In truth, I still wasn’t entirely clear what he did for a living—something with computers and teams and…?He’d tell you if you asked. He doesn’t think you’re stupid. He respects you.I honestly believed that.
With no idea how much time had passed, and heeding the demands of my bladder, I slid from his grasp, settled the blanket over him, and went in search of a bathroom. I wasn’t sure I’d find one on this floor, but I did. Nice and modern—so possibly it hadn’t come with the house. Or they’d renovated it. Hard to be certain. I pissed, washed my hands, then splashed cold water on my face. I glanced in the mirror.
Do I see Demetrius? In the eyes? The chin? Will others see it?He hadn’t asked for a DNA test. I would’ve done it, but I was grateful he hadn’t asked. That he trusted me. That he looked at the photograph and believed my story. Also, I wasn’t keen to put my DNA in a database. I really didn’t want to know if I had other siblings out there. Which, in one sense, was illogical. I’d sought out Demetrius, after all. Why not see if more of us existed? That might bring notice from the family in Texas, though, and—from what I’d gleaned—that would be unwanted attention. Not that I thought they’d come after me for money. I had none, so that wasn’t an issue. No, they might try to turn me toward their faith. Hell, Demetrius might be part of some church, and he could always try to coax me. Unlike Texas, though, he didn’t have anything in his life indicating as much.
Finally, Demetrius clearly accepted me for who I was—specifically being gay. He had a gay son—or had at least implied that much—and was bisexual himself. Those things meant something. I’d had hope. Well, I’d known about his marriage to Jai. That Keegan was attending an LGBTQ camp sort of implied the kid was gay as well. Or at least questioning.
After one last look in the mirror, I shut off the light and headed back to the playroom. As I passed a door, though, curiosity got the best ofme. I cracked it open and light from the hallway behind me spilled in. Just a bed and dresser. Perhaps another spare bedroom? Except the guest would have to come down here and see the playroom. So…a bedroom Marty and Zahir used?
You know sex and puppy play can go together. Or maybe they finished the puppy play but were so overcome with lust that they couldn’t make it up two flights of stairs.I sort of liked that idea.And you’re thinking about how damn attractive Zahir is. How you’d be happy if he invited you tohisbed.
Sure. But we’d only known each other twenty-four hours, so that was illogical. I’d never felt such strong attraction…but was that actual attraction or just gratitude? That made sense. He’d taken me in—that kindness was powerful.
Except other people have been kind in the past—not many…but a few. You didn’t want to leap into their beds to show your gratitude.
“Solo?”
I shut the door. “Coming.” I hustled into the playroom to find Zahir still cuddled under the blanket. I moved to him. “Don’t get up. You look so peaceful.”
He offered a soft smile. “I guess I am. I haven’t been down here in a very long time—I’d forgotten how soothing it can be.”
“I think this is the nicest room I’ve ever seen. Clearly, a lot of thought went into it.”
He extended his hand.
I grasped it and let him pull me down.
“Rest your head on my shoulder.”
After a moment, I obeyed.
“This was my gift to Marty. Once he found the courage to tell me about his puppy side, I decided to make a safe space for him. Somewhere he could be himself and never worry about discovery. Theamount of time we spent down here varied—based on how life was going and how busy we were. We aimed for at least once a week.”
“I’d be down here every day if I could.” I smiled. “Thank you for sharing.”
“My pleasure, pup.” He scratched my scalp. “Are you okay that I call you my pup? At least when we’re down here? That’s very forward of me—and we haven’t discussed this at all.”
I pulled back to meet his gaze. “And I didn’t ask your permission to call you Daddy. That’s a big step. Or at least I’ve always seen it that way.”
“You’re not wrong.” He stroked my cheek again. “Daddy/pup is a big step. Maybe even too big for us—”
My stomach plummeted.
“—but we can do what feels right for us. And this feels right. Like I said—I don’t believe in destiny. That said, you came across my path for a reason. I have to believe that. So I’m going to grab every opportunity I have to spend time with you. Whether we’re down here and playing or upstairs and navigating the treacherous waters you’ve found yourself in.”
“Treacherous waters?” I was pretty certain I understood, but I wanted to find clarity in this tough situation.
He shrugged. “Well, finding family. You did so well today.” He caressed my cheek. “I want to tell you how proud I am of you—but, again, that seems really forward.”
I nearly bounced in my seat. “You think I did well? You’re proud of me?”
His smile lit the room. “Of course I’m proud of you. For getting on a plane, for calling Demetrius…then being willing to meet him in person. Those are brave steps. You know you’re facing more tough stuff, and I’m honored you’ve asked me to…stand by your side. If you know what I mean.”
“I do. I do know what you mean. Because I need you. I wouldn’t be able to do this alone.”Well, I would’ve tried…and quite possibly failed.With Zahir beside me, though, failure didn’t feel possible. Even if things bombed tomorrow night—I’d have done what I came here to do. I’d connected with blood relatives. I’d found courage to spend time with people I didn’t know. Hell, I’d even gotten on a fucking plane. That all had to mean something. Right?
“You could do it on your own, pup.” Another caress to the cheek. “I’m just glad you don’t have to. But I can always fade into the woodwork—if that’s what you wind up wanting.”
I frowned. “Like, not be there?”
