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)
Smiling wider, Gary looked lighter as he bounced the last couple of steps. “So is he a magical little or just really cute and distracting?”
“Really cute and distracting…we’re basically neighbors back home.” I was pretty sure that would make him less worried and I was glad when he looked happier to hear that answer. “I might’ve mentioned that the other day when I wanted to go strangle him, but we grew up around each other.”
“Oh, that’s what you meant.” Gary snickered and pulled out eggs and a container of what looked like cutup vegetables. “That explains what you said and why you came back so…relaxed.”
“We hung out and had fun.” Leaning back in my chair, I focused on enjoying my coffee and not giving myself anything to stress about. “We were always a good fit together. I can see that now, but our families are polar opposites and he’s a bit younger than me. So we were in different circles.”
And I’d just never imaged him as a little.
In my head, no one I’d been around as a kid would want the same kind of relationship that I did. I still felt mostly right about that, but Chipmunk was different. Very different with the way his mother had tried to raise him, so I should’ve taken that into account.
“Is that whole different circle thing going to help or hinder things going forward?” As Gary finished pulling out a few more things, I realized he was making some kind of breakfast potatoes and was glad I’d hung around.
“If I was still trying to make my parents happy it would be a big problem. My mother thinks his is insane.” I wasn’t sure she was wrong but Teddy’s mother was at least a nicer person than mine. “But I’m kind of done with her nonsense and I just don’t care.”
Gary glanced over and lifted one eyebrow. “Okay.”
It was more of a question than statement, so I shrugged and took another drink. “Honest. I think she’d be done with me if she could do it without social consequences. She’s a bitch and I’m just done with it all. I want to be happy and if she can’t deal with that, oh well.”
As he turned on the stove to start browning sausage, he turned and gave me another look. “I can’t tell if I approve of the change in attitude or if it’s making me nervous.”
“Both.” His Dom side wouldn’t like it for different reasons than his sub side, but neither side was stupid. “But in my defense, I’ve been working through a lot of this in the background and seeing Teddy again just put it all in perspective.”
I might’ve been an ass on the outside, but I had technically been processing everything and getting ready to make some decisions.
“So, going back to my original question, this is serious?” When I nodded, he turned back to the stove and seemed to start working out his frustrations on the sausage. “Are we talking about lots of dates serious or do we need to go shopping for rings?”
I wanted to laugh but glaring at him felt better…and made him laugh.
“Hey, one of the things that we all have in common besides the kink shit is that we seem to be the wait until we’re in the right relationship and then throw ourselves into it kind of people.” Since we both knew he was right, he didn’t wait for me to respond. “You just…you feel different, so I thought asking might make you think at the very least.”
“I’m kind of in the I shouldn’t think phase because going the impulsive route is feeling kind of nice.” The whole thing had felt kind of nice in an unexpected way.
“But?” Gary laughed as I sighed. “Yep, there’s a but.”
He knew me too well.
“Um, but I’m pretty sure we were talking about what we wanted in our first house together the other day, so I should probably think about what I’m doing a bit more carefully.” We’d just ended up in the discussion, though.
That pink house.
Brat.
“That’s a big but.” Giggling to himself, probably about the but versus butt thing, he shifted from stabbing the sausage to moving it around the pan. “Do you mean thinking about what you’re doing so you don’t lead Teddy on or thinking about what you’re doing so you don’t end up buying a house you’re not ready for?”
Oh.
“Um, the second one.” Was the first even an option? “I’m more worried about inadvertently rushing him than hurting his feelings.”
I liked Teddy.
There was something warm and sweet about him mixed in with all his silliness and fun. I felt like myself with Teddy in a way I’d never felt with anyone else.
“I don’t have to hide me when I’m with him.” I wasn’t sure if that made sense, so I was glad when Gary nodded like he got it. “It’s like with you guys but there’s that spark.”