Page 9

Pierce

For a mage, he had suspiciously firm opinions on how dragons were supposed to behave…but I decided I didn’t want to know. “Thank you for explaining it to me.”

I was, however, going to keep a close eye on my fascinating little mate.

A little mate who was much more relaxed about everything when he was little.

“I’ll probably have more questions but we need bubbles and you need water.” Figuring out the details behind what big dragons did and what little dragons did would have to wait until more important things were handled first.

Merritt nodded and seemed confident in the plan until I tossed the cum-soaked undies in the sink. “Daddy?”

“Yes?” I tried to sound casual and confident, but I couldn’t help wondering if something had pushed him back to worrying.

“Are you sticky?” His question was delivered with utter innocence, so I kept that in mind as I answered.

“Yes.” Responding with anything else would’ve been confusing. “I wanted to get you settled first. Then I’ll handle that.”

“No.” Little Merritt was settling firmly into stubborn Merritt. “No stickies. They’re yucky.”

Did he realize I’d need to get naked for that?

Nothing in our previous limits conversation said that would be an issue, but the night hadn’t gone quite as I’d expected. “Okay. Bubbles then I’ll fix the stickies.”

He wanted to tell me no again but bubbles seemed to be too tempting to deny. “Okay.”

He was the most stubbornly adorable little ever.

“Perfect.” Until it wasn’t and then we’d fix whatever he got stubborn about next. “Good job telling me what you want and what you’re thinking about.”

Kissing his nose had him trying not to giggle. “Silly Daddy.”

Oh yes.

But just for my boy.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” But I did know about making bubbles from shampoo and how to grab a bottle of water from the minifridge.

My welcoming committee of women, who’d seemed to be the local grandma brigade, had dropped off a variety of things that were going to come in handy now. “Alright, do you need help?”

He started to shake his head, more focused on the bubbles piling up in the tub, but then he went very still and turned back to the bottle of water. “Oh, Daddy.”

Oh, Daddy what?

Looking down at the bottle, I frowned. “Do you need a straw? A cup?”

“Naughty water.” Shaking his head, he frowned and gave the bottle his building a bubble look.

I had to admit it took me entirely too long to realize what he was doing.

Magic.

For fuck’s sake.

Keeping my frustration to myself as he concentrated and mumbled softly, I didn’t interrupt while he was actively working. My patience came to a limit, though, once he finished. “All done. Water, Daddy.”

His gimme fingers said the water was safe, so I finished opening the container and handed it over but I wasn’t ready to drop the subject. “Did someone put a spell on my water?”

“Yes.” Merritt wasn’t worried as he drank half the bottle, though. He seemed fine as he handed it back and let out a big sigh too. “All fixed.”

That was not nearly enough information but it seemed like all he was going to give me at the moment. “Daddy. Sticky.”

Daddy was well into sticky territory too, so I wasn’t going to argue with my stubborn cutie. “Yes. I haven’t forgotten.”

Turning off the water since the tub was filled, I started stripping in the small bathroom area. Merritt didn’t seem worried or terribly curious, so I just treated it almost like the locker room at the gym. If there was a better way to handle it, I didn’t know what that would be.

So once I was naked, I tossed my dirty clothes into the bottom of the closet across from the bathroom. “Alright. You climb in the tub and I’ll wash off and put on my pajama pants. Then once you’re done, we’ll find you something of mine to wear.”

Merritt noticed my body, I could sense that, but he was much more interested in the bubbles and my clothes. “I can wear Daddy pants.”

Nearly giggling that out, he made an exaggeratedly careful step into the tub and sighed as he sank down into the bubbles. “Big tub, Daddy.”

Considering his accommodations, it was a big tub.

“I can’t tell if you like it or not.” Looking cartoonishly confused, I turned to the sink and grabbed a washcloth. “What do you think?”

He thought his Daddy was silly based on his giggles.

“Don’t know.” Pretending to frown, he piled bubbles onto his face like a beard. “Hairy boy.”

I was the one trying not to laugh that time. “I’m not sure about that look on you, but I will support it if you want to be itchy.”

Merritt’s face scrunched up. “No itchy.”

I thought so.

“Maybe a hat?” After giving myself a quick wipe, I tossed the washcloth on the counter and went into the small area with the tub and toilet. Reaching into the tub, I scooped up a pile of bubbles and plopped it on his head. “You’d look good with a hat.”

He would.

He also looked good in giggles too.

“Fluffy hat, Daddy.” He thought that was funny but what was even funnier was Daddy wearing a bubble hat. “Little hat.”

On my penis.

Frowning, I pretended to look down at my dick in shock. “It’s not little.”

That made him laugh so hard he nearly went ass over teakettle in the tub. “Careful.”

He probably would’ve caught himself, but I helped too, so he was upright again very quickly, still gigging away. “Little hats.”

My huff had his delight getting stronger again, but he managed not to almost drown himself that time. So I gave him another stern glare before looking down at my dick and patting the bubbles off. “It’s okay. He doesn’t think you’re little.”

And down he went again.

“Gotcha.” I was going to need faster than a dragon reflexes if I was going to keep him from killing himself in the tub. “Okay, silly goose. Daddy is going to get clothes. Can you build me a bubble castle?”

Daddy was incredibly smart.

Merritt’s eyes lit up and he nodded as he latched on to the new idea. “Yes. I can do it.”

It seemed like my little mage liked a challenge, so I tucked that information away in the back of my head. “I can’t wait to see it.”

And it wouldn’t be long because I grabbed the cotton sleep pants I’d brought in record time.

“Are you ready?” Moving back toward the bathroom, I chuckled when Merritt started making frustrated huffs.

“No, Daddy. You’re too fast.” He didn’t appreciate that either. “Careful, Daddy. You’ll fall.”

“I’m not a wet monkey in the tub.” Merritt was the one in danger of conking his head. Not me. “I’m on dry land and I was careful.”

“No. Daddy was too fast.” Making zoom sounds, Merritt made it seem like I was a speed demon.

“I was not driving too fast.” He was ridiculous. “That woman was going twenty miles under the speed limit. Passing her was entirely appropriate.”

Zoom. Zoom.

He was going to be one hell of a backseat driver.

“All done, Daddy.” His cheerful tone made me wonder if he’d been fucking with me about my driving, and his wicked grin when I came in didn’t help. “Castle.”

Mages were such overachievers.

“I think that’s cheating.” Amazing. But cheating. “I’ve never seen bubbles do that.”

He’d made bricks out of the bubbles.

It definitely wasn’t something nature allowed bubbles to do and there hadn’t been enough time to do it even if it was possible.

“No rules.” Merritt shrugged. “Make castle.”

Hmm.

“Technically, you’re right.” My skeptical expression had him trying not to giggle, and I was pretty sure getting one over on me made it even better. “But I’m not sure you want to teach me to list out all the fine print.”

He managed to keep his giggles mostly internal that time, but his whole body shook as he looked between me and his amazing three-foot creation.

It even had turrets.

There had not been that many bubbles in the tub either.

He was definitely a more supervision required kind of little.

“It’s amazing, little mage.” Kissing his head got me a beaming smile, but I got a happy little wiggle when I sat down on the floor beside the tub. “What should we make next?”

A mess.

We were going to make a mess.

But we had fun and I quickly decided he’d have been an architect if he could’ve used magic.

“Come on. Cartoon time and you can de-magic the rest of the water for Daddy.” Leaving the tub because the water was cold wasn’t important to him, but saving his Daddy from the nosy busybodies in town was.

“Oh. Yes. I fix.” He gave me a big kiss on the cheek and started climbing out, sending water everywhere again.

I was faster with the towel that time, though, so I had him wrapped up before most of it could escape the confines of the tub. “Let’s find you something to wear and then you can help me pick out a show or a movie.”

For being in the middle of nowhere, the motel was actually nice and had plenty of channels. There was even a small workout room near the lobby area and someone was making the best muffins in town for the free breakfast.

“I need…” Yawning, Merritt scrunched up his face as I finished drying him off. “I not tired, Daddy.”

I thought that was going to depend on his definition of tired.

“You had a big day.” I shrugged. “You’re not tired but I think your body wants cuddles and some deep breaths. Isn’t yawning something about needing more oxygen?”

That got me a very skeptical look from my cutie but he didn’t call bullshit. “I fix the water, Daddy.”

Hmm, did a change of subject mean I was right or wrong?

“That’s a good idea. We don’t want to forget.” I also wasn’t going to forget to question him about it when I had a more grown-up mate on my hands. “Thank you for helping me.”

Big or little, he seemed to like being able to do things for me…like save me from the water and with his silent bubble.

“Helper.” My happy cutie gave me another cheek kiss before turning around backward to hide another yawn. “Hugs, Daddy.”

Backward hugs to make hiding easier.

Yep.

Mages were very sneaky and I was going to have to keep a close eye on him.

“Big hugs.” Kissing the side of his head as I wrapped my arms around him, I ignored the next yawn that snuck out too. “Daddy needs cuddles. Will you be my helper?”

Yep…couldn’t say no to that even when his scrunched-up face said he wanted to. “Yes, I Daddy’s helper.”

Begrudgingly…but I ignored that part. “Thank you.”

My big smile wasn’t fooling him, but he didn’t argue about it. “Welcome, Daddy.”

Were manners that were accompanied by a big sigh and a long-suffering expression actually good manners?

Pondering that question while I took my dramatic little over to the dresser, I pulled out the top drawer. “Okay, so you want boxers and a T-shirt or…or shorts. They’re soft too.”

I mostly used them for workouts or to quickly slip something on, but they’d be fine for sleeping in. Merritt thought so too because having two very good options made it impossible to decide quickly. He made thinking sounds and tapped his chin and frowned…all probably to punish me for the yawn nonsense.

He had a good Daddy and I ignored it, though.

“That one.” Merritt finally gave up after nearly three minutes of drama and sound effects when it probably became clear I could put up with all kinds of ridiculousness without getting angry. “Thank you, Daddy.”

For the clothes or for having the patience of a saint?

“You’re welcome.” Getting him dressed in the boxers and shirt went quickly and he looked adorable in my clothes. Him getting my water de-spelled went quickly too and soon we were cuddled up on the bed with another drink and the cookies he made safe as well.

I was going to have to talk to the sheriff about the welcome party, but it would wait since killing me didn’t seem to have been their goal. I was fairly certain Merritt would’ve been more frustrated if they’d tried that.

“Not tired, Daddy.” Somehow he managed to say that halfway through a cartoon about a confused turtle when his eyes wouldn’t even open all the way any longer.

“That’s fine. I like cuddling with you.” Yes, I was fucking with him about the sleep thing, but I did like holding him, so he couldn’t call me out on bullshitting him.

He must have heard that in my voice because he sighed as he snuggled lower on the bed so he could rest his head on my chest. “Daddy likes cuddles.”

Yep, and there was no way of getting out of it without hurting Daddy’s feelings, so he stayed put. I didn’t feel bad about manipulating him, though, because before we got to the end of the show he was out for the count.

When even shifting him to the pillow only seemed to help him sink deeper into unconsciousness, I climbed off the bed and started getting the room ready for the night. We had a busy day tomorrow and I wanted both of us to get a good night’s sleep but that would require a bit of prep.

Like undies that weren’t sticky and setting the alarm.

But before long I was back in bed with my boy snuggled up beside me, ready for the chaos of our first official meeting about the portal.

It was going to be fine.

Professional.

Organized.

Logical.