Chapter 6
Chapter
Six
“ L ook, buddy, let’s have a talk.” Hayden pulled Jacks right up to peer into his eyes, holding that tiny laser gaze.
Jacks pretended to be all fussy so Daniel would give him to Hayden, and they could pretend like Jacks had an upset stomach. But it would be infinitely easier if Jacks just waited to eat his meat niblets when Daniel wasn’t around.
“He doesn’t understand how dragon babies age, kiddo.
He doesn’t really understand that you’re a dragon baby, so you’ve got to pretend like you’re a regular human for a little while, okay?
You’re going to have to get used to this.
” That was why Hayden had gotten Jacks a human nanny, not a dragon one, because it was going to be so much easier for Jacks to emulate being human if he could see what happened with humans.
Getting Jacks to understand this was becoming a problem. He seemed to want to just blurt out everything to Daniel. And then they would either have a crazy human on their hands because a lot of humans went nuts when confronted with magic. Or Daniel would just run away, thinking they were nuts.
Jacks frowned, his lips pooching out a little bit.
Don’t you argue with me.
Jacks took his face in between those tiny hands and stared into his eyes. Not fight.
I don’t want to fight with you either. But you’ve got to promise me that you’ll let things develop a little more naturally .
He didn’t want Daniel to leave. He liked the guy.
In fact, he was attracted to the guy and he was not going to let that interfere with Jacks’s development or anything.
It was more important that he was here for Jacks, but damn.
So hungry . Jacks kind of levitated, nose pressing against Hayden’s so he had to cross his eyes to see the baby.
“Okay, I promise when you’re with me, which will be several times a day, I will supplement your diet. All right? But you have to let Daniel think you’re developing more normally for a human baby. Deal?”
Jacks made a great sighing sound, heaving out air. His baby breath was so sweet. My Daniel.
“I know. He’s your best friend and he’s your nanny. I’m not arguing about that.”
“I can’t believe you’re arguing with that baby at all.” Rita came sailing into his study where he was sitting with Jacks on his lap, carrying a tray. “Denise sent you some tea and some food.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it. We’re hiding.”
She pursed her lips and plunked the tray down on the desk. “I can tell. This is going to be a problem. I told you it was going to be a problem when you hired him.”
“I know. I know everybody thinks it was a bad idea except Jacks.”
She had to chuckle at that. “Yeah, Jacks likes him, doesn’t he?”
“Very much. So do I to be perfectly honest. I think he’s kind of neat.” It was such a tepid word for the kind of feelings that Daniel engendered in him, but he wasn’t ready to really explore that himself right now, so why would he tell Rita about it?
She gave him a knowing glance. “Mmmhmm. Neat. Sure.”
“What?” He tried for innocent. She’d known him as long he’d been in Colorado, though, and she knew better. While in the great scheme of his long life that wasn’t a huge amount of time, it was decently long. Especially by, say, Daniel’s standards.
Rita just shook her head. “Well, you share that with the baby so his tummy isn’t rumbly. Okay?”
“I will.” There was tea, there were biscuits, there were little cakes, there was some cheese, there was some charcuterie-type meat. It was all good.
The one thing he wouldn’t share with Jacks was the tea. There was a little bottle of juice for him.
Rita waved a hand and left him, and he shifted Jacks to one leg, holding him with his left hand so he could type with his other. He still had to get some work done.
Always.
Forever.
It was as if the older he got, the more work got piled on. It used to be when business only got done when one met face-to-face, a dragon could take his time with a project, but now, with the internet, he had to work constantly.
He worked until the tray was empty and until he had drank the last cup of tea. By then, Jacks was sound asleep, and while he probably should put the baby in his little carrier and have a nap, or maybe in the pack ‘n play, Hayden decided to go sit on the couch with him instead.
It was a little more relaxing than napping with a baby in his arms. Jacks’s sweet, if a little bit fiery, breath fanned Hayden’s chest, and it just made him happy.
When he woke, Jacks was sitting up and playing bang the drum on his right pectoral, and Daniel was watching him from across the way, curled up in a recliner.
“Oh, I didn’t hear you come in.” Which was odd because his dragon hearing had to be better than Daniel’s stealth moves, and he usually heard everything.
“You were sleeping hard.” Daniel’s expression was so odd. Hayden could remember a similar expression on cartoon Mowgli’s face in the old Disney cartoon version of The Jungle Book . When Mowgli saw a human girl…
He raised an eyebrow. “I’m usually a light sleeper.”
“Are you? Well, I don’t know what to tell you. You were sound asleep. I didn’t want to bother the baby. He was perfectly happy where he was.”
He rumbled softly. “That’s good, right? I mean, he’s supposed to want to be with his dad…”
“Of course. You said you didn’t mind if I came to hang out downstairs when I wasn’t busy, so I took you up on it.”
“I meant it. You’re welcome down here.”
More than welcome actually. But he didn’t say that even though he wanted to.
He wasn’t exactly sure what the deal was with Daniel, why the man was so fascinating, but he’d take it. It had been a long while since he’d been fascinated by anything.
Jacks made grabby hands for Daniel, who immediately stood up to come and get him. Daniel want.
Well, go have him. Silly goose.
Gooooooooose! Jacks threw his head back and started laughing, like that was the funniest thing ever, and Daniel blinked at the baby.
“Well aren’t you a silly boy? Are you a silly goose? Are you?”
Hayden blinked over. Was that just a coincidence, or had Daniel heard Jacks or possibly him?
Goose.
“Yep.” Daniel picked Jacks up and started dancing him around. “Little goose.”
Shit. Daniel had to be hearing this. That was wild. Maybe it was simply that Jacks was so loud. But the idea made the scales rise up on the back of Hayden’s neck, and he leaned over when Daniel spun close to him in his little dance, sniffing hard.
Hell, he wasn’t sure what Daniel was supposed to smell like, but his scent was spice and musk and a hint of vanilla oatmeal soap.
Mouthwatering.
Daniel looked up at him and frowned. “Everything okay?”
“Yes, why?”
He got an arch little look. “Because you were sniffing me, and that’s weird. Do I have BO? If I have BO, you need to let me know. I tried this new deodorant. It’s supposed to mask all of the smells, and I think it does a pretty good job.”
“No, you smell fine.” Why on earth would Daniel want to mask all of his smells? He had a great scent.
“Oh, good. I’m glad.” Daniel danced Jacks around, and the baby just laughed, pure joy pouring from the wee dragon in waves.
It was hard not to be jealous, honestly, but he made himself laugh with joy at Jacks’s excitement.
He didn’t ever want the baby to believe he was doing something wrong by loving someone else. Love wasn’t pie after all. There was plenty to go around.
Daniel’s laughter answered Jacks’s. “Well, you are in the best mood aren’t you? He is such a good-natured little one.”
The temptation to point out that it was because they were finally feeding him meat was huge, but he didn’t because Daniel just didn’t understand.
Not yet.
Eventually he would.
Hayden stretched, pushing his arms up over his head, letting his muscles move and stop hunching up. He probably needed to go for a run or a swim. Blow off some tension.
Sniffing Daniel had most likely been a mistake.
“Are you okay?” Daniel and Jacks were staring at him, and Daniel reached out to touch his arm.
Pure electricity shot up through his shoulder, down his spine, settling in his balls, and he almost gasped.
“Whoa, did you feel that? It’s staticky in here.”
He nodded, licking his lips, hoping there was no smoke escaping. “I did.”
The hair on his arms was standing up, and Jacks’s hair was literally on end. The little boy was cooing and kicking, so excited.
“Are you okay? I didn’t shock you, did I?” he asked.
“You woke me up. That’s all.” Daniel offered him a warm grin, still dancing Jacks idly, swaying back and forth. “Okay, so do you need me to take him upstairs? I know you were doing…well, you seemed like you were working. You always look like you’re working.”
“So do you,” he pointed out. “You’re always loving on Jacks and taking care of him.”
Daniel chuckled softly and nodded. “Fair point. It’s tough to walk away, especially in a situation like this where there’s not a secondary nanny. And he’s just such an easy baby, although when those teeth come in, he’s going to be something else.”
Hayden just hoped that they didn’t come in sharp. Sometimes things could get a little hinky where a dragon baby was concerned.
“I’m good. Maybe we could… I don’t know. Watch a movie? Play a game? Jacks can hang out with us. If that appeals to you?” He wanted Daniel here with him, dammit.
“Sure, why not? Sounds good. What kind of games do you like? Is there like a board game room?” Daniel shook him a quick little grin. “I bet you’re a chess guy. You seem like a chess guy.”
“I do know how to play chess, yeah. But then I know how to do lots of stuff including Skip-Bo, Monopoly, poker.” Strip poker could be fun.
“That’s cool, I can play lots of different games. I’m sure you’re not surprised. Everything from video games to whist.” Daniel winked over at him. “I’m also knowledgeable on badminton and croquet.”
“What’s your position on ping pong?” He had to chuckle, because he was a shark at that game.