Page 58 of Just A Little Joy
“Daddy, you’re wasting the whole day. If you don’t start early, you’re gonna miss half of it.”
Casey was on my bed, on his knees, bouncing like he’d slept for ten hours. How was it possible that this man was dead drunk a couple of hours ago and now sounded chipper? And holy hell, it was early. Half the reason I wanted to own the bar was so I wouldn’t have to get up early anymore. I hated mornings more than anything. More than the hits. More than the fights, whichI actually liked. More than practices, when my muscles felt like they were about to pull off my body and run away screaming. Nothing beats the misery of the early morning.
“Come on, babe. Wouldn’t you rather come back to bed? We can snuggle?” I tried to make it sound tempting, but the ball of sunshine bouncing on my bed didn’t budge.
“No,” he said, firm as anything. “I know that if we cuddle, you’re not getting out of this bed.”
“Why do I need to get out of this bed? It’s a comfortable bed. You’ve slept in it. It’s super comfy, right?”
“I mean, yes, but it’s time to go to the gym.”
It hit me again how easily he folded himself into my routines without hesitation.
“Oh my fucking god. Are you serious? You go to the gym in the afternoon. Why are you going now?”
“Daddy, I have a confession,” he said with a laugh.
I had a bad feeling that asking was a mistake, but I needed to know. With Casey, every confession mattered because he hid his heart well. “Okay. Lay it on me.”
“Funny story. I like working out first thing in the morning, and the only reason I was at the gym in the afternoons was because there was this guy I thought was super-hot who only showed up in the afternoon.”
I opened one eye fully and looked at him. “Do I know this guy?”
“You do.”
“Do I like him?”
“I hope so because I like him a lot.”
“Oh yeah? What do you like about him?”
“He’s a great taxi driver and a fantastic pillow.”
“Is that it?”
“Maybe there’s a little more, but I’m not telling unless you’re out of this bed.”
“Who’s the Daddy here?”
“You are. Though you’re being a little lazy. I’m the one who’s supposed to be hungover. There’s no excuse for lying around when you could be on your way to the gym.”
“My excuse is that it’s too fucking early.”
“You’re right, Daddy. It is too early. Sorry I woke you. I’ll just head to the gym by myself.”
Well, that wasn’t happening.
“Hold on. I can do a workout, I guess.”
Casey turned back, grinning ear to ear. “Ha. I knew that would get you going.”
With a growl, I grabbed him and hauled him on top of me. Fingers in his hair, I pulled his mouth to mine and kissed him hard. Our tongues took languid swipes against each other. They were slow, lazy, and the best damn way to start the morning. My morning wood was painfully swollen, and that was before Casey straddled my hips to return the kiss. With him on top of me, it was excruciatingly delicious. We broke apart when our lungs were at the breaking point.
“You don’t play fair, bub.”
“Haha, all’s fair with love and peace?”
“War. Love and war, but I don’t want to fight with you. You’re too cute to fight with,” I whispered, dropping my head to kiss along the curve of his neck.