Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 103010 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 515(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103010 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 515(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
“Oh my God! You do have a sugar daddy!” Jordan practically screeched. “I was giving you shit, but I can see it on your face! Also, your head looks like it might explode. Wow, I didn’t know people could get that red.”
My chest tightened, and I suddenly felt like I couldn’t breathe.
“Hey, I’m sorry. No worries. I swear you’ll get no judgment from me.” Jordan began rubbing my back. It was crazy how easy it was for him to give affection, to treat me like I was a friend he’d known for years, when really we knew nothing about each other. “Do you think you can find me a sugar daddy?”
I didn’t know why, but the question made me bark out a laugh. Once I started laughing, I couldn’t stop. A second later Jordan was laughing too. We were just standing there, in front of the door, giggling like a couple of idiots, and I knew right then that Jordan and I would be good friends.
When we settled down, I said, “He’s not my sugar daddy, but I am kind of his…houseboy? Well, I used to just work for him, but now we’re…”
“Boyfriends,” he finished for me. We were that; obviously, we were. We’d talked about it, but I wanted to share more with Jordan. I wasn’t ashamed of the relationship Aidan and I had, despite my earlier freak-out.
“Yeah, that, but he’s also my Dom. I’m…submissive, or whatever?”
“Damn, boy. Go you!” Jordan teased. “So we probably wouldn’t have been much of a match, but you’re still cute as fuck, and I still totally want a sugar daddy. Do you think your man can hook me up?” Jordan waggled his eyebrows at me playfully.
“I’ll see what I can do,” I joked back. “Should we go into the dining room?”
“Sure.” Jordan shrugged. “I’m sort of afraid to touch anything.”
“Oh my God! I was the same way! I swear I felt like I’d walked into a magazine or something.” I led Jordan to the dining table, where he unpacked his bag. I already had paper, my laptop, and the course book on the table. “It’s funny, though, because Aidan really isn’t materialistic. He has all these nice things, and he appreciates them, of course, but he’s also so…modest.”
Jordan nodded. “Yeah, I think I know what you mean. I was raised by my grandma, and we’ve never had much. I mean, we are your everyday, lower-middle-class family trying to make it in Southern California.”
“Are your parents not around?”
“My mom is. She doesn’t live here, though. We don’t get along well.”
“Oh,” I said, unsure if I should ask why. The last thing I wanted was to make this a downer of a day.
“Her loss.” Jordan smiled. “I’m basically fabulous.”
“Obviously!”
“You’re a smart boy, Finley. Flattery will get you everywhere!” We dissolved into laughter again, and then we began studying.
I enjoyed working with him. He had a great memory, and though he wasn’t much of a writer, he definitely had drive. We stayed at it for an hour or so, until we both got tired of working on school things.
“Do you want to hang out a bit more?” Jordan asked.
“Yeah, absolutely,” I replied, happy that he wanted to stay. “I was going to make Aidan’s favorite cookies, which I know is sort of lame, but…”
“I don’t mind helping. Gotta please your man.” He winked.
Jordan and I made double-chocolate-chip, then did the dishes together. We talked about movies and music. Apparently, Jordan loved going to the Pantages and watching plays.
“I’ve never been,” I admitted.
“We can go sometimes. I’ll take you if your man doesn’t mind. It’s pricey, so I don’t do it often.”
I loved the idea of that—of hanging out with Jordan more. “I can pay,” I replied.
Jordan winked. “We’ll go Dutch, sugar baby.”
“Whatever,” I teased just as the oven timer went off.
“Oh my God. I can’t wait to eat them!”
“We have to let them cool,” I told him.
“Why do we have to do that? Is it in the cookie handbook?”
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure it is.”
“Have a little fun, Fin. We’ll have one ooey-gooey, too-hot cookie and let the others cool.”
I grinned back at him. “Okay.” And that was exactly what we did.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Aidan
I juggled two pizzas in my hands as I unlocked the door. I’d come home earlier than expected and thought it would be nice to bring dinner so Finley didn’t have to cook.
The second I stepped into the house, I heard the laughter. It was similar to Finley with Ian, but something was a little different about hearing him laugh with Jordan. Maybe it was because Jordan wanted him and Finley wasn’t sure if he wanted Jordan, or maybe it was because it was new, but I felt it, and I couldn’t stop the smile pulling at my lips.
He needed this, and it was so damn good to hear him laugh and chat with a friend. In some ways, Finley was so serious, older than his years because of what he’d lived through, and it was so rare that he could just let go. He was able to when he served me. I wasn’t a fool not to know it or admit it, but he needed more than me. It was then that I knew I’d done the right thing. Finley put so much faith in me as his Dom, and he was supposed to, of course. But the truth was, regardless, I was just a man, one who made mistakes and questioned myself like everyone else.