"It is."
"And you're sixteen years older than me."
"I am."
"And I knocked a Daddy Dom romance novel into your groceries."
His mouth quirks. "Two actually."
"This is insane."
"Maybe." He leans forward. "Or maybe it's exactly what we both need."
I stare at him. "What do you mean?"
"I think you know what I mean, Lily."
And God help me, I do.
I think about the book. About the dynamic between the characters. The trust. The care. The way Daddies see their littles for exactly who they are.
I think about the way Ethan looks at me. He looks at me like he's paying attention to every word, every gesture, every breath. He pays attention, really pays attention.
"I don't know how to do this," I say quietly.
"It’s a good thing I do."
"What if it doesn't work?"
"Then we'll deal with that if it happens. But Lily?" He reaches across the table, and I let him take my hand. "I don't want to spend the next week pretending I don't feel the chemistry between us. Do you?"
No. God, no.But… this is insane. Absolutely asinine. I’ve met him a total of three times, if the first time even counts. Love at first sight doesn’t exist. Or, well, it shouldn’t. Is it even safe? Besides, he could still be a serial killer…
"No," I whisper. "I can’t deny feeling whatever this is between us, either." Why? Why did I say that? I should have lied. Denied feeling a thing. Chemistry? What chemistry. What am I even doing?
"Then let's be honest. With each other. About what we want."
"And what do you want?" I hear my voice speaking but I think my body is disconnected from my soul at the moment.
His thumb brushes over my knuckles, and the touch sends sparks up my arm.
"I want to know you," he says. "All of you. Not just the version you show the world, but the version you’ll show just me."
"That's a lot."
"I know. And if it's too much, tell me now. I'll respect your boundaries. But I need you to be honest with me."
I take a shaky breath. "Okay."
"Okay?"
"I want to know you, too."
His smile is slow and warm and makes my stomach flip.
"Good," Ethan says. "Then let's start there."
We talk for hours. About everything. Our childhoods. Our families. Our dreams. At some point, we moved out of the dining room and into the living room.
