“You think so?”
“I know so.” I tapped his temple with two fingers. “First, we take care of this, then you can have all the loving that you need. Go on up to your room and talk to your therapist. I’ll be around if you need me. Probably make us something to eat.” Some of the anxiety in his eyes gave way to warmth under my gaze.
“You’re so good to me.”
“Remember that later, when I have you naked.” I winked at him playfully.
He laughed and pulled away from me. “Now how am I supposed to talk to Jeanine when I’m going to be thinking about later?”
“Concentrate on you, Ash. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Pinky promise?”
He actually held out his pinky finger. I wanted to tease him about it, but he looked serious.
“Pinky promise.” I linked our little fingers and, to ease his worry, leaned forward and captured his lips with mine. He trembled beneath my touch, but I didn’t deepen the kiss.
“I’m always here for you, Ash.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Ashton
I was more shaken up about the courthouse appearance than I let on to Callum. After he turned down my attempt to get him to have sex with me, I went upstairs to my bedroom and rang Jeanine. She missed my call but returned it ten minutes later.
“Ashton, how are you feeling today?” she asked.
And I cried again relaying the information to her about being on the witness stand and all my doubts that were resurfacing. I lost track of time. She was patient as usual, waiting for me to get the words out.
“Are you alone?” she asked when I was finishing discussing the day with her.
“No, Callum’s here with me.”
“Good. Now’s not a good time to be alone. It’s okay to admit needing him there right now until you’re feeling better.”
“Okay, what do I do now?”
“No, you tell me what you need to do.”
At the end of the call, I felt such intense melancholy that weighed heavy on me, making it almost impossible to breathe. I went to my affirmation board which I’d had installed in the bedroom immediately upon returning to Battersea. Each day I wrote my affirmations, and the ones from this morning were still there.
My hands trembled, and I erased the board with vigor. I started on fresh affirmations, writing small so I could fill the board with as many positives that I could possibly write. I needed to get rid of all the helpless and negative energy.
I’m not helpless.
I kept going, scribbling positive things about myself, empowering words. I wrote until my arm ached, and then I sat on the floor and looked at all the things I was able to say about myself.
Things three months ago I couldn’t have given Callum.
A wave of peace washed over me, and I smiled. It was scary how good Jeanine was. She’d spent time drilling one thing into me before I left Texas.
Callum was my partner who cared for and loved me. He wanted the best for me, and he’d be there to help me. But he wasn’t my therapist. She was. It was unfair for me to overwhelm him with issues a professional would need to help me unravel.
Our relationship was healthier now that the pressure wasn’t on Callum to make me better.
I got to my feet and went to the bathroom to take a shower. A long shower to relax me as much as to prep myself in hopes of getting some action from Callum tonight. Earlier I hadn’t been emotionally ready, and Callum had made the right call, but my emotional state had vastly approved since my call to Jeanine. When I went downstairs, Callum was nowhere to be found. He’d ordered in, and the paper bags stood closed on the kitchen counter.
“Callum?” I called.
Had he gotten tired of waiting and left?
I rang his phone, and it went off in the kitchen. His battleship of a phone sat on the counter next to the food. I ended the call. Then footsteps approached. Callum entered the kitchen, shirtless.
God, why are his abs so perfect?
Callum laughed. “You’re not looking too bad yourself.”
I gave him an embarrassed smile. “I really need to stop doing that. Talking out loud when I think it’s just in my head.”
“I kind of like it,” he said. “It lets me know what you’re thinking when you’re trying to hide your thoughts from me.”
“I’m not hiding my thoughts from you now.”
“How did the talk with Jeanine go?”
“Great.” I gave him a smile and tapped at my temple. “She helped me process things up here.” Then I grinned at him as I groped my cock shamelessly. “Now you’re going to help me process things in this region.”
He stalked toward me and caged me against the counter. “You sure you’re ready for all this?” He had me trapped, his big body pressing to mine.
I bit my bottom lip at the heat that seared through me. That, which I wanted in my ass was in the wrong place. Against my thigh.
“I can handle you.”
“I brought us food.”
I nodded. “I know, but I’m not hungry for food. I’m hungry for you.”
He placed his thumb on my bottom lip, and I sucked it into my mouth.
“Say that again,” he demanded.
“I’m hungry for you.”
“You have no idea how ravenous I am for you.”
I wanted to hurry him along with the word foreplay, but at the same time, I didn’t want it to end. It was so good.
“Then have me.”
I leaned forward and licked his nipple, sucking the nub between my lips.
“Ugh,” he grunted, tugging my head back. “You play dirty. Let’s go up to your room.”
I took his hand and led him up the stairs to the bedroom I now used since the night of the assault. I had cleared out my stuff and relocated to the master bedroom that had been Jake’s.
“I have to admit I’m a little impatient,” I warned, turning my back to the door to kiss him as I fumbled to open it. It gave way behind me, and I would have fallen instead without Callum holding me up. He kicked the door closed a little too hard, and the bang made me jump.
“Sorry,” he mumbled. “A lot of sexual energy stored up.”
“I want to kiss you everywhere. Let me.”
I backed him up against the bed and pushed him. He allowed himself to fall back and move to the center of the king-sized bed. I dropped my pants while he watched me, basking in the searing heat of his stare.
“Like what you see?” I pulled the shirt over my head and dropped it to the floor, brushing at my hair.
“Come here and let me whisper it in your ear.”
I climbed onto the bed in haste. I didn’t care how desperate I might seem. I wanted Callum so badly my chest ached.
I straddled his hips and leaned forward to kiss him. His hands landed on my ass stretched with the soft cottony material of those tighty-whities he loved so much.
“I like,” he mumbled between my kisses. “I like a lot.”
I deepened the kiss as our bodies moved in tandem, just rubbing on each other. The hardness of his cock through his khaki trousers had me panting against him, the rough material of his clothes rubbing against my skin.
“Need you.” I kissed across his chin. “So much, Callum.”
I kissed his neck and traced the muscles and veins with my tongue. His skin was salty, the musky odor of his masculine brand filling my nostrils. My tongue entangled with his nipple like before, my hands spanning the breadth of his shoulders, feeling the strength beneath my touch.
He was so strong and capable. With just one movement, he could flip me over and dominate me, but he allowed me to lead. Having the upper hand while knowing he gave it to me was exhilarating.
I tongued his navel, kissed across to the skin above his hip bone where his pants rested. I moved my hands swiftly, unbuckling and releasing him from both his pants and underwear.
I couldn’t suppress the loud moan that tore from my throat. My mouth watered for the glistening
precum on his cockhead.
“May I…” I trailed off, stopping myself shy of calling him Daddy. It happened so often when we made love.
“Say it,” he whispered.
I blinked up at him confused. Was my mind playing tricks on me? I couldn’t breathe for fear I’d do something to make him change his mind. If that was even what he meant.
“Daddy?”
He stroked my face with the back of his hand, his gaze so intense I couldn’t look away.
“Say it again, baby.”
“Daddy,” I said more confidently, my heart bursting with such joy at the syllables rolling off my tongue. “Daddy, I’ve missed this.”
“Me too, baby boy.” His face became blurry behind my tears. “You’ve been such a good boy. You deserve Daddy’s cock, don’t you?”
“I don’t know.” I blinked and a tear streaked down my cheek. “But I still want it.”
“Then take it all.”
“Thank you, Daddy.”
I lapped at the slit of his cock, watching him watch me pop the head between my lips. I saw my reflection in his blue eyes. I heard every hitch of his breath when I took him deeper into my mouth. His head fell back as he closed his eyes and took pleasure in what I offered him.
“I should fully undress,” he murmured on a hiss of breath.
I released his cock and pumped him with both hands, stroking his flesh slippery from my saliva.
“No, I want you like this.” His eyes popped open, and he stared down at me. “I want you to want me too much that you can’t even bother to undress before you’re inside me.”
“Is that so?” he asked with a lazy smile.
“Yes.” I licked from the base of his cock to the tip, eyes fixed on him.
“But I had plans.” He wetted his lips.
“What plans?” I asked around his cock in my mouth.
“I was going to take my time to explore every part of your body.”
I released him and rolled over to the nightstand, where I’d stashed what I needed.
“We’ll do that later.” I returned to his side with the lube. “Right now, it’s essential that you’re inside me. Maybe a matter of life and death.”
I took that as a challenge. I lubed his cock and straddled his hips once more with his pants still around his thighs. There was something arousing about sliding down his cock and feeling him stretch me open while he was only half-undressed.
“Fuck, baby.”
Callum bent his knees and thrust upward, hitting my spot. I gasped, bracing my arms behind me as I rose and fell on his cock. I whimpered, riding him slowly at first, but then I moved faster. He rocked his hips to meet my movements. Our rhythm blended, my ass slapping against his pelvis.
“Oh god, Daddy!” I cried out, head thrown back as my cock slapped against my stomach with my movement. Callum reached for it and stroked me with a tight hold.
I couldn’t help myself. I fell forward and caught his lips with my mouth. Callum wrapped his arms around me and rolled us over so he was on top while still inside me. I locked my legs around his waist, his forehead pressing into mine.
“Feels good?” he whispered, the harsh sound of his breathing filling my ear.
“Yes, Daddy,” I moaned when he thrust deep inside me. “Oh god, so good.”
“Say it again.”
“Daddy.”
“That’s right.” He kissed me hard. “Don’t forget it. You’re mine. My precious boy.”
He entwined our fingers above my head, kissing me over and over while he thrust inside me. I licked his neck, whimpering as the crescendo built with each stroke until I was a taut string, threatening to break, but on the last second, before I could snap, he sent me flying, crying out, choking on the name he deserved to be called—Daddy.
“Oh god, you’re so beautiful.” I opened my eyes, still in the throes of passion, and I believed him. The wonder in his eyes was clear and so intense, a shiver ran through my body. His eyes closed, the vein in his neck throbbing as he let out a long groan. I cried out from the force of his thrust, the way his body hammered into me.
With a loud expulsion of his breath, he collapsed to the side, bringing me to tuck under his chin. His heart beat as hard as mine did. Sweat slicked our body, and cum transferred from my stomach to his, but neither of us seemed to care about the mess we’d made.
“What is that smile about?” Callum kissed my temple. “Are you happy?”
I tossed one leg over his hip and faced him. His lips were quirked in a lazy smile.
“I don’t think happy is good enough to describe the way I feel, Daddy.”
“I missed you calling me that,” he admitted.
“Not as much as I missed it. You never stopped being that to me, you know. Just as you’ll never stop being that to Mario.”
He stiffened against me. “Ashton, that’s—”
“No, I’m not saying that’s a bad thing.” I smiled at him to show him how much it didn’t affect me that he took care of the other man. I knew I held the special place in his heart, but it meant so much to me that he hadn’t just cast Mario aside after everything. I could’ve easily been a Mario.
To know Callum wouldn’t have just pushed me out of his life was moving.
“You know, we never talked about what you did for him.” He rubbed my hip. “What on earth possessed you to do that, Ashton?”
“Are you upset with me for interfering?”
“Truth? I couldn’t be upset. I was just grateful, relieved even that some of the financial burden for him was gone.”
“You deserved a break. You’re so good to him. To us, and you deserve not to work yourself to death and see very little of it for your personal use.”
“Thank you,” he said. “For giving me my financial freedom. At least for the next five years.”
I grinned up at him. “I like my new Daddy.”
He frowned at me. “Am I supposed to ask what that means?”
“My old Daddy would have been mad at me for poking my nose in his business.”
“You weren’t the only one who had issues to work on. I let my pride get in the way of common sense many times.”
I rolled over until I was lying on top of him. “Does that mean you’ll let me buy you whatever I want?”
His chest tightened beneath me as he chuckled. “No, we discuss things going forward. I’m still getting used to the idea of dating a rich guy.”
“You mean more to me than all the money I have.” I snorted. “That shows you that my money means squat without you to share it with.”
He sat up with me still clutched to his chest. “Money talk later. We should clean up and get some grub.”
I wrapped my limbs around him. “Carry me, Daddy.”
“Look who’s being a big baby.” He rose with me in his arms. Instead of going through the doors to the bathroom, he stopped at my affirmation wall. I tucked my face into his neck, not wanting to see his expression.
“Did I mention how proud I am of you?” he asked.
I leaned closer and whispered in his ear, “As much as I love making you proud, can you tell me in the shower when your cum is not running down my thigh?”
Chapter Thirty-Two
Callum
“No ribbing today?”
I held the door open for Dane, then followed him out of the salon. It was Tuesday, the day we’d designated to get lunch together in the park, but today was noticeably different. Everyone had been nice as usual in the salon when I arrived, but no one commented on me dropping by to “pick” him up.
Usually his coworkers made comments and vocalized insinuations about us, but today…nada. Not one thing.
“I told them to cut it out.” Dane shrugged. “You have a partner, and we all need to be respectful of that. To be honest, it kind of took me by surprise when you called me that we’re still on today.”
“You just want to chicken out of that thing you’re supposed to be doing today.”
“Oh yea
h, about that?” He shook his head emphatically at me. “Hell no, we’re not doing that.”
I laughed at the look of horror on his face. “You’re doing it, Dane.”
“Nope, but I wasn’t thinking about that, though. The fact that Ash is back. I didn’t want this to be a problem.”
“No problem.” I could say that with assurance after the talk Ashton and I had about Dane yesterday. We’d discussed a whole lot in the past couple of days, and Dane had been one of those important conversations we had to have.
“Ashton, you remember Dane, right?”
We both lay sprawled naked on my ratty sofa back in my apartment, Ashton draped over me and smiling in satisfaction. I was sure I had pretty much the same expression on my face. Having him back, more conscious and sober, was the best thing to have happened to either of us.
We were grateful for a second shot at doing this right.
“Hmm, Dane’s the dude you’ve been cheating on me with when I was away, right?”
I stiffened beneath him until he tilted his chin and grinned. I groaned and smacked his ass so hard he squealed.
“Don’t joke around about something so serious, boy.”
“Sorry, Daddy.”
He looked anything but.
“He’s become a good friend.” I rubbed his ass where I’d slapped him. He was all but humping me and not paying attention. With a groan, I flipped us over for him to lie beneath me on the sofa.
“Daddy, you’re being no fun.” He wrapped his legs around my waist and his arms around my neck. “Kiss me.”
I indulged him but briefly. “Stop distracting me. I want to talk to you about something important.”
“Okay, but so you know, I’m cool with you being friends with Dane.”
I studied his face for any sign that he was being dishonest. If he was jealous or upset at the friendship, he did a good job of hiding it.
“You were pretty upset about it before, remember?”
“Gawd!” He covered his face with his hands and peeked out at me between them. “I was confused and drunk at that time. I was afraid of losing you to someone else.”
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