Healing Daddy (The PlayPen #2)

Chapter One

For the fourth weekend in a row, JJ hung out at The PlayPen and played with the Littles.

He wasn’t really daddy material. JJ sure as fuck wasn’t a Little.

He just didn’t hate the world when he was here.

Since JJ’s life had been ruined a while back, he couldn’t shake the bitterness that filled every corner of his soul.

For a whole lot of drama that wasn’t his, JJ had ended up abducted, tortured, and missing his right hand.

Since he was right-handed, this was a major life change for him.

It was his job to guard the Bosi family.

Considering Bosi was the biggest weapons dealer on the West Coast, his inability to use a gun with his left hand had made him virtually useless.

But sitting here with people who had chosen a simpler life, he didn’t feel as angry as he was all the time when he wasn’t at The PlayPen.

Specifically, when he was at The PlayPen with Leary.

Leary was a Little who had befriended JJ.

He always wore footed pajamas and loved for JJ to read to him.

Currently, he scooted around on his knees, pushing a toy car in a circle around JJ.

Everyone at the private club called Leary Bean.

JJ would be goddamned if he called the guy that.

While Leary seemed fine with the insulting name—supposedly they called him that because he was round— there was absolutely nothing wrong with Leary’s body.

JJ fucking hated that Leary just accepted the bullying.

He understood Leary didn’t want anyone to know his real name anyway.

Still, JJ liked him a lot and hated the disrespect.

“I can help with that, you know?”

JJ blinked. He had been lost in thought and had no clue what Leary meant. “What?”

Leary sat back on his heels. While still staring at his car, he motioned toward JJ’s missing hand. “If you’re not happy, I can help.”

“If you’re about to tell me you have a spell that regrows hands, then I’m in.”

Leary’s chuckled. His chin lifted. He wore a huge grin. His deep green eyes sparkled as they focused on JJ, taking away all the pressure still weighing his shoulders down. Leary scooted his way. “I’ll tell you, but it’s a secret, okay?”

JJ fought a smile. “Cross my heart.” He drew an X across his chest to prove his secrecy.

Leary nodded, seeming appeased by the promise. He crawled as close as he could get to JJ. “I have to whisper it to you.” He crawled to JJ’s side and cupped JJ’s ear. “I’m an orthopedic surgeon.”

JJ turned his head. Their faces were inches apart. His eyes still looked pure as hell, as if he hadn’t just admitted to being a complete badass.

He crooked his finger, beckoning JJ closer again.

JJ allowed him to whisper in his ear another time.

“I’m part of a team that works with bionic prosthetics.”

He was blown away by that confession. No way would he have guessed that was what Leary did for a living.

He turned his head again. JJ couldn’t stop thinking about how beautiful Leary’s eyes were up close.

Not that they weren’t always gorgeous. “That’s amazing, sweetie.

Very impressive. Sounds like you’re pretty damn smart. ”

Leary’s face turned bright red. He looked away. “No. I’m just me, but you can still come see me at work sometime and I can help, if you want.” He shrugged as if uncomfortable and certain JJ would never choose him for something like this.

His head shot up and he met JJ's gaze. Leary looked horrified. “Not that I don’t think you’re perfect just as you are. Because you are, perfect, I mean.” His face was bright red again.

JJ couldn’t help the smile that spread across his lips. This was the only place he smiled. It hit JJ, this was the only person who made him feel good. JJ’s gaze moved over Leary’s face. He truly was adorable.

“You have beautiful eyes.”

Somehow, Leary’s face got redder. “You don’t have to say that. I know I’m not pretty.”

JJ blinked. “Who in the hell told you that? You’re adorable.”

Leary grabbed his car and went back to playing without responding.

JJ wasn’t having it. He was ready to find whoever had squashed Leary’s confidence and destroy them. He might be right-handed but he could slit a throat with his left. For now, he couldn’t let Leary retreat.

“What do you do outside of this club?”

“Work, mostly.” Leary never looked his way as he answered. He just kept pushing his car around the track design on the rug. “What do you do?”

Oh, no. Leary didn’t know he was on team bad guy. “Um… I work for the owner of this club’s dad.”

Leary finally sat back on his heels and gave JJ his undivided attention again. “I know that, silly. What do you do besides that? I know you’re not a daddy. You’re obviously not a Little, so what do you do for fun?”

“I hang out with you. Would you like me to read to you?”

Leary shook his head. “I have too many ants in my pants tonight.”

JJ bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. “Do you want to go get ice cream and then go to the park?”

Leary lit from the inside. His eyes sparkled with happiness. “That sounds like so much fun. Will you push me on the big swing?”

How could JJ say no? “Sure.”

Leary shot to his feet. “Yay!”

Like that, there was nothing JJ wanted more in life than to have ice cream and push Leary on the big swing. Sounded like the perfect night.

In a small way, Leary had worried when he took off his pjs JJ wouldn’t treat him the same.

He had no idea why. Leary was just accustomed to being invisible.

At the private club where they had met, Leary had still been ignored before JJ’s friend, Cairo, had asked Leary and his friend July to play.

July hadn’t been at the club since that night, as far as Leary knew, but JJ kept going back.

For the first time, he felt seen in a way he never had before. With JJ, he felt a lot of things.

Leary sat on a park bench eating his ice cream while JJ waited in line at a lemonade cart to get them drinks.

The light from a nearby streetlamp highlighted his tall form.

JJ was so pretty. He had dark blonde hair that was all one length with messy, thick curls that brushed his collar and framed his face.

Then there was his eyes. Wow. He had the lightest green eyes Leary had ever seen.

They were filled with bitterness. While Leary knew JJ worked for a weapons dealer, Leary wore pajamas and played with kid’s toys.

He wasn’t really in a position to judge anyone.

Leary was curious as hell, though. He wanted to know everything about JJ.

The problem was, while Leary wasn’t shy, he was awkward.

When it came to his job, he was confident and in control.

Leary just wasn’t good at the rest of life.

JJ headed his way with a cup in one hand and another tucked between his arm and torso.

Leary didn’t jump to help him. He dealt with patients exactly like JJ all day long.

Leary recognized the determination on JJ’s face.

If he tried to help, JJ would likely shut down or explode.

Leary wanted JJ to keep as much of himself as possible. That was important.

JJ passed him a cup and sat. “They only had one size.”

Leary took a sip. It was better than he expected. Lemonade carts usually made their drinks too sour for his taste. This one was perfect. Maybe it was the company. “Thank you. I would’ve paid. You didn’t have to treat me tonight.”

JJ flashed him a smile that made Leary feel warm in unexpected places. Leary melted. “I invited you. That means I pay.”

“Does that mean I pay for dinner sometime?”

JJ laughed. “Yeah, I’m probably going to pay then too.”

Leary realized he smiled from ear to ear. He loved being around JJ. “You’re just that guy, aren’t you?”

JJ lifted his shoulder in a half-shrug. “It seems so.” He took a drink and then eyed the cup. “That’s better than I expected.”

Leary burst out laughing. He had no idea why. It was the way JJ made the claim.

JJ looked his way, smiling.

Leary nearly sighed.

Then JJ made it worse. “I love your laugh. You should do that more often.”

“Why are you so nice to me?” Leary didn’t mean to blurt that out, but really. JJ had come from nowhere and adopted him.

JJ responded immediately—like the answer should’ve been obvious. “Because you’re nice and you’re my friend.”

Leary learned a whole new emotion. He was thrilled yet disappointed.

Just a friend. He had known that, but he had enjoyed dreaming.

That said, he wanted a friend too. He had to change the subject before he did something dumb—like cry.

“You can answer this only if you want? This is the doctor in me. What happened to you?”

Something dark passed over JJ’s features, making Leary regret his question. Still, he didn’t take it back. He ate his ice cream and waited JJ out.

“Workplace accident.”

Despite his best efforts, Leary’s eyes widened. “What kind of accidents happen working for who you do?”

The bitterness in JJ’s expression was painful to see. “The kind where you get abducted and they start chopping off pieces to make a point.”

Leary’s jaw dropped. He had told himself he wouldn’t react, but there was no way he could have seen that one coming.

“Holy crap. There’s no way I could endure that.

I’d start crying at just the threat. Heck, I might’ve passed out before the first cut.

You’re incredibly brave to still be sitting here. ”

“If my colleagues hadn’t recused me, I wouldn’t be sitting here.

At the time, the pain and shock clouded most everything.

” His mouth lifted in one corner with a sardonic smile.

“I’m not brave. That day ruined my life.

Nothing has been the same since. The only time I don’t feel sick with rage against the unfairness of life is when I’m with you. ”

Leary’s throat swelled. The backs of his eyes burned with unshed tears.

His voice refused to go above a whisper when he tried to speak.

Leary pushed through anyway. JJ deserved a response after exposing himself like that.

“That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.

” Leary cleared his throat. He refused to fall victim to his awkwardness.

“You have no idea how grateful I am that we met. For the first time in years, I haven’t felt like someone looked right through me. ”

Somehow they had moved closer and leaned each other’s way.

JJ's gaze moved over Leary’s face, as if searching for something only he knew.

“Can we do this again? If you’d rather we just hang out at The PlayPen where you can be yourself, that’s what we’ll do.

But you’re actually talking to me tonight and I really like your voice. ”

Whoa. He couldn’t be real. No one as pretty as JJ had ever looked at him the way JJ did now. If Leary said no, then he might stop. “I’d like that.”

The genuine smile that exploded across JJ’s lips took his breath away.

Even though Leary was a good ninety-nine percent certain that JJ only wanted to be friends, Leary still liked the way he felt when JJ was around.

Still, Leary made a vow. He would not end up disappointed.

No matter what happened with JJ down the road, Leary would take these memories and feel nothing but nostalgic happiness for the time JJ shared with him. His attention was enough.