6. Adam

Chapter 6

Adam

I had no right to be thinking about what Riley should or shouldn’t be eating for breakfast, but it was important to me that he had a balanced meal, especially after his rough morning.

But the way his eyes lit up when I suggested ordering both the French toast and eggs, he looked like a Little on Christmas morning. That expression was only second to the way he squealed when the server finally put a plate of whipped cream and a speck of French toast down in front of him.

Riley clasped his hands together under his chin as he stared at it in awe. “That’s the most amazing breakfast I’ve ever seen in my life.”

“That’s because it’s dessert, sweetheart.” I chuckled. “May I make a Daddy suggestion to you?”

He perked right up, giving me his full attention as he stared into my eyes. “Of course. Anything.”

“Maybe take a few bites of your eggs first, before you dig into that mountain of sugar. That way you don’t fill up before you can get at least a tiny bit of nutrition in you.”

He tried to hold back a smile as he nodded. “Yes, Daddy.” He was teasing, but his smile only got bigger. “I guess you’re the health-conscious type of daddy.” He stabbed a mound of eggs and then shoved it in his mouth, holding my gaze.

“Are there other kinds of Daddies? I think we’re all pretty concerned about the health of our Littles.”

His smile dropped, and he looked down before scooping up another bite. “No, not all of them. My last Daddy never cared about what I ate or if I ate anything at all. He was just a playtime Daddy.”

My grin dropped too, and I raised an eyebrow. “Like coloring and playing with toys?”

“No. Just bedroom playtime.” He looked at me and shrugged. “That part was fun, but I wanted more and he…didn’t. But I didn’t realize how nice this could be.” He held up his forkful of eggs. “Maybe I’d like a Daddy who fed me.”

The innuendo wasn’t lost on me, but I didn’t outwardly react. I kept my eyes on him as he took the bite and went in for one more. I was fairly certain three was going to be his limit before he attacked the whipped cream. “This is nice, Riley. I’m enjoying myself very much.” I slid my foot under the table and tapped the side of his. “You absolutely deserve a Daddy who cares about everything you do. Your health and happiness should always be his number one priority.”

He put his fork down and stared at me across the table. I could see his eyes getting shiny, but no tears fell as he considered my words. “I don’t know if I deserve it, but I would like that kind of Daddy. I just don’t know where I could find someone like that.” He bit his lower lip, and dammit, a single tear trailed down his cheek.

That was not how I wanted our breakfast to go. The whole point was to brighten his day and set him off to work in a good mood. All I was doing was making him sad. “None of that.” I held out my hand and waited for him to drop his palm against mine. I pulled it up and brushed a kiss across his knuckles. “We’re here to have a happy breakfast. You’ve done such a good job with your eggs, and I’m very proud of you. Thank you for making a healthy choice. I think you’ve earned some of that delicious French toast.”

Riley half smiled for a second before the other side of his lips caught up. “What about you? You’ve barely touched your oatmeal.”

Touché. I’d been so focused on him that I hadn’t paid any attention to my own food. I dumped the bowl of blueberries into the plain oatmeal and grabbed my spoon. “You’re absolutely right. I’ll eat my fruit if you eat yours.”

Riley was happy again as he cut into his French toast around a slice of strawberry. “Okay, but I think mine’s gonna taste a whole lot better than yours.” He loaded up his fork, and we both took bites.

He wasn’t wrong about the taste. I felt self-conscious adding sugar to mine after teasing Riley about all of his sugary goodness. So, although my boring oatmeal and blueberries wasn’t the most delicious way to start the day, it wasn’t bad. “Mine’s…okay.”

Riley giggled and dug in for another bite. “Just admit it. Yours tastes like cardboard, and mine’s the most scrumptious cinnamony goodness that has ever existed.”

I pretended to sigh dramatically as I relented. “Well, I can’t beat that, so yes, you definitely win the breakfast-ordering challenge. By a landslide.”

Riley’s gaze softened as he looked at me. And when I expected him to go in for another bite, he put his empty fork in his mouth to clean it off and then went back to finish his eggs. “I’m definitely winning at lots of things today. And breakfast with a nice Daddy is at the top of the list.”

For the next twenty minutes, we chatted about the meetings we were both attending while we finished eating. Before long, I had to get ready for my next presentation and Riley had to join a panel he was volun-told to participate in by his boss.

Once we were both stuffed and couldn’t avoid the clock any longer, I stood up from the table and held my hand out to Riley. “May I walk you to your next meeting?”

Riley took my hand and popped up from his seat. “Yes, please. Tomorrow, I’m gonna map out how to get to each of my meetings so I don’t get lost again. But for today, I really appreciate your help.”

“Today has been my pleasure.” I curled my elbow and brought his hand up to my lips so I could brush a kiss across the back of it. “I can’t remember the last time I had such a pleasant meal.”

Riley looked up at me and scoffed. “How is that possible? You’re the nicest person ever. Every one of your meals should be the most pleasant.”

I chuckled, hoping he was just being playful and not actually regressed to the point that he would struggle for the rest of the day. Instinctively, I leaned to the side and softly kissed the side of his head then slipped my arm behind his back. “It’s possible when just about every one of my meals is eaten alone. So, thank you for letting me hang out with you this morning. Maybe I’ll get to see you again later?”

Riley pressed against my side as we continued walking, every step bringing us closer to our goodbye. “I would like that a lot. My last meeting is at three, and then I’ll mostly just be in my room all night, avoiding the noise and crowds.”

“If you didn’t sleep well, you’ll probably be ready for a nap by three. I’ve got a meeting until four or four thirty, so if I can avoid getting called into an impromptu outing with some of my colleagues after that, maybe I can give you a call?”

Riley was nodding his head as he pulled out his phone. “Yes, please. Would you like me to put your number in my phone?”

“I would like that.” I couldn’t help smiling at the way he had worded his question. He didn’t ask for my number or offer his. He asked if I wanted to give him mine.

The sweet boy handed me his phone with his contact app already opened, so I added my information with one hand as I led him down the hall to his room. Before I was ready to say goodbye, we were standing in the doorway of a room that was getting more crowded by the second.

“I better go find a seat.” Riley looked at me with an expression that I’d only seen from people when they were suckling. That look of longing and contentment and appreciation, all in one.

“Are you gonna be okay today?” I placed my hands on his elbows and then slid up his arms to his shoulders, keeping his attention focused on me.

“Yes, Daddy.” His voice was quiet as if he didn’t want anyone to overhear us, but I could see that he was teasing me. “Thank you for breakfast and for helping me find my room.”

“You’re welcome, sweetheart.” I should’ve let go and taken a step back, but I just couldn’t do it. I pulled him to my chest and gave him a firm hug, holding him against me.

I didn’t miss the fact that he brushed his nose against my pec and took a whiff as his fingers dug into my sides. He held me just as tightly. “Have a good day, Adam.”

The fact that he used my name instead of calling me Daddy was like a knife through my heart. I never wanted to hear him say my name again. It just didn’t sound right. But that was not a conversation for right now. I pressed one more soft kiss into the side of his head and then pulled back and released him. “Send me a text so I have your number too.”

He nodded and took a step back as well. “I hope I see you again.”

I turned and started walking, forcing myself to leave before I dragged him back to my room to do naughty things with him.

He would definitely see me again. Hopefully, a lot of agains.