Chapter 10
I’d made it to his house by two, having spent most of the day in consultation with our newest potential client. Nick and I had spent hours with Rhode Wattford, who had just bought thirty acres in Lake St. Agnes complete with a rundown early 1900s Queen Anne, a carriage house, and a dilapidated stable. We couldn’t do anything about the stable, that wasn’t our specialty, but completely renovating the mansion and carriage house? We were all over that. It was going to be a huge undertaking, and Nick was writing up the bid right now.
We were both excited about the prospect of the project. It would be our biggest to date. Rhode, as he insisted we call him, was turning the three-story mansion into an Inn and retreat space. His plan was for ten guest rooms—five each on the second and third floors—and turning the ballroom into a conference and dining room. The house itself had good bones, the foundation solid and most of the walls in good shape. Some work had been done on it throughout the years. He already had plans to replace the roof, which was a huge step. But just about every inch of the big house, as well as the carriage house where Rhode would live, needed work.
Rhode was clearly impressed with us. He didn’t even try to hide it, which I found refreshing. When Nick had casually mentioned his husband, because the man never hid his sexuality, a small smile crossed Rhode’s face. He was clearly accepting, if nothing else, and that raised my estimation of him. I was looking forward to working with him.
My mind was wandering over the project, attempting to keep my hopes manageable, as I tore up the broken and partially rotted boards of Leith’s front porch. It wasn’t as bad as I originally thought, which seemed to be the theme with the house. Only one section was really bad, and the support beam and post needed to be replaced, which is why it was sagging. But other than that, it was still sound. I’d probably get it done by the time the sun set around nine tonight.
“Daddy?”
Oh so that was the mood Leith was in. Just a few hours ago, I’d been Jay. But the school year was officially over, he’d finished at noon, and clearly he was slipping into his submissive mindset now that he was off for the summer. Apparently he did some online tutoring in July and August, and with that and his yearly salary, he was able to live comfortably. I was glad he didn’t have to bust his ass all the time just to survive. I knew how little teachers made, and I couldn’t imagine librarians fared much better.
I sat back on my heels and set the power drill down before looking up at him. He was standing in the doorway, a cane his only support. His doctor had wanted him to start using it last week, but with all the time he spent on his feet, he’d been too nervous to. Now that he was home, he was using it more and more.
“What’s up, angel?”
Leith’s smile was small and sweet, just like every time I used the endearment. I hadn’t planned on it, but it fit him. The more he showed me he liked it, the more I found myself using it. But especially now, when he called me Daddy, it was natural as breathing to call him angel.
“I made you a snack. Are you able to take a break?”
I wiped the sweat off my forehead and grinned. “Absolutely. I appreciate the thoughtfulness. Give me just a minute.”
Leith nodded, his smile growing, and he turned carefully, still not quite used to the cane. He paused to give one of Franziska’s leaves a quick stroke, which made me smile. He had a lot of plants—they took over most of the living room, and there were at least several in every other room of the house—but I knew that one was his favorite. I leaned back a little farther to watch him walk, and he was steadier than he thought he was. It would be no time before he could walk unaided, though from my understanding, the brace would stay for a while yet.
I got the last two decking screws out that were holding the current board in place, pulled up the board, and tossed it into the growing pile at the bottom of the steps. Then I stood and stretched, twisting my back and shaking out my arms. It felt good to move since I’d been on my knees for a good hour.
Stepping over the threshold, I made sure to wipe my boots well on the mat. It was a new addition. Leith had just put it down the other day, and it was the durable kind that did a good job cleaning muck off the bottom of shoes. I’d repeatedly offered to take my work boots off, but he insisted I didn’t have to. This just helped keep the floors cleaner. I was honestly touched that he’d gotten it. To me, it was a sign he wanted me in his home, dirty boots and all.
Leith was futzing at the table when I entered the kitchen, so I washed my hands and forearms in the sink. I needed to do it twice since my fingers were nearly black from the dirt and grime on the porch boards. As I scrubbed, I looked over the counter space. The cabinet floor under the sink still needed to be replaced, but really, it would be smarter to just redo all the cabinets and put in a new counter. The current one was chipped Formica, a relic from three decades ago.
“You know, with the discount we get at wholesalers, we could replace all the cabinetry for a really decent price,” I mentioned as I shut off the water.
Leith tsked, but when I glanced over, his smile was fond. “You won’t be happy until you’ve renovated every inch of my house, will you?”
I shrugged, unapologetic. “It’s what I do. And you can’t tell me you don’t want to do it.”
“Eventually.” Leith stepped back and pulled out the chair that, in the past week, had become mine. “I refuse to fribble away your time on such things.”
I squinted. “I think that means wasting my time, and let me tell you, boy, anything I want to do for you is not a waste.”
“I know,” he said quietly, gaze intense. “And I will take you up on that offer…in the future. It would be foolish of me not to. I had budgeted that particular renovation for the winter, though we may be able to undertake that in the fall, considering the aforementioned discount.”
I opened my mouth, ready to argue, but snapped it shut before I did. We were new, just starting to establish our dynamic, and I couldn’t push too hard. Not yet. We hadn’t even really begun dating, though I would fix that soon. I had plans for Friday night, as long as he was free.
It was then I noticed the so-called snack he prepared was a whole-ass platter. Well, it was on some kind of large cutting board, and I knew there was a name for it but it escaped me at the moment. Three different kinds of cubed cheese, red and green grapes, two different kinds of crackers, and I could identify both pepperoni and salami from where I stood. He set out small plates, cloth napkins, and tall glasses of iced tea. As usual, Leith didn’t do things by halves.
“You’re gonna spoil me, baby boy. This is outstanding.”
Leith let out a soft sigh. “I might like that more than angel. No, not more. But just as much.”
I crossed the room in four long strides and stepped right into his space. He didn’t move a muscle, just tilted his head back to look up at me. Cupping his cheeks, I kissed him soundly, slowly, trying to convey with my lips and touch all the affection I felt for him.
“You like serving Daddy, don’t you?” I murmured, our lips brushing together as I spoke.
He fiddled with the hem of my shirt, then slid his fingers underneath to touch my skin. “It makes me happy. It gives me purpose and a sense of fulfillment.”
I nodded, kissed him again, but then pulled back when my stomach growled. Lunch had only been a few hours ago, but I was hungry. We both laughed as we separated, and Leith waited until I was sitting before he sat beside me. Then he started filling my plate with a little bit of everything.
“Would you like more rules?” I drank deeply from my glass, and the second I set it down, Leith refilled it from the pitcher set off to the side. I layered a piece of what looked like Colby Jack onto a cracker and topped it with a piece of salami. “Other than the no touching rule we’ve already established of course. I’m talking daily rules.”
He squirmed for just a second or two before blowing out a breath. He focused on adding food to his plate, though I noticed he gave himself far less than he’d given me. Since I didn’t think he actually had a problem with food, I just made a mental note to keep an eye on things. I knew a fair number of people, some of them subs, with disordered eating, so it was always on my radar.
He picked at a grape, using a nail to scrape off a tiny speck of brown where it had come off the stem before popping it into his mouth. “I like rules.”
“I know that.” I pointed at him. “But that doesn’t answer my question.”
“I suppose it doesn’t,” he said with a smirk. He stacked a cracker with all three kinds of cheese but left it on the plate. Then he let out a soft sigh and folded his hands on his lap. I gave him a few seconds, waiting to see if he’d say more, but it didn’t take long for me to figure out that he wouldn’t.
Sensing he needed more support, I turned my chair so I was facing him instead of the table. I held out my hands and he took them both quickly. For a good minute, I just held his hands and breathed slowly and deeply. It only took him a few seconds to match his breaths to mine.
“Talk to me.” It wasn’t a request and he knew it. It was exactly what he needed.
“We met seven days ago. It’s only been three since we really began to explore what’s between us. But even still, I’m ready to go all in with our dynamic. I’m apprehensive to ask for too much this soon for fear of driving you away.”
My mind raced with all the things I could say. I was glad that he told me where his head was at, because I wasn’t a mind reader, though I was coming to learn his tells and cues. I was getting to understand what made him tick, in and out of the bedroom. I wondered if he’d had some bad experiences in the past that had him hesitating now. And most of all I wanted to reassure him that I was completely on the same page.
“C’mere.” I tugged lightly and he immediately stood, but I pulled him down so he was straddling my thighs. He was slightly taller than me in this position, and I was the one leaning my head back. I wrapped my arms around his waist and rubbed his back. “Thank you for telling me. Is there a reason you’re worried that I’m not right there with you? Because I am.”
Leith smiled then, the corners of his lips tugging up. “That’s a relief to hear. And I can’t say there’s a particular reason. Other than societal standards dictating that moving too fast is detrimental to a relationship.”
“Fuck that shit,” I growled, and his eyes went wide, either at my tone or my words. I couldn’t care less. I gave him a swat, but it wasn’t hard. I just wanted to make sure I had his complete attention. “The only one who decides things about our relationship is us. Right?”
Leith nodded quickly. “Right. Yes.”
“Good boy. Now. Do you want to tell me what you want? Or would you rather I tell you what I’m thinking and we go from there?”
He buried his face against my throat as he wrapped his arms around my neck. I’d let him hide if it would be easier, as long as he talked. It took a few seconds before he said, “You first, Daddy.”
Man, I fucking loved hearing him call me that. I kissed the spot behind his ear, lingering for a moment, before I scooched him a little closer so we were as connected as possible. Since I’d been thinking about this for days, I had a list at the ready.
“All right, here’s what I’d like. If we spend the night apart, you are to text me good night before you sleep and good morning the following day. Since I know you tend to get lost in your work or a good book, you’re to go to bed a reasonable hour. Friday nights are reserved for date nights. Starting this Friday. It will by no means be the only time we spend together. I want to see you as much as possible. But Friday night is sacred. If something comes up, you need to ask permission to cancel.”
The more I spoke, the clingier Leith got. I loved it. He could hang as tightly and for as long as he wanted. He lifted his head just enough so he spoke directly into my ear. “Those are good rules.”
I chuckled. I had a feeling he wouldn’t have a problem with any of them. But I saved the biggest two for the last on purpose. “There’s more, but they’re bigger. Are you ready?”
Leith pulled back, eyeing me suspiciously. But I saw a twinkle in those amazing eyes, so I knew he wasn’t too scared. “Yes, Sir.”
“I pay. If we’re out, whether it’s for dinner or we’re shopping or whatever, I’m the sugar Daddy,” I said playfully, but I was studying him, watching several expressions flit across his face. I hurried on. “I’m not going to take over all financial responsibility. You’ll still have that autonomy in most regards. But it’s non-negotiable.”
He pursed his lips, thinking. “What about presents? If I want to buy you something?”
He was too sweet. And since it wasn’t an outright refusal, I went with it. “That is acceptable. Within reason.”
I could almost see the gears working as Leith tried to figure out a loophole there. He rubbed his fingers on the back of my head, where the hair was the shortest and kind of fuzzy, as he mulled it over.
“What’s the other rule?”
I couldn’t help the smirk. “If you want to buy any more plants, you need to ask permission.”
Leith gasped, face all outrage even as his eyes sparkled. “Daddy!”
“Sorry, angel.” I poked his side. “You have far too many plants. I tried to count the other day and got lost after a hundred. Permission needs to be asked and granted before you bring another plant into this house.”
“What about—”
“Outdoor plants need to be discussed as well,” I interjected, guessing where he was going. “Though I’ll be more lenient there, as I know there’s landscaping to be done.”
He harrumphed. “I was going to ask about swaps, or cuttings gifted from a friend. They’re free.”
I shook my head, not surprised he’d tried to find a way around it. “It’s not about the money you’re spending, though I’m sure it’s not an insignificant amount. It’s about sheer numbers. Your house is bordering on a tropical jungle at this point.”
He grinned and sighed happily. “I know. Isn’t it amazing?”
“It’s pretty awesome.” I kissed his nose because he was just too cute. “But the rule stands. Permission is needed. But I’m not heartless. If you can make a good case, then I can be swayed.”
Determination lit his expression. “I can be quite persuasive.”
I chuckled, loving the playful attitude. Leith was a treasure and I was lucky he wanted to be mine. I couldn’t see him breaking any of the rules, even the plant one, because he was a good boy. But the last two weren’t easy, so I gave him the time he needed to think about it.
It didn’t take as long as I thought it would. I saw the moment he gave in, even though he pretended to think about it for a few more minutes. I kept up the soothing rubbing of his back, trying to convey with my touch that this was all on him. A lot of people said the submissive held all of the power, because without their agreement and consent, none of this could work. Because they could stop everything with just a word. That was only partially true, especially in a dynamic with a power exchange element. But Leith did hold some power, and the next step was up to him.
Then he took a deep breath and said the words I wanted to hear. “I’ll follow your rules, Daddy.”
We sealed the promise with a kiss.