Page 22

CHAPTER TWELVE

ELLIE

Daddy B

How’d your quiz go?

Ellie

I think I did good! The schedule this week has helped a lot. I finished all my reading already for this week.

Daddy B

Fuck yeah! I knew you could do it.

Proud of you.

Ellie

Thank you for helping me figure out a steady schedule.

Daddy B

That’s literally why I’m here, baby.

Wanna meet me for lunch at the student union cafeteria?

Ellie

Uh, are you sure?

Daddy B

Yep, that’s why I asked.

Do you have any other plans for lunch?

Ellie

Well, not really.

Daddy B

Cool. Your morning classes end at 1130, right? See you after. I’ll probably be in the back corner.

“Hey, handsome,” Daddy B called out when I looked around the room searching for him.

Rather than the back corner, as promised, he was sitting at one of the center tables, and he wasn’t alone.

It looked like half the team had joined him at the table.

He nudged one of the players next to him, who vacated their seat, giving me a knowing smile as he passed by on his way to the other end of the table.

Daddy B gestured for me to come over to him and indicated the seat next to him.

“I was beginning to think you’d stood me up.”

“Yeah, one of the professors kept me after.” I said it quietly because I didn’t need the guys overhearing the conversation.

“Everything all right?” Matty asked from across the table.

Next to me, I felt Daddy B instantly stiffen at his question. While I appreciated that Daddy B was possessive and kinda sorta absolutely found it hot, sometimes it was annoying when it was about serial good-time Matty.

“Yeah, it’s fine. He just wanted to talk about my classwork.

” Fingers crossed they’d let the subject drop.

I doubted they wanted to discuss the intricacies of the information science degree program.

My sudden improvement on the quiz I took on Monday prompted my professor to question what had caused such a dramatic shift.

“You sure it’s all good?” Daddy B whispered into my ear.

“Yeah, she was surprised by my grade and wanted to know what changed because it was dramatically improved.”

“What did you tell her?”

“That I finally figured out a sleep, study, and work schedule that worked for me.”

Daddy B lightly squeezed my thigh and grinned. “You’re a fucking rock star.”

“That’s likely overstating it, but I’ll take it.” I grinned back.

“Arguing with your Daddy about how awesome you are is gonna get you a punishment.”

I laughed, but then sobered when I realized he wasn’t laughing with me.

“Are you serious?” I hissed.

“Yeah, I am—nobody talks shit about you, including you.” I pulled back to examine him closely.

There were no jokes, no laughter. He was serious.

I’d never wanted anyone more than I wanted this man.

I knew he’d been slow to initiate, and I understood he was trying to be respectful, but I’d never wanted anyone as much as I did him right now.

“Fucking nerd,” Wojak muttered under his breath but clearly intending to be heard.

“The fuck you say?” Daddy B answered in a tone that matched his energy. I hadn’t expected an argument to break out with anyone at the table.

“What’s your fucking problem?” Matty snapped. I wasn’t even sure what was going on. One minute, Matty and Daddy B were chirping at each other, and the next, they both stared daggers at Wojak.

“I didn’t say anything that you haven’t, Matty.”

“What the fuck are you talking about? I haven’t said shit about Ellis.”

“While we’re on the subject of him, I don’t know why he’s sitting at our table,” Wojak sneered. “What’s the point of a team table if anyone can join it?”

“Because I invited him, asshole,” Daddy bit back. “You can leave if you have a fucking problem with it.”

People stared as the argument escalated and their voices rose.

This was not what they needed at that moment.

They were heading into the final stretch of the season.

At this point, they should be getting along with each other to have a chance of salvaging the last few games.

They’d been on a losing streak the past five weeks, and I knew the coach had to be worried they wouldn’t win any of the remaining games.

If they didn’t, the argument would be my fault.

I didn’t know what I had done to Wojak, but I’d clearly done something to upset him.

I did my best to make myself small in my chair, hoping they might just forget I was there.

“Guys, I’m gonna need you to settle down. I don’t need a food fight or something starting at the table. Because if you do some crazy shit, Coach is gonna come down on my ass, and I don’t have time for it,” Rafe said from the far end of the table.

“I just don’t know why someone who’s not on the team is here when we are supposed to be having a team lunch,” Wojak said to no one in particular.

“Because I am the one who called the lunch, but I’m gonna go ahead and rescind it so that you’re okay with Ellie being here, Wojak.

And since it’s not a team lunch anymore, you can go ahead and leave my fucking table,” Rafe said firmly from his chair at the end of the table.

Wojak might be a dick about the team get-togethers, but he couldn’t argue with the captain.

“So now I’m getting kicked out?”

“You’re sure as shit not staying here,” Daddy B answered. He didn’t raise his voice, but his fists were clenched next to me. I was a little worried he was gonna take a swing at Wojak.

“You know I need to go and get some studying finished, so I’m going to cut it short…” Rafe, Matty, and Daddy B all turned to me and, in unison, shouted no .

“Cooper, if you stay, I won’t even take the easy shots at Tater,” Matty promised with a smile.

“And I won’t even tell Matty he’s full of shit,” Daddy B offered.

“I just don’t want to cause a problem,” I whispered to Daddy B.

“Wojak, leave the fucking table. We’ll see you at practice,” Rafe ordered. Matty and Daddy smiled smugly as Wojak stormed away with his tray.

I already thought Daddy was hot before he stood up for me. But now, he was off the charts. I didn’t know what I’d do when we got in bed, but I was ready to make a move.

“Honey, I’m home,” Daddy B shouted as he walked in the door. He dumped all his gear next to it without even bothering to put it away properly. He rushed across the room, swept me into his arms, and planted a firm kiss on my mouth.

“Eek.” The startled sound was the best that I could offer under the circumstances. “Practice went good, I guess?”

“Practice was fucking fantastic because Wojak got run fucking ragged all over the boards.”

“Oh no!”

“Fuck that. He deserves it. If he’s gonna be an asshole, he’s gonna pay.” Daddy B paused dramatically before he continued, “And your boy Matty hit him harder than anyone.”

“I don’t really understand why Matty was sticking up for me today. I mean, I know he likes to give you a hard time, but his flirting doesn’t mean anything. He’s being silly.”

Daddy thought about it for a second before he answered, “I have no idea, but I appreciate that he stood up for you.”

“Does that mean you’re gonna stop fighting with him?” I asked.

“Not a fucking chance,” Daddy answered with a grin.

“You’re ridiculous.”

“I thought I’d see you at practice today,” Daddy said, leaning down. Instead of kissing my mouth, he found that sensitive spot behind my earlobe and nuzzled and kissed it.

“Mr. Haddad said he was going to have us in there doing a lot of work while you guys were gone, so he said we could take off today and he would cover the equipment.”

“Yay for having the day off. Did you get your chores done?” He paused and looked around the room, and then added, “You must have because it looks nice in here.”

“I did, Daddy, and it does look nice, doesn’t it?” I looked around in satisfaction at the living room. My stuffies were properly organized in the chair, while my crayons and coloring books were neatly stacked on the coffee table.

“You did such a good job. I think we need to make sure you get some extra little time tonight.”

“Can we watch a movie?”

“Of course we can, baby boy. But I wondered if you would let me try something tonight at dinner?”

“What is it?”

“Would you let me try feeding you dinner?”

“Are you sure you want to? I just worry.”

Daddy B pulled me in for another cuddle and asked, “What are you worried about, baby?”

“I don’t want it to be too much. I know you said you wanted to be a Daddy, but here you’ve got me living with you. Oh my gosh, I don’t even know what I’m trying to say.”

“Yeah, it has been different, but it’s a good different, and I fucking love it. I had no idea what it would feel like to take care of someone when they are as perfect as you.”

“Daddy, that’s not true.”

“It is true. You’re funny, you’re smart, you’re sexy as hell.”

“See, now I know you’re being ridiculous.” Daddy’s eyes suddenly clouded over and his expression became firmer than it had been before

“Baby boy, remember what I said would happen if you talked shit about yourself?”

“You said I’d get a punishment.”

“Yeah, that’s a nonnegotiable for me. So I need you to go grab your journal and write in there ten times: I will not talk bad about myself because I’m amazing .”

“Is it talking bad about myself if it’s the truth?”

“It’s not though. The truth is that you are fucking wonderful and I’m so goddamn lucky that I stumbled in on you when you were in the locker room. And in case you’re wondering, you will be doing your punishment at the kitchen table, and it is not negotiable unless you’re pulling your safeword.”

“I’m not safewording about writing sentences.” I knew I sounded petulant, but I didn’t care.

“Then you better get to it.”