Their Little House Colter (Five Little Roommates #1)

Chapter Two

Ari

After a long day in court, there was nothing I looked forward to more than an evening at Chained. My friends and I had staked out a sofa grouping in the conversation area just off the main floor, and nearly any day of the week, there would be several daddies with their littles hanging out there. Or in the little room where play was king.

Something I thanked whoever looked out for daddies and littles, every day. Moving to a new city took me right out of my comfort zone. A zone it had taken me many years to enter. The family that reared me had not been one who welcomed anyone who stepped away from the roles set for them by our parents.

The last thing I did that they approved of was passing the bar. Of course, it was probably the last thing I did that they knew much about.

I accepted the transfer within the firm of Caniby, Smith, Cane, Anderson, Heath, and Redding with some trepidation. And a little excitement. It came with a junior partnership I’d been working for. My membership at Collared was of long standing, and I hated moving away from my friends there, but when I mentioned the possibility, I learned that there was a sister club in my new town. One where my membership could transfer, leaving me free to visit Collared whenever I chose as well.

It wasn’t a secret, but somehow I’d missed out on the information. Working to become a partner in a large firm took a lot of time and brain power. The office I left behind was occupied by hundreds of attorneys, and my new location with its mere few dozen was not considered the premier spot to move up the ladder. But they had a cake to welcome me, a gorgeous terrarium as a gift to make me feel at home, and an entirely different office ethos. Instead of the chaotic backstabbing of the home office, we had friendly rivalries, weekly lunches where each person was encouraged to share their successes, and a supportive senior partner in charge who actually knew what we all had going.

Not that that would have been possible in the larger group, but it could have been so much better. I didn’t realize until I’d been at the new office for a week or so how much tension I’d been carrying. Suddenly, I wasn’t gulping Tums, my shoulders weren’t tight bands, and I slept all the way through the night without waking up. The hours were still long because there was a lot to do, but I loved my work. If I didn’t, I’d never have tolerated my previous branch. Law professors had all warned it would be rough, so I just accepted it. Until…I didn’t have to.

Settled in at work and in the house I’d bought nearly sight unseen because I didn’t have time to visit, it was time to go to my new club. I’d been very lucky with my home, the video the Realtor sent giving an accurate portrayal of nearly everything. But the club?

Miss Marion who was in charge of the little room back at Collared could not say enough nice things about their sister club—and she wasn’t wrong.

Chained welcomed me with open arms. Ms. Lily, Miss Marion’s counterpart, met me at the door and enveloped me in a hug that let me know this was my new home. She was an excellent hugger and also tour guide. She walked me through the various areas, explaining protocols and rules so I wouldn’t inadvertently make a mistake and feel embarrassed.

Even for a daddy, a new situation could be difficult, especially one as intimate as a kink club. Many did not even have space for daddies and mommies and their littles to interact away from the main floor areas. And while I totally got that some people liked impact play or fire or wax or bondage, our thing was a little different.

Shibari practitioners rarely had glitter up their nose, but for daddies, it was a common occurrence.

On this particular night, I bypassed the conversation area in favor of the little room. Although I didn’t have a little of my own, at this point, there were often some there who were looking for a daddy for an evening of play, something I could provide with pleasure. Stepping inside, I found a place to stand and take in the cheerful chaos. Various stations around the room held activities of all kinds for littles and, in some cases, their caregivers. Coloring, painting, crafts… In one corner, Ms. Lily sat on a big chair with half a dozen littles, boys and girls, seated on floor cushions in a semicircle around her. She was reading a large book with brightly colored images of wildlife babies on every page.

“Ari, when did you come in?” Bridger, one of my daddy friends approached me, hand extended to shake. “I didn’t realize you were coming tonight. Didn’t you have court?” Often, I was too tired after a long day facing the judge to feel sociable, even if I wanted to come, so his question was not only logical but showed he paid attention. A very daddy trait.

“I did, but it went well, and I felt like celebrating.” I shook his hand and let mine drop to my side.

“No better place to do that.” He waved around the room. “If you tell them it’s a celebration, they’ll all want to have a cake for it.”

I chuckled. “Right? It’s one of their best traits. If I’d thought about it, I’d have stopped by a bakery and brought one.” My first big case here had resulted in a win for an important client. It was well worth pastry.

“Maybe next time.” He smiled. “Hudson likes strawberry, in case you don’t know what to bring.”

“Where is that sweet boy?” Hudson was Bridger’s little and also his partner in big life. “Oh, wait. I see him.”

“Yeah, he’s doing a puzzle.”

Just then, Hudson scanned the room, lower lip thrust out in an adorable pout. When he caught his daddy’s gaze, he pointed at the table in front of him. “Looks like I’m being paged. I warned him that was a tricky one. All popcorn and more pieces than he usually likes.”

“You’d better go before the whole thing ends up flipped over and there are tears.”

“He’s not much of a flipper, but we can avoid tears. I’ll see you soon.”

As he settled into a small chair beside his little, I continued to look around the room. Despite the success of the day, I had worked hard to get that win, and my eyes were growing heavy. With a seven o’clock meeting in the morning, I shouldn’t stay too long. It was probably silly to have come at all, except I liked it so much, even an hour was refreshing. Turning toward the door, ready to leave, I spotted a little I had not seen before. He sat cross-legged on the floor, a picture book open in his lap. His focus was on the illustrations, but mine was on him. His pale-blue onesie with the baby tiger embossed on the front and light-up sneakers that flashed every time he turned a page suited him perfectly.

I had taken one step toward him when I remembered the rule. The little room was their safe space, and if he wanted to play with a daddy, he’d have to approach one himself. I lingered, hoping he’d notice me and come over, but I wouldn’t push. He deserved his carefree time. After a while, I decided to leave before I was too tired to drive home. Hopefully, this adorable little would be here next time I visited.