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)
He really expected me to go home with him for Christmas?
Wait.
“She’s proud of me?” Had I heard that right? “What?”
Chipmunk cocked his head and frowned at me. “Think about who we’re talking about.”
Oh.
Yeah, he was probably right.
“Okay, in my defense no one has reacted well to that mess.” Everyone except one creepy fucking neighbor had gone out of their way to ignore me or the situation in general, and they’d all made it awkward.
Like I’d been the one to deliberately out myself.
Morons.
“I don’t know why.” He still seemed adorably confused. “I mean, I’ve seen their reactions and I get it, but you were already out as gay and are a nice kind of Dom. It’s not like you came out as a sadist and have to keep explaining why you aren’t a demon or something.”
His life was a lot weirder than mine.
“Does your mother think sadists are demons?” There was no way that was a reasonable question but his sigh said he thought it was.
“She’s concerned for them at the very least.” Shaking his head, he didn’t seem to understand how insane the conversation had gotten. “She’s afraid they’re missing something from their childhood and keeps worrying about them. My dad has convinced her to lay off it a bit, but I don’t think her stress levels could’ve handled you being on that end of the kink spectrum.”
That would’ve been the problem?
“Well, at least she doesn’t think I have…’unnatural attractions.’” That had his eyes going wide. “Yep, evidently everyone had to start googling and that was what some of them came up with. Thankfully, my father was faster to realize the holes in that theory.”
“Yeah, littles are fully grown-up people.” He seemed shocked at the level of insanity I’d gone through, which either made it better or worse, I couldn’t tell. “That’s just insane.”
“Yep.” Had he not heard that rumor?
“Don’t tell my mother about that one.” Shaking his head, he sighed. “She’ll try to go to war with the neighbors again and my dad is tired of reminding her that she’s supposed to be a pacifist.”
She didn’t seem to know what that word meant, so I was fine with that request. “That’s not one I’m going to bring up.”
Fucking hell.
“Not that I’m going.” I was not going. “There is no reason to torture everyone like that.”
Or make it awkward.
Chipmunk was back to looking at me like I was an idiot. “When my mother realizes we’ve finally talked, what do you think she’ll do when she figures out I didn’t bring you home?”
Well.
“You’re not going home for Christmas.” He started listing off my issues on his fingers. “Your parents are out of the country. Your parents are assholes. Your parents are stupid. I’m sorry. One internet search would’ve explained what a Daddy is. And you’ve been miserable. I’m sorry. I’m taking you home so that I don’t end up disowned.”
His level of niceness bordered on unhealthy.
“Ugh. I have to be able to tell her that I’ve started helping right now.” Shaking his head, he scrubbed his hands over his face. “She’ll start lecturing me about my energy again. I can’t take that.”
Oh, that didn’t sound good.
“I’m not a fucking project.”
His glare said he didn’t agree with me on that part.
“You’re miserable.” Throwing his hands up, he started pacing in the small entryway. “You’re cranky and bored and don’t even have a little to help you out of this funk. You’re the biggest project she’s ever going to have met and you can’t play dumb about that or we’ll all deal with the fallout.”
Huh?
“We’ll spend all of Christmas meditating and dream journaling and she’ll get out the candles again.” His glare was fucking adorable. “I think I’m allergic to the fucking spirit-cleansing candles. I can’t handle those for days because my sinuses going crazy makes her think it’s bad energy or something.”
Oh.
Well, that sucked.
“I don’t even know what to say to any of that.” I had to say something, right? “I’m sorry about the candles, though.”
She really liked those.
She’d given them to everyone for Christmas the first year they’d come out.
Everyone.
“That’s all you have to say?” Crossing his arms over his chest had me trying not to smile. “Sorry about the candles?”
Clearly that’d been the wrong response.
“No.” But what else could I say? “I appreciate her worrying and all I’ve put you through.”
Was that better?
His arms went back down to his sides.
We were moving in the right direction.
“I’m nice and you’re a Daddy so that means you have to fix it.” Something about his expression softened as he stomped his foot and the way he started shifting side to side had my brain finally waking up.
Oh.
“You’re right.” Maybe? “But…but this is happening very quickly.”
Was that a reasonable response?
I’d lost track of all logic at this point.
“Well…okay…” Pouting, he glared at me again, but it was a completely different expression while still being just as cute. “I’ll be patient but I’m right.”