“Spill it.”
“No demands, Reed. I need more sleep.”
I left him alone for almost twenty minutes but I couldn’t let his statement go without some clarification. Thinking about what on earth could have happened between him and Eloise left me tossing and turning.
“We need to talk, King.”
“Either let me sleep or I’m going to the guest room.”
That wasn’t what I wanted at all! Lying next to him, close to his chest brought so much warmth to my body and it wasn’t just physical. “No, don’t go. Please?”
“Then be quiet.”
He was serious. I resigned myself to remaining in bed cuddling him, happy and content to be held. Unfortunately my thoughts returned to Eloise, and I could not stop wild possibilities from spiraling through my brain.
“You have things to explain,” I said in an exasperated tone.
Kingston opened his eyes, threading his fingers into my hair flush against my scalp and tugging. The action arched my neck and a whimper tore from my lips. It pissed me off as much as it turned me on.
“Are you sure you want to battle, Reed?”
I did. So help me, I did. Yanking my head away from his hand, I positioned myself far from his reach. Kingstonmoved and immediately grabbed my shoulders and pinned me underneath him, his strong thighs keeping me against the mattress. I was no wilting flower, but he handled me like I was. I should have known his job kept him in great shape. Even hours at the gym didn’t keep me as fit as he apparently was. Struggling under his weight did nothing but tire me out. Kingston leaned into me, his breath fanning across my face. He was so fucking hot it should be a crime. His rock-hard dick pressed against my thigh, and the feeling of it there made my mouth water. Sure, I’d had fantasies about him in the past but having him on top of me was never one I imagined.
“Are you done, babyboy?”
His husky tone drove me utterly feral. But I wasn’t going to tell him that. That he called me ‘babyboy’ made the moment even hotter.
“No! Get off me.”
“Is that really what you want?”
“You’re my best friend. You can’t be my Daddy. Okay?”
“Do you think I don’t have what it takes to be your Dominant or is it something else?”
“I’m so stressed out, King. I don’t want you to see the way I’ve been dealing with my shit. I’m embarrassed. If you start peeling back the layers you’re going to see that I’m not a good partner. I certainly can’t be a good Dominant to Eli. And that’s not even addressing her desire for a Daddy. I want to be everything she needs, but I can barely take care of my own stuff.”
“Give it to me. Give me all the bullshit trapped in your head. I will handle it. I’ll hold you accountable for the stuff that’s been bringing you down. The crap that’s been making you stressed out. We’ll figure out what Eli needs and the three of us will be just fine.”
“I can’t put that pressure on you!”
“You aren’t putting pressure on me. Trust me enough to take care of you.”
“You’ve… you’ve sort of been doing that for a while. Haven’t you?” The realization hit me sideways like a ton of freaking bricks.
Kingston said nothing, letting me gather my thoughts. I wondered what he really thought about my behavior last night, but he didn’t mince words. No, if he was worried about the way I spoke or handled things, he’d tell me.
“Subtly I think you’ve been checking in on me. Bringing me meals when it’s late and I haven’t eaten anything all day but a protein bar and two energy drinks. Asking me what I’m doing on my days off. Hell, you practically carried me into the shower a few weeks ago because I wound up working remotely without any breaks for several days in a row.”
Kingston nodded. “Yeah, I’ve been keeping an eye on you. To address something else, I’d never judge you for the way you’ve been struggling, Reed. I’d never do that.”
“I can’t call you Daddy.”
“You can with the right motivation,” he said, chuckling.
“You think a red ass and an orgasm will change my mind? That I’ll suddenly morph into your good Little boy?”
He licked his lips and cocked an eyebrow. “It’s a start.”
