I scoff a laugh, and Mal looks at me, but I don’t answer him.
“Nice is not a word often used to describe him.”
“Well, he’s nice to me.” Rory huffs and crosses his arms. He’s trying to defend me, and I like that.
They exit the elevator and soon I can’t see them, so I close the feed to look at my millions of emails, but my head won’t focus on work.
Instead, all I hear is Rory calling me Daddy and us going on a date, even though all of that is a bad idea. Hell, his own brother listed the reasons that it’s a bad idea.
“Take the rest of the day off,” I tell Mal. I just want to be alone for a while. My head is running circles with all these thoughts of Rory and liking men. No, not men, just Rory.
“Nah, boss.”
“I’m just going home.” Mal looks at me and then at his watch. “You can come with me or stay in the city.”
“You’re really leaving early?”
“Yeah. I’m tired.”
“Are you getting sick?”
“I’m fine.”
Mal pulls out his phone again. “Bill will be ready in ten.”
I clean up my desk and log off my computer. Mal says nothing but watches me warily. Almost like I could fall over dead at any moment.
“Take it easy, old man.”
“Fuck off,” I grumble.
Mal shoves me toward the elevator. “Get some sleep.”
“Fuck off,” I grumble and ride the elevator to the lobby.
“Good evening, sir,” Bill says when I reach the sidewalk.
“Evening, Bill.”
He closes the door after me and climbs into the driver’s seat.
“Are you heading straight home?”
I nod.
Bill pulls smoothly out onto the road, and I lay my head back.
The sight of Rory’s soft full lips and bright green eyes flood my vision as soon as I close my eyes.
Why is this happening, and why am I holding back?
If I want something, I get it. But Rory is too sweet for my world. He’d get eaten alive. He’d be an easy target. Then again, if I claimed him as my own, he’d have my protection.
“Bill?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Take me to a toy store.”
