“You don’t. Not tonight, for sure. Plus, sex is more than just taking what one wants. It’s about sharing a connection, sharing parts of each other.”
His eyes flickered to mine quickly before he went back to staring at my chest.
Moving my hand to cup his cheek, I swiped my thumb under his eye, catching a lone tear.
“I adore you too much to ever force my body on yours. Not to mention, my mother would kill me if I even thought of mistreating the person I share a bed with.”
“Would she do that?” His eyes widened like he wasn’t sure if I was serious or not.
“Oh, yes. She brought me into this world, she can certainly take me out. If not, she’ll send her husband to do the job.”
Oakley didn’t say anything, but I could see the thoughts swirling around in his mind.
“I know it’s a lot to ask, but please don’t keep thinking I will take advantage of you. I’m more than okay with what we have going on right now. Heck, it’s more than I could even ask for or expect with everything you’ve been through.”
Oakley snuggled into my palm, seeming to accept my words finally.
“Tomorrow, we’ll go over those lists when I get back home. If you haven’t finished all of them, that’s okay, too. We’ll just go over what you have marked.”
He nodded, his body relaxing easily.
I hoped he hadn’t marked the sex ones as okay to do, because there was no way he was ready for any of that. If so, we’d be having this talk again.
***
Scratching at my belly, I waited for Dixie to finish exploring the yard. The moon was high in the sky, giving just a bit of light to the darkness.
There was no way I was going to wake a sleepy boy to take his dog out. I was surprised that the puppy hadn’t yet had an accident in the house, and I was already thinking about how to install a doggy door. But even then, Dixie was so small, I feared she’d get lost in the yard without supervision anyway.
Thankfully, she didn’t take long, trotting back inside. She still wasn’t a huge fan of me, but that was okay. She was for Oakley anyway. And if that boy was warming up to me, then so would a dog.
“Come on, you little cutie.” Even the dog thought I was crazy, if I went by the look she shot me.
I paused, letting her get a drink, before I decided to just pick her up. At four months old, she was a tiny thing, but soft. And in need of a good bath, too.
I made a mental note to order some dog cleaning supplies in the morning.
Once I put Dixie back on the bed, she snuggled up against Oakley’s feet, seeming more than content to be there and not trying to hog a pillow, thankfully.
Crawling back into my side of the bed, I wasn’t surprised when Oakley sought me out, snuggling back to my side. He mumbled something about being a good boy, which caused me to smile.
I knew he was starting to feel a bit safer in my care, and if talking was any indication of that, today sure was. Or well, yesterday was more like it.
Oakley was trying to express his thoughts, feeling more comfortable to do so. I really couldn’t ask for more than that.
Once an arm was wrapped around his back, Oakley instantly found a nipple, latching his mouth around it.
“Good boy,” I whispered, feeling him relax against me.
I was curious to know his thoughts about bottles, and a few of the otherlittlethings that were out there.
I was surprised that he had yet to explore the other bedroom more than looking at what was placed out for him to see. The drawers were filled with types of clothes that he may lean towards, or even try. Or not. Who knows, he may not even like any of it. Which was fine, too.
I could live without any of that. As long as Oakley chose me because he did have a choice, I’d never want more than what he could give me.
But, if Oakley wanted to move out, and find his feet on his own, I’d do whatever I could to support that choice. He deserved to experience that. He deserved to find his path in life.
I was almost asleep when Oakley moved closer, wrapping a leg around my own, which wasn’t out of the normal. He was always seeking me out in some way, even if he didn’t realize he did it.
