Jacob rose then pulled the boy up.
Of course, James was still yawning. Jacob really should have ended play earlier but James had been having so much fun. Plus, Jacob could already see that the evening of playing had done wonders for the boy.
One late night wouldn’t hurt anything.
Jacob was already looking forward to the morning.
He ushered James into the guest bedroom that was normally claimed by his brother. Jesse left enough things that the room looked lived in.
“Your room?” James asked as he stopped next to the dresser.
“It’s the guest room that Jesse uses when he visits.” Jacob corrected.
There was a look on James’s face that he couldn’t name.
“Would you like me to get you something to sleep in?” Jacob offered.
James nodded slowly. “I need to use the bathroom.”
“Go ahead,” Jacob replied. “You remember where it is?”
“Yeah.” James glanced toward the hall where the bathroom was located.
“I left the toothbrush you used before on the counter. Brush your teeth too. I’ll meet you back in here to get you in bed.”
James snickered. “Yes, sir.”
“You could spend a few minutes in the corner if you’d rather,” Jacob suggested.
“I knew you were going to say that. Such a Daddy,” James teased as he turned back toward the hall.
Jacob followed behind him. James went into the bathroom, closing the door behind him as Jacob continued to the master bedroom. He could have found something in the drawers that held Jesse’s clothes but honestly there was no way that Jacob would ever allow James to wear another man’s clothes.
Going to his own dresser, Jacob pulled out the middle drawer. He chose one of the softest pajama pants that he owned. He wanted James to be comfortable. The shirt didn’t matter as much as most of the tees were one hundred percent cotton.
Soft materials called to Jacob. Part of that childhood trauma that Jacob pretended he was over. Irritated with himself, Jacob slammed the drawer closed before turning and returning to the guest bedroom.
The bathroom door opened as Jacob was passing.
The boy stumbled to a stop to avoid them crashing into each other.
“Woah,” Jacob said, wrapping an arm around James.
“Sorry!” James leaned against him. “I guess I’m more tired than I thought.”
“It’s fine. It was a big night for you.” Jacob got them walking.
“It was so easy.” James sounded amazed. “I just saw the toys and wanted to play with them.”
Jacob couldn’t resist kissing the top of James’s head. He still wore the red cape. James was absolutely adorable. “You are a natural.”
“Do you really think so?” James asked while peering up at him.
“I’ve seen first-time littles before. Most need to be coaxed into playing. Not you though. You had a plan and got busy. It was fascinating to see.”
James shuffled his feet to a stop at the guest room doorway. “And I can do it again?”
“When you wake up,” Jacob promised. Well, he considered that answer. He was dealing with a brat after all. “After you get eight hours of sleep. No sneaking out of bed to play.”
