Page 241 of Santa Daddies

“Because I’m a fucking asshole.”

“You’re not.”

“Baby. No lying, remember? I am a fucking asshole.”

“I don’t want you to change, though. I mean, not too much. The jumping to conclusions and finding ways to push me away, that part you can change.”

“What about the grumpiness? The bossiness?”

“That’s just part of who you are,” she whispered. “And I don’t always like those parts, but I do like you.”

He wanted her to do more than like him.

“You really don’t want me to change?” he asked, surprised.

“I want you to talk to me before you decide that I’ve betrayed you. I don’t want you to change who you are for me. No meaningless apologies for either of us, okay?”

“You got it, baby,” he said as he pulled into Caldwell’s driveway. It was growing dark and he hated the idea of leaving her here at night.

You cannot force her to go home with you.

It was going to be fucking hard, though.

She glanced around. “This is cute. Not as nice as yours, but still cute.”

Definitely not as nice as his. Not as big, either.

“Well, thank you for giving me a ride,” she said, turning to him as Joey bounded up to the front door with her suitcase in his hand. Then he turned and waved at them.

“He’s so lovely,” she said.

“He’s crazy,” Anson replied. “Miles, Lochlan, and me have always watched out for him. Not everyone understands him. We didn’t understand him, not until Lochlan got involved in BDSM and pulled us into that world.”

She nodded with a pensive look on her face that made his stomach tighten.

“Have you ever had a Daddy? Had someone look after your Little?” he asked in concern.

“We shouldn’t leave Joey out in the cold,” she said.

It was clear she wasn’t ready to talk about her Little. And as much as it pained him, he would have to accept that. So he swallowed the urge to demand that she reply.

“Where is the key?” he asked.

“Under a fake rock by the stairs,” she replied.

“Fucking Caldwell,” he muttered. “Like that’s safe. It also explains why you were on your hands and knees looking under my house that first night.”

“Um. Yeah.”

He grabbed out his phone and texted the information to Joey who grabbed his phone out, then waved.

“Joey will find it. You don’t have to tell me whether you’ve had a Daddy before, but if you ever do want to, I’m here. I know I haven’t been a good listener up to now, but I want to hear what you have to say.”

Alice snuck him a look, then glanced away. “No, I’ve never had a Daddy before. And I’ve only told one person other than you. That did not go well.” She reached for the door handle.

“Freeze,” he barked

Shit.