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Chapter eighteen

Mika

By the time Friday rolled around, I was so glad Mars and Andy were coming over the next day. If you’d asked me a month ago, I would’ve told you that a week of not leaving the house would be heaven.

I would’ve been wrong.

Not leaving and not being able to leave were two totally different things. All the baking competitions, crochet projects, and really—and I mean really —good sex couldn’t change the fact that I was basically a prisoner in a glass cage. I missed hanging out with my friends.

I’d been right about the city’s skyline from the window. It was amazing, but at this point, I didn’t want to look at people out having fun. I wanted to be out having fun. Mostly, I wanted to go to the Farmers Market and buy fresh produce or go to Mars’s shop. I’d gotten used to spending time there, just hanging out in the tearoom and chatting with whoever happened to come in.

I’d stayed in contact with Mary Ellen to let her know I was doing okay, but I missed her, too. I hadn’t told my mother what was going on, but I’d talked to her more in the last few days than I had in ages. If I didn’t find some other way to occupy myself, she was going to get suspicious.

Hawk had been spending most of his time trying to locate Butch, but so far, he hadn’t had any luck. I suspected that they’d moved on—and while I wished they would just go away and leave me alone, I knew I’d never feel completely safe as long as he was a threat.

I was finishing up the fifth season of Spring Baking Championship when Hawk came into the room. I’d been so engrossed in the show I hadn’t even heard him come in. More evidence I needed a bodyguard. Or maybe I just felt safe here in Hawk’s condo. Either way, he scared me half to death when he spoke.

I placed my hand on my chest and took a couple deep breaths. “Hawk, you scared me half to death.”

“Sorry, mouse. I didn’t mean to startle you. I called out when I entered the condo.”

“It’s okay. I startle easy on a good day, but with everything going on right now, it’s even worse.” That’s when I noticed he was carrying a basket. “What’s that?”

“Well, I wanted to take you on a date, but we can’t really do that right now, so I thought we could improvise.”

I sat up and smiled at him, excitement rushing through me. “And have a picnic here in the condo? That’s a great idea!” I’d been cooking dinner for us every night, and this explained why he’d told me not to bother with that tonight—that he was picking something up for us to eat. I never dreamed it would be something like this. I figured it would be Chinese takeout or something. I was starting to think I had hit the Daddy jackpot more and more each day.

“Close, but not in the condo… up on the roof.”

“Oh! Even better. I love picnics, and I love looking at the stars, so that’s a win-win. Look at you, nailing date night.”

That was when it hit me that if we were going on a date, I needed to wear something nicer than the sweatpants and t-shirt I had on.

“You should’ve told me. Then I could’ve gotten dressed appropriately.”

He furrowed his brows. “What’s wrong with what you’re wearing?”

“It’s not exactly date attire.” I motioned down my body with my hands to make the point.

“I don’t see anything wrong with what you have on. You look amazing, and you’re dressed just right for a rooftop picnic. Now, are you ready?”

“Sure. Do we need to take a blanket or anything up with us?”

“Nothing but this.” He held up the basket. “Everything else is already waiting for us.”

“Really?”

“Yep. And believe me, I was watching my phone anxiously all afternoon, waiting for you to text me and say you decided to go up on the roof and had spoiled the surprise.”

I’d considered it earlier when I was feeling sorry for myself for being cooped up in the condo, but I’d opted for television instead. I was glad I had because I loved surprises.

He pulled open the door, letting me go first, and then followed me up the stairs. I figured he’d put a blanket and a few pillows or something up here, but I hadn’t been at all prepared for what I’d found when I opened the door to the rooftop.

There was a canopy in the middle that had lights strung all around it, and a table with a red-and-white checkered tablecloth and two chairs sat underneath. He’d added a few potted plants around to make the place feel alive, and there was music playing from somewhere.

“This is amazing, Daddy.”

He leaned down and kissed me on the temple. “I’m glad you think so, baby boy. When all this is over and done with, I’ll take you out on a real date.”

“Well, good luck topping this one ’cause it’s perfect.”

It really was. The food was amazing, and while we ate, we talked about everything except the investigation. That ugliness had no place in the bubble he’d created for us up here.

When we’d finished eating, he picked up his wine glass. “Here’s to us and the future we’re creating.”

My insides melted as I clinked my glass against his. I’d never had anyone make a toast like that, and it was so incredibly sweet. It gave me hope that maybe he was right, and we’d be able to put all this behind us soon and create a future together.

“So, what now?”

“Gator brought us up some wood for the fire pit if you want to have a fire.”

“A fire would be nice.” It really would. The spring nights could be just chilly enough to enjoy an outdoor fire, but the truth was, a fire wasn’t really what I wanted right now. But I would never tell him that. The last thing I wanted was for him to think I didn’t appreciate all the trouble he’d gone to setting all this up.

He must’ve heard it in my voice, though, because he reached for my hand. “Or, if you’d rather, we could call it a night and go to bed.”

I nodded eagerly. “We can have a fire another time.”

“That we can.”

Hawk

When I had this idea to take him on a date on the rooftop, I’d worried it was silly, but Gator had assured me it was a brilliant plan. He’d been the one to set up everything for me, and he’d been right. I owed him big time, and seeing my boy’s excitement when he realized what I’d planned would be worth whatever favor Gator wanted in return.

I left everything where it was. No one else came up on the roof, so it could wait until later.

My boy couldn’t.

When we got back downstairs, we went straight to the bedroom, and Mika looked up at me.

“Daddy?” he asked sweetly, and my chest clenched the way it did every time he called me that. I’d had boys before, some of them I’d even thought might stick around, but hearing them call me Daddy had never sounded as right as it did coming from Mika.

“Yes, baby boy?” I slid my fingers into his hair. He had the softest curls, and touching them was addictive. He leaned into my touch and let out a sigh.

“It’s really nice of you to take me on a date.” He dropped his head and then quietly said, “I want to do something for you to show you how much I appreciate it.”

“You know you don’t have to do anything for me, right?”

He nodded but kept his head down. “I know, but I want to.”

“And what would you like to do?” I asked, using the fingers I’d wrapped in his hair to pull his head up so we made eye contact.

“I want to taste you.”

Fuck, the way he said that was so sweet.

“Well, I wouldn’t want to stop you from getting what you want, now would I?”

I reached down and unbuttoned my fly, then pushed my pants down. His eyes widened when he realized I wasn’t wearing any underwear.

“Do you like what you see, boy?”

He nodded and dropped to his knees in front of me. He raised his eyes to meet mine, and the look he gave me was pure sin. Gone was the shy boy from earlier, who hadn’t made eye contact when he said he wanted to do something for me.

He ran his tongue across his lips, leaving them wet and glistening, and the sight of him there on his knees with his mouth wet and waiting made my cock jump. He took it in his hand and leaned forward. Then he stuck out his tongue and licked a bead of pre-cum off the tip, sending a shiver through my entire body.

“Fuck, that feels good.”

A self-satisfied grin spread across his face. Then the cheeky little brat winked at me before leaning forward and swallowing me whole. Over the last week, he had become more and more comfortable with me, but still—I wouldn’t have thought my sweet little mouse had it in him. Obviously, I was wrong. Not that I was complaining.

The head of my cock rubbed against the back of his throat as he swallowed around it, and I let out a groan because, damn, he was good at this.

My fingers were still wrapped around his hair, and I left them there, but I didn’t direct his movements—letting him set the pace. He pulled off until just the head was in his mouth and began to suck, and damn, that felt amazing.

He alternated between sucking and taking me to the back of his throat, and I knew I wouldn’t last long. Between watching his mouth around my cock and the feel of his hot, wet mouth, I was already ready to blow.

I’d felt possessive of Mika from the first time I’d seen him, but seeing him on his knees for me like this ratcheted it up to a level I’d never experienced before. Some primitive part of me needed to be buried deep inside him when I came, like I could mark him as mine if I was.

I tightened my grip in his hair and pulled him off of me. “Baby boy, I’m about to come.”

“That’s kind of the point, Daddy.”

“It is. But I want to be inside you when I come, so let’s take this to the bed.”

I helped him to his feet and then covered his mouth with mine. I could taste myself on his tongue, and fuck if that wasn’t sexy as hell.

“Clothes off and on the bed, baby boy. I want to feel you underneath me.”

We both stripped off our clothes and then fell onto the bed together.

“Have I told you lately how fucking beautiful you are?” I ran a finger across one of his nipples, and he shivered. If he didn’t already have me on edge with that blowjob, I might’ve taken some time to enjoy just how sensitive he was. But right now, getting inside him was imperative to my survival.

I reached blindly for the lube and condom that were on the bedside table. I knocked the basket the condoms were in off onto the floor, but I didn’t care. We could clean that up later. I rolled on the condom and then opened the bottle, pouring some of the lube onto my hand.

He spread his legs wide, giving me plenty of access. I pressed one finger in, sliding it in and out of his hole, then added a second. I pumped in and out, twisting them around and stretching him as he moaned—and damn, I loved that sound.

Once I was sure he was ready, I got into position and slid into him slowly, letting out a long groan as his tight heat surrounded me. I stilled to give him a chance to adjust. I stayed there until I felt his body relax around me. Then I began to thrust into him harder and deeper, encouraged by the sounds he made.

“Yes, yes, harder, just like that.”

“Touch yourself for me, baby. I want you to come with me.”

He did as I said, reaching down to wrap his hand around his leaking cock, and began to stroke in time with my thrusts.

“Yes, just like that,” I told him as I slammed into him over and over. Seeing the urgent way he jerked his cock—like he was desperate to come—was enough to push me over the edge, but I fought against it, wanting him to get there first. Finally, he cried out as he came all over his stomach.

I gripped his hips tight, holding him in place as I thrust deep inside him one more time, throwing my head back and roaring as I came, filling the condom with my release.

When all this mess with Butch was over and done with, I planned to talk to him about losing the condoms. Because he was it for me. I wanted to fill him with my seed—not a bloody condom—but there would be time enough for that later on.

I rolled off the bed and went to the bathroom to get a wet cloth to clean him up, then I fell into bed next to him, pulling him close.