“What’s the deal, then, man?” Knuckles asked. The only reason Rooster didn’t just blow him off was because he sounded genuinely curious and not just like he was giving Rooster shit.
He tipped his head off to the side and led the way over there, not wanting just anyone to overhear what he was going to tell him. Tank didn’t follow them, just raising a hand in goodbye and heading toward the stairs at the back of the clubhouse.
Rooster leaned his shoulders back against a wall and crossed his arms over his chest. “What do you really want to know, brother?”
Knuckles turned his face away, mouth twisting in a hard grimace. “I don’t know. I’ve just been… thinking about shit lately.”
“Okay.” Most of them had noticed Knuckles had been a little quieter the last year or so, but as far as Rooster knew, he hadn’t shared with anyone yet what was up with him.
Knuckles rubbed at his short hair, brows furrowed. “And I just… I’ve never started anything with a girl before where we didn’t go to at least second base the first time we hung out. Usually, we fuck and that’s it, or we fuck a few times and I end up with my shit at her place until she kicks my ass out for some reason I don’t even understand.”
He nodded, wondering if Knuckles had ever actually had a healthy relationship with a woman he’d been sleeping with.
“I’m just… I’m wondering if?—”
“Hey! You two coming over to Devil’s Garrote for a beer?” Houston asked as he and Tomas walked out of Tomas’s office.
Knuckles stepped back, pasting on a smile. “Yeah, I could use a couple.”
“Wait—” Rooster tried to say, but Knuckles just shook his head.
“We can finish later. Good luck on your date, man.”
He took off, following the others across the clubhouse to the front door. Rooster sighed and scratched at his beard, hoping they really would finish their conversation, and then headed out too.
He had a date to get ready for.
When Emmett knocked on his door ten minutes early, Rooster wasn’t surprised.
On their second date, Emmett had shared that he had some anxiety that he dealt with, and one of the ways it manifested was in his inability to just be on time. And he wasneverlate. Rooster hadn’t ever really thought about it before that conversation, but he’d paid attention in the days since and realized he was usually a few minutes early to things too. Though it didn’t stress him out like it did Emmett if he was late.
He also wasn’t surprised when he opened the door and Emmett blushed sweetly as he said a soft hello. This was technically their fourth time spending time together—not counting the cookie decorating—but it was the first time they’d talked beforehand about Emmett maybe having little time. He’d known bringing that new element into their relationship would make his little boy nervous.
And then he’d gotten a call last night, not long after he’d gotten home from his shift, that had revealed just how nervous Emmett was feeling. It’d only taken a little coaxing before Emmett had asked softly, “What if you don’t like Emmie?”
His heart split open, and he’d had his coat on, ready to go and comfort his boy in person, before he’d even gotten the words out to reassure him there was nofuckingway that would happen.
Yes, he was sure.
Yes, he’d tell him if there was something he didn’t like.
No, they weren’t going to postpone their date if Emmett wouldn’t let him come hug him right then.
They’d finally agreed to keep their date for the next day and talk again afterward to share how they’d both felt. Rooster knew how he was going to feel: proud of his boy for being brave, infatuated since he was already falling for Emmett, and probably horny.
There was no way he could be around Emmett andnotget aroused. Just wasn’t possible.
One look at theMarvelbackpack over Emmett’s shoulder and the way he bounced on the balls of his feet as he stepped into Rooster’s house reassured him that they were moving in the right direction. Even if Emmett was a little anxious about what the night might hold, Rooster trusted himself and Emmett to know if something didn’t feel right and use the traffic light system like they’d talked about to either slow things down or stop them altogether.
“Hang up your coat.” He waited for him to comply, closing and locking the door. “Can I have a hug, sweet boy?”
“Yes, Daddy,” Emmett whispered, stepping into him right away, bag dropping to the ground so he could wrap himself around Rooster.
His whole body warmed with joy.
That was the other thing they’d talked about.
Toward the end of their call last night, Emmett had shyly asked if Rooster would be okay with him calling himDaddyduring their date, especially if he had little time.
