Chapter 29
A SERIES OF TEXTS
Paxton: Good morning, baby. You better have eaten something before those meetings.
Grizzly: I had a bagel.
Paxton: Of course you did. Which kind? You have so many.
Grizzly: The everything one with cream cheese. Don't tease me, Daddy.
Paxton: I wasn't going to say a word. Very proud of you actually.
Grizzly: *side eye emoji*
Paxton: That's not a very little face.
Grizzly: I'm in big mode. I'm at WORK.
Paxton: Mmhmm. And how's work?
Grizzly: My 9am ran twenty minutes over and now my 10am is giving me a look.
Paxton: What kind of look? Do I need to come up there?
Grizzly: You better not, Daddy. The guy is just hungry for money. I’m gonna have to let him go.
Paxton: Devastating. I'm so sorry for your loss.
Grizzly: Your sarcasm is not needed. How's practice?
Paxton: Hot. Coach has us doing conditioning drills in this heat like it's personally funny to him. Or maybe someone pissed him off and this is punishment. I don’t really know.
Grizzly: It probably is. The amused one. It seems like a thing he’d do.
Paxton: Yeah, fair. The guys are good though. Starting to feel like a real team.
Grizzly: That's exciting, Daddy.
Paxton: It really is. Speaking of which…are you drinking water?
Grizzly: I have a juice. Cheyenne gave it to me.
Paxton: Grizzly. *frowning face*
Grizzly: I also have a water bottle on the desk. It's right there. Watching me.
Paxton: It does no good watching you, baby. You need to drink it.
Grizzly: Yes, Daddy
Paxton: That's my good boy.
Grizzly: You can't say that. Now I'm hard!
Paxton: Are you sure? Maybe you should send me a picture so we can be sure? Second opinions are a common thing.
Grizzly: I will absolutely not be doing that.
Paxton: Worth a shot. What time do you think you'll be done?
Grizzly: Honestly? No idea. I have back-to-back meetings until three and then I'm supposed to review a contract. I might push that to tomorrow. Why?
Paxton: Push it. I'll make dinner for us. You need to relax after a day like this. And I miss my boy.
Grizzly: You don't have to do that.
Paxton: I know I don't have to. I want to, baby.
Grizzly: …
Grizzly: What are you making?
Paxton: I was thinking pasta. Nothing complicated. Unless you want me to do something with bagels.
Grizzly: Are you suggesting a bagel dinner? Like pasta bagels?
Paxton: I could probably make that work actually.
Grizzly: Dadddyyyy. Don’t tease me if you aren’t sure.
Paxton: Fine. Pasta. The boring kind. We can make some bagel garlic bread as a side.
Grizzly: TY!
Paxton: You're welcome, baby. Now pay attention to your meeting.
Grizzly: I AM paying attention.
Paxton: You're texting me.
Grizzly: I can multitask.
Paxton: Uh huh. Go work. I'll see you tonight.
Grizzly: Okay.
Grizzly: Hey Daddy.
Paxton: Yeah?
Grizzly: Drink your water too.
Paxton: Yes, baby.
Grizzly: *smiling emoji*
Paxton: Hey. How are you holding up? Your eyes feeling any better?
Grizzly: Surviving. Moseley has been a huge help today.
Paxton: Good! I knew I liked him. While I have you, I wanted to ask you something.
Grizzly: Okay. *eyeball emoji*
Paxton: Pops's been asking about you.
Grizzly: He has?
Paxton: Don't sound so surprised. You made an impression. He wants to know if you'd want to do dinner sometime this week. Nothing fancy. We’ll order something or I can cook.
Grizzly: Your dad wants to feed me?
Paxton: Where do you think I learned how to take care of people? Fair warning though, he is going to want to talk your ear off. I’m pretty sure he considers you a Wells already.
Grizzly: That sounds amazing.
Paxton: You sure?
Grizzly: Yeah. I'd really like to do dinner.
Paxton: I told him whatever he got would be great and he sent me back a voice memo of him explaining why short ribs were the correct choice.
Grizzly: I love this so much. *crying laughing emoji*
Paxton: He's going to love hearing that. Might even make him behave himself at dinner.
Grizzly: Is behaving himself a concern?
Paxton: All that talking I mentioned… He's going to ask you a lot of questions. He's excited. Just want you to know that going in.
Grizzly: I don't mind questions. He doesn’t seem the type to be mean.
Paxton: I know. And he’s not. I just want you comfortable.
Grizzly: Daddy, I’ll be super comfy as long as you’re with me.
Paxton: Good. That's how I want it to be.
Paxton: How does Thursday work for you?
Grizzly: My schedule is wide open. I’m all yours.
Paxton: Excellent! I’ll pass along the confirmation. Get some rest tonight, baby. You sound tired even through a text message.
Grizzly: Is that possible?
Paxton: With you? Yes.
Grizzly: I'm fine.
Paxton: I know you are. Rest anyway.
Grizzly: Okay.
Paxton: Hey, I have to go. Gillies is staring at me like I missed something he said again.
Grizzly: Go. Don't keep that goober waiting. And tell him I said hello. He’s been especially quiet lately.
Paxton: There’s a reason for that. It’s a long story. I’ll tell you later.
Grizzly: Landed. Hotel is nice but the bed is enormous and I already hate it.
Paxton: Really? Think of all the room you have to spread out.
Grizzly: It's too much space.
Paxton: You've been gone six hours.
Grizzly: How is that relevant to the big bed problem, Daddy?
Paxton: It's not. I’m just saying I miss you too.
Grizzly: I didn't say I missed you.
Paxton: You said the bed had too much space.
Grizzly: … *Shocked emoji*
Grizzly: The meeting is at nine tomorrow. I should be back around five.
Paxton: I'll be waiting at the airport to grab you.
Grizzly: Promise?
Paxton: When have I ever not been where I said I'd be?
Grizzly: That's not the point. I wanna be sure.
Paxton: I promise, baby. I'll be there when you get home.
Grizzly: YAY!!!!
Paxton: How's the room aside from the too big bed?
Grizzly: It's too quiet.
Paxton: Awww. My poor baby. What do you usually do when it's quiet?
Grizzly: Apparently text you. *sticking tongue out emoji*
Paxton: I like that answer. *winking emoji*
Grizzly: I figured you would, Daddy.
Paxton: Get comfortable on your too big bed. Tell me about how you’re feeling for the meeting.
Grizzly: Is this you trying to keep me company or something else entirely?
Paxton: Can't it be both?
Grizzly: Daddy! You don’t answer questions with questions.
Paxton: I'm just asking what you're thinking. It’s all very innocent.
Grizzly: Ugh. Fine. I’m on the bed now. The pillows are super soft.
Grizzly: The meeting will be fine. I don’t think there’s a chance this guy says no when I offer him representation.
Paxton: There is no doubt in my mind either. Now then, why don’t you take off a few layers to relax more? You don’t have anywhere else to be tonight, right?
Grizzly: Yes, Daddy. This is starting to feel like something else.
Paxton: Is it? I’m not sure what you mean. *devil emoji*
Grizzly: You're terrible. I know what you’re doing.
Paxton: You love it.
Grizzly: …I do.
Paxton: That’s my boy.
Grizzly: You are so smug I can feel it from here.
Paxton: I can accept that if it means you’re still mine.
Grizzly: Always, Daddy.
Paxton: I've been thinking about you since you left. I didn't realize I could miss someone this much.
Grizzly: *sad face emoji*
Paxton: The way you looked this morning before you left is etched in my brain. Freshly fucked, with your lips swollen from my kisses.
Grizzly: Daddy…
Paxton: Yes, baby?
Grizzly: You can't say things like that when I'm away.
Paxton: Why not?
Grizzly: Because it makes me hard. And you’re not here to help.
Paxton: Good. I want you thinking about coming home. About what I’ll do to you the moment we’re alone again. I want you to remember how fucking perfect you are to me. How everything you do, and every part of you, makes me a bit feral.
Grizzly: *Panting emoji*
Paxton: When you walk through that door tomorrow, I want you to not think about anything else. Not the client, not your inbox, not your meetings. Just me.
Grizzly: Just you.
Paxton: That's right.
Grizzly: And how do you think I’ll be able to have any type of conversation if I’m hard and horny, Daddy?
Paxton: I think being horny is better than being nervous.
Grizzly: I’m not sure I agree. But I also don’t think I’m going to forget this conversation, so you’ll get your way.
Paxton: Consider it motivation.
Grizzly: I hope you’re not motivating anyone else like this.
Paxton: Never. You’re the only one I want this way, baby. You’re my person.
Grizzly: Voice note attached.
Paxton: Hey, baby. Just stepped out. Heard your message. You sound exhausted.
Paxton: Are you still in bed?
Grizzly: Yeah. Sitting up. Head is pounding but it's not as bad as it was when I first woke up. I think I just overdid it this week.
Paxton: You absolutely did overdo it this week. You had back-to-back meetings Monday and Tuesday, a full travel day Wednesday, a client meeting Thursday morning, and you came home and went straight into reviewing that contract you were supposed to push to next week.
Grizzly: You… you remembered all that?
Paxton: I always remember stuff about you, baby. Have you had any water yet this morning?
Grizzly: I just woke up. Where would there be water in my bed, Daddy?
Paxton: That's a no. Okay. Water first. Don't worry about anything else yet.
Grizzly: Okay. I’ll go get the water.
*three minutes later*
Grizzly: Done. I drank a glass then made another.
Paxton: Okay. Now you need to diminish the light around you. Are your curtains closed?
Grizzly: Mostly. There's a gap but it's not too bad.
Paxton: Can you fix it still? It may seem small but it’s probably still a trigger for you.
Grizzly: True. I’ll close it now.
Paxton: Perfect. Once you’re back in bed, stay there. You don't have anything on your calendar today that can't be moved, and if something comes up, I want you to send it to me and I will deal with it.
Grizzly: Daddy, you can't manage my client emails.
Paxton: Watch me. I'm very professional when I need to be. Besides, I wouldn’t do it alone. I’ve got Moseley and Cheyenne to assist. I’ll even call Auden if need be.
Grizzly: That is far too sexy of you. I don't know why I’m attracted to you taking over.
Paxton: I’m pretty sure it’s called a competence kink. That’s not important at the moment.
Paxton: Rest. That's the only thing on your list today. Not whatever you're already thinking about doing the second this headache eases up. I know how your brain works.
Grizzly: I wasn't going to do anything.
Paxton: You were already planning something.
Grizzly: There's one email that would take five minutes.
Paxton: Grizzly.
Grizzly: Fine.
Paxton: I'm finishing up here and then I'm coming to you. Probably an hour, maybe less. I want you horizontal when I get there. Soft things within reach. Wells should be watching over you too. Do you need anything before I leave? I can stop somewhere.
Grizzly: Maybe something for the headache. The extra strength kind.
Paxton: Already on my list. Anything else?
Grizzly: Just you, honestly.
Paxton: That one's easy. I'll be there soon. Rest until I get there, okay? No phone, no laptop, nothing. Close your eyes and wait.
Grizzly: Okay, Daddy.
Paxton: Good boy. I'll see you soon.