Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 94692 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94692 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
“Oh gosh.” There it was, the smile that could light up a room. “Are you sure?”
“I’m 100% sure.” I pulled him a little closer to me on my lap, and my stomach tightened with anticipation. This could actually be happening to me. I might get to live out all those dreams after all. “But I’m also 100% sure I’ll need to take this slowly. With a lot of discussion, a lot of negotiating, and a lot of testing the waters.”
He nodded, and his beaming smile told me he was undeterred. “I have a ton of patience for that sort of stuff, as all brats do.”
I snorted in amusement. “You hide it damn well most of the time.”
“You, Sir, are wrong. But anyway.” He wriggled in excitement. “How slowly do you wanna start? Can we kiss? Can I call you Daddy? Can we—”
I planted a hand over his mouth and chuckled. His enthusiasm was as infectious as it was flattering, and it hit me how badly I needed that kind of energy in my life. He was a breath of fresh air in my misery.
The boy predictably licked my palm, and I shook my head and bumped my forehead to his.
“Sweetheart,” I whispered.
He nodded, and I withdrew my hand but remained close.
Savor the moment.
I exhaled.
“We can take it as slowly as you want,” he murmured. “Snail’s pace! Like…maybe, um…maybe Daddy is mostly a nickname in the beginning? While we get to know each other better?”
He needed this too, didn’t he? Maybe as much as I did. Otherwise, I didn’t know why he’d push to include the titles so fast.
“If you’re okay with that, so am I,” I replied. “Here’s my immediate plan. Tomorrow morning, I’ll see Nathan. I’ll talk to him. He deserves to know that he did the right thing in fighting for us—and then cutting me loose when I didn’t fight alongside him.”
Jordan cocked his head. “I struggle to believe you didn’t fight, Sir.”
“We didn’t fight the same battle,” I amended. “He wanted us to find a way so we could have our family without me denying that I’m a Daddy Dom. I fought to keep the family the way it was. My intentions were in the right place, but he was right. I need this. I want this. So we’ll see how my talk with him goes—and if I can open the door to a possible solution, or if I’m too late.”
“I don’t think you’re too late,” he stated confidently. “I would totally seduce him and woo him, though. Like, surprise him. Or, or, or—” He lit the fuck up “—send him on a scavenger hunt!”
I laughed under my breath and hugged him to me, and I pressed a kiss to the side of his head.
“You’re too cute for words, little one.”
He snickered before the sound morphed into a hum of contentment, and he wrapped his arms around my neck.
His idea was sweet, and if my marriage hadn’t depended on it—or if the situation hadn’t been severe—then maybe. But I wasn’t going to play any games with Nathan. Just straight-up communication without waiting around.
“Once I’ve talked to him, you and I can sit down with James,” I murmured. “We’ll figure something out that works for us.”
He nodded and buried his face against my neck. “Something slow.”
Someone was stuck on that word.
“For the moment.” I stroked his back. “I don’t think you want a Daddy who’s all over the place and can’t commit.”
He sighed loudly. “I guess… Can I text you whenever I want?”
“Absolutely. Day or night—and I’ll answer as soon as I can.” I combed my fingers through the hair along the back of his head and tugged him back just enough so I could look him in the eye. “I’ll say this right now. Out in Mclean and in our future texting adventures, you don’t have to tiptoe around anything or watch what you’re saying. It’s mostly when my kids are around that we’re mindful.”
He bit his lip and nodded a little. “Makes sense. I like that. But, uh, I still haven’t visited the house. House Mclean, I mean. I haven’t been out there.”
But he was going to eventually, wasn’t he? “Are you still saying that being part of a community isn’t for you?”
I’d been surprised the first time he’d told me he had no interest in joining a community. He was cut out to run wild with the other Mclean brats.
For some reason, Jordan turned shy on me. “No, I’ve changed my mind… But I’m careful also, ’cause it’s your community, and James and I don’t wanna step on any toes.”
That was sweet of him, but I wanted them both out there. “You’re more than welcome to come out there whenever. In fact, I’ll tell Nathan tomorrow that you’ll show up at some point—just so he’s not blindsided.”