Page 36 of Daddy's Muse

At some point, I drifted off, still tangled in the sound of his voice.

* * *

The following Monday, I was heading back home after class, my backpack heavy with textbooks. The sun was setting, and the shadows from the buildings stretched long across the quad.

And who did I see sitting on a bench outside my dorm?

Bodin, of course.

I wondered if this was what he meant byaround.

I slowed, my worn sneakers scuffing against the pavement. For a second, I considered just pretending I didn’t see him—ducking into the side entrance and avoiding whatever weirdness this might be.

But something in me refused to ignore him.

“Hi,” I called as I crossed the lawn toward him.

His head turned, a small smile curving his mouth like he’d been waiting for me.

“Colby,” he purred.

I huffed a laugh. “Why are you outside my dorm?”

“Mm.” His gaze flicked over me, lingering on my face, my hands, like he was cataloging details. “I told you. I’m around.”

“That’s… a little vague.” I shoved my hands in my pockets, shifting from foot to foot. “Were you looking for me?”

He tilted his head, reaching out an arm to pull me closer to him. “Ja, kaninen min.”

Something in the way he said it sent a rush of heat to my ears. “Is that what you said the other day? What does it mean?”

His hands circled my waist. “My bunny.”

For a beat, neither of us spoke. I could hear distant laughter from another group crossing the quad, the faint thud of a basketball somewhere behind the dorms.

“Oh,” I breathed, close to whimpering from the weight of his hands on me.

Bodin smiled at me. “Come. Walk with me.” He stood from the bench without taking his hands off of me, just dragging them up my body as he rose from his seated position.

His touch made my brain feel fuzzy, and from the look on his face, I think he knew that. He knew the power he held over me.

I didn’t even think to protest as he slipped his hand in mine and began walking us away from my dorm.

We cut across the lawn, his stride easy and unhurried, like we had all the time in the world. He didn’t fill the silence, and that almost made me more aware of him—of the faint scent of cedar clinging to his coat and the roughness of his hand.

He steered us down a side street, away from campus. The air was cooler here, quieter, lined with little cafes and dim-lit storefronts. We stopped in front of one with mismatched chairs outside and a chalkboard sign welcoming us in.

“This is cute,” I said, trying to hide my smile.

“I thought it’d be a comfortable place for us to talk. Plus, we can fill you up on baked goods and coffee,” he replied with a smile, holding the door open for me.

Inside, it was all soft lighting, exposed brick, and the faint swell of music playing somewhere in the back. We took a seat on a comfy leather sofa in the corner, half-hidden behind a trailing plant. I fiddled with the hem of my shirt, acutely aware of thefact that we were suddenly alone and sitting very close to one another.

“So,” I started, “is this… like… hanging out?”

He gave me a slow blink, then pulled me snug against his side, causing my breath to hitch. “It’s a date, Colby. Every time I take you out somewhere, it’s a date.”

I felt my face heat instantly. “I wasn’t sure—”