7. Leo

Chapter seven

Leo

W as Isaac turned on by me? No, I had to be imagining the sexual tension. And his roaming eyes. There was no way a man who liked cock didn’t notice his daily view had a giant one. And based on the obvious bulge in Isaac’s sweatpants, he knew what a big dick looked like.

Talking with him after Dezi was in bed came easier than any conversation I’d ever had in my whole life.

We shared personal stories about our childhood, though his was very different as an only child in suburban Michigan to mine in a big Mexican family here in the bay area. Before we knew it, hours had passed, and I didn’t want the conversation to end.

Granted, I grew up gay with strict Catholic parents, and I was small until I finally got my growth spurt at eighteen. I was still firmly in twink territory, but not as short or scrawny. I was no virgin after growing into my confidence, but my hookups were few and far between.

In college, I never bothered making close friends. They all wanted to party, I wanted to go home and read a book to Nacho. Whenever Cam tried getting me to go out, I told her I’d sow my wild oats after I finished my degree and Nacho started school.

It had been a couple months since that milestone had come and passed, and I could understand why she’d shown up to let me off the hook. Cam wanted me to build my own life outside of her and Nacho, but I didn’t know how.

After the previous five years of spending my time talking mainly to my nephew and a revolving door of nannies at the parks of San Francisco, I was out of practice with the feelings Isaac evoked in me. I wanted to talk more, but I was also horny. I was free to go out and find someone to scratch my itch, but a quiet night on the couch laughing with a handsome older man was the definition of goals for me.

Sure, Isaac was straight, but the way he was looking at me…

He seemed to have a handle on Dezi, but in truth, I didn’t want to leave. Isaac’s place was cozy and the love he had for his little girl was effervescent. I didn’t want to be a burden, but couldn’t help accepting his offer to stay over and help.

Letting Isaac dress me in his too-large shirt and sweats that smelled like him, I resisted the urge to pull the fabric closer. They smelled like his laundry detergent, more than the man or any cologne, but my brain didn’t care. The clothes belonged to him and I wanted more.

Tucked in his big, comfy bed, I drank in the scents there. Isaac hadn’t changed the sheets, too focused on checking in on his daughter, and I felt closer to him there. He said he had a place to sleep in her room, but I hadn’t seen it, and I felt guilty for taking his bed. I wondered why a single man needed a king size, but, duh. He was hot, caring, and clearly successful, the man was a catch.

I needed to get a grip.

This new crush, one I could tell was developing around the same time I saw Isaac let out a full laugh that lit his face up, was probably going to get my heart broken.

While I’d thought Isaac would wake me when Dezi got up during the night, I slept straight through to the morning. Isaac’s blackout drapes only let in a sliver of light around the edges, but that wasn’t what woke me.

Giggles filtered through the door, accompanied by the smell of something baking. I relieved myself in Isaac’s huge ensuite bathroom, washing my face and running fingers through my hair to tame it. Best I could do, but I also put my dry clothes back on in case Isaac wanted me to leave in the light of day.

Slipping out of his room and down the hall, I found the picture of domesticity in Isaac’s kitchen.

Still in his sweats, bare feet on the hardwood floor, Isaac was making Dezi laugh in her high chair. Behind him, I saw a stack of pancakes and a plate of sausage, answering the question of what smelled so good.

Dezi seemed better, with a few spots of light-pink lotion on her bumps, but no sign of fatigue or irritability. Isaac was making silly faces at her, and I saw she had mouse pancakes with fruit for the eyes and a smile.

Isaac was such a good Daddy. Um, Dad…

“Good morning,” I greeted them, not wanting to interrupt, but also worried I’d been staring for too long.

“Leo,” Isaac replied, his blinding smile lighting up his face. It may have been residual joy from his daughter, but pointed at me I could pretend. “Good morning. How did you sleep?”

“Amazing,” I conceded. “Your bed is like a cloud.”

“We-o,” Dezi squealed, finally noticing me. She hadn’t mastered her L’s yet, and I found her name for me adorable.

“Hi, Dezi.” Stepping up to kneel beside her chair at the threshold of the kitchen, I pointed to her food, “That looks so yummy! Did your daddy make that for you?”

Isaac cleared his throat and I turned to see if he was alright, which was when Dezi tried to feed me some of her sausage. “Food, We-o.”

“Thanks for sharing, Dezi,” I chuckled around the bite she foisted on me. “Do you want any help?”

“No, I do,” Dezi insisted, so I stood to avoid another poke from her sticky fingers, and found Isaac holding out a plate.

“I thought you might be hungry,” Isaac stated, and I saw it was another mouse-shaped pancake with a smiley face of sausage and fruit.

My heart fluttered in my chest at the simple gesture. I took the plate out of the kitchen so I could have a moment to myself, because my crush was being amplified.

One thing my sister never knew was why I didn’t date guys my own age. I liked older men, sure, but also men who treated me like a treasure. Men my age just didn’t know how to be a partner or caretaker in the kinky sense, so it stayed a dream.

In this fantasy future, the man would make me breakfast, and I always imagined something very similar to what I was looking at in Isaac. Sexy man with his life together, caring and also funny, who took the time to make me special pancakes. Damn if Isaac wasn’t pushing every one of my buttons.

In my heart of hearts, I wanted a Daddy, and for me to be his little boy.

“Do you have plans today?” Isaac asked, and I met his eyes over the breakfast bar. I couldn’t tell if he was asking to be polite, or if he wanted to get rid of me.

“I should head home, but I appreciate the breakfast,” I told him and meant it. I was sad to go, but I had a lovely time with him and Dezi. “You have an amazing little girl, and I’m always happy to help.”

Digging into my breakfast, I found myself ravenous, and the three of us fell into a companionable silence as we all dug in. When I was swallowing my last bite, Isaac spoke and had me almost choking.

“You should have dinner with us,” Isaac said, and I saw him narrow his eyes as I coughed and reached for the juice he’d set out for me. “You alright?”

“Yeah, yes, I’m fine,” I squeaked out and wiped at my mouth in case I’d drooled while coughing. “What did you ask me? Stay for dinner?”

“Oh, you probably have places to be,” Isaac hedged, taking my plate and turning away to put it in the sink along with his. It was just him being polite, then. I shouldn’t be surprised– “But maybe next weekend?”

A shock of energy rushed down my spine. Halloween was later in the week, when I’d be going trick-or-treating with Cam and Nacho, but I didn’t have plans on the weekend. If I did, I could rearrange them.

“I’d love that,” I rushed to answer.

“Great!” Isaac turned around to give me a shy smile after his exuberant reply, tossing a dish-towel over his shoulder. “We’ll text about the details.”

“We-O,” Dezi cheered like she could feel my excitement.

Dinner plans with Dezi and her Daddy? I couldn’t wait.