Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

DALLAS

Dallas had always had a nervous stomach, but it hadn't been this bad in years. He woke in Kylen's bed, in his arms, which was probably the best he was going to feel all day. He was smaller than Dallas, but he was strong, and he was warm and comforting. Dallas let himself linger there until Kylen began to stir, and then he rolled over and stretched as Kylen rubbed at his face and gave several jaw-cracking yawns.

"Breakfast?"

Dallas nodded, though the very idea of eating sent his stomach into a spin. He didn't have long before he had to get to the school, and then after his day was over, it was right to the law office to see if he had a case against his ex.

He swore he could feel himself turning green.

Kylen didn't linger, slipping from the bed and heading for the kitchen, and Dallas knew that was entirely his fault. He'd offered something to Kylen—something they both wanted—and then when Kylen asked for more, Dallas turned him down.

The worst part was it was the hardest no Dallas had ever given because the truth was, he did trust Kylen. His words had always been honest. What held him back was the fear that Kylen didn't know himself as well as he claimed.

He had been trying to protect himself, but now as he lay there in Kylen's bed, basking in the lingering scent of them together, he realized he'd be just as devastated now as he would in the future if he lost this man. So what was the point in holding off?

Shuffling into the bathroom, he turned on the shower, then relieved himself before stepping under the spray to give himself a quick scrub down. It was going to be torture, going through the entire day smelling like Kylen, but it would also be a comfort.

Knowing he was walking into the afternoon entirely by himself, he'd never felt so alone. His stomach twisted harder, and he fought the urge to sick up whatever was left in his belly from the night before.

"Hey, sweetheart?"

Dallas jolted just as he was turning off the water. Sweetheart? Still? "In here. Just got out of the shower." He reached for a towel and froze when the door swung open, and Kylen walked in.

"Oh, good. I was going to tell you to—oh." Kylen's gaze snagged on Dallas's midsection, then slowly moved down before he snapped out of it. He slapped his hand over his eyes. "Oh my God. I'm so sorry."

Dallas wrapped the towel around his waist as he closed the distance between them, and he tugged Kylen's hand down, rolling his eyes. "You can look at me. You've had my dick in your hand."

Kylen swallowed heavily, and his lips twitched upward. "Yeah. But you said?— "

"I said I needed time to think about commitment. I still like you. A lot. And I like that you're turned on by me. I'm not sex-repulsed. It makes me feel good to know you find me attractive."

Kylen let out a shaky breath. "Baby, attractive is not the word." His hands lifted, hesitated, and then he ran a curled knuckle over Dallas's abs. "But I don't think we have time to explore anything right now. It's ten to seven."

Dallas groaned as he leaned in and dropped his forehead against Kylen's shoulder. "Today is going to be the worst."

Wrapping his arms around Dallas's waist, Kylen held him softly, rocking him back and forth. The motion was so soothing. "Why is today going to be the worst?"

"Because I have a meeting with a new lawyer about custody, and I asked everyone I know, but no one's available to go with me. I feel like I'm going to fuck it up, and the guy's going to laugh in my face and ask me to leave."

"First of all, no he won't. I'm sure he's a professional. And you're very smart, sweetheart." Kylen used his grip on Dallas to ease him back. "Second of all, you didn't ask me if I was free."

Dallas blinked at him. "That's…a big ask, considering we've only known each other a little while."

"We've also made out in front of my sister, had sex in my bedroom, and you're totally my fake boyfriend," Kylen pointed out.

It sounded like a '90s college rom-com. Dallas grinned at him in spite of the way Kylen's words made his stomach swoop. "Okay, fake boyfriend. Are you free this afternoon to sit in a boring meeting while I talk about custody?"

"No."

"I— "

Kylen burst into laughter. "I'm kidding. Yes, sweetheart. I'm free. Why don't I pick you up at the school so you don't have to worry about driving while you're this stressed."

Dallas wanted to cry. Very few people in his entire life had ever been this thoughtful. "Yeah?"

"Yes. We can have dinner with Flora and Dani afterward, and then if you need more company, we can hang. Flora's with her for her last night tonight, so I'm still free."

"And lonely?"

"No one ever warned me that I was going to miss the sounds of slime videos," Kylen groaned.

Dallas laughed, then gave in to his urge and tipped Kylen's chin up, kissing him. The laughter died on the edge of a moan, and Kylen swung his body in toward Dallas's before stopping himself. He broke away with a gasp.

"Sorry."

Dallas shook his head. "That's on me. I'm…fuck, I don't know. I guess we need boundaries, but every time I see you, I want to kiss you. And that feels selfish as fuck after what I said."

"What you said was fair. You're allowed to protect yourself after what you've been through. And I like kissing you. Kissing can be on the table."

"Even without?—"

"Yes," Kylen said. He lifted into his toes to close the tiny height difference between them. He leaned in and pressed his lips to the corner of Dallas's mouth. "Even without. I told you, sex isn't everything for me. I like this a lot more."

Before Dallas could respond, Kylen turned on his heel and marched out of the room, leaving him to his swoony confusion.

"Whoa, where's the fire?"

The last thing in the world Dallas wanted was to be stopped on his way out. The day had dragged, and he was fairly sure the kids had picked up on his anxiety because they'd been awful. Five of them had turned their cards to red, six to yellow—and one of those had been Flora, which had resulted in a meltdown because she didn't like doing anything bad.

He'd struggled to make her do it too. He was terrified of what Kylen was going to say when he found out that Dallas had punished his daughter. Even if it was deserved. In the end, he'd cancelled their final math lesson and decided to have free play. He broke out the kinetic sand and the boxes of clay, and the kids who didn't like those sensory activities were allowed in the reading corner.

They calmed almost instantly, and it allowed him to recenter himself before the final bell. Flora had given him a sad, doe-eyed look before she filed out with the rest of the class to meet Dani, and like a coward, Dallas hid in his classroom and let the playground monitor walk them out.

He watched the clock and waited for the text from Kylen to let him know he was in the staff parking lot waiting. Mostly, Dallas wanted to wait it out and not be seen by any of his colleagues because he didn't want to answer questions about where he was going and why he was getting into a strange man's car.

But his luck had run out, apparently.

He was steps from the side doors that led to the parking lot when he heard the AP's voice. He wanted to pretend like he hadn't, but Greg was his boss. Or, well, he was the assistant principal, which made him assistant boss? Whatever the case, Dallas had to play nice .

He was still new and probably first on the list if they ever made cuts.

"Sorry. I have an appointment in a few minutes," he said, turning.

Greg's smile was very big and plastic-looking from his veneers. He was the kind of guy Dallas figured he'd seen on TV in a dozen years running for office. "No problem. But I wanted to catch you before you left. We received an evaluation request for one of your students."

Dallas's brows rose. "Oh?"

"Flora Harrell?"

That hit him almost like a physical blow. It was true, he'd suggested to Kylen that he make the call and schedule the evaluation, but he was surprised Kylen hadn't said anything to him. He had no right to be hurt, and he wasn't really. But it made him feel strange.

"Right. Okay. So her dad?—"

"Her aunt, it seems," Greg said.

Dallas froze, then cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, what? Her aunt isn't her guardian."

"We know. We informed her that we couldn't share any information about your student, but she said you authorized her to make the call."

Dallas slapped a hand over his face. "That bi— hmmm ." His jaw snapped shut before he made a giant mistake. "I most certainly did not . She was present when I was speaking to Flora's father about my suspicions. I suggested to him that if he was concerned about her progress, he could call the school and set up an evaluation."

Greg's shoulders relaxed. "Okay. That wasn't the story I was given, but it's a relief to hear. We'll have to confirm with Mr. Harrell, of course, just to be sure. It would be a huge violation if you spoke to this woman and gave out private information about your student."

Dallas's cheeks heated. "I know I'm new at this, but I've always been professional."

Except the fact that he'd fucked his student's father and that he was madly in love with him. But sue him, he was also only human, desperately single, and Kylen was one of the best men he'd ever met. But Greg didn't need to know all of that.

He'd done all of that well outside of being on the clock.

"Is that all?" Dallas asked. He knew he sounded like a dick now, especially from the way Greg's face fell, but he couldn't help it. He didn't need this added stress. And he definitely didn't need Greg following him out to see that he was getting into Kylen's car.

"That's all. We'll be speaking soon."

Okay. That sounded like a threat. But he had no energy for it.

He waited for Greg to turn and walk down the hall before he bolted out the door, and he let out a huge sigh of relief when he saw Kylen's car waiting for him. His windows were tinted too, which meant it would be harder to see who was behind the wheel.

"Babe, are you okay?" Kylen asked the moment Dallas shut the car door. "You look really pale."

Dallas covered his face with his hands. "Your sister called the school and requested an evaluation for Flora."

Kylen was deadly silent, and when he did speak, his voice sounded dangerous. "I'm sorry, what ?"

Dallas licked his lips. "Yeah. She also said that I told her she was allowed to circumvent you to schedule it."

Kylen cleared his throat. " Did she? "

"I'm sorry," Dallas said quickly. "I'm so fucking sorry if she took what I said as permission. I swear I didn't?—"

"Oh. I don't think this is on you," Kylen said. He paused for a long beat, then rolled his shoulders back. "I'll deal with it later. You don't need this right now."

Dallas shook his head. "Listen, I can do this on my own if you need to take care of Grace."

Kylen let out a strained laugh. "I need to take care of her, but it can wait. I promised to be here for you."

"Yeah, but I'm just being a giant baby about a meeting. This is serious," Dallas argued.

Kylen barked a laugh, and it wasn't as tense or angry as Dallas expected it to be. "You're so sweet, and you're not being a baby. I understand this is nerve-racking, and I'm going to be here for you. My sister's bullshit can wait." He put the car in drive and rolled forward before slamming on the brakes. "Wait. They didn't make the appointment, right?"

Dallas snorted. "No. They subtly threatened my job over it. They said if they found out I did give her permission, it would be a problem."

The car started moving again, but Kylen's grip on the wheel was tight enough to make his knuckles white. "Can I tell them that's bullshit?"

"I would love that," Dallas said. "They're going to call and ask."

"I hope she likes the taste of rubber because I plan to throw her under that fucking bus and let her eat tires."

Dallas probably should have been terrified by Kylen's words, but instead, he fell even harder.