No, he’d made it even better than right, saving me all that money and stepping in to fix everything so that, for the first time I could ever remember, it felt like the burden of figuring out how to juggle all the impossible things life piled on top of me wasn’t just onmyshoulders anymore.
Or… or like, for a little bit at least, that burden wasn’t on my shoulders atall.
I looked down, blinking my eyes fast when they started to sting and clutching onto my backpack straps hard.
He was amazing, but he wasn’t perfect, and I needed to remember that. Because calling me things like “sweetheart” and “beautiful”? If he’d beenmyDaddy, I wouldn’t have liked him calling other people those names atall.
Although, I guess that was just selfish of me. Obviously, Mr. Garrett’s spouse must not mind him being so friendly, because I couldn’t imagine Mr. Garrett doing it if it had bothered his husband.
Or bothered his…wife, I guess?
I bit my lip, worrying it between my teeth, and wondered whether I’d be disappointed or relieved if it turned out he wasn’t gay. Cuffd, after all, wasn’t agayapp, it was a kink app, so even though it sounded like Mr. Garrett made a point to be here specifically for the Cuffd-sponsored weekend, what with bumping my reservation and all, that didn’t actually mean he liked men… or wanted a boy… or even that his spousewasa boy, or a girl, or a Little at all. After all, there were other kinds of boys and girls and Daddies and all sorts of ways people could… okay.
Okay.
O-kay.
It wasn’t my business, and I had to stop thinking about it so hard. When it came to Mr. Garrett’s… preferences, what I should be was totally unopinionated and not curious at all.
But dang it, I wasn’t either of those things.
“So the answer is no?” Mr. Garrett said, tipping my chin up and giving me a teasing smile. “The way you’re biting onthisgives you away.”
He gently tugged my lip out from between my teeth before I could figure out what it was he’d been waiting on an answer about—oh, right, he’d asked if I was okay—and even though the way he was holding my chin felt nice,toonice, feeling his touch on mylips?
Hot sparks shot through me, so big and bright and fast that I gasped, stumbling backward.
“Shit,” he said, grabbing my arm to steady me and then instantly letting go again once I found my balance.
I swayed anyway, rubbing the spot he’d held and feeling… well, things I shouldn’t.
Mr. Garrett frowned, then scrubbed a hand over his face. “I apologize,” he said stiffly. “I overstepped.”
I shook my head, then made myself use actual words when he frowned even harder. “No, it’s… it’s fine.”
Which was better than begging him to touch me again, but which, for some reason, only made his frown get even worse.
Then he sighed, and smiled, looking tired. “It won’t happen again, you have my word, Rene. Your friend, Sam, was right. It’s not my place to touch you without your consent. I want you to feel safe with me. Youaresafe with me.”
I knew I was. And maybe it really was dumb to trust nothing but my gut like that, but I just… Iknewit.
“It’s really okay,” I said, hating that that didn’t seem to make him happy again. “You didn’t overstep. I didn’t mind.”
The opposite, which I should probably feel ashamed about, since I’d never want to come between a Daddy and his boy.
Oranycouple.
Oh, right, and there was also Daryl.
Although somehow—another baseless gut instinct?—I doubted that Daryl would set off sparks inside me the way Mr. Garrett had.
I brushed my fingers over my lips without thinking, skimming over the lingering aftereffects of those sparks, and Mr. Garrett’s eyes followed.
His breath hitched for a moment, his pupils expanding as his whole body went still, and having his undivided attention on me like that? It sent evenmoresparks tumbling through me.
But then—before I even had time to feel like a horrible person for reacting like that—he turned away fast and unlocked the door, ushering me inside without touching me again.
“Sorry,” he said again, gruffly, even though he had nothing to apologize for. I was pretty sure I’d been the only one to do something wrong. He wasmarriedafter all.
