Page 82

Chapter Six

Grant

I hadn’t been able to stop touching Colby since we got back to my penthouse.

A hand on his back as I unlocked the front door. My palm on his thigh while he sat curled up on the couch, nursing the tea I’d made him. My fingers in his hair while he leaned against me like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Maybe because it was.

Fuck, like I said to him back at his apartment, I’d been an idiot. Thank god Julian had helped me pull my head out of my ass before it was too late, because now that I’d gotten out of my own way, loving Colby felt like the most natural thing in the world. Like what I was meant for.

Loving him, and being his Daddy, too.

I swallowed hard, knowing we needed to talk about that—well, talk about everything, I supposed—but almost feeling like my emotions were too big to make it possible.

He’d said it, though?—

I love you, too, Daddy.

And my heart hadn’t been the same since. The echo still resonated in my chest—warm and bright and steadying. Like a lighthouse finally spotting its ship.

Colby was mine. He wanted to be, which made me the luckiest man in the world.

He’d managed to slip past all the emotional defenses I had, including the ones written up in black and white in our sugar baby contract. Slip past them and not only work his way into my heart, but open his up to me, too.

And ever since I’d shown up at his place to… stake my claim? Come clean about my feelings? Beg him to be mine?

I huffed out a quiet laugh, pressing a kiss against his hair. Definitely all of the above. And ever since, he’d been content to let me take the lead, not questioning anything, like he was perfectly happy, simply knowing he was mine now.

But I needed more. The same impulse inside me that had wanted things spelled out when he was my sugar baby demanded that I get some clarity on exactly where we stood now.

I didn’t want any more misunderstandings or assumptions between us. I wanted forever.

“Hey,” I murmured, stroking my fingers through his curls.

He tilted his head up to look at me, blinking slowly, like he was just this side of floating. Fuck, that did a number on my heart. My good boy, safe and calm and finally letting himself rest… because I’d given him that.

It was the best damn feeling in the world, and as tempting as it was to let him keep floating on his cloud of submissive happiness, I really did want that feeling forever. So I needed to make sure we were on the same page.

“I need to talk to you about Seattle.”

That got him a little more alert, a little more present. His body straightened slightly under my arm, but he didn’t move away.

“Okay,” he said, a little tremor in his voice.

I kissed the tip of his nose, and he relaxed again.

“It’s coming up fast. I’m leaving in three weeks, right after your graduation.”

Colby nodded, worry flickering in his eyes again as he swallowed. “I know. But, um, if you… you love me now, we’ll still get to see each other, right? Somehow?”

Sweet baby. That uncertainty was endearing, but it was also going to kill me. I needed to do better. I couldn’t have him doubting me—doubting us —and the fact that he still was, was all on me.

“I want you to come with me, babyboy,” I said, needing to leave no room for misinterpretation. “I know it’s a big ask, but you’re right. I do love you, and I don’t want to be apart from you. Not ever again.”

His breath caught, his eyes turning glassy.

“You—” he started, then swallowed. “You want me to come to Seattle? Really?”

I wiped away a tear that spilled down his cheek, then cupped it, staring into his eyes. “Really. Fuck, I?—”

Shit, my voice cracked. I wasn’t ashamed, though. I was asking him for everything, and I had to be willing to show him my own heart in return.

All of it.

I smiled and tried again. “I want it so much. More than fucking anything. And I know your whole life is here. Your sister, your friends, the connections you’ve made through school. But I also know how good we are together, baby, and I can’t give that up. Not if you want it, too.”

“I do,” he whispered, eyes shining so brightly they lit up my soul.

I pulled him closer, resting my forehead on his. “Then I’ll do whatever it takes to make it bearable for you, baby. Anything. Just say yes.”

“Yes,” he breathed out, which was… almost perfect.

I smiled. No, I fucking grinned, my heart so light it felt like it might float right out of my chest.

“Good boy. Now say yes, Daddy .”

He made a soft, needy, absolutely wrecked little sound, his eyes going wide.

“You… You want to be my Daddy, too?”

“More than anything, baby.”

“But I thought…” He glanced down. “You said you didn’t want?—”

“I was wrong.”

His eyes got even wider, a flush coloring his skin and a smile starting to pull up the corners of his mouth.

Then, oh fuck. I was a goner. He giggled .

Slapping his hands over his mouth to hold it in but still looking at me with so much joy that if we hadn’t already been sitting, I might have done something truly embarrassing and swooned for the boy.

“I love taking care of you, baby, but I didn’t think I could let myself want anything like that,” I confessed, pulling his hands away from his pretty mouth and kissing them, first one, then the other.

“I didn’t expect you to get under my skin.

I didn’t expect to need you. I didn’t know how good it would feel to earn your trust and be the one you turn to when?—”

“When I’m a mess?” he cuts in, his laugh sounding a little soggy this time.

His eyes shimmered. He tried to blink it back, but one tear escaped anyway, sliding down his cheek.

“Oh, baby,” I whispered, thumb brushing it away.

“You are the furthest thing from a mess. You’re wonderful.

Capable. Brilliant and sweet and talented.

But knowing I can support you along the way?

I can’t tell you how good that feels. Let me be your Daddy.

Let me take care of you. Let me build us a life in Seattle where we can thrive, sweet boy. ”

He stared at me with something like wonder in his eyes.

I grinned back. “Say yes, Daddy .”

“Yes, Daddy,” he whispered, before letting out a quiet, shaky laugh and leaning in to rest his head on my chest. “But what will I even do in Seattle? I mean, I know I can freelance, but… I barely kept it together finishing finals. I couldn’t even open my mockups today.

What if I don’t even manage to graduate? ”

I snorted, which made his head pop up as I laughed. “Colby, you’re being ridiculous. Didn’t you hear me? You’re wonderful. Capable. Brilliant and sweet and so fucking talented you make my head spin. You will graduate.”

He bit his lip, then smiled shyly. “Yes, Daddy.”

Fuck, that felt good to hear.

But then his smile dropped. “But what if I… I still disappoint you somehow? What if I come all the way out there with you and then you, um, you change your mind?”

“I won’t,” I promised, tightening my arm around him. “And you could never disappoint me. And if you’re struggling, I’ll help. I want to. That’s what a Daddy does.”

And the idea of being the one to offer him steadiness, reassurance, structure and care satisfied something in me that went even deeper than love. This was who I was meant to be, and Colby was the one I was meant to be it for.

“You’re allowed to be overwhelmed, baby. But we’ll set some daily goals. A work plan. Time for creative work, time for rest. You’ll have me there to help keep you grounded.” I kissed the top of his head. “You won’t be doing any of it alone.”

He looked up at me again, eyes wide, nervous. “Would that be… okay? For you to go to all that trouble?”

I gave him a soft smile. “That’s the part I’m the most excited about, baby. You need guidance, I’ll give it. You need rest, I’ll make sure you get it. If you need rules, I’ll set them.”

He flushed and nodded. “Okay. Yes, please. If you’re sure?”

“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.

” I tipped his chin up. “You’re not fragile, and you’re definitely not broken.

You’re brave as hell, smart as sin, brilliant and capable and so damn good that it floors me sometimes.

I don’t want to take care of you because you can’t do it yourself.

I want to because you trust me to. Because I need you, Colby .

I just didn’t know it until I was lucky enough to find you. ”

His bottom lip trembled, but the smile blooming through it lit up his whole face. He was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.

But I was his Daddy now, officially, formally, and forever. So under all that pure, radiant joy, I couldn’t help but also notice the faint shadow of that same hollow weariness I’d seen when he’d let me into his apartment. The exhaustion he’d tried so hard to hide.

His smile was real. But it was sitting on top of frayed nerves and a body that hadn’t been taken care of properly all day.

Fuck, I’d never even managed to get dinner into him last night, and the state I’d found him in…

his flushed cheeks, the slight tremble in his hands, the telltale caffeine tang still on his breath.

He was just as happy about us as I was, but he was also wired and running on empty at the same time, barely holding it together with frayed string and sheer force of will.

And the worst part? He didn’t even realize how close he was to burning out.

But luckily, he was mine to take care of now.

“Okay,” I said softly, threading my fingers through his. “We’re putting a pin in the topic of our future plans for now.”

His brows pulled together, uncertain. “Did I say too much? Was it?—”

“No, baby,” I said, cupping his cheek. “You said everything exactly right. But I can see you’re wiped. You’ve had a long, exhausting day, and you didn’t eat, did you?”

He gave a little guilty grimace, looking utterly adorable, and shook his head.

I kissed his forehead. “That’s what I thought.”

His shoulders slumped a little, like the admission alone took more energy than he had left.

“Which means we’re tabling everything else until tomorrow,” I said firmly. “No more decisions. No more questions. No more pretending you’re okay when you’re this drained.”

“But—”

“Ah,” I warned, brushing my thumb along his bottom lip. “That wasn’t a question.”

He blinked at me, then—oh fuck, my heart—broke out in the brightest smile yet. “Yes, Daddy.”

“That’s my good boy,” I murmured, so fucking in love it would have scared the old me.

Not now, though. I’d been reborn, and I was never going back.

“You don’t have to figure anything else right now.

You don’t even have to think, baby. Just let go.

I’ve got you. You’re mine now. That means Daddy decides how your night’s going to go. Can you trust me with that?”

“Yes,” he breathed out, staring up at me like I’d just parted the damn clouds.

“Thank you,” I said, kissing him gently as my heart did a slow roll in my chest. “Now, stay here and relax. Maybe scroll that architecture account you love on Instagram. The one with the weird staircases and calming color palettes. I’m going to order us in some food, grab that fuzzy blanket you like, and get us all set for a relaxing night. ”

“But—”

I covered his soft lips with my finger. “No buts. Daddy’s in charge.”

I knew my boy, and I knew he’d want to help, to be good, to feel like he was earning his keep.

But none of that was necessary. All I needed was for him to be here. To be mine. To need me and love me the way I needed and loved him.

And while I had no idea what I’d ever done to be worthy of it, he did.

I leaned in and kissed his forehead. Then, just to feel his pulse flutter, I pressed another kiss just below his ear, smiling against his skin when he let out a needy little whimper.

“Good boy.” Fuck, he was so perfect me that I truly did feel like an idiot for being blind to it for so long. “Now say yes, Daddy, and let me take care of everything else.”

“Yes, Daddy,” he said with a heart-stopping smile, tension almost visibly falling away from him, as if he was finally accepting that I meant every word.

Which I did, absolutely and completely. Something I’d show him in the most intimate, thorough, sensual way possible after I fed him.

And, if I was truly a lucky man, something that I’d get to keep on showing him for the rest of my life, too.