26. Doc
D addy . The word bounces around in my head as Soren washes me. It’s not something I’ve ever considered for myself, the dynamic not one that seemed to match up with my needs and kinks. How wrong I was.
As Soren drags the washcloth over the bite marks he left on my body, I come to the realization that he’s shown me his nature from the very beginning. Maybe not full-on, but, from the get-go, he’s never hidden the type of kind and caring person he is. I had admired that about him, and saw it in the way he treated his patients. Having that focus turn on me in a very not nurse/patient role is… It’s a heady feeling.
“Daddy.” The word is clumsy on my lips, but I say it anyway.
Soren looks up from where he’s dragging the washcloth down my legs. His bright eyes seem to soften as he studies me.
“It’s okay. I don’t expect it to feel natural to you, or for it to be easy to say; I know it’s new for you. Hell, you don’t have to say it at all, if you don’t want to.”
I shake my head. “It’s not that, it's just that I’m not used to it. I never expected to have one, you know? Never been interested. As I said, everyone else only wanted to be one in the bedroom, and that’s not my kink. But…I know we haven’t known each other long, yet I already feel better knowing I have someone other than James to rely on.” I shake my head again, letting out a long sigh.
“Maybe I’m jumping the gun, being stupid, but that’s how I feel.” Shrugging, I look away from him, unable to handle the weight of his gaze. “I don’t know if this dynamic, or even this…relationship, or whatever it is, is right for me. But I want to try.” So fucking badly do I want to try.
Soren drops the cloth to the floor and cups my face, pulling my mouth down to meet his. “So we’ll try, and hope we’re both not wrong.”
“Do you like eggs?” Soren asks as he moves around the kitchen.
“I do, hard boiled or over easy, no in between.”
He laughs and shakes his head. “Of course, why would there be with you? Okay, toast or English muffin?”
“English muffin, duh. And coffee, lots of coffee. With cream and sugar. There’s powdered creamer next to the sugar that I like. But Kail likes liquid creamer, so there’s some of that too in the fridge if you prefer.”
“I prefer tea, actually.”
I wrinkle my nose. “Gross. James has tea. I have no idea what kind because that’s not my thing, but there’s a tea box in the cabinet above the coffee maker.”
Soren goes about getting breakfast ready, or a really late lunch since it’s after two in the afternoon now. The way he moves about the kitchen is…captivating. He’s not afraid to ask where things are, or about my preferences, and maybe that’s not such a big deal, but it’s the confidence in which he does so that gets me going. There’s not a pause in his step as he goes about getting our food ready, even when he needs to ask for help.
James comes into the kitchen and wraps his arms around me, kissing my neck and making me squirm as his lips inadvertently brush over the mark Soren left there.
“Could have been a little more conservative with your claiming, Soren,” James says.
Soren doesn’t miss a beat as he plates the food. “Why would I do that? It’s more fun this way, knowing that everyone who sees him will understand he’s owned by someone else.”
I jolt in my seat, lust shooting through me and my cock perks up at his words. Which is ridiculous because normally that type of bullshit is the fastest way to get kicked out of my bed, not invited into it. But everything is different with Soren… My Daddy.
“Should I be worried then?” James asks, though his tone is more amused than anything, and he’s still hugging me from behind.
Soren smiles and slides my plate over to me before grabbing my mug and refilling it. “No,” he answers. “I know the score. Doc is mine, but I’m not about to get into the middle of what he has with you, it’s not my business. So long as you don’t hurt him, you and I won’t have a problem; we want the same thing.”
“We do,” James says, and I know him well enough to hear the approval in his tone, it’s also there in the way he squeezes me.
“Ashby,” I say, not allowing myself to think about it too hard. “My first name is Ashby,” I tell Soren, voice low. “I… Please don’t call me that unless you absolutely have to.” Picking up my fork, I break up my eggs, watching the yolk ooze out from the whites. “Only James and Cristian know my full name. Well, Tennant too, but he likes to pretend he doesn’t like me so I don’t count him.” And most likely Hollis, but he’s discreet enough to not say anything.
“Hey.” Fingers cup my chin and I raise my gaze to meet Soren’s. “Thank you for trusting me. I promise, I won’t abuse this gift you’re giving me, okay?”
“Okay. Thank you, Daddy.”
He smiles. “You’re welcome, boy. Now, eat. I have to leave soon so I can change before I take over from Rose.”
Breaking off a piece of English muffin, I scoop some egg up and force myself to eat, even though all I want to do is look at Soren for the rest of the day. He’s right, though, he can’t go into work wearing my too-big clothes, despite how good I think he looks in them.
James lets go of me, pressing one last kiss to my temple as he moves around the kitchen island. He knows exactly what it cost me to tell Soren my name, but I don’t regret it. If we’re going to do this, he deserves honesty from me. I might not be ready to tell him everything yet, but this small piece of me isn’t as hard to give up as I feared it’d be.
Finding another person to trust has always seemed like a fantasy, but…maybe I was wrong.