Chapter 19
DAMON
Every summer, Nigel throws a party for all of Elevated’s staff and their partners.
This year is no different. It’s a balmy evening, perfect for a leisurely trip along the Thames.
The boat we’re on has two decks and plenty of outdoor space.
A DJ keeps things lively, and there’s a plentiful supply of food and drink.
Rowan and I stand on the top deck, the wind rustling our hair as we watch the sights of London drift by.
He’s leaning against me, his hand resting on mine on the metal railing.
My other arm is around his waist, while I stroke his hip through his jeans.
While I’m wearing my customary suit, Rowan is more casually dressed in a white T-shirt, a pale blue overshirt, and stonewashed jeans.
“We’ve been together for six months,” Rowan says.
Everyone has accepted our relationship with ease. I introduced him to my parents; he introduced me to his. We’ve even done a few double dates with Nigel. He plays the field, which I also tended towards before Rowan and I got together. Now, my boy is the only one I can imagine wanting to be with.
“Still happy?” I ask.
Rowan laughs. “Of course, Daddy.” He uses the affectionate term openly, even though workmates surround us.
The joys of owning a sex toy company are that everyone is at the very least sex positive, and most of the employees are also kink positive. I don’t think it took anyone long to clock our dynamic.
“Are you?” he asks.
“Very.” I kiss and nuzzle his neck to prove it.
We’ve got to know each other over the last six months, including how well we fit together.
There’s a cosy comfort between us, always.
During the quiet moments, when we’re simply snuggling on the sofa after a busy day.
When we’re cooking together, we work in tandem to get the job done, rather than against each other.
In the bedroom, I’ve discovered every possible way to turn Rowan on.
We’ve explored our kinks together, often incorporating toys.
I gave him a new one for his birthday and another for mine.
He teasingly complained that I shouldn’t be giving him presents on my birthday, but, as I pointed out, it was a gift for me, too.
Most of all, I take care of him, and he brings sunshine and laughter into my life.
It’s hard not to smile when he’s around, even when Nigel decides to jet off at the last second again, disrupting my plans and foisting work onto my lap.
“I’ve never been to the Tower of London,” he muses, as the party boat drifts past it.
“Then we should go.”
“Have you ever been?”
“No.”
Rowan gasps in mock horror. “How is it that we both live and work in London, but neither of us has ever been to the Tower of London?”
I shrug. “I haven’t done much of the touristy stuff. I think, when it’s on your doorstep, it’s easy to put it off until another day.”
“And then another day never comes?”
“Exactly.”
“Huh. I guess you’re right.” He turns around, wraps his arms around my waist, and rests his cheek against my shoulder. “We should take a week off this summer and have a staycation, Daddy. Do all the touristy things in London we’ve put off doing.”
“Only a week?”
He hums. “Maybe two. There’s a lot to do in London.”
I chuckle. “That’s true.”
He lifts his head and stares into my eyes. “What do you think? Is it a good idea?”
“It’s a wonderful idea, boy.”
He grins. “Assuming Nigel will let us have time off together.”
“Oh, he will. I’ll make sure of it. He owes us.”
He moves his hands, clasping them across my nape. “See, this is why I love you.” He tilts his head, smiling. “I do, you know, love you.”
It’s the first time he’s said it since the racetrack, when he was overexcited from getting to drive supercars at high speeds. His statement makes my insides go warm and fuzzy, and my heart flutters.
“I love you, too.” I kiss him softly, allowing my lips to linger against his for as long as possible.
I can’t explain why I’ve held back on saying the words out loud, but now that I have, I know it’s true.
It’s a feeling that’s developed gradually, over the months we’ve been together.
Lust and infatuation slowly transformed into blissful contentment.
I know, deep in my heart, that he is my future—the man I want to spend my life with.
He makes me happier than I thought possible.
“I never want to be caught in a snowstorm again, but I’m glad it happened once,” I say.
He chuckles and kisses me. “I feel the same way. Thank you for stopping me from freezing to death.”
“I think that’s a bit dramatic, boy.”
“Is it? Really? The way I remember it, you saved me that night, becoming my Daddy in the process.”
“We kept each other warm.”
“Eh, maybe. I prefer my version.”
I chuckle. “All right, we’ll go with your version. I’d do it again in a heartbeat. I will always take care of you.”
“That’s good, because I want you to take care of me. Speaking of which, when does this party end?”
I check my watch. “I think the cruise lasts for another hour, and then the boat docks. Not that the party ends then. I think we can stay on board until about midnight.”
“Do you want to?”
I purse my lips. “Are you making a different suggestion?”
He tickles my nape. “You could take me home and we could play.”
We still have separate apartments, but we tend to spend more time in mine, as it’s closer to the office.
Although I love waking up in his apartment to the scent of freshly baked bread, we tend to stay there at the weekends.
When we’re finally out of bed, we go downstairs to the bakery and buy something for breakfast.
“Did you have anything in mind?” I ask.
He plays with my shirt buttons. “I love it when you tie me up, Daddy.”
A shiver runs through me. I adore strapping him to the bed. Sometimes spreadeagled, so I can stare into his eyes as we make love. Other times on his stomach, so I can spank his arse while I fuck him.
“And when you incorporate toys into our play.”
Sometimes I use toys as part of foreplay, other times during sex. The Room for Two dildo has been getting a lot of use.
“Any other requests, boy?”
“Hmm… No. I trust you to turn me on, Daddy. I trust you to make me feel special and wanted.”
“You are special, and I will always want you,” I assure him.
“Get a room,” Rubin says.
I’d been so wrapped up in Rowan that I hadn’t noticed Rubin and his three partners approach us.
“That’s the plan,” Rowan says. “As soon as we can get off this boat, anyway.”
“Getting off the boat sounds good,” Rubin’s heavily tattooed partner says. He looks a little green.
“Are the sea sickness pills not helping, Sir?” a sassy twink asks him.
“They are, but I still want off the boat.”
Rubin laughs. “I should introduce you all. This is my second boss, Damon.”
I smile and incline my head in a greeting, even though I’m not sure I like being referred to as a ‘second boss’. I suppose I am, though.
“Rowan,” Rubin says, continuing the introductions. “And these are my gorgeous guys. Toby, Lyric, and Hendrix.”
I’m familiar with Lyric’s videos, and we’ve given Hendrix toys to promote for us on his streams, although I’ve never met him before.
“It’s nice to put a face to the name,” I say, shaking his hand.
“I can’t say Rubin ever mentioned you by name, but if you’re the one responsible for giving me toys, I like you already. Although the Tentickle isn’t a good name.”
I frown. That was the first toy we gave him, via Rubin. “Why?”
He opens his mouth, but Rubin slaps his hand over it. “It doesn’t matter.”
“No, no, I’m interested.”
Rubin lowers his hand.
Hendrix grins. “Because octopuses don’t have tentacles, they have arms.”
I don’t know what to say to that.
“I designed the box,” Rubin hisses.
“Yes, and as I told you before, an octopus was the right thing to put on the box, because the dildo resembles an octopus’s arm.
” Hendrix glares at me. “Arm, not tentacle. If you’d wanted a dildo shaped like a tentacle, it should have been smooth with suckers at the end.
” He shivers. “Actually, you should design one like that. Stat.”
I open and close my mouth.
“I thought octopuses had tentacles,” Rowan says.
“No.” Hendrix sighs dramatically. “I just thought you should know that the name is wrong.”
“Noted,” I say. “Although Armtickle doesn’t have the same ring to it, does it?”
“Eh, I suppose not.”
“It’s a fun toy, regardless of how accurate its name is,” Rowan says.
“Very true,” Hendrix says. “I had record views on the stream where I played with it.”
“And our sales went up,” I recall.
Hendrix grins. “Which means you should send me another toy to play with.”
I chuckle. “I’ll see what I can arrange.”
“You should send him the Room For Two,” Rowan suggests in a stage whisper.
“That sounds like something that requires a partner,” Lyric says.
“It is. I’m sure you’d both have fun with it.” Rowan waggles his brows.
“We will. Send it via Rubin.”
“And on that note, we’re going to leave you two love birds alone.” Rubin corrals his men away.
“They all seem nice,” I say.
“Rubin always seems to be on cloud nine since they got together,” Rowan says.
“I’m not sure I could handle two bratty boys.”
“Who says Rubin is a brat?”
“I think he probably has a bratty streak. Don’t you?”
“Yeah, probably.” Rowan melts against me, resting his cheek on my shoulder once more. “Good thing you don’t even have one bratty boy to deal with, isn’t it?”
I stroke his hair and back. “You’re perfect exactly as you are.”
“So are you, Daddy. My strong, caring Daddy.”
“We were talking about the fun we’re going to have tonight, once we’re off the boat.”
“And home.”
I laugh. “Yes, and home. Speaking of which—how do you feel about moving in together?”
He lifts his head and stares at me.
“We spend all our free time together, anyway. It doesn’t make much sense to pay two lots of rent.”
“No, it doesn’t.”
“Sorry. That wasn’t a romantic way of asking you to move in with me.”
Rowan giggles. “It was rather pragmatic, Daddy. You don’t need to apologise for that. It would make more financial sense.”
“Yes, but it’s more than that.” I gather his hands up in mine.
“I want to live with you, boy. I want to say we’re going home and mean it.
I don’t want to have to decide whether we’re going to yours or mine, but know we’re going to ours.
I want to share our bed every night. Cook in our kitchen. ” I sigh. “Am I going overboard now?”
“No. Not at all, Daddy. I want that, too. Let’s move in together. Your place is bigger.”
“Yours has a bakery beneath it.”
“But yours is closer to the office.”
“Or we could look for somewhere new.”
“That sounds like a perfect compromise, Daddy.”
I shake my head. “Not a compromise. A fresh start, for us both. The beginning of our lives together.”
Rowan releases a swoony sigh. “Now that was romantic, Daddy. I want this boat ride to finish even faster now.”
I chuckle. “So do I. But we’re both going to have to be patient.”