Rescued Alpha (Billionaire Alphas #6) - Skye R. Richmond Page 0,22

prince. You know what his name was?"

"Damon," his son squealed, thrusting his hands out.

Eli smiled. "That’s right! Damon!" He wrapped his arm around his son. "Damon was a very powerful prince, but everyone loved him." He continued on making things up as he went, and it probably went on for over ten minutes until Damon’s eyes finally closed.

"Goodnight, little man," he whispered, then kissed the top of Damon’s forehead. Eli gently pulled his arm back, shifted Damon in bed, and covered him up with the comforter. He then carefully got up from the bed so Damon didn't wake up and left his room. Just as he closed his door, he heard his cell phone ping with a new text message.

He slipped away from Damon’s room and pulled it out of his pocket and looked down to see who was texting.

Jack: Just checking to make sure you gave me a working number.

Eli laughed and went into his room. He climbed into bed and slipped under his covers before he typed back his reply.

Eli: Haha! Yes, I did. Glad to see you did, too. ;)

Eli hesitated before he added the winking emoji, but the mood seemed to call for it, so he went with his heart.

Jack: At least we know we’re both honest. ;)

When he sent a wink back, Eli smiled. Mostly because he wasn’t sure it fit, but he figured they were kinda flirting. He settled back into bed as he thought about the next message.

Eli: Honesty is a key element to any good relationship.

The minute he hit send, he started freaking out. Shit. shit. Major shit. That was not… that was pushy. Fuck, he was rusty. What if that was moving flirtation into a whole new stratosphere? Arghhh, why couldn’t he unsend it?

Eli threw the phone across the bed.

He waited, his stomach in knots, for Jack to respond. And this one didn’t come as quickly as he had for the other message. Eli really started to worry that he’d freaked Jack out.

"You’ve scared him off. Congratulations you scared him off." He covered his eyes with his arms and let out a sigh. Eli sat up and snatched up his phone.

Eli: Not saying this is a relationship or even needs to be a relationship.

Eli: I don’t want you to freak out.

Eli: I’m sorry if that bothered you, me calling it a relationship.

This time he tossed the phone so far it hit the floor. But it didn’t escape his notice that despite the string of messages Eli had sent, Jack hadn’t responded. Dammit! Why’d you have to scare him off?

When his phone buzzed, Eli jumped out of bed and his legs twisted in the blanket causing him to nearly fall and bump his head.

"Fuck. Crap," he cursed.

Jack: Sorry for the delay. Phone call. And you’re right, honesty is key in a relationship.

Eli felt like a balloon when all the air was let out of it. That was how relieved he was. "It was just a phone call. He got a call." He pumped his fist. Before Eli could come up with a fitting response, another message came through.

Jack: So, I was thinking. I’m just thinking. If you don’t want to, then I understand, but how about going out some time together. Maybe dinner or something.

He asked me out on a date. Why did he feel like he’d just guzzled a whole bottle of champagne? Is this what giddy feels like was all he could think as he typed out his reply.

Eli: I’d love to. Just tell me when and where?

Eli lay back and stared up at the ceiling, a huge grin on his face. He actually had a date with Jack. Not like you gotta worry about sleeping with him.

But you want to again. But more than that, he kind of wanted to see if the giddy feeling would actually become more… if the connection that had him following Jack that first night was real.

"So you’re really not going to tell me who the guy is?" his mom asked. "Or where he’s taking you?" His mom had been needling him for details since he’d called her to babysit, and of course, she wouldn’t quit now she was here.

She was possibly more excited by the date than he was. And he was only slightly offended by that fact of how surprised she’d sounded when he’d called to ask her to watch Damon. Then again, he didn’t date often… or at all, really. So of course it made sense, his mom being surprised.

He appreciated