Page 8

Merritt

He pouted really well.

“I’m fun. Are you saying playing with me isn’t fun?”

He also played offended really well.

“Having quality time with your mate is supposed to be fun. Am I doing this wrong?”

Offended with a layer of guilt.

He was probably a really good lawyer.

He was also incredibly dramatic when he was proving his point, but part of me still winced when I replayed the moment in my head. I just hadn’t realized how things were going until I said it and then things got mixed up in my head.

But since he’d started off the scene accusing me of being an alien pod person, I should not be worried about being silly.

Knowing it was probably going to take me a while to remember that lesson, I did my best to give him a smile that didn’t look painful or awkward. “No, Daddy. You’re fun.”

One eyebrow went up.

Internally sighing, I tried to decide what to do next to fix the situation, but he caught me up in his arms and pulled me down onto his chest. “At some point we’re going to talk about this situation. Your reaction. Your worries. All of it. But right now I’m going to give you the option of do we have the conversation now or later?”

His caretaking tendencies were going to be a pain in the butt sometimes.

I was too busy with my dramatic thoughts to answer, which seemed to tell Pierce he needed to keep asking questions. “Is this a situation where you’re going to be hurt worse if we don’t talk about it now? Are you realizing that you have a trigger we need to address? It’s okay if you didn’t think of it before when we were talking about that kind of stuff.”

Oh, we were getting completely derailed.

“No.” Taking a deep breath, I snuggled closer and tried to show him I wasn’t worried instead of just looking like I was hiding my worries. I wasn’t sure it worked but he stopped asking questions and started running his hand over my head. “I’m not going to be worse. It’s old issues that I inadvertently pulled the bandage off of. Promise.”

I just hadn’t been expecting that particular ghost to pop up. It’d been a long time since that disaster of a relationship.

“I like what we were doing and the scene you’d created. It was fun and there’s nothing wrong with that.” He was my mate and my Daddy.

Yes, both of those were very new relationships but fate had put us together.

If I liked being silly in the bedroom, then he was going to match that in some way because mates were always compatible.

Always.

I was going to need to remind myself of that a few times too.

“You’re right.” As I closed my eyes, Daddy kissed my head and started running his hand lower down my back with every stroke. “We were enjoying ourselves and you were laughing. I like that.”

Because Daddy didn’t seem to let that side out in public.

Just seeing him at the wedding party and then at the restaurant showed that. When anyone else was around us, he got quieter and more watchful. He also stopped teasing and took everything seriously. But he was a completely different person when it was only the two of us or when he was focused on being my Daddy.

Because I was his person…his mate.

He knew that too, but he just seemed better at remembering it.

“And I liked the scene you set up. The alien thing. I liked that.” Ignoring the way his chest jerked under me as he laughed a little, I managed not to sigh or act any more dramatic than I already had. “I…I might like aliens and stuff.”

“I’m glad you liked the scene. I enjoyed playing with you.” Kissing my head again, Daddy made a happy sound and gave me a hug. “I don’t get to relax much, so it was a good way for me to unwind too.”

I hadn’t thought about that.

“Daddies need to relax too.” They just didn’t have a little side to make it easier. “You might need to help me remember that once in a while, but logically I know that.”

He made an agreeing sound but didn’t push, which I appreciated and tried to show him that by not making him tug out more information from me. “I like seeing you happy and just that side of you in general. It feels special and I liked the feelings I was getting from you.”

The mate bond was new but I could feel it strengthening.

“I think…I think being able to feel that you’re enjoying yourself and that you like my reactions will make it easier.” I thought I was doing pretty well, so I was glad when he kissed me again and his thinking noises sounded more pleased.

“I like that too, and it will get stronger, so that will make it a lot less stressful for you.” As his hand came back up to my head, instead of doing another long, soothing caress, his fingers massaged my scalp and pulled an unexpected moan from me.

That got a quiet chuckle from him, but he did it again, clearly pleased with having found another hot spot. He liked finding those. Every time he’d found one as he’d been kissing me, he’d made a little pleased with himself hum and had almost done a happy dance.

To say Daddy liked success would’ve been an understatement.

I was just very lucky that pleasing me counted in the same category too.

“I can feel how much you like that.” Daddy sounded like he was thoroughly enjoying whatever he was getting through the bond and I could feel what it was translating to…arousal.

Daddy was hard again and I couldn’t help rocking against him as his fingers slowly worked their way down my head. “Yes, let me hear it.”

Pressing my face into his neck, I moaned again as his fingers dug into me. Just that was amazing but it sent a cascade of pleasure down my spine and I couldn’t resist humping against him…which got another moan.

And that got a sexy, pleased sound from Daddy like he was already inside me, fucking me to oblivion. “That’s my sexy boy.”

His enthusiasm, verbal and physical, was making it incredibly hard to remember why just moments before I’d been worried. There was no reason to be worried because Daddy was touching me and making sexy sounds and clearly imagining making both of us feel even better. “I…please, Daddy.”

“Does my sweet boy want more?” Pushing his hips up, Daddy rocked and rubbed our cocks together, getting even more of the sounds he wanted from me. “That’s right. Such a good boy. That’s exactly what I want.”

I loved being Daddy’s good boy.

“Oh, I felt that, baby.” Chuckling softly, Daddy rewarded me for sharing my happiness with him by rubbing against me again. “You’re so sexy but I’m so proud of you. It’s not easy to share all those special emotions with someone new. Even though I’m your mate and your Daddy. So proud of you. Yes, let me hear all that pleasure too.”

Daddy liked knowing he was the best…I’d forgotten that part.

There was just so much to remember and he made it hard to keep it all straight when he was making me feel so good.

“Let me feel how hard you are.” Daddy moaned as I rocked against him and humped him faster. “Yes. That’s right.”

Daddy shivered and his hands tightened on me. “Fu—”

Biting back a curse, Daddy sighed. “Good boy.”

Giggling, I went faster and ground myself harder against him, loving the way it made him fight back naughty words. “That’s…da—”

Daddy had a potty mouth when he was happy.

Trying to hide my giggles, I kissed his neck to find his good spots and I found one right under his ear.

“That’s cheating.” He was trying to sound stern but I could feel his happies coming through. “You can’t…da—”

I could.

And I would.

I was his mate, so that meant I got to kiss him and wiggle on him and make him feel good even if he grumbled about me cheating again when I nibbled on his earlobe.

“Fuck.” He groaned as the word slipped out. “Da—I’m trying to be good here.”

I wasn’t sure he was trying very hard, so I helped him work on his self-restraint. Practice made perfect, so I wiggled and rocked and nibbled. But Daddy was devious and kept massaging me and hugging me and rocking too.

But that was okay because every time I moaned he let out more naughty words.

So even when I started to shake and I forgot to keep nibbling, I wasn’t worried. I’d won because he followed me right over.

“Fuck.”

Yep.

I was the winner.

And I got to come.

And I got more cuddles.

And I got sticky once I stopped wiggling.

“Daddy?” Yawning, I squirmed against him.

“Yes, peanut?” That nickname was so silly I giggled. He huffed. “I like that one. It’s cute.”

He was cute.

“I’m sticky. And I need a drink of water. And I need a blanket. Tired cuddles need a blanket.” He needed to know that and I’d forgotten to tell him. “I like bubbles, Daddy.”

They made everyone not sticky.

I didn’t like being sticky.

Daddy chuckled and kissed my head. “I can get all of that fixed for you. We’re going to get you out of your sticky undies. Then we’re going to get you a drink of water while we fill up the tub with bubbles.”

Daddy made good plans.

“Thank you, Daddy.” Having a planner Daddy was nice. “Then we’ll cuddle?”

“Yes.” Daddy was very sure. “Blanket cuddles in bed right after bathtime.”

“With bubbles.” I liked bubbles. “Everyone likes bubbles.”

“They do. That’s why there are so many different types. Everyone likes them.” Daddy kissed my head and rolled me off him. “And every kind of little and Daddy and even lots of other people like cartoons and being read to.”

Nodding, I made my eyes open and sat up when I felt Daddy move. “My eyes are heavy.”

“Because you’ve had a long day.” Daddy picked me up and laughed when I squeaked. “Come here, silly boy.”

“I’m not silly. You’re strong.” I forgot Daddy was a dragon.

Hmm…maybe I was silly.

“Both of those things can be true at the same time.” Daddy shrugged. “So I’m still right.”

Daddy liked being right.

He liked carrying me.

He liked kissing my head.

“You’re still silly too, Daddy.” He was smart, though, because he put me down in the bathroom before I could snuggle and rest my head on his shoulder.

He shrugged. “Nothing I can do about that, so you’re just going to have to figure out a way to deal with it. That’s just what mates do.”

“Mates are mates.” My shrug made Daddy snicker. “Until mates get a hammer dropped on their head and then they get weird.”

Daddy’s eyes got wide as he reached for my shirt. “Who had a hammer drop on their head?”

“The man.” Hammers were hard and heads were messy. “He’s okay now but the bonk made him weird and then his mate wanted to hit him on the head too.”

Daddy looked like he wanted to laugh but he remembered his manners as he opened all the buttons. “You said he’s fine?”

“Yep. Human medicine and magic, and poof, his mate didn’t want to kill him again.” We couldn’t fix that.

“I can imagine.” Shaking his head, Daddy helped me out of my shirt and hung it up carefully because he was a good Daddy. “Well, I promise not to want to kill you if you get bonked.”

Daddy sighed and looked right at me. “But please do your best not to get bonked.”

Cocking his head, Daddy frowned. “Especially around here because I haven’t heard anyone else mention medicine aside from you.”

“Me?” Looking down, I gave a big Daddy frown. “Just me?”

“Yes.” Daddy crossed his arms and gave me his silly frown. “And you’re not just anything. You’re my mate.”

Daddy was so funny.

Dragons were so funny.

“Yes, Daddy.” I was a dragon’s mate, so that made me special. “I’ll be careful. I won’t hurt your mate.”

He almost laughed and had to push his lips together. “Thank you. He’s very important to me and I’m going to keep him.”

“I’m your hoard.” Dragons were so funny. Daddy smiled big. “Special hoard.”

“The most special hoard.” My dragon kissed me and looked very dragon talking about his hoard. “I’d hide you away and keep you locked up if I could.”

’Cause he was a dragon…and that was just what they did.

“But you can’t.” I shrugged when Daddy sighed as he reached for my pants. “Can’t lock up your mate.”

Daddy pouted. “I know. I’ll remember.”

But he’d be sad.

Hmm.

Leaning close, I whispered. “We can play pretend.”

“Oh?” Daddy tried to look innocent but he was too silly for that. “Really? We could do that?”

Daddy liked playing pretend.

We could play good pretend.

Hmm.

“Oh.” I was a good boy and held Daddy’s shoulders as he took my pants off. “My dragon could swoop down and steal me. On the ground.”

Daddy nodded and looked Daddy serious. “On the ground. How about when we play pretend, my little dragon swoops down?”

“No.” He was so silly but he was a good helper and took off my sticky undies. “Big dragons swoop and little dragons cuddle and play.”

Everyone knew that.

The littles told me.

Daddy’s head tilted but he knew I was right because he nodded. “That makes sense. I understand.”

’Cause the littles were smart…we just weren’t going to tell Daddy they were naughty too.

He might not let me play with them if he knew they were sneaky.