“Yeah, on it. But how are you going to get to him if he’s working? Are you just gonna waltz in there with your little Kewpie doll cupcake on your arm and demand to see the payroll guy so you can interrogate him?”
“I have one nerve left, Webster. And you’re getting on it.”
The truth was, Jackson had zero idea how he was going to convince the cam service to let him talk to Oscar, the head of payroll, but that wasn’t going to stop him. He’d think of something on the way. All he really wanted was to see the man’s reaction to being confronted with Day there in person. If he was as obsessed with Day as his stalker was, Jackson would see it on him no matter how hard he tried to hide it. He’d conducted countless interrogations in the military. He was great at reading people.
“The details are in your inbox. Watch your six, boss.”
Jackson didn’t say goodbye, just disconnected, setting his phone back on the table and wrapping his arms around Day. “Time to wake up, sleepyhead.”
“Just five more minutes, Daddy,” Day groaned.
“We got a lead on who might be after you. Don’t you want this to be over?” Jackson asked, sliding his hands up and down Day’s spine.
“And then what happens?” Day asked, voice quiet.
Jackson frowned, staring down at the top of Day’s head. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, do I just go back to my apartment? Back to camming? Are we dating? You said you think I’m the one for you and that you’ll wait until I’m ready, but do you really want to be this forty-year-old captain of industry type with your sex worker boytoy at work functions? Wouldn’t that be embarrassing for you?”
Jackson caught Day under the chin. “If you want to keep camming, I’m fine with it. I don’t want to control your life. But if you don’t, we’ll find you something else. Something different, something that meets your skillset.”
“Like what? I can’t fill out applications. I can’t read or write. Hell, I can’t even sign my name. There’s nothing else out there for me, Jackson. I don’t want to cam, but I don’t want to sit at home while you pay my bills, either.”
Jackson kissed Day’s lips. “As much as the idea of you being here and naked every night when I get home sounds appealing, you are so much more than just a body. You’re incredibly smart. I can count on one hand the number of people I know who can speak more than two languages, much less five. You have a gift. You also have a disability that probably hasn’t been re-examined since you were a child. You have more options than you think, Day, I promise, but I didn’t get where I am in life by worrying about what other people think. My inner circle knows me and my values, my family knows me and my values. It’s their opinion that matters, and they see in you the same things I do. Stop acting as if loving you is some kind of act of charity. I promise you, between the two of us, you’re the catch.”
That brought Day up onto his forearms, his elbows digging into Jackson’s ribs hard enough to make him grunt. “How do you figure that?”
“I’m really boring, Day. I go to work. I go to the gym. I come home, take a shower, eat my dinner on the couch while watching football or whatever else happens to be on. I like to walk along the water. I like to eat Cuban food in hole in the wall places. I hate clubs. I hate fancy parties. I hate concerts and fireworks because the noise and the lights trigger flashbacks to a time I’ve worked hard to put behind me. My idea of a big night out is maybe going to a restaurant that won’t make me wear a jacket, but nobody cooks better than my mom, so honestly, I would rather just eat at her house.”
“To me, that all sounds like a vacation. I’ll take boring any day. I don’t think there’s ever been a time in my whole life when I wasn’t afraid. Ever. There was always some kind of impending doom hanging over me. Every decision was mine to make and every failure mine to claim. Except here. I like that you just make dinner without making me pick what to eat. I like that you just tell me what to do and I do it. Sometimes, at my old place, I wouldn’t eat all day because the simple act of deciding whether to eat a poptart or ramen seemed like too big a decision. It’s sad that there’s somebody who wants me dead and this is still the most relaxed I’ve ever been. ”
Jackson frowned. Did he make the decisions? He supposed he did. It wasn’t intentional. He was just used to being in charge. Getting shit done. Day had never voiced a complaint, so Jackson assumed he didn’t mind. It had never occurred to him that it was something Day wanted or even needed for his own peace of mind. “I like taking care of you. I like that you let me take care of you.”
Day’s smile grew flirty. “You can take care of me now.”
Jackson knew Day was deflecting with sex. When things got too intense, the conversations too heavy, Day always went back to being the sex kitten. Jackson cupped Day’s face, tugging him close until their lips met, then pulled back before Day could deepen the kiss. Day whined, but Jackson shook his head. “No. Uh-uh. We need to track down this guy once and for all and get this figured out so we can figureusout without the fear of somebody trying to hurt you looming over us. Okay?”
Day folded his hands on Jackson’s chest, dropping his chin on top to give Jackson a sullen look. “Fine, but Webster’s right. If we end up on the six o’clock news, I’m going to be real mad.”
“Oh, please. You’d love it if you ended up on the six o’clock news. Hell, you dress like you anticipate being followed by paparazzi.”
“It’s not my fault I have an eye for fashion and a need to be visually interesting. We can’t all live our lives in mostly monochromatic color pallets,” Day countered.
Jackson rolled his eyes. “Well, when this is all over, you can pick me out an entirely new wardrobe if you like. My sisters would love it.”
“I’m going to hold you to that,” Day said before sliding off of Jackson, making sure to pause to rub against Jackson’s morning erection on his way by.
“You’re such a tease.”
Day shrugged one shoulder. “You’re the tease. I offered, you refused. That’s on you.”
Jackson lurched from the couch, crouching low and snagging him behind the knees and upending him over his shoulder, smacking his ass as Day yelped indignantly.
“What are you doing? Put me down.”
“You wanted me to take care of you, right?” Jackson asked as he marched up the stairs. “We’re going to take a shower and you’re going to take care of me first, and if you stop squirming, I’ll make sure I take good care of you too.”
Day sagged against Jackson, all the fight leaving his body as he played Jackson’s butt cheeks like bongos. “Yes, Daddy.”
