy material as my footie jammies, just minus the feet.

When I came back out, Adam was standing there holding my bottle. “Do you have a bottle brush?”

I shook my head. “I was planning to go out and get some dish soap and a bottle brush, but I took a nap instead. I accidentally fell asleep with my chocolate milk last night and it got yucky.”

He furrowed his brow. “Do you always have chocolate milk before bed?”

I shook my head fast. “No, Daddy. I usually have whole milk, but they didn’t have whole milk in the store downstairs.”

“I see.” He glanced at it again and cringed. “You aren’t planning on using this tonight, are you? Do you have another?”

I shook my head again and sighed. “I only brought one, but I don’t have anything to drink out of it anyway.” I’d missed all my errands, but the nap was worth it.

His shoulders relaxed, and he took a step closer to me. “Do you always sleep with a bottle?”

“Oh yes, Daddy.” I didn’t know why I felt so safe admitting all this to him. He wasn’t interrogating me like he was disappointed, so maybe that was why. At no point did I feel judged by him for anything—other than my lack of protein, and that was fair. A decision to eat French toast with all the strawberries and not adding anything to it wasn’t a good one, even if I tried to convince myself that the egg mixture they dipped the bread in was enough. It wasn’t.

His gaze locked with mine. “I can go out and get you some milk and a new bottle if you want.”

I swallowed as I shook my head slightly. “I don’t want you to leave.”

“Then I don’t have to.” He set it back down by the little sink. “Come, let’s have dinner.”

When I asked for mac and cheese, I meant the kind in a box, and he brought that. But he also brought some real fancy mac and cheese with I don’t know how many different cheeses in it and a serving of lobster mac and cheese. Who knew there was an actual mac-and-cheese restaurant here? It cracked me up that they actually had the box kind, but then again, there had to be others like me who preferred it.

He also brought salads because, as he said, everybody needs their vegetables. And then, “If you’re really good and you eat all your salad, I brought cupcakes.”

He saw my weakness. I’d do just about anything for a cupcake, especially one that had frosting decorated like a dog. It was the cutest thing I’d ever seen. I was soooo eating all my salad.

We ended up watching a random movie on the television. Although, watching was a bit of an overstatement because we only half paid attention to it.

The two of us ate, chatted, watched the movie, and then I snuggled against him as we continued to watch as a second movie began. As the credits rolled for that one, he kissed the top of my head and said it was time for bed and that he’d be going.

“Wait.” I grabbed his hand so he couldn’t stand all the way up. “Are you leaving because you want to leave, or are you leaving because you think I need to sleep? What I mean is…why are you leaving?”

“Because, sweet boy, I don’t want to pressure you.” For sex was the unspoken ending to that sentence. Did he not see me squirming or notice the slight tenting of my pajama pants? There was no pressure needed. I wanted him naked with his hands on me…and mouth…and any body part he saw fit.

“The only pressure I feel is in my underwear. Please stay. I want you, and I know it’s not forever, and what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but I want you, Adam.” I was talking a mile a minute, but I wanted to get it all out and was afraid that if I slowed down, I’d lose my courage.

He smiled down at me, still half standing. “My brave boy, telling Daddy exactly what he needs. How could I turn that down?”

“I don’t know.” I looked up at him. “But I really hope you don’t.”