Total pages in book: 64
Estimated words: 63601 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 318(@200wpm)___ 254(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63601 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 318(@200wpm)___ 254(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
“Thank you.” His brain seemed to turn off again as he started in on breakfast, but his mouth kept going. “I thought you might’ve forgotten about breakfast. I couldn’t remember what you said last night.”
My scoff got a laugh from him. “I did not forget and you were a handful who was more interested in trying to talk me into a sleepover than going to bed on your own.”
Not looking sheepish enough, he shrugged. “It seemed like a good idea at the time.”
“Limits, Chipmunk. Limits.” I was going to keep reinforcing that. “They’re a good thing. You need to get some.”
“I have limits for strangers and regular people.” Teddy seemed to think that was a reasonable response as he took his first bite of breakfast. “You’re not either of those.”
I wasn’t sure what I was, but he probably wasn’t wrong.
“You’re going to find some limits for me too, Chipmunk.” My glare didn’t scare him nearly enough. “You’re…well…you just giggled at me when I tried to figure it out when you’re little.”
He just shrugged.
Ridiculous.
“You asked if I would run you a bubble bath.” Gesturing toward him with the spatula just got another laugh out of him as he put an oversized bite into his mouth. “We’re having a limits talk before I change your pants or put you in the tub.”
And the fact that he didn’t understand that said we needed to have talks on safety and making good decisions about who he submitted to.
Because me being on his list at all said he needed higher standards.
Chapter 8
Teddy
“I think your mother would like something homemade best…from what I remember she seems like the type…but I have no skills that translate to Christmas presents.” Levi mumbled something low after that, but I pretended not to notice.
It definitely wasn’t a public shopping kind of comment, but it did make me wonder what skills he thought he had that would be appropriate for a dirty sub.
No, had to stay back on track because I’d avoided that limits discussion…again.
It was easier to avoid when I was little but he was going to get stubborn at some point…and I was pretty sure we’d reached some point. He really hadn’t liked it when he’d stopped himself from reaching out to touch my back and he’d realized he didn’t know if he could do that or not.
Or what we were, either.
That was my stumbling block but it didn’t seem to be his.
So maybe he wasn’t a labels and definitions kind of guy?
“Yeah, she’d appreciate that but we’re both past the macaroni art phase and I’m not handy either.” The incredulous look on his face as he turned back in my direction made me laugh. “I know. I’m also not musically inclined either.”
“Did your mother get you from a fairy ring?” Cocking his head, he looked serious even though it should’ve been a stupid question. “Isn’t that what she told you about how you were born?”
“How do you know that?” She thankfully hadn’t said that around too many people…well…I thought she hadn’t. “She used to say that when I was a kid.”
For the first time, Levi actually looked guilty. “Um, your housekeeper told mine. Most of the time they don’t gossip, but every once in a while, your mother said something really confusing and it’d come out when they did their weekly tea parties.”
Great.
“Tea parties?” Why hadn’t I heard of this? “Where?”
Levi shrugged. “My house. My mother gave the staff an old china set that she hates the pattern of, and they use it for tea parties once a week when my mother goes from work to that volunteer organization that’s just a front for them to drink wine and gossip.”
Whatever he saw on my face made him laugh as he browsed the jewelry we’d been looking at. “The housekeepers and a few of the house managers come over and have coffee and tea and eat finger sandwiches.”
Was that weird?
“That’s kind of confusing.”
Maybe.
“I might be rude?”
Was that why she hadn’t mentioned it?
“As a kid I thought that was what all adults did to socialize, so I thought it was reasonable. They let me pour and I was the host, and it was fun until I was too busy with school and stupid real adult shit.” Levi’s eyes flashed something angry or close to that, and he seemed more upset about that than how his parents had treated him.
“Everyone likes your mother, though, so don’t tattle on them.” When he actually looked worried, I shook my head. “I think they’re still going on, but I haven’t been home much, so I’m not sure.”
It’d been a long time since he’d been home based on the gossip I’d heard too.
“I won’t tell.” My mother was well-meaning but I could see most people getting confused. “How did that story come up, though?”
Oh.
His face went white.