Lonely Liam

by Laurie Lochs

  Oh fuck.

  We had an intruder.

  3

  Liam

  I gripped the steering wheel tight as the young man approached the car. My heart was beating out of my chest. What was he doing here? What did he need?

  Oh my God. He probably thinks you're an intruder or something.

  I groaned. I’d completely forgotten about the giant PRIVATE PROPERTY: KEEP OUT sign I'd seen at the head of the driveway. But there was no time to think. Because a second later, he approached the car and tapped on the door.

  I smiled and rolled the window down as politely as I could. "Hello," I began. "I have like… Permission to be here. From Brent. He lives here. I’m not idling."

  The man arched his eyebrows. Then, he grinned. "Okay, good. For a second, I thought you were here to cause trouble. Montana has some issues with intolerant people. I needed to make sure you weren't one of them."

  I furrowed my brow. What did he mean, intolerant people? What was going on at this ranch that required "tolerance?"

  "I'm Liam," I said.

  The man smiled and extended his hand. "Max." He shook my hand vigorously. "Are you coming to apply to bring your boy?"

  "I'm not quite sure what you mean," I said with a weak laugh. “I’m a real estate agent. I'm coming to appraise the property."

  "Oh my God,” Max said with a laugh. His cheeks were tinged pink. “I’m so sorry. Here I was, thinking you were coming to stir shit up."

  I grinned and stared at Max. He was freaking gorgeous, with his sparkling blue eyes and wispy blond hair.

  He can mistake me for an intruder any day of the week. I'll gladly intrude, if he’ll punish me afterwords.

  "Let me…" I began. I scrambled to grab my briefcase. “I-I'm so sorry. I'm a little disorganized today. Appraising houses isn’t exactly an everyday thing for me."

  Max laughed. "Need help with your briefcase?"

  I shook my head. But to my amazement, Max went to the other side of the car and grabbed it from inside. He brought it to me and pulled open the door. "Here you go."

  “T-Thank you," I stammered, staring into his eyes. Suddenly, I felt almost hypnotized by him. He didn't look more than 20 years old and yet he was more confident than most of the men I’d met in my life. His calm demeanor told me he knew what he wanted. If he saw someone in need, he'd help them without second thought.

  This is exactly what you’ve been waiting for so long.

  "Have you been to Neverland before?" Max asked when I got out of the car.

  I furrowed my brow. "Neverland?"

  Max arched an eyebrow at me. "Yeah, Neverland Hills. It’s the name of this ranch."

  “Oh.” I scratched my forehead. Why would they call it Neverland Hills?

  “Well,” Max said with a grin as wide as the Mississippi. “Let's go in. I'm sure they're excited to find out how much the ranch is worth."

  I grinned. "Sounds like a plan."

  I let Max lead the way. The entire time he walked in front of me, I couldn't help but feel giddy inside. Why did he make me feel so small? It was almost like he knew exactly what to say and how to say it. He was confident, fit, and sexy as hell.

  His body was like a marble statue out of the freaking Agora in Greece. Firm ass, chiseled pecs, toned biceps. The dude was seriously fit. All at once, a vision of him bending me over and plowing me flashed across my mind. I wanted him to get rough with me, put his hands on me. If he had a whip, I wanted him to use it. Handcuffs, the whole 9 yards.

  My heart was racing. I'd never felt this way about a man before. I've never met someone like Max.

  This is going to be trouble. It's a good thing you're only coming to the ranch for an afternoon and have no plans to stay.

  Before we entered, Max placed his palm on my shoulder. "Ready?"

  I arched my brows. “W-Why wouldn’t I be? I’m only giving an appraisal."

  Max bit his lip. "I'm not… I'm not quite sure you know what you're stepping into. From what Oscar told me on the phone, it's not quite what you think."

  I furrowed my brow. What did he mean? I was about to open my mouth when, before I could speak, a firm hand opened the door. Three young men rushed out with giant grins on their faces.

  But they weren’t just any young man. They were wearing boy pajamas with cartoon rockets and stuffed animals on the fabric.

  With pacifiers around their necks.

  Clutching teddy bears and toys.

  Neverland… Neverland Hills. Oh my fucking God. What is this place?

  I whipped my head towards Max. But before I could make eye contact, one of the young men wrapped his hand around my wrist and beamed.

  "Hi," the boy said. "My name is Jacob. Welcome to Neverland."

  "It's nice to meet you, Jacob. I'm happy to be here."

  Jacob grinned and turned to Max. "Oh my God," he said, walking to Max. "You're so pretty."

  Max had a very amused grin on his face. "How long have you been at Neverland, sweet boy?”

  "For the entire summer," Jacob said with a proud expression on his face. "Me and my daddies helped build it. Their names are Joe and Paul."

  "Wow," Max said. "You have two daddies?"

  Jacob blushed. "Well… Not originally. But lately, me and my best friend Dennis have started to share."

  Max burst into laughter. But I could only stare. What the fuck was going on?

  It hit me like a stick of dynamite.

  This was an age play ranch.

  A place for daddies and boys to be themselves, with no prying eyes.

  Suddenly, it hit me why Max had been so concerned about a potential intruder.

  A second boy appeared. "I'm Nathan," he said, beaming ear to ear. The boy turned to Max. ”Are you the new little daddy Brent has been talking about?"

  Max burst into laughter. "No, sweet boy. I'm not a little at all."

  My jaw dropped. Max actually knew what a little was?

  Wait. Oh my God.

  No.

  Could Max be a daddy?

  My stomach did a somersault. "Max," I whispered fiercely, staring into his sparkling eyes. Suddenly, I felt very small. Like, very, very small. I wanted a bottle and a blanket. If Max read me a story time, I'd be the happiest boy in the world.

  But before I could say another word, Jacob suddenly focused his gaze on me. "Oh my God," he whispered. He brought his hand to his face. "If Max isn't a little… He must be your daddy."

  4

  Max

  Liam’s eyes shot open as Jacob turned to him. His cheeks were bright red. He opened his mouth but quickly shut it. I had to move fast to divert attention. Otherwise, it could be a disaster. Liam would feel not only out of place but totally unprofessional.

  "No, sweet boys,” I said. “He’s not my little. He's here for daddy Brent. He's a real estate agent here to appraise the house.”

  Jacob burst into laugher. “Oh,” Jacob said with a laugh. “I thought he was something else.”

  “Yes, sweet one. Please be mindful of guests in the future.”

  With that, Liam looked at me with the most trusting eyes. His expression was one of pure gratitude.

  I opened my mouth to tell the boys to head back inside. But something in Liam's expression stopped me. I stared at his face again, unable to take my eyes away. Suddenly, it hit me that he was looking at me with pure adoration in his eyes, almost like I saved his life.

  I exhaled sharply and tried to focus on anything but him. But I couldn’t pry away my gaze. His eyes said, I want to submit to you. I want you to be my daddy and no one else. I'll be open and honest with you if I'm uncomfortable about something. But I want you to take control in bed.

  I blinked, hard. This was bad. Real bad. I’d promised myself I wasn't going to get involved with another little anytime soon.

  That is, if Liam was a little at all.

  Liam must've felt the same way. Because a second later, he shrugged as if to say, What are we going to do?

  I mustered a we
ak laugh. "Let's go, boys. Time to head in."

  The two boys nodded gleefully and hurried inside. "Let's take you to daddy Brent!" they shouted to Liam. He nodded gratefully and smiled.

  I ushered Liam inside, gently clasping his waist as he entered the ranch. His body tensed but immediately relaxed. I took a deep breath and quickly removed my hand.

  "I'm going to find Oscar," I said quickly.

  Liam nodded. “A-Awesome. I'll get to work."

  Suddenly, two men came out of the kitchen. They smiled when they saw me. “Max!" one said with a smile. "We've been waiting all morning. Oscar has told us so much about you."

  I burst into a grin. "I'm glad to hear it. This place is incredible. Really."

  The man on the right laughed. "I'm Joe,” he said, “and this is Paul. We’re daddies to two sweet boys named Dennis and Jacob."

  I nodded. "I met Jacob outside. He is a spunky little fellow."

  Paul grinned. "That's my boy."

  They took one look at Liam and immediately glanced at each other. Joe arched his eyebrows. "What's your name, little guy?"

  Liam's cheeks turned bright red. “N-No, sir," he sputtered. "It's not what you think."

  "Liam," I said, clearing my throat. “He's here to survey the property. Brent brought him in to give an estimate of how much it's appreciated in value since the rehab."

  "Oh my God. I'm so sorry.” Joe laughed.

  Liam grinned. "It's okay. Really."

  Paul walked up to Liam and shook his hand. "Why don't you head downstairs? Brent is in the playroom with his sweet little boy Nathan. They're building trains. The playroom is where we did most of the work. Why don't you go down there to start your appraisal?"

  Liam nodded. "Sounds like an excellent idea."

  "But be mindful of the boys at play. You'll have to ignore them, I'm afraid."

  Liam grinned. "It's fine, really. I promise."

  Paul winked at Liam. "If you get the urge to play yourself, don't hesitate. There's enough blocks and trains for everyone."

  We burst into laughter. Liam grabbed his briefcase and headed downstairs. I couldn't help but stare in his wake. His thin body, his calm features. His hands were shaking when I practically pulled him out of the car.

  Talk about a perfect boy. If only he were a little, he'd be perfect for you.

  Joe arched his eyebrows at me. "You've got something on your face, Max."

  "Oh my God. I went to Chipotle this afternoon. I need a mirror."

  "No, that's not what I'm saying. I mean, you've got an expression of… Something… On your face. The way you looked at that man."

  "Boy," I said hastily, correcting him. "A boy. Not a man."

  Joe and Paul glanced at each other. Only then did I realize my mistake. “W-Wait, no," I sputtered. "You're right. He’s a man."

  Jesus fucking Christ. What was this beautiful boy doing to me?

  I tried to bring myself back to the present but my mind drifted to Liam. The soft scruff on his face. His trembling hands. I wanted to bring my lips to his and kiss him, pull him close. I wanted to bottle him and take care of him in every way.

  Was he a boy? And if he was, would he be mine?

  5

  Liam

  I couldn't help but grin as I made my way to the playroom. How awesome was this place? The daddies were warm and friendly. The boys were sweet as apple pie. But there was only one daddy that stood out to me.

  Max.

  I took a deep breath and forced my mind from him. But his aura lingered. He was easily the most beautiful, mature, dominant man I'd met in my life. I was pretty damn sure he was a daddy, too. Oh, how I'd love to be babied by him. He’d be everything and more. After a long day of work, he’d pull me onto his lap and kiss me. He could tuck me into bed at night and put my favorite pair of teddy bear pajamas on before giving me a delicious bottle. “Liam," he'd whisper, "you're the specialist boy in the world. I want you more than life itself."

  "You mean it, daddy?"

  "Yes, sweet boy. You're a perfect angel. Your daddy's little man."

  Just the thought made my entire body dance with flames. Suddenly, I needed him behind me, inside me, thrusting into my body. I didn't care if he got rough with me or pushed me into the bed. He could choke me, hit me, whip me as long as he took care of me afterwards. I wanted everything about this man. He made my heart race.

  I forced myself to focus. I was standing in the middle of the hallway, wiping my palms on the dress pants I’d put on for work. I was about to begin my appraisal. It was business time.

  It was certainly not the time to be focusing on the beautiful, unavailable, and all-too-sweet young daddy upstairs.

  I entered the playroom. All at once, one of the little boys ran to my side and softly wrapped his arms around my leg. "Welcome to Neverland,” he whispered, burrowing into my knee. "We’re so happy you're here."

  A man in the corner snapped his fingers. "Don't touch strangers, sweet Calloway. That’s a bad touch."

  The boy named Calloway sulked. "I'm sorry, daddy. I just got too excited to welcome my new friend."

  The man in the corner sighed. He stood up and walked towards me. He stuck out his hand and grinned. "I'm Brent."

  A wave of relief washed over me. "Perfect. I'm Liam. Nice to meet you."

  "I'm glad you're here to see how much money we’ve made on the rehab. You should have seen this place before we moved in."

  "I can only imagine," I said with a laugh. I glanced around the playroom and forced myself to plug in my adult brain and examine the room through a grown man's eyes.

  These toys aren’t for you. You’re here to do one job and leave.

  "It's sure come a long ways," Brent continued. "When we moved in, nails stuck out of the boards like glass. The window was bashed in. Spiderwebs covered the ceiling, enough to scare my baby boy."

  The boy named Nathan in the far end of the room grinned sheepishly. "I wasn't scared at first. But that's only because I moved in after it was all ready. Jacob and Dennis, the boys who did most of the work, were shaking out of their boots when they saw it for the first time. They told me so.”

  I grinned. "It must've been a scary place."

  Nathan nodded earnestly. "It was terrifying. I thought the spiders were going to eat me."

  Jacob burst into laughter and ran his fingers over Nathan's back. "Oh, so scary. They're going to eat you alive."

  Nathan cried out as Jacob’s probing fingers ran across his tiny body. "Don't touch me," he cried out, scrunching his legs together. "You're going to make me lose it."

  "Is little Nathan going to have an accident in his pants?"

  "Yes," Nathan cried out. “You’re being mean.” He kicked Jacob.

  Jacob groaned. "Well, maybe you should wear diapers. Then you wouldn't have to be worried about accidents."

  “No,” Nathan said, glaring at his friend. “That’s what you and Dennis do. It's not my thing. Although I’ve thought about it once or twice.”

  They turned to me.

  Oh shit. I have to say something.

  "There's nothing wrong with diapers," I blurted out. "They can feel nice.”

  Nathan arched his eyebrows. A grin slowly crept across his face. Suddenly, I felt stupid as hell. Had I outed myself to these boys?

  Brent turned to stare at me. "Liam," he began, eyeing me. "Are you…"

  I open my mouth but nothing came out.

  Hurry. You have to protest your innocence.

  Without a word, Jacob leapt up and rushed to my side. He wrapped his hand around mine. "Have you ever worn diapers before, Mr. Liam?"

  My eyes glazed over. “N-No," I stammered. "Well, maybe once. But it was only for… Something else. I don't know if I wore them."

  "You don't know? How could you not know if you've ever worn a diaper?"

  I was drowning in a sea of anxiety. I glanced at Brent to see if he’d throw me a life vest. He wasn’t going to. He was watching the entire situation with a shit-eating gri
n on his face, letting me drown.

  A second boy rushed to my side. "I'm Dennis," he said. "I only recently started wearing them. They feel so nice and snug."

  "And warm," Jacob mused. He pulled his pajama bottoms down and rubbed his crotch against my thigh. His diaper crinkled in the soft light of the playroom.

  "You can touch it, if you like,” he whispered. “Please.”

  I was absolutely not about to touch this boy’s diaper.

  Brent decided to intervene. “Jacob,” he growled, “put your damn diaper away. That’s completely inappropriate. Mr. Liam is here to give an estimate of our property. He's not here to play."

  Jacob sniffled. "But I want a new playmate, daddy. Why can't he play?"

  Brent looked at me. "I mean… Would you want to play?"

  I gulped. "Play with what?"

  "We have everything,” Brent said. “Blocks, trains, Legos. We even have a giant bin of Duplos for boys who aren't old enough to play with Legos. Obviously, everyone here is over the age of 21. But the Duplos sometimes help them feel small."

  "Duplos," I whispered. My eyes glazed over. “I… I like Duplos.”

  Jacob placed his hand in mine. “Do it, Mr. Liam. You’re never too old to play."

  Brent led me to the shelves. From the middle shelf, he selected a giant Tupperware container of Duplos. My heart leapt. They were all primary colors.

  "Here, Liam." Nathan's voice was bright and warm. "Come sit on the carpet and play."

  The room was spinning. Suddenly, I couldn't control myself. I wanted to apologize but the words wouldn't come out. I hadn't played since Sebastian left. I needed to get on the ground and feel the Duplos in my hands.

  "I'm so sorry," I whispered. “This is completely unprofessional.”

  Then, I dropped to my knees and dove straight into Duplos.

  6

  Max

  I smiled and relaxed into the seat Oscar had pulled up for me. It was nice to see my friend again. We hadn't met in so long. I couldn’t believe I was actually here at his ranch.