Page 44 of Dakota

My aim wasn’t half bad. It got Austin rightupside the head. “What?”

“Age.” Full sentences didn’t seem to behelping, so I decided to keep it simpler.

“Whose?” Austin was at least trying tofollow along this time.

“Tristan.”

He nodded. “Oh yes.”

“How old is he?” I needed another drink.They were too frustrating even slightly sober-ish.

Jonah’s last shot went down even betterthan Wade’s, sending more warmth and patience through me.

Austin giggled but stayed on track. “Earlytwenties. I think. I remember thinking you were robbing the cradle and that itwas funny because he wasn’t a little or a Daddy. Oh, did you know I found thecutest stuffed animals for the playroom?”

“He’s what?” I looked around but couldn’tfind any more shots. “I need another drink.”

Jonah was very helpful and made one appearalmost magically.

“He’s how old?” Had I known he was thatyoung?

Thinking was hard—even my notebook wasn’tfascinating at that point—but I tried to piece together what I knew. “He’s gota good resume.”

Heads bobbed around the room, but it wasBradley who spoke. “Good work ethic and crazy parents will do that to you.”

Very true.

Tristan’s parents seemed to be the goodkind of crazy, though.

“Does it matter?” Wade’s question had metrying to pull my brain cells back together.

“Does what matter?” A work ethic or crazyparents?

Wade giggled. “His age.”

Oh, that. “I think I like the idea of beinga dirty old man.”

The fantasies just multiplied with thatpossibility.

Laughter rolled around the room. Wadecarefully moved from his chair to the floor beside me and rested his head on myshoulder. “Do you really like him?”

Why couldn’t anyone else have asked methat?

I could’ve ignored the rest of them, butWade was a romantic. “Yes.”

He sighed, still smiling. “Like fallinghead over heels for him?”

“I think so.” I wasn’t sure what real-lifelove was supposed to look like, but he made me all tingly and when I picturedus in my head, we kind of looked like the other guys did with their Doms. Wasthat love, though?

That got me another sigh from Wade. “Haveyou told him?”

Wade needed to be just a little bit meanerso I could be an asshole to him sometimes. “No, I think that should wait untilwe actually decide to date.”

Or until we had sex.

Tristan was dragging his fucking feet onthat one. Every time I even thought about bringing up the topic, he’d find away to blow my mind.

He liked my letter opener a lot.