Chapter 23
Levi
“Oh, if anyone has the Crawfords on their invitation lists for the holidays, you need to watch out for seafood.” Heads tilted like no one had any idea what was coming but I knew at least a few of them must’ve heard about it.
“It seems like Mr. Crawford keeps forgetting about how severe his wife’s allergy is and something he’s been eating is setting it off. ”
On a regular basis.
Late afternoon meetings required lots of shrimp, evidently.
It didn’t seem like he was trying to kill her, but his newest flirtation loved one of the fancy seafood restaurants down by the port. It was far enough away that it should’ve been a safe spot, if not for Mrs. Crawford’s allergy.
And at the very least, his inability to brush his teeth after kissing his young friend.
Eyes rolled around the room except for one pair that went wide.
Oh.
I knew that look.
“Um, yes.” Annette was new enough to the industry to understand there were pieces she was missing, but she was smart and quickly put a few things together.
One plus one was coming up to three for some reason, though.
“Um, I was told Mrs. Crawford was going to be out of town for the holidays.” Something about the expression on her face said the good stuff was incoming. “I was planning on shrimp and salmon for the menu because I heard his niece was coming and she loves it.”
Oop.
That was one lawyer who was a moron.
Gregory cleared his throat, doing an admirable job of trying not to laugh as he passed a plate of scones to Annette that she hadn’t asked for. “It might be a good idea to recheck the menu.”
And the guest list.
Who’d invited his mistress?
Well, flirty new friend at the very least.
Did nieces actually kiss on the mouth?
Blinking, Annette nodded and took one more of the tiny scones. “I think confirming a few things is a good idea.”
Teddy’s eyes danced with delight but he managed to keep a mostly straight face as he nodded. “I’ve heard she has other commitments up north, though. So she might be out of town anyway.”
Oh, he knew something.
“Really?” Gregory raised one eyebrow, making a dry sound like it was only half interesting. But just the fact that he’d commented at all said he approved and was wonderfully curious.
“Yes.” Shaking his head, Teddy took a small sip of the last of his tea. “I’ve heard her husband doesn’t like how much time she’s spent lately visiting family.”
Several coughs popped up around the table, but Gregory kept his neutral expression as he nodded. “That does happen.”
He wanted to know where Teddy got the good gossip, and so did I, but we were too polite to ask in front of everyone. I’d grill him later, and then I’d let Gregory work it out of me because that was just how it was done.
But it seemed to be the last of the good gossip and plans because within minutes everyone was done and had to go back to real-world errands and less interesting things than sharing why all the treats at the bakery were overbaked.
He needed to find his ovens more interesting and his new assistant less or his business and his marriage were going to fall apart in spectacular fashion.
It took a while for everyone to help clear the table and head out, though.
Handwashing china was a pain in the ass, but it had to be done and no one ever left quickly unless they had to.
But with most of the holiday to-do list already done, it was just a few last-minute things that needed to be handled.
Like making sure I grabbed Teddy’s presents from Gregory.
“That was so much fun.” Teddy was having a hard time staying big once the house was finally empty and Chipmunk was ready to burst out. “I did great and Macy didn’t think it was weird.”
“Because it wasn’t.” Macy liked him a lot. She just hadn’t thought to ask him because I was the only non-staff member who’d ever attended.
“Come to our tea party, sir.”
There was no good way to have made that sound normal.
“I did great.” Bouncing around the kitchen, he didn’t seem to notice the way Gregory was trying not to smile at all the enthusiasm coming out of my boy. “I even had good…commentary.”
Gregory lost the battle with his smile again, but I laughed as I caught Chipmunk in my arms. “You did. I’m very jealous.”
“I know…” He giggled, crashing his head into me. “I know the guy who…who lives next door to her.”
Oh.
Chipmunk thought that was hilarious and it took him longer than he realized to get control of his giggles enough to finish sharing where he’d got his goodies. “She…she rents a townhouse over by the river.”
Once he got that out, Chipmunk was able to straighten and tell us the story.
“His room is right next to hers and her husband yells so loud through the phone that my friend can hear it. She’s mean to the neighbors too.
She doesn’t even say thank you to the man who takes care of the grounds. That’s not nice.”
Yeah, and that would’ve been enough to get the gossip going right there.
If she wasn’t even trying to look polite in public, everyone would start to wonder what she was doing in private.
“I can’t believe you kept something that good from me.” Glaring at him got more giggles, but he felt proud enough that it pushed back his little side. “How do you know him?”
“He’s been in several of my classes over the past couple of semesters. His mother runs that fancy French restaurant over by the port where the seafood one is. He’s always got great gossip but no one else to share it with.”
He did now.
“We’ll have to pick up something for him for Christmas.” That had Chipmunk snickering again, but I needed him big, so I wrapped one arm around him and focused back on Gregory.
“Is there anything else we can help you with?” Everything looked good to me, but I wanted to double-check.
“No. Thank you for your help and for coming.” Gregory didn’t hug in front of anyone else because it wasn’t proper, but he gave me his approving nod. “I’m glad to see that you’re enjoying yourself over the holidays.”
He was stuck between a rock and a crazy bitch when it came to knowing how to help me, but staying with Chipmunk and his family was much better than any alternative. “I am. They’ve been gracious hosts.”
If not nosy ones…and his smile said he’d guessed that part.
I’d have to keep the good stuff for another time, though. Chipmunk didn’t need to hear me marveling at all the ways she found to stalk us and question me about my energy balance.
“Are you going to give Mr. Theodore a tour of the house?” Gregory fought back another smile as Teddy groaned at the longer version of his name that drove him crazy.
I wasn’t sure his middle was any better, but at least Gregory hadn’t called Teddy Mr. Sunrise.
One parent picking out the first name and one picking out the middle could have drastic long-term consequences.
“Yes, just a short one.” Teddy’s mother would wonder where we’d gone if we vanished for too long. “I’ll see you before we leave, though.”
For a hug and to make sure Teddy’s presents had made it into the trunk of my car.
“Very well.” Smiling again, Greory nodded toward the living room. “I have a few things to check on, so I’ll let you have your privacy.”
“Thank you.” Taking Teddy’s hand, I gave him a quick kiss as Gregory headed deeper into the house and I led my boy toward the front stairs.
Teddy was trying to look grown-up but his grin and the way he nearly bounced up the stairs made it harder to pull off. “I get to see your room.”
“Naughty boy.” My whispered response got another giggle from him, but the happy sound had a more wicked feel to it. “You’ve been fantasizing about me.”
Since he couldn’t deny that, he tried to change the subject. “Did I tell you that I know the man who manages the UPS store by the bakery? He likes Mom’s candles.”
Oh, that was a good distraction.
“I’m not falling for it this time.” I’d let him find a good time to bribe me with it later. “I’m more focused on how naughty these fantasies were.”
Pink cheeks and another laugh said they’d been good, but we got to my room too quick for me to fuck with him about it. His enthusiasm meant we’d nearly run through the house and I knew Gregory was getting a giggle out of it.
“Oh.” Chipmunk made it into the bedroom far enough for me to close the door, but just a few steps in he froze and his eyes got wide. “This is amazing.”
Sports bar and a brothel.
Yep, that was my mother’s style when it came to what she thought a teenage boy needed, right down to fancy sheets and a dark blue color on the walls that looked like ladies of the night were due any second.
Chipmunk was psychic.
“I’ve died and gone to my teenage version of Heaven.” His awe-filled tone had me trying not to laugh as I came up behind him and tucked my cock against his ass. “It’s perfect.”
Kissing his neck, I let him sink into the fantasy as I ground my dick into his ass. “Did you imagine me spread out on the bed, naked and hard for you?”
He nodded as a needy whimper escaped, but he was too far into the fun for the embarrassment to chase away his desire. “You were always hard and you had that smirk. I love that smirk.”
Naughty boy.
It was sexy.
So I nibbled at his neck and pressed myself tighter against his back. “Were you kissing me or was I jerking off for you?”
Both.
Definitely both judging by the moan he let out and the way his knees went wobbly.
“Yes. That.” Still shaking, Teddy leaned back into me and rubbed his ass against my dick. “I was right too. You’re big.”
I wanted to laugh because he was basically the same size as me, but I nuzzled and kissed him instead. “I bet you dreamed about climbing on the bed and crawling up between my legs.”
When he was confident enough to instigate playtime of any sort, he was always on top and my Chipmunk loved taking care of me in a variety of ways. He didn’t seem to connect that behavior to wanting to top, though.
“I…I was rocking on you like I did in the tub…and…and riding you.” He needed to learn to lie better if he wanted that answer to feel complete.
“You’d be sexy like that.” He would. “You’d also be sexy sinking into me and taking care of me that way.”
Oh, that squeak was adorable.
“I…I like taking care of you.” He didn’t seem to know what to say, but the way he was grinding himself against me said he wasn’t ready to call a halt to the conversation yet. “You like it when I take care of you.”
And it made Chipmunk happy too.
No matter what way he helped me along, he’d giggle and would get so excited it was impossible not to love it.
“I do.” Stroking his chest, I held him tight with one hand and let the other wander over the front of his body. “I love it when you use your body to make me come and when you kiss me all over. I’m going to love it when you sink deep into me.”
It was time to address that topic head-on since talking around it hadn’t worked at all.
I wasn’t sure if he’d let me, though, but the way he sucked in a breath wasn’t a safeword. “You…you’d like that.”
Since we were both on the same page with that, I stroked down to his erection and ran my hand along the length of it. “You’d be a very good boy as I used your cock, wouldn’t you?”
Did he realize he wouldn’t have to be in control doing it that way?
He went still as I thought he was thinking about what I’d said, but that still wasn’t a safeword, so I kept playing with him and kissing him. “You’d take good care of me but you’d listen to what your Daddy said, wouldn’t you?”
As he let out a deep breath, he nodded and it seemed like he’d finally started to relax into the idea. “I like taking care of you.”
Nodding, I hoped we’d get further than just repeating the same thing over and over. “I’m glad.”
Was there going to be more?
Maybe.
Just as I started to switch back to the fantasy discussion about what he’d jerked off to before, he shifted and it felt like he was ready to do something.
Anything that would give him a clue about what he was thinking would be great.
“That doesn’t mean I’m in control, though.” Taking another breath to steady himself, he nodded slowly and leaned his head back to rest it against mine. “Top and bottom don’t mean Dom and sub.”
“That’s right.” Licking around his ear, I smiled as he shivered and let out a needy whine. “If…let’s call it going first is something you really want and fantasized about, that’s good too. There’s no right or wrong with us.”
Or with what we’d do in my bed.
But I wasn’t sure if he was ready to talk about that, much less do it unless we could actually talk about it.
Chipmunk knew that, though.
“I…” Whining, he turned around in my arms and hid against my neck. “I always thought about doing it that way and I know it’s not the same thing as being your Dom…but…but I don’t want to do a bad job.”
Oh.
“Would it have been easier if I’d already done it?” My boy was a fascinating cutie because he nodded without reservation. “Well, would it make it easier if I explained that I’ve got toys like dildos that I use on a regular basis?”
Chipmunk went still but after a few seconds he nodded. “Yes. I know that’s—”
Oh no.
“Ah.” Cutting him off got a giggle but it made my point.
“It’s perfectly fine, Daddy.” Feeling cheeky again, he straightened and kissed my cheek before snuggling against me, not hiding any longer. “I don’t know what you thought I was going to say.”
His level of ridiculous bordered on the absurd sometime.
“We’re going to have to practice so that sounds more believable.” I kissed his head as he giggled. “It’s a long-term skill you’ll need to master if you want to get something over on me eventually.”
From what I’d seen, it was something every married couple needed at some point, but we had time to figure that out…and we’d start when he finished giggling.