Saving Little Clark (Brave Daddies #4)

Chapter 20 Clark

At the office, I constantly found myself drawn to Brody's private workspace like a moth to a flame. Every spare moment, every flimsy excuse, I used to sneak away and steal a few precious minutes in his arms.

At first, Alex was scandalized by my brazen behavior. He'd cornered me by the water cooler, eyes comically wide as he hissed, "Clark! This is a place of business, not some seedy back alley. Keep it in your pants, for the love of HR."

I just grinned unrepentantly. "Like you've never made out with Will in the supply closet."

"That's neither here nor there," he sniffed primly. "Do as I say, not as I do, young man."

But his scolding lost its sting entirely the day I caught him slinking out of Will's office, hair mussed and tie askew. I leaned against the wall, arms crossed and eyebrow cocked in silent judgment.

"Well, well, well," I drawled. "Look who's doing the walk of shame now."

Alex froze, guilt flashing across his face before he quickly schooled his features into a mask of innocence. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he said loftily. "I was just discussing some very important business matters with Daddy."

"Uh huh. Business matters. Is that what the kids are calling it these days?"

He glared, lips pursed in a valiant attempt to look stern. But the effect was ruined by the telltale hickey peeking out from beneath his collar.

"Oh, hush, you," he grumbled, swatting at me halfheartedly. "Like you're one to talk, Mr. Hanky-Panky-in-the-Break-Room."

I gasped, pressing a hand to my chest. "I'll have you know Daddy and I keep our hanky-panky strictly confined to his office, thank you very much."

He snorted, shaking his head. "You're both menaces," he declared. "Horny, insatiable menaces.”

As the days passed, Alex's good-natured ribbing tapered off, replaced by a knowing smirk whenever he caught me sneaking off to Daddy's office. It was a silent acknowledgment. My friend, giving me his wholehearted approval to pursue my newfound happiness.

But despite the thrill of stolen kisses and secret smiles, I couldn't help but crave more. More time, more intimacy, more of everything Daddy made me feel. And then, on an otherwise unremarkable Tuesday afternoon, tucked away in the privacy of Daddy's office, he gave me exactly that.

"Move in with me, baby bug," he breathed against my lips, arms banded tight around my waist.

I pulled back with a start, eyes wide and heart pounding. "What?"

Daddy smiled, soft and sure, and reached up to cup my cheek in his palm. "I want to wake up with you every morning and fall asleep with you every night. I want your toothbrush next to mine in the bathroom and your silly novelty coffee mug in the kitchen cupboard. Please say yes."

"Yes, Daddy," I croaked, voice cracking. "A thousand times yes."

With a whoop of laughter, he surged forward and captured my mouth in a searing kiss, pouring every ounce of his joy and relief into the press of lips and slide of tongues. With a last nip to my bottom lip, he drew back, ignoring my whine of protest.

"Much as I'd love to celebrate this momentous decision with a good old-fashioned desk fuck," he purred, "I think it's time we took this somewhere a bit more private, hmm? Wouldn't want to traumatize poor Alex any more than strictly necessary."

I groaned, dropping my head to his shoulder in defeat. "Ugh, fine. But you better make it up to me later, Daddy."

"Oh, I plan to," he vowed, low and intent. "Over and over again. Starting with christening every flat surface in our new home."

Our home. God, I'd never heard a sweeter phrase.

By the time I tumbled through the front door of my apartment that night, dizzy with happiness and just the slightest bit smug, Alex took one look at my face and threw his hands up in exasperation.

"Oh god, what now?" he groaned. "Did Brody propose or something?"

I blinked, momentarily thrown. "Not exactly..."

Alex's eyes narrowed. "Clark. Explanation. Now."

For a beat after I told him, there was dead silence. And then, with a whoop of pure, unadulterated glee, Alex launched himself at me, tackling me into a bone-crushing hug.

"That's amazing!" he crowed. "Oh my god, my boy's all grown up and shacking up with his Daddy."

I felt my cheeks heat. "He said he wants a life with me, Alex. Like, a forever kind of thing."

Alex's face softened. "Oh, Clark," he whispered. "Of course, he does. Anyone with eyes can see how crazy that man is about you." He reached out, chucking me under the chin. "Remember all those times back in college? We constantly wondered if we would find a Daddy of our dreams one day."

The next week passed in a giddy blur of packing and planning, stolen kisses and goofy smiles. Moving in with Daddy was every bit as wonderful as I'd imagined, full of laughter, love and the occasional spirited debate over closet space.

But it was the little things, the tiny moments of intimacy and connection, that truly made my heart sing. Like the night I emerged from the bathroom after my shower, toweling my hair dry, to discover Brody sprawled out on our bed, flipping through one of my well-worn novels with a soft, wondering smile on his face.

But the moment that truly stole my breath was the evening I wandered into the living room after a long day at work, only to find Daddy sitting cross-legged on the floor, tongue poking out in concentration as he carefully arranged an assortment of stuffed animals and blocks into a makeshift fort.

He glanced up when I entered, eyes crinkling at the corners. "Hey, baby bug," he greeted, warm and easy. As if it was the most natural thing in the world, him sitting there surrounded by my Little gear.

"I thought we could have a special playdate tonight. We haven't really had a chance to explore this side of things since you moved in, and I want you to know that I'm still all in. That I love every part of you, no matter what."

But the surprises didn't end there. Barely a week after that precious playdate, I came home from work one evening to find Daddy excited.

"Hey baby," he greeted as he met me at the door, smacking an enthusiastic kiss to my lips. "How was your day? No, wait, don't answer that yet. I've got something to show you first."

I blinked, bemused but already charmed by his puppyish eagerness. I let him lead me into the depths of the mansion, past the kitchen and living room and up the stairs. We finally came to a stop outside a nondescript door at the end of the hall, one I'd assumed led to a storage room.

Daddy paused, turning to face me with a suddenly serious expression. "Before we go in, I need you to close your eyes. No peeking, alright?"

I pursed my lips, trying to look stern. "What did you do, Daddy?"

He just grinned, unrepentant. "It's a surprise, baby bug. Close your eyes, and let Daddy show you just how much he loves you."

I obediently let my lids flutter shut. I heard the snick of the door opening, felt his hand at the small of my back guiding me forward.

"Okay. Open."

I did. And promptly forgot how to breathe. Because there, stretching out before me in a riot of color was the most magnificent playroom I'd ever seen.

Murals depicting scenes from my favorite storybooks covered every available surface. In one corner, a veritable mountain of stuffed animals sat waiting to be cuddled, spilling out of a hammock chair suspended from the ceiling.

Bookshelves overflowing with picture books and coloring supplies lined the far wall, interspersed with bins of blocks, puzzles and dress-up clothes.

It was, in a word, perfect. The playroom of my wildest, most secret dreams, brought to glorious technicolor life.

Daddy was watching me closely, eyes bright with tentative hope and just the faintest edge of nerves.

"Do you like it? I tried to include all your favorite things, but if there's anything else you-"

I cut him off with a fierce, breath-stealing kiss, flinging my arms around his neck and crashing our mouths together.

"I love it, Daddy," I gasped when we finally broke apart, flushed and panting. "I can't believe you did all this for me."

Giggling helplessly, I let him lead me around the space.

"See this little kitchen set? It's got all kinds of yummy play food, so you can make Daddy all sorts of special treats. And look, over here - a doctor’s kit, for when Baby Bug needs to give his stuffies a check-up."

He darted from one corner to the next, enthusiasm radiating off him in waves. I trailed behind, utterly charmed, marveling at the care and attention to detail he'd put into every inch of the room. But it was the moment he led me to the reading nook, complete with a plush rocking chair and the biggest, softest teddy bear I'd ever seen, that truly threatened to undo me.

"I thought this could be our special spot," Daddy explained, suddenly bashful. "You know, for cuddles, story time and when you just need a little extra TLC. I even got one of those sound machines, the kind that plays nature sounds. So you can drift off in Daddy's arms without any pesky distractions."

"Daddy," I whispered. "I don't even know what to say."

His arms came around me, sure and strong, tugging me into the shelter of his chest. "You don't have to say anything, sweetheart," he assured me. "Just let Daddy take care of you."

He hummed softly, swaying us from side to side. His big hands smoothed up and down my back, fingertips tracing idle patterns over my shoulder blades. I felt myself relaxing by degrees, slipping deeper into that soft, fuzzy headspace that only ever seemed to happen in his arms.

Soon, everything else just fell away. The stress of work, the worries and anxieties that often plagued me.

The next few weeks passed in a blissful haze of laughter, love, and more Little space indulgence than I'd ever dared to dream possible. Daddy was true to his word, encouraging me to explore and embrace my Little side at every turn. From living room picnics to bubble-filled bath times, he threw himself into caring for me with a joyful enthusiasm.

On our invitation, on one sunny Saturday afternoon, Alex and Uncle Will found themselves standing in the middle of my playroom, eyes wide and mouths agape.

"Holy guacamole," Alex breathed, turning a slow circle to take it all in.

Beside him, Uncle Will let out a low whistle. "Damn, Brody, when you commit to something, you really go all out, huh?"

Daddy just grinned, slinging an arm around my shoulders and tugging me into his side. "Nothing but the best for my baby bug," he declared, dropping a smacking kiss to my temple. "Probably went a bit overboard, but hey, what's the point of having a mansion if you can't dedicate an entire room to spoiling your sweetheart?"

I giggled, cheeks flushing with pleasure even as I swatted at his chest. "Daddy," I whined. "Stop it, you're embarrassing me."

"Nuh-uh, no way. A Daddy's sacred duty is to embarrass his Little one in front of company. It's like, the law."

"Well, far be it from Clark to stand in the way of the law," Alex drawled. "Daddy, how would you feel about converting the guest room at your mansion into a playroom? We could even get matching rocking chairs for story time."

Will's expression went soft, eyes crinkling at the corners. "Great idea. We can make it a special project, just the two of us. Pick out all the colors and toys and little touches that'll make it perfect for my boy."

Alex lit up at that, unabashed delight and adoration on his face. He threw himself into his Daddy’s arms with a giddy laugh, peppering kisses all over his beaming face.

The day devolved into a whirlwind of laughter and play as we explored every nook and cranny of the playroom. Alex and I settled onto the plush rug with our coloring books, heads bent together as we scribbled, giggled and chattered on.