Chapter 5

Alick

We had to start as we meant to go on.

Dragons didn't do the shine in the best light and then show who they really are thing.

I had to be myself or he'd be confused later.

I was brave and confident.

Start as we meant to go on…I could do it.

"Now you're the one whose brain is going too fast." For some reason, my mate seemed to think that was funny or cute because his smile widened and he took a step forward.

Even though the trailer was bigger than I'd expected, it was still small enough that it brought him right next to the table, and I couldn't hide the shiver that raced through me. Grady's smile was teasing and slightly wicked, but he paused. "Turned on or nervous? I'm sensing both, but I want to make sure I'm reading you right."

"You are." Reminding myself again that being honest was the only way to not fuck things up in the long run, I did my best to ignore how hot my face was getting. "It's both."

"Good." Shifting slightly closer, the teasing in his grin faded until it was just wicked and hot. "Then I probably shouldn't doubt that you're a sub and a little? I think I saw your little side peeking out when we were in the restaurant."

And the blush just kept getting worse.

Grady seemed to like it, though. He slowly reached out and trailed one finger down my cheek, barely touching me. "I stopped flirting because I was worried I'd be rushing you. In my experience, humans need to take things like that slower or they don't feel special. You're my mate. You're the most special person to me and I didn't want you to feel casual."

I barely held back the whimper that wanted to escape, but I couldn't help how hard that made me. "I…I know I'm your mate."

That didn't make nearly enough sense, so I tried to keep going. "I needed to…I want…You were…"

Okay, rambling hadn't helped the situation.

"Is it hard to think when I'm this close?" Grady's quiet question had a needy sound finally escaping. "I think that's a yes."

It was.

I managed a nod, but his finger traced around my ear and somehow that turned my brain off like I was a robot.

"I spent the last few days imagining punishing you in a thousand naughty ways that all started with spanking you." His words were serious but the tone was erotic, not scary. "I could feel it every time I almost found you and those near misses were driving me insane."

Somehow he was making me hot and cold at the same time, and all I could do was whine and fight off the shakes.

Staying big and functional was getting harder than I thought he realized.

"But you were so cute when your eyes met mine for the first time and you knew I was your mate." Pleasure flashed in his eyes as his finger caressed down my neck and I shivered again. "The thought of punishing you vanished, but I still wanted to spank the cute man who'd turned out to be my mate."

Oh wow.

Licking my lips, I tried to get words out but nothing worked. My brain and my mouth had both decided to take a vacation while all the blood in my body tried to push into my dick, and I couldn't blame them. Grady didn't seem to mind, though.

The spark in his eyes said he was pleased with the situation. "I was imagining how sexy you'd look bent over for me, begging me to spank you and to take you. But I was trying not to come on too strong, or make you feel uncomfortable with how hard I was getting."

I managed not to look but his devilish grin said he knew how badly I wanted to. "Do you like knowing you made your mate hard? You look so well-behaved, but I'm starting to think you're a naughty boy."

Fuck yes.

"I…" Was now the point where I was supposed to confess he was right or was he just teasing me? "Am I supposed to answer that now?"

He flashed me a naughty grin. "I think that's my answer."

Ugh.

With my face heating up again, I was having a hard time not hiding behind my hands. Most of the time I could control myself, but he was making me crazy. "Fine."

Chuckling softer and looking sweeter, he didn't seem disappointed in my answer. "I like naughty, don't worry."

That part was obvious, but I wasn't sure what else he liked.

Most of it could wait. Logically, I knew that, but there were several questions bouncing around in my head like Kenzie when he'd eaten too many cupcakes.

"I don't know what I can ask without it being too much for our first meeting, but I have a lot of questions about you." I was proud of myself for not listing out the first dozen that came to mind or dropping dead, but before he could even tell me it was okay to start the list, my stomach growled.

Grady chuckled, losing his I'm going to do wicked things to you grin. "Well, let's get you fed and we'll talk."

Damn it.

I thought I hid my frustration fairly well, but he chuckled. "You pout so cute. But be careful or I'll kiss it off."

Oh.

Sticking my lower lip out like Kenzie had taught me, I opened my eyes wide and sighed. "But Daddy…"

Bingo.

I hadn't meant the Daddy part to come out just yet…but when it did, I didn't call it back.

Because Kenzie was amazing.

"Oh." Grady leaned closer, looking sexy and serious even though his eyes were sparkling with barely suppressed laughter. "That's a very good look on you, baby boy."

Baby?

Not big boy?

My body couldn't decide if it wanted to completely melt or stay hard as a rock, but none of that mattered when his lips met mine. It was the softest kiss and he barely brushed his lips against mine, but it was enough to have me moaning against him.

When he finally eased back, he looked very pleased with himself. "Yes, I think we're going to have a lot in common and I'm pretty sure I don't need to apologize."

Never.

"No." Licking my lips and loving the fact that I could taste him on them, I managed not to moan that time. "You don't have to apologize for anything, but was it…I mean, the thing I said…was that part too much?"

Shoot.

I'd almost gotten the word out but he made me want to squirm, and I was having a hard time remembering why I'd left Rabbie at home. Meeting my mate for the first time definitely called for cuddly reinforcements.

Daddy seemed to know that, though, because something soft and warm filled his eyes, and it was like they almost glowed for a moment before he leaned in and kissed my cheek. "It wasn't too much."

Straightening, he crouched down in front of me instead of moving away. When he was settled between my legs and looking me in the eyes, he kept his gaze on mine. "You're my mate. I won't forget that. We don't know much about each other yet, but like you said before, mates are always compatible. We'll have hiccups like everyone else, but I want to be your Daddy."

Relief flooded through me, but it wasn't just the words.

"Even if…even if I'm not what you expected?" Just to start, I was human and the list kept going from there. Shit. I wasn't even Canadian. "I don't want to rush you."

I wasn't sure that was possible with mates, but I didn't want him to feel that way regardless.

"You won't." His hands moved from the table to my thighs, and I knew there was no way he would've missed what his touch did to me. "But if it makes you feel better, I will tell you if we start moving too fast."

Nodding, I tried to respond in words but they were stuck behind the golf ball that was suddenly in my throat.

Grady seemed to get it, though, because he squeezed my thighs and kept his gaze on mine. "Right now, my limits are that I don't want us to have full intercourse yet. I want to get to know you first. Also, before we have a scene with impact play, I need your lists, but as long as you're willing to communicate clearly with me, I'm flexible about everything else."

Yes, lists.

I could do that.

"I have lists." That wasn't hard. "Kenzie made me do them. Lorne likes lists too."

Daddy gave me a very proud Daddy smile. "I'm so glad."

Kissing my cheek, he chuckled when I blushed. "And I'm proud of you for telling me that. I know it was hard."

"But you're my mate." That meant it was supposed to be easy, right?

Daddy scrunched up his face and sighed as dramatically as Kenzie could. "Unfortunately, the magic that makes mates doesn't magically make worries disappear."

"It should." Pouting, I laughed when he gave me another kiss. "I forgot the rule…Daddy."

Oh, he liked that.

He got a big smile and even wiggled, knocking against my legs. "I won't forget the rule, don't worry."

"Do…" I tried to stay big but it was too hard and it made me wiggle so I was rocking back and forth. It was hard work staying big around Daddy. "Do you like kissing?"

"Yes." He leaned in and gave me a cute, fast peck on the cheek that time. "I really like kissing you, baby boy."

Nibbling on my lips, I tried to stay still but my wiggles broke loose. "You…you don't think I'm a big boy?"

Daddy cocked his head and got all thinky. "I'm not sure I understand the question, but if you're asking if I think you're a…let's call it a little that's on the older side, no. I think you're a cute little who needs a Daddy to take good care of him…and I think your little side is really little."

"I have a bunny rabbit that keeps me safe when I'm little, Daddy." I thought he should know that. "And I stay almost big when I play with my friends because they like Legos and toys and games. That's fun too."

Nodding slowly, Daddy leaned in and nuzzled my nose with his like he was a bunny. "There are lots of different ways to be little and I'm glad you had friends to play with until I could find you."

"I was a long way faraway, Daddy." He'd been forever away too.

Daddy groaned. "I know."

When he finished being dramatic, he big smiled. "But do you know what else?"

"What?" I liked games.

"I came to visit the States five times last year." He leaned in close, resting his forehead against mine and making me laugh. "And I was even here in North Carolina one of the times. I went to the beach."

Daddy looked so frustrated he made me giggle. "I went to the beach with Kenzie and my friends one time. We played in the water and had good food and stayed up late in a big hotel room with lots of bedrooms and a kitchen and we had ice cream and then we came home so we didn't get in trouble."

We'd been very good.

Daddy groaned. "Baby boy, were you there the weekend after the Fourth of July?"

Oops.

Nodding slowly, I couldn't decide if I wanted to giggle or groan like Daddy. "Um, yes?"

Was that a bad thing?

Had I been naughty?

"And did you go to a fun place with donuts and shopping?" Daddy had lots of questions but he closed his eyes and groaned when I nodded again. "Dragons above, Alick."

Magic was hard.

"I got wiggly and told Kenzie I had to go on vacation, so everyone came with me." How had I missed Daddy? "When we got to the beach, I wasn't squirmy anymore and I felt better. I guess 'cause you were there?"

"I was squirmy too." Daddy gave me another bunny kiss and smiled. "I was trying to find my special boy."

Me.

"Now you found me." Daddy was really smart. "You're a good dragon for finding me, Daddy. I was far away."

Smiling and looking silly, he shrugged. "I don't know. I think you're a good mate for making sure the magic brought me to you."

"You're not mad?" I hadn't meant to make him mad. "We didn't know it would be…"

I shrugged, not sure what to call it.

"Carrick was mad when he found out what we'd done." Leaning close, I whispered soft so no one outside could hear us. "He thought you were a grown-up toy that I'd lost. Lorne was sneaky. I didn't know that until after. You're not a toy, Daddy."

Snickering, Daddy closed his eyes and whispered back too. "Lorne somehow made his mage mate think that I was an adult toy you'd lost?"

Trying to be a big boy, I nodded and looked serious. "Yes."

But I giggled when he started shaking his head. "Well, I'm glad this didn't go worse."

Me too.

"I'm glad you're not broke or mad, Daddy." Daddy didn't need batteries to make my tummy feel funny and for me to get all shivery.

"I'm not mad or broke." His big Daddy smile said he was telling the truth. "And I'm very glad I found you and that I finally get to be your Daddy."

"I am too, Daddy." I gave him bunny kisses that time. "But I was patient and I looked for you but I didn't know I had to go to Canada to find you. I don't have a passport, Daddy."

I'd have never found him.

Daddy chuckled, not worried, so he made my worries get lower too. "We'll work on that later. For now, I'm here and we're going to have lunch and play and I'll tell you stories."

I liked stories.

Play?

"Do you have toys for me, Daddy?" I tried to look cute like Kenzie so Daddy would want to tell me all about them, but he shrugged.

"We'll have to see." Daddy was being cute and sneaky, but we hadn't been quiet enough.

"Aww, Alick's mate bought him toys. That's cute, right? That's better than flowers, right?"

Oops.

Maybe Mr. Kennedy did need a hobby?

"Are they sex toys or real ones?"

Maybe they all needed a hobby.