And out. That’s it,” I said when his rhythm tried to match mine. “You’re safe here. Just breathe with me.”
We sat like that for a few minutes, his eyes glued to my chest as he matched my breathing. I reluctantly released his hand when he tried to tug it out of my grasp.
Composed except for the hint of wetness I saw in his eyes, Miller focused on a spot over my shoulder. “What are you doing here, Carson?”
I had no words, no clever lie to speak, no way to deflect. I had nothing in the face of his courage. “I want to give you a hug.”
His eyes widened slightly, but that was his only response. “Why?”
“Because we take care of our own because no one else is going to take care of us.” My words were quiet in the silence of the room, and I hoped he understood what I was trying to say. That the moment he had stepped into my apartment, he had stepped into my safekeeping. And if he never wanted to give in to his submissive or little tendencies ever again, it didn’t matter. He was still one of us, and he still deserved care.
A tear trailed down his cheek and then another one. He pressed his lips tight as more tears fell. It killed me how quiet he was as he cried. Standing, Miller wrapped his arms around himself and nodded. He took a single step closer and nodded again.
Standing slowly, I rounded the table and approached. Tears were still raining down his face and his body was shaking, but he was silent. Wrapping my arms around him, I pulled him into the warmth of my body. He was stiff, but I didn’t mind. Resting my cheek on top of his head, I closed my eyes, took in his clean scent, and held him.
Unable to hold back the Daddy in me, I gently rocked him from side to side. When he didn’t protest, I began humming a soft lullaby my mother had sung to me when I’d been a child. Bit by bit, he slowly relaxed until he wrapped his arms around my waist and pressed his face into my chest. I didn’t even care when the fingers he dug into my back started to hurt.
It was a good ten minutes later when a quiet knock on the break room door interrupted us. Miller’s tears had dried up minutes ago, but I still held him close, offering him the comfort of my embrace.
He pulled back, laughing self-consciously as he patted his face. “I should get back to work.”
“Of course.” I shoved my hands in my pockets, unsure of what to do. “I’ll… uh… leave you to it then. I’ll see you around, Miller,” I said, leaving the break room and Miller behind.
I wasn’t worried about seeing him again. I knew if he didn’t show up Saturday, I’d be back to visit with him again, hopefully with a lot less tears. I could be extremely patient when I needed to be, and I knew Miller would be well worth it.
“Carson, wait!”
I stopped with my hand pushing open the front door. I looked back as Miller rushed toward me, a tan paper cup in his hands.
“You almost forgot your coffee,” he said as he reached my side.
“Thank you, Miller.” I reached for the cup and took it out of his hands. And if my fingers tangled briefly with his, well, I couldn’t really blame myself.
With a smile that looked genuine, Miller spun around and returned to the counter with a little extra pep in his step.
Leaving the shop, I returned home, thankful I’d followed Foster’s advice.
Hours later, I was sitting on the couch, watching the nightly news and drinking a cold beer, when my phone rang. Muting the TV, I reached for the device and groaned at the name on the caller ID. I seriously thought about not answering, but feeling like a coward didn’t sit right with me.
“This is Carson,” I said, then closed my eyes and waited for Lee to rip me a new one.
“I don’t know what you said or did, but thank you.”
I pulled the phone away from my ear and checked again. Yep, it was Lee. “Excuse me?”
“Miller just texted me and asked if I could pick him up again for the game Saturday.”
I smiled, ready for the day Miller would come straight to me. “I’m glad.”
Chapter Five
Miller
“Cinder, what am I doing?” I asked as I paced the floor of my apartment,