Chapter 18
Truce
In the kink club Kairo had become over-stimulated, the tears of pleasure leaking out because he couldn’t hold it in any longer. Now it was the opposite. There was no pleasure, no daddy holding him through this.
That’s what I was here for, though. To be Daddy through good or bad times. To care for him was what I wanted most in the world. This little had gotten into my blood. My mind. My soul.
I lurched toward him but a strong arm stopped me. Sorel.
Kairo had mentioned his name. I’d seen it over his shoulder on his text window several times. Other than that, I never snooped. I’d already put two and two together. This was that man standing before us. A man who had known Kairo all his life.
Together, we caught Kairo as he collapsed to the floor. He hadn’t completely fainted because he was strong enough to pull away from us.
“No, no, no, no.” He bent over on his knees and clutched his stomach.
“Baby, it’s okay.”
“No.”
Sorel looked at me perplexed as Kairo inched away.
“Leave me alone!”
“Baby.”
But it was as if he couldn’t hear me.
We watched him for a few seconds.
Then Sorel rose. “Sometimes he has moments like this when he needs his time alone,” he said. “It was more prevalent in his childhood. But maybe you should go.”
I stood back. How could I explain? It was obvious Kairo had never told him about me. And it wasn’t my place to out him in his own house. But what he really needed was me and Sorel didn’t yet know that.
I blurted, “I can help.”
“Yes, I’m sure. But not now. I heard him ask about you leaving as I approached the doorway. I think you should.”
Sorel had heard wrong. I glanced at Kairo. He was curled into himself sobbing, stuttering the same words. “Leave me alone.”
“Please, sir.” Sorel took a protective step toward me. “He’ll call you later?”
Kairo was wrong about me being angry or upset. But he wouldn’t hear me. Not right now.
This man ran this huge house. It was obvious he’d always been protective of Kairo. I couldn’t politely refuse him. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t even have my car.
“Please, sir. I’ll see to him.”
I balked at his choice of words. See to him. That was my job. But without Kairo’s consent insisting I stay, I was the intruder.
To avoid any undo drama, I got up and left the room. But I had no intention of leaving. Kairo needed me. He’d see that very soon. They could call the cops if they wanted, but my first priority was Kairo. I had to make sure he was all right.
I moved slowly down the stairs. Remembering everything Kairo had shown me on our tour, it was easy to make my way through the maze of halls and rooms to the big living room.
I found a plush chair by the fireplace and sat, phone in hand.
There was no one to call. I wasn’t going home so I didn’t need an Uber. Yet.
I closed my eyes and leaned my head back. My poor baby. He had misinterpreted so much. I’d never said the three big words, I love you, to anyone. He was the first. But he didn’t know that.
Just as I was about to go back upstairs, not caring what anyone said, I heard hurried footsteps. Sorel was headed to the front door when he saw me.
“Sir. Good. You haven’t left. Please come. Kairo is inconsolable. He’s curled up on his floor and doesn’t hear me at all.”
I jumped up.
“He started calling for his daddy but he’s never had a daddy. At least not one who knew him.”
My poor baby boy.
“I can help him if you don’t send me away.”
“It’s you he’s been seeing these past six weeks?”
“Yeah. My name’s Truce.”
“My name’s Sorel.” He held out his hand and we shook. “I’ve never seen him happier, sir. Until this moment.”
“He never told me where he lives until today. He thinks he wronged me. But that’s not true. I don’t care where or how he lives. Just know that I love him. Very much.”
Sorel nodded. “He wants you, then.” He gestured to the stairs.
I jogged up the steps two at a time. The door to Kairo’s room was still open and I rushed inside. He lay on the floor by the side of the bed all curled up, hands over his head. Sniffles filled the room.
I knelt by his side and put my hands under his shoulders. “Baby, I’m here. I’m here.” When I pulled him to me his limp body fell into my embrace.
I picked him up and placed him on the bed, then grabbed Shrek and Donkey and put them in his line of sight. As I got on the bed beside him, the toys between us, I said, “Look. Your favorites. They don’t want to see you cry.” I leaned over him and kissed his head. “Why are you crying, baby?”
Finally, his eyes opened. “Daddy? Where are we?”
Startled at the question, I gripped his shoulder. “Your room, baby.”
He gulped. “But you left.”
“No. I’d never leave you, sweetheart.” All the love I’d ever had came surging up. If it wasn’t so ecstatic, I might have called it painful.
“But you hate me now.”
“What?”
As he started to relax, his fingers closed over Donkey’s tail. “I lied.” Tears began to well again. “I’m so sorry.”
“You didn’t lie. You just didn’t offer anything on this subject.”
“Grandfather says omissions can be lies. Especially in business.”
“Honey, this is between us. But you and I? We’re still getting to know each other. I want to keep getting to know you. Don’t you?”
His wet blue eyes peered up at me. “You do? I do, yes. But I made a scene. I’m sorry. It’s horrible-awful behavior. I felt suddenly very little.”
“It’s all right. That’s what littles do.”
“No. Not me. I’m a very good boy.” He frowned. “Except for lying.”
“I think I understand it, though. Tell me if I’m wrong.”
He huffed up. Nodded.
“You’ve been here in this big house all alone, right?”
“There’s no one else but staff… even though they’re all nice.”
“Right. And when we met, things got going pretty quickly. At least, for me.”
“Me, too, Daddy.”
I smiled. “It’s not just about worrying what others might think.
It’s about how you feel deep inside. Your caring nature.
Everything about you is pure affection and honesty, baby.
You’ve shown me so much and I’m grateful.
In fact, I’m in awe of you. We’ve come far.
My place is where we’ve done all our firsts.
I think you’re pretty comfortable there, right? ”
He wiggled closer. “It’s warm and smells good and I feel safe. I love it.”
“That’s exactly what I mean. You associate my place with all the things you maybe wanted but never had. And this place, which is a beautiful house with everything a person could ever want, still holds something my place was an escape from.”
He had stopped shivering, his gaze intent on me. “What, Daddy?”
“Loneliness.” I paused. “Do you think maybe that’s right?”
Little wrinkles appeared above his nose, his thinking face. “I’m alone.” His chest rose and fell. “But you get used to it.”
“Hmm. But maybe you didn’t want to be used to it.”
“And maybe I was afraid people will see all this.” He waved his arm through the air. “And not me.”
“That makes sense. But I still see you.”
The frown deepened and his mouth went crooked.
I spoke the words again. “I see you, baby. Everything private you’ve shown me, I see it. And I love it. I love everything about you.” I glanced upward. “And now this part of you, too.”
He followed my gaze around the room.
“If we really care about each other,” I continued, “we’re going to show each other more and more. This was going to happen. I was going to see this house eventually. And meet Sorel and all of it. Why? Because of trust. But was it too soon, sweetheart. Do you not completely trust me?”
His eyes widened. “I do, Daddy. But it’s scary. It made me afraid because I love you.”
I pressed my palm to his cheek. “I not only love you, baby, I’m in love with you. Maybe I should have told you that before now. But now I have.”
“In—in love?”
“Too fast?”
“No.” The word came out followed by a high-pitched squeak and a bounce. “I’m in love, too.” He buried his face in my chest.
I petted his back. “It can be overwhelming. Make a person desperate-feeling. Scared and happy and needy and alive all at once. It can almost feel like being sick.”
“Daddy, yes. That’s exactly it.”
I chuckled. “So glad I’m not alone in this.”
He lifted his head to look at me again. “You’re not alone. And neither am I anymore.”
My hand slid to the back of his head, pulling him up to me for a kiss. Our arms curved around each other. Our bodies met.
When I pulled back for air, I said, “Maybe later you can show me the pool and the tennis courts. And we can ride your train together.”
“Okay, Daddy!”