7. Lex
LEX
Rory’s here.
Perfect.
I grab my full coffee cup and dump it down the drain before I exit my office.
“Judy, I’m going to get more coffee—” I stop and smile at Rory. “Rory. How nice to see you again.”
“Hi there!” He perks up and uncurls from inside his sweatshirt. How does he fit his whole body in there? “I was hoping I’d see you again.”
“Me too.”
“Really?”
“I wanted to thank you for the postcard.”
“I hope it wasn’t lame, but I wanted to thank you and let you know I was thinking about you while I was having fun.” He sounds so nervous.
“It isn’t lame, and I’m glad you had fun, but why do you think the trip was from me?”
“You were so nice to me when we first met, and it just made sense.”
“You deserved something nice.”
“So you know what happened to me?” He puts his head down in shame.
“I do, but that doesn’t define you. I wanted to let you tell me who you are, not what happened to you.”
“I like that. Too many people think they know me, and it makes them more opinionated about me.”
“Tell me who and I’ll take care of them,” I growl. Rory just laughs.
“I appreciate the offer, but you just can’t go around killing people.”
“Watch me,” I grumble, and he shivers this time. “No one gets to make you upset.”
“That’s-that’s very thoughtful of you.” He looks up at me through his dark lashes, and fuck me. His lips are gorgeous. I really want to taste them, to see how they stretch around my thick cock.
Leaning back, I clear my throat. “Did you get everything you wanted on the trip?”
He huffs adorably. “I wanted some stuffies, but Brendan said we wouldn’t have room to bring them on the plane with us. I did get a new hoodie.” He stands and shows off the oversized hoodie. “Perfect for curling up in.”
You could curl up in my lap. I’d keep you safe and warm.
“It looks very comfortable.”
“It is, and I had so much fun. Maybe we can meet again and I can show you some pictures from my trip?”
I think he’s flirting, but I’m not sure what to do with that. Have I been flirting with him? I don’t like guys, and even if I did, they wouldn’t be as old as my daughter. But why can’t I stop thinking about Rory?
“Or not. It’s okay if you don’t want to spend more time with me.” He sounds so defeated, and I want to kick my own ass.
“I’m sorry, rabbit. I got distracted, but I’d love to see pictures from your trip.” Cause I haven’t already looked through them… multiple times.
“Really? I know you’re busy and all—”
“I’ve got time.” Well, that’s not true. I’m always busy, but I’d make time for him just to see his face light up. “Can you show me now while we wait for your brother to finish?”
“Sure!” He gets out his phone and logs in.
He spends the next several minutes showing me pictures of anything and everything. The smile on his adorable face is blinding, and Brendan looks mostly miserable whenever they’re on rides.
“That one’s my favorite.” I point at the picture of him holding a lantern. He looks so peaceful, and the soft lighting makes him look an angel.
“What do you mean?” Rory asks, and I realize my mistake.
“Out of all the ones you’ve shown me, that’s my favorite.”
“Oh sure. That makes sense. My favorite one is this one.” He chuckles and flips through the pictures until he finds the one of Brendan looking like he’s going to piss himself on a rollercoaster.
“That’s a good one.” I huff a laugh and grab his phone so I can page through the pictures and put on a tracker before handing it back to him.
He’s quiet for a moment. “Thank you. For everything.”
“Anything for you, rabbit.” If he only knew how true that was. “I need to get back to work now, but I hope to see you again. You’re always welcome here, even without your brother.”
He nods, but he seems lost in thought now. “Thank you… sir.”
“Bye, little rabbit.”
“Bye, big—boss man.”
I smile all the way to my office, where I promptly turn on my lobby camera and watch him. He’s blushing now, and it’s so adorable. This boy is too sweet for this world.
“I want a man on Rory at all times. I don’t want anyone that could make him nervous… And I don’t want him to know. Actually, send Tag.” Mal looks up. “Yes, I know he’s crazy, but he’ll protect him with everything he has.” Mal nods and sends out a message.
I watch Brendan and Rory walk out of my lobby, but when they get to the elevator, I shamelessly turn on that camera and listen in, but I keep the volume very low and hope Mal doesn’t hear it.
“What do you do here?” Rory asks.
“Oh, um, nothing really,” Brendan answers, but he squirms. He’s not a good liar.
“Lex said that you—” Rory used my name, and damn, it sounds good out of his plump lips.
“Lex? Who’s Lex?” Brendan snaps.
“The silver fox Daddy who’s always there.” Rory describes me, and it’s so adorable. He thinks I’m attractive and a Daddy. Maybe he would be interested in being my boy. I could ask him next time and see. That thought is thrown out by Brendan’s harsh words.
“Rory, listen to me. He’s off limits, and he’s straight.” Brendan isn’t wrong. “He’s got a daughter that’s older than you.”
Now I wince.
Am I a creep?
I know I’m a lot of things, but am I a creep?
“I’m not saying I want to date him.” Date? “We’ve talked a few times, and he’s been nice.”
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.”
“Right away, sir.”
I’m going to spoil the hell out of this boy, and before he knows it, he’ll be mine. I’m still not sure what I’m going to do with him when I have him, but he will be mine.