9. Saber

Chapter 9

Saber

After holding Frederick up from behind as he swayed in front of the urinal, I finally got him buckled into my car and on the road. He was sleepy on the ride, so I had to dig his driver’s license out of his wallet to get his address and then find his keys in his computer bag to get him in the door.

The second we stepped inside, Frederick kicked off his shoes. They flew in opposite directions. “I’m so hot.” He ripped his shirt over his head without unbuttoning it so it got stuck at his nose. “Ouch. Owie. Saber, help. I’m stuck.”

“I can see that.” I chuckled and walked him backward into his living room so he could lean against the back of his sofa while I did my best to help. “Just relax your arms and let me get a few of these buttons loose.”

“It’s too hot. I can’t breathe.” He was starting to panic, so I took a gamble that it wasn’t an expensive shirt and ripped open the front so he could see me again.

“You’re okay now, sweetheart.” I held his cheeks and wiped a few tears away with my thumbs. “I’ve got you.”

“Like a Daddy?” he asked quietly, still somewhat confused by the term.

“Yeah, like a Daddy, if you’re comfortable with that.”

He shrugged. “Okay, but I think I need to lie down.”

Right. “Then let’s get you into bed.”

He dropped his pants and stepped out of them as we walked down the hall. “I’m not as hot anymore.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” I left his trail of clothes where they were. Getting him into bed was more important than keeping his house tidy. “Do you want to put on pajamas?”

He shook his head and flopped down in the center of his bed. “Good night.”

“Um, okay.” I pulled his socks off and allowed myself two seconds to look at his pert ass under the tighty-whities. He was so damn cute. Before I could say good night to him, he was softly snoring.

I pulled back the covers and gently rolled him between the sheets before tucking him in. He was in a deep sleep and didn’t budge at all, not even when I brushed a slight kiss over the back of his head and slipped out of the room.

After making sure his phone was on a charger and his keys were on the table, I locked the door from the inside and pulled it shut behind me. Considering the only action I got was a chaste kiss across the back of his head, I felt completely connected to this man. How was that even possible?

There was only one way to find out, and I intended to follow that thread until it snapped or was fully wrapped around me too.

My sleep was restless, and I was anxious to check on Frederick, so I got to work at seven fifty with a box of donuts and two steaming cups of hot cocoa. I’d only seen him drinking tea, but I had a feeling he might enjoy something a little richer.

At eight on the dot, Frederick slowly walked in wearing sunglasses and a heavy coat. When he saw me sitting at my desk, he froze. “Oh, hi, Saber.”

“Good morning. I brought donuts and hot chocolate.”

“You did?” He stood a little straighter and went for the pink box on our little meeting table. “Why?”

Why, indeed… “Just thought you might need some comfort foods this morning. Cocoa and donuts always help me when I’ve got a hangover.”

“A hangover?” He broke a piece off a cake donut with sprinkles and then dropped into his chair with a thud. “Is that what this is?”

I grinned and took the cup of chocolate to him then set it on the edge of his desk. “Your first one?”

He scoffed and reached for the cocoa, holding it under his nose with both hands as he inhaled the sweet steam wafting from it. “Yeah, never really got drunk before.” He pulled off his sunglasses and looked me in the eyes. “I was drunk, right?”

“A little bit, yeah.”

He took a sip and locked his gaze with mine. “Did we…you know?”

“What?” I took a drink from my cup and cocked my head, waiting for him to respond.

“Last night.” He cleared his throat. “Did we do the sex?”

“The sex?” I bit the corner of my mouth to keep from laughing out loud. “No, Freddy. We didn’t do the sex. I got you home, tucked you in, and then let myself out. I promise your virtue is still pure.”

“Oh.” He almost seemed disappointed by that. “Of course. Sorry for even asking. That was wrong.”

“Not at all.” I scooted closer so the side of my leg was touching his. “I’m proud of you for asking. I know that’s not an easy thing to say, but it’s important for you to know what happened.”

He just nodded and took another sip.

“And even more important is that you know you can trust me. I’d never take advantage of you when you were vulnerable. If you ever want to do the sex—” I waggled my eyebrows to let him know my teasing was harmless. “You’ll need to say the words and let me know you’re one hundred percent on board.”

“Oh.” His breathing picked up, and I noticed his trousers tenting in front, but he didn’t even try to hide his hard-on this time. For some reason, that felt like progress. “Okay. Thank you.”

“Thank you for trusting me, Freddy.” I reached for his shoulder and gave him a squeeze. “It means a lot to me. I promise not to abuse that.”

His eyes welled up, and he nodded. “I know you won’t, Saber.”