Secret Daddy - J.R. Gray Page 0,56
whole thing. The anticipation you might show up. The waiting. The play with my mask.”
“Oh.” It was becoming a lot clearer as he spoke. “You want the stranger dynamic to continue. We can do that.”
“I liked that it was a surprise. It gave me hope to always have it as a possibility.”
I tugged at his hair until he glanced up at me. “All those things are possible as long as you talk to me and tell me you enjoy them.”
“Thank you.”
“So agreeable after an orgasm,” I said, laughing. It was the best time to tell him. “Aiden, can we talk about something else?”
“Sure, Daddy.”
“Do you want me to untie you?”
“No.” He wore a shy smile.
“I’ve been applying for jobs to use my degree.”
He tilted his head. “Okay.”
“Some of them are in conservation and harder to get. So I haven’t been taking it seriously because of the nature of them. They are usually someone’s kid or end up political.”
“And?” There was an edge to his voice.
“I interviewed for one a few days ago and got the call today I got it.”
A mixture of emotions washed over his face. “That’s a good thing right? Good for your career.”
“Yes, very good. It will be doing more of the things I love. I will get a hand in the parks and get to make choices on what’s best for them.”
He smiled and leaned up to brush his lips over mine. “I’m happy for you. You’re going to take it right?”
“Well, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”
“What do you mean?”
“I think the position would require me to move to the city…”
He tried to scurry back, but the ribbon caught on the back of my neck. He kept tugging and I was trying to get him to stop long enough to get him free. But instead of freezing, he fought harder to separate us, and our heads slammed together.
“Fuck.” He curled into himself and I was finally able to get his arms from around my neck.
He clutched his forehead and backed away.
I sat collecting myself. “Aiden, I need you to listen to me.”
“No. No.” His voice broke, and his tears glinted in the multicolored lights. “I can’t do this again. I can’t have you leave me behind and then wait for you to cheat on me.”
I stalked over to stand in front of him as he alternated between clutching his head and trying to untie himself with his teeth.
“That’s not what’s going to happen. I don’t even know what the details of the job are yet.”
“It doesn’t matter.” He threw his hands down in front of himself and squared his shoulders. “It can’t be here. Nothing bureaucratic is done up here. They will need you down there. Even if it was possible to stay, I’m sure you’re amazing at what you do. And eventually it will lead to the city, and then I’ll be left here alone. I’m not investing to lose someone…” He trailed off, ribbon back in his mouth. He groaned again, stomping his foot when he couldn’t get it undone.
I grabbed his hands and he let me untie them.
Hurriedly he collected his clothes and started to pull them on.
“Aiden. Will you listen to me for a minute? I’ve thought a lot about this.”
“I can’t.”
“Where are you going?”
“Home.” He pulled on his boots and was out the door, leaving me naked in the middle of my living room.
That asshole was going to catch a cold trying to walk home like this.
Sixteen
AIDEN
In retrospect, should I have been walking down the road in the middle of the night on Christmas Eve or morning? No. I overreacted and I knew it, but I kept putting one foot in front of the other. I wasn’t sure if it was pride or dignity that kept me moving. My breath blew around my face and the chill set into my bones, causing my hands to shake even in my pockets. I figured I’d either freeze to death or get picked up by a hitchhiker and hacked to pieces and spread out over the state parks for Jensen to find.
What a morbid line of thought. Maybe they’d called him the Christmas killer and I’d be the famous first victim.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Jensen yelled.
I turned to find I’d been so lost in my thoughts I hadn’t heard his car approach. “Well, I’m glad you’re not a serial killer.”
“What?”
“Never mind. Not important.” But I kept walking.
He slowed and crept after me, passenger window down. “Will you get