Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
Tyrell
I’d never thought watching my Little boy kiss someone else would make my chest feel this full.
But there they were, tangled together on the blanket, Hope’s fingers knotted in Perry’s shirt, Perry smiling into her mouth like he’d just been handed the sun.
And God help me, I was hard as a rock from the way Perry looked—braver than I’d ever seen him, leaning into Hope with that soft little laugh of his—letting himself be wanted. Letting himself want back.
My hand tightened in the blanket beside me.
Tyrell, behave.
Lee shifted closer, shoulder brushing mine, his hand resting just next to mine, close enough that I could just reach out and... touch. I knew he felt it too, but I hadn’t discussed going there yet with Perry and would wait until we were both on the same page.
Hope made a small sound when Perry tugged her into his lap, so she straddled him, settling herself on top of him. She gasped when she felt him, hips rocking once in surprise before instinct took over.
It was too much. Too fast.
I reached out, calm and steady, and rested my hand over Perry’s thigh. “Easy, little nuggie.”
They both froze.
Hope blinked at me like she’d forgotten where she was. Hair messy, lips swollen, eyes hazy. Perry’s pout was immediate and spectacular, lower lip sticking out as he peered up at me like I’d just canceled Christmas.
“Daddy,” he whined softly.
Fuck, he was beautiful.
I brushed my thumb over his knee. “We haven’t talked about rules yet,” I said gently. “And we’re out in the open. Picnic blanket, remember?”
Hope’s cheeks went pink in a way that made my chest ache. She looked mortified and relieved all at once.
“I… sorry,” she mumbled.
“Nothing to be sorry for, sweetheart,” Lee said quietly, hand warm on her back. “You two were enjoying yourselves. That’s allowed.”
Perry huffed, but he nodded, because my good boy always listened even when he didn’t want to. Hope slid off his lap, tucking herself beside him like she needed somewhere safe. And the fact that she found my Little to be her safe haven only served to make me feel even more for her.
And it did the same thing to Perry if the puffed up chest he was sporting was anything to go by.
I watched them for a second, letting all my own feelings settle before coming up with a distraction for them, and me.
Then I pointed up at the sky.
“Hey,” I said. “How about you two do some cloud-watching?”
Perry’s pout softened immediately. “Oh I haven’t done that in ages!”
Hope let out a shaky laugh. “You’re serious?”
“Dead serious,” I responded, before looking up at the sky and picking a cloud at random. “That one looks like a dinosaur. And if you two can’t see it, I’m confiscating dessert.”
Perry grabbed Hope’s hand and dragged her down beside him, already chattering about dragons and rabbits and suspiciously cupcake-shaped clouds. Hope giggled, still pink, still a little dazed, but lighter.
Lee leaned into me, voice low. “Good call.”
I watched my Littles lying shoulder to shoulder in the sun, fingers laced together, pointing at nothing and everything.
My chest ached in the best way. Thinking of Hope as my anything was probably asking for heartbreak, but at this point, I didn’t think there was any chance of us not getting attached, so I might as well just go with the flow.
“That one’s a dragon,” Perry announced, pointing at a drifting cloud with absolute authority.
Hope squinted. “That is not a dragon.”
“It has wings.”
“That’s a smudge.”
“It’s a dragon-shaped smudge.”
I lay back on the other side of her, propping one arm behind my head. Lee settled near her feet, long and lazy, stretched out on the blanket.
Perry reached across her stomach to point again, his fingers resting there absentmindedly. She didn’t tense. Didn’t overthink it. She just laughed when he insisted another cloud looked like a cupcake wearing a crown.
And slowly, inch by inch, I watched her stop thinking so darned hard.
Her laugh got lighter. Freer. She stopped correcting him. Started agreeing with the ridiculous shapes just because it made him grin.
“That one’s a bunny,” she said suddenly, sitting up a little. “See? The ears?”
Perry gasped. “You’re right!”
She beamed at him, pure and bright.
And then—
“Daddy, look—”
The word slipped out of her like it had always belonged on her lips. Everything stilled. Hope froze first. Then Perry. Her eyes went wide as she realized what she’d said.
I didn’t hesitate.
I reached over and brushed my fingers gently through her hair. “I see it, button,” I said evenly. “Big floppy ears.”
Her breath left her in a shaky rush.
Lee shifted closer without comment, resting his hand on her ankle. Perry, sweet Little that he was, just laced their fingers together tighter.
We didn’t make it a thing, so it didn’t become one.
Hope slowly melted back down into the blanket before pointing out a daisy-shaped cloud.
By the time the sun started dipping lower, the golden light turning her hair into something almost unreal, Perry had drifted quiet beside her.
Hope was still staring at the sky, but I could see it creeping back in.
The heavy thoughts.
“Walk with me,” I said softly.
She blinked at me, then nodded.
Perry didn’t protest when she got up. Just smiled sleepily and stayed where he was with Lee.
I took her hand and led her a little ways from the blanket, toward the edge of the field where the trees cast long shadows.
For a minute, we just walked, then her fingers tightened in mine.
“I feel like I keep messing this up,” she whispered. “Like I don’t know what I’m doing.”
There it was. The brave face cracking.
I stopped and turned to her. Her eyes were shiny again, but not from panic. From feeling too much. “You don’t have to know,” I told her.
Her bottom lip trembled just slightly. “I don’t want to mess this up.”
“You won’t.” I wanted nothing more than to pull her into my embrace and hug away all her fears, but I knew it wasn’t the time yet. We weren’t quite there yet.
“But what if I do?”
Oh, the poor, pretty girl was breaking my heart. I stepped closer, cupping her face carefully, giving her every chance to pull away.
“Then you trust us to fix whatever you broke.”
Her breath hitched.
“Daddy…” she said, softer this time. Intentional.
I leaned my forehead against hers. “Yeah, button.”
“Will you kiss me again?”
My hand slid to the back of her neck, steady and warm. “Of course I will,” I murmured. “But slow.”
She nodded immediately. Good girl. My mouth moved against hers with patience, giving her something solid to lean into instead of something that would sweep her away.
When I pulled back, her expression was much calmer. I felt an insane amount of pride at helping calm her anxieties.
“I think we’ve had enough excitement for one day. Let us get you back inside and fed with something other than picnic snacks.”
“Okay, Daddy,” she whispered before standing on her toes and softly pressing her lips against mine in one last chaste kiss.
A chaste kiss that did nothing to calm the raging erection in my pants.