by Luna, David
“I want all three. Can I have a scoop of each?”
He chuckled and shook his head. “No. You can have two small scoops of whatever combination you want.”
Asher’s eyes grew wide, and he bit his lower lip. “Chocolate and coffee, please! Do you have ice cream cones?”
He shook his head in exasperation. “You are a greedy little boy.”
Asher rubbed his tummy. “It’s my belly. He’s very demanding.”
Thornton snorted. “He is, is he?”
The serious nod had him raising a brow. “He is. I promise, Daddy.”
“Mmhmm. I’ll see what I can find.”
But he already knew he’d find three different kinds of cones, so he’d just have to surprise his boy with a new one every night. Scooping both flavors into the waffle cone, he brought a small bowl, a spoon, and a damp paper towel out with him.
Asher was on the floor at the coffee table, purple crayon in hand as he colored in his mandala book and watched How to Train Your Dragon. Setting down the bowl with a little spoon, he handed over the cone to his excited little. “Thank you, Daddy!”
“You’re welcome. The bowl is if you think you’ll make a mess and don’t want to hold it anymore. You can just tip it upside down in the bowl and eat it that way.”
He nodded enthusiastically as he licked the ice cream, humming in happiness at his treat. The boy had a serious love of good food, if his humming was anything to go by. Thornton went into the kitchen, made himself some coffee, and brought it out with the biscotti. He lifted his leg as he sat on the couch so he could straddle his boy from behind him.
He drank his coffee and ate his biscotti as Asher colored, ate his ice cream, and watched a strange-looking black dragon swoop through the air on the big-screen TV he had mounted above the fireplace. When he was done with his coffee, he sat and waited for his boy to finish his ice cream. When he did, he leaned forward, grabbed the damp paper towel, and used it to wipe the boy’s hands and mouth. He tossed it in the bowl and sat back again, carding his fingers through Asher’s thick, straight, blond hair. It was soft, and as soon as his fingers went through it, the strands slid right back where they’d been.
Touching his boy was an addiction he never wanted to quit. He knew he’d never, ever get enough and couldn’t wait for Asher to heal so he could get his hands all over his beautiful, sweet, little body. He heard a low hum, different from what Thornton thought of as Asher’s food hum, where it was more like he was humming a tune. This hum was low, sultry, pleased.
“Do you like when Daddy plays with your hair?”
“Yes, Daddy. It feels really good.”
Asher tipped his head back between Thornton’s legs until their eyes met. He couldn’t help but lean forward and kiss his boy’s sweet, chocolatey lips. As kisses went, it was a bit awkward being upside down, but when he drew away, he wrapped his palm around Asher’s exposed throat. He didn’t squeeze; he just kept it there, caressing his thumb just under Asher’s jaw as they gazed at each other.
It was definitely a possessive, claiming sort of touch, and when Asher’s head tipped back a fraction more, allowing a better grip, the boy’s eyes closed when Thornton spread his fingers wide to touch as much of it as he could. His cock was rock-hard, and he leaned down to kiss Asher again.
“What does that feel like to you, baby boy?”
Asher opened his mouth and let out a long, slow breath. “Submission. Possession.”
“Mmm, and how does that feel?”
“Intoxicating.”
Christ, this boy was going to bring him to his knees. He’d never felt like he wanted to own a boy. Be their Daddy, care for them, and nurture their little side, yes, but possession hadn’t been something he’d desired. He wanted to own Asher, consume him, make him his in every possible way. He wanted to take him over entirely.
It wasn’t about bending Asher to his will. But he did want more of a hand in Asher’s everyday life. He wanted to make decisions for Asher. Perhaps not all of them. They’d have to discuss how much his boy was willing to give. It was in Asher’s hands; the decision would be his and his alone. But if he gave up that control to Thornton, he’d make sure his boy was taken care of and wanted for nothing.
Unable to stop touching him, Thornton leaned farther forward, trailed his other palm down Asher’s chest, and leaned in for one more kiss before he pulled back, allowing Asher to resume his coloring and dragon watching. It was still too early to go to bed, but Thornton wanted to give his boy a bath. Wanted to make him feel good. Wanted to touch his sweet body, even if he couldn’t bring him to climax. He’d never tire of exploring every bit of Asher’s skin, inch by tantalizing inch.
While Asher slept in, Thornton was downstairs with the pups, making Belgian waffles for his boy and thinking about the night before. Asher had taken to regression like he’d been made for it or like it had been made for him. Watching Asher regress had been a near-visceral thing, Asher’s little self finally being allowed out to play, being set free. His shoulders—hell, his whole body—had relaxed. Thornton could see the tension he always held drain from him as he let go and embraced that side of himself. His boy’s smile had remained a constant throughout the night.
The dogs ran towards the front of the house, and seconds later, the front door slammed shut. Thornton’s heart raced when he remembered what day it was and who he had a breakfast meeting with. Well, fuck. He was quite possibly about to have two stressed-out young men on his hands.
“Hello, Beauty, my gorgeous girl. Have you been taking good care of Beast since I saw you last? Hmm? Gotta keep your brother in line, don’t you, princess? It’s a tough job, but somebody’s gotta do it.”
Thornton’s brother, Trenton, walked into the kitchen holding a bag Thornton knew would contain pupcakes, which were cupcakes made for dogs from a local gourmet pet bakery called Pawsitively Edible. Trent brought them for all three dogs to enjoy at least once a week. Trent’s own puppy, a chocolate lab named Guinness, loped into the kitchen to greet Thornton.
Thornton bent to pet him, Trent’s voice coming closer. “Waffles? Wow, if I’d known you were gonna be making me waffles this morning, I’d have tried harder to be here on ti—what’s wrong?”
The look on Thornton’s face must have caught Trent off guard because he stepped back, wariness obvious in the set of his shoulders. He smiled and walked towards Trent, not wanting to set off his brother’s anxiety. “Nothing’s wrong, I just forgot you were coming by this morning.”
Trent shrugged and set the bag down on the counter. Thornton was about to explain about Asher when he smelled a waffle burning. “Fuck.”
Turning back around, he lifted the lid from the waffle iron, forked out the charred waffle, pulled out the trash drawer, and tossed it in.
“Daddy?”
He looked up at Asher, dressed in his own pajama bottoms and Thornton’s button-up pajama shirt. His boy was rubbing his eyes and looking ridiculously adorable and, from what Thornton could see and hear, might still have been in his little headspace. He glanced at his brother, whose eyes were wide. He looked at Thornton and raised his brows, a smile on his face.
“I thought I heard the—” Asher’s words cut off when he realized someone else was in the kitchen. Thornton’s heart took a jolt when Asher’s face drained of color, his hand raised to his chest, and he took a step back, not necessarily in fear, but in surprise.
“Asher, baby, look at me.” He approached his boy and gave him a reassuring smile. “You’re all right. This is—”
Asher’s voice was a choked whisper when he interrupted, hurt obviously clogging his throat. “Another boy?”
Asher’s sad eyes nearly killed him. “God, baby, no. There’s no one but you. Hey,” Thornton cupped Asher’s cheeks in his hands until their gazes locked, “this is my brother, Trent. I forgot I had a breakfast meeting with him today, or I would have warned you he was coming.”
Asher wouldn’t have seen any resemblance because his brother h
ad been adopted when Thornton was six. His mom had been unable to have more children on her own, but his parents had wanted another child, so they’d adopted Trent when he was just a baby.
“Trent, this is Asher Simmons.”
Trent’s smile was gentle when he asked, “Your husband?”
Thornton couldn’t help but laugh. However, he sobered when he saw Asher’s bewildered expression as he looked at Trent. “That’s just what I told the hospital staff so I could be with him. But…” Asher met his gaze again. “Who knows what the future may bring?”
Thornton pulled Asher into a gentle embrace when he saw the shock and maybe even a little hope in Asher’s eyes. He leaned his head on the top of Asher’s as they embraced and turned his gaze to his brother. “He’s very special to me.”
Trent’s smile was beatific as he stood, slowly approaching them. Thornton could tell Trent understood Asher was trepidatious around him. If anyone understood anxiety, it was his brother. Trent held out his hand to Asher as they pulled apart. “Then I’m really glad to meet you, Asher. I’m sorry to tease you about the husband thing. When my brother told me that’s how he’d gotten past the hospital’s rules, I thought he was crazy, but I guess it worked out perfectly, didn’t it?”
Asher’s shy smile peeked out as they shook hands. “Hi, Trent. I guess it did.”
Thornton let out a breath he didn’t even know he’d been holding and returned to start another waffle. He turned back at Asher’s gasp, his excitement evident when he asked, “May I pet him?”
Trent smiled, nodding. “He’ll be sad if you don’t.”
Asher kneeled to pet the beautiful dog. Asher’s giggle was that of his little side. That and the fact he’d already called Thornton Daddy had Thornton making the decision to treat Asher as such until Asher made it clear he didn’t want that.
He guessed Asher was feeling a bit vulnerable around a stranger and might be more comfortable as his little self and letting Thornton take the lead. “That’s Guinness, Trent’s therapy pup. He takes him wherever he goes. Beauty and Beast love him.”
All three puppies gathered around Asher and waited patiently for pets and scritches. He walked over and helped him up and then eased him onto the stool at the bar. He poured Asher some orange juice in a straw cup and handed it over as he flipped the waffle iron. “Trent always likes my chocolate chip waffles, but I can make a cinnamon one, a blueberry one, or a plain one for strawberries and whipped cream. Which kind would you like, boy?”
He hoped calling Asher boy would help him understand he didn’t keep things a secret from his family, and he was safe to stay in his little headspace. Asher’s shy gaze slid to Trent, whose smile was reassuring as he said, “His chocolate chip ones are the best. And you can put whipped cream on it and even some chocolate sauce.”
Asher’s face lit up. “Chocolate, please, Daddy.”
“Good boy. Coming right up.”
He fed them both, settled Asher in for some morning cartoons, and brought out some of the wooden train track for him to use on the big coffee table, hoping he’d enjoy that and be able to play without the pain of bending over. Asher’s eyes lit up, and he dug into the bins as Thornton went back to the kitchen to work with Trent. The day he’d hired Trent as his CFO was the day he’d stopped worrying about his investments, portfolio, and the financial health of his company.
Trent was a brilliant man who needed a boss that understood his limitations. His brother had battled with his anxiety disorder as far back as Thornton could remember. It was one of the reasons he understood and could help Asher with his own anxiety and panic attacks. Once Trent felt secure in his position with Thornton as his boss, he’d thrived, and business had doubled when Thornton had been able to focus on things besides finances.
They met weekly to go through the prior week’s numbers, so it was pretty standard fare. By the time they were done and Trent was on his way out with Guinness—saying his goodbyes to Asher and promising to see him again soon—his boy was hungry for a snack.
As he brought in some apple slices and cheese cubes and a straw cup with milk, Asher was just putting all the train track and trains back in the bins. The concerned look on his boy’s face had him helping his boy into his lap, snack forgotten. “What is it?”
“Did I embarrass you?”
He pulled back in shock. “Jesus. No, baby. Why would you think that?”
“I called you Daddy in front of your brother.”
His sweet boy. “First, Trent is fully aware I’m a Daddy. Hell, my parents are too for that matter. Years ago, before my parents moved to San Diego, my mom and my brother used to like to walk in my house unannounced. Trent walked in on me and a boy I was seeing, and then my mom did the same a month later. That cured them of that habit, but the beans were spilled. I’m lucky my family is supportive. My parents may not understand, but they love me and will love whoever I choose. Okay?”
Asher shrugged, still not fully convinced, so Thornton continued, “Second, I’m pretty sure my brother is a little. I think he’s in denial. He won’t ever use the kids’ place settings when I’ve offered, but I’ve seen the longing in his eyes when he’s been around other boys I’ve dated. He’s straight, though, and I think he’s worried he’ll never find a Mommy, someone who wants to nurture him rather than needing to be nurtured.”
Asher nodded and picked at the sleeves of his shirt and murmured, “That would be hard.”
“I think it is.”
Asher lifted his gaze. “Why does he have a therapy dog?”
Thornton raised a hand to Asher’s cheek, rubbing his soft skin with the pad of his thumb. “Trent has an anxiety disorder.”
The soft gasp and sorrow his boy had on his face made Thornton inch a little closer to the precipice of never wanting to let go of this precious boy in his arms. “Is he okay?”
Thornton nodded. “He is. He’s found ways to cope, one of which is medication, another of which is therapy, and the last of which is Guinness. Since I hired him as my CFO, he’s really come into himself, and his confidence has grown. I’d love to see him settled down eventually. He’d make an amazing husband to a lucky woman someday.”
Asher nodded, resting his head against Thornton’s chest, where they sat in silence for a few minutes. “Have you ever gotten therapy for your anxiety?”
Asher shook his head. “No. My parents took care of my medical needs but not my mental health ones. And after they died, I was just trying to survive and get through every day.”
His boy wasn’t alone anymore, though, and he wouldn’t have to handle his burdens on his own. “That’s understandable. I think it could be really helpful, but we can talk about that down the road when we’re through this rough patch. Would you be open to that?”
“I guess. Maybe?”
“That’s my good boy. So, how about we talk about The Glasshouse?”
“Okay.” His nod was much more enthusiastic that time, probably happy to change the subject from his own personal battle with anxiety.
“What are your thoughts about it? Are you leaning one way or another?”
Asher shrugged. “I’m leaning towards wanting to do it. I think Madi is too. It’s just such a huge commitment, and I’m completely out of my element. It wasn’t something I ever would have considered, and I’m not even sure I’d do a good job of it.”
“I don’t think you realize just how capable you are. You’re one of the strongest people I’ve ever met, Ash. And from what I’ve seen, Madi is pretty amazing herself. Jenn, from what I gather listening to local news, politics, and the comings and goings in the business community, is a very shrewd businesswoman. And she wants you and Madi. That’s the decision she’s making for her business’s future. That says a lot.”
Asher regarded him, his gaze assessing before he finally nodded. “Yeah. I guess that’s true. I mean, I don’t pay attention to those things. Not really. But I trust that you do, and I know for a fact The Glasshouse is hugely successful, so I don’t
know why I’m still hesitating.”
“Because this is a life-altering decision, you haven’t done it before, and fear is a powerful thing.”
Asher chuckled. “That pretty much sums it up.”
“I’m not going to pressure you about it. You have to make this decision on your own, for yourself and your own future. What I will say is that I have every confidence in you, every confidence in Madi, and every confidence Jenn is making the right decision. She wouldn’t make a choice like this just because she likes her employees.”
“That’s true.” Asher smiled, more confidence reflecting in his eyes than Thornton had seen earlier. If that was all Asher would be allowing him to help with, it was enough. That confidence was worth everything.
Thornton added, “I will offer my help in any and every possible way to you both, whether it be simple business advice, aid in forming a proper business plan for a bank loan, or financial backing and support for you both, whether I’m involved from a business perspective or not. I want you to succeed, and if I have the tools to help you in any way, I will gladly do everything in my power to see that you get what you need.”
“You’d help us that way? Financially?”
He nodded, gripped Asher’s chin, and drew him in for a kiss. “I would.”
Asher’s brows furrowed. “I don’t want to take advantage of you like that.”
One more kiss and Thornton pulled back. “It’s not taking advantage if I offer. But if you decide to go elsewhere for financial help, I’ll ensure you get the backing you need. It would be an honor to be able to do that for you.”
Asher’s eyes were wide, awe written all over his face. “You’re the best man I know, Thornton. I’m so lucky to have you in my life.”
Thornton grinned. “I’m the lucky one. So, what do you say? Are you going to go for it?”
Asher’s matching grin was all Thornton needed to know his answer. But the, “I think I am,” sealed the deal. His boy was going to be a business owner, and he couldn’t be prouder.
