Page 23 of Colby's Lost Binky

“I need to see your face as much as possible.” I smiled at him. “Shall I tell you what I am thinking?”

He nodded. Although he was protesting moving in, his eyes held a gleam of hope I could not let pass. “Go ahead.”

“How about you move in here and every month you put away the amount you would be paying for your own apartment. That way, god forbid, you wake up one morning and realize I’m no great bargain, all you have to do is take your checkbook and rent anything you like.”

“Don’t you say my daddy is not a great bargain. I’ve seen other daddies, and you are the best.”

“Good, then you’ll move in.”

“Not so fast. How is it fair for me to move in and save all my money for myself while you pay the bills?” The easy comfort of our evening was rapidly dissipating, and it was all my fault. “I can’t do that to you, not after everything you’ve done for me.”

“Hey, I never said you couldn’t pay for anything. I just want to make sure you have a nest egg so you are only here because you want to be. You’ve had enough insecurity in your life recently. My job is to make sure you don’t have that in our life together.” I took his hand and smoothed it between mine. “If you wake up some morning and think, I want my own place or Daddy isn’t the one for me after all, you don’t owe me any explanations. You can pack up your things and go without a word if you like.”

He turned his hand palm up and gripped mine. “I couldn’t do that to you, leave without a word.”

“No, I don’t think you would.” I pulled him closer by our joined hands. “But you could. With a good bank account and a job you like and a membership to one of the premier kink clubs in the country.”

“Where I’d see you…”

I shrugged. “And if you realized I was irresistible and you couldn’t live without me, maybe you’d come back.”

He started to laugh, harder until tears ran down his cheeks and he clutched his side.

“What is it?” I was trying to be witty but…

“In five minutes, you’ve moved me in, had me leave you cold, and now we’re back together living happily ever after.”

“Now that’s what I call a happy ending.” Picking up my silverware again, I forked the last bite of tender juicy steak. It tasted even better now. “When would you like to move in?”

“I’m not sure I said I would.” He lifted his corn on the cob and took a hearty bite, butter running down his chin.

I dabbed at it with a napkin, waiting for what he’d say next. “And?”

“And I am wondering if we could say I live here now. I don’t have a whole lot to pack up since I’ve been over here so much. It’s almost all here already.”

“You little devil. You do live here already, don’t you. Why didn’t you say anything?”

He sobered. “Honestly, for the reasons I mentioned. I was coasting, loving being with you but not seeing a good way to move forward. Until you suggested it.”

“I think we need to celebrate more. Now we have something else to add to the party.”

“Celebrate with cookies?”

“Sure, before or after?”

He didn’t ask me after what. He didn’t need to.

Chapter Seventeen

Colby

Moving in hadn’t been difficult, not physically anyway. I came to my sister’s house with very little, and I still had just about that much. I’d picked up some little things, but those had already been staying with Daddy. So, it looked more like I was staying for a weekend than moving in forever when I brought all my things over.

But it didn’t feel that way. There was nothing temporary about this move. Unlike when I moved in with my ex, I didn’t wonder if I was making the right decision. I was. Not a single doubt entered my mind. Here, with Barrister, was exactly where I belonged. The only thing that would change that would be if he needed or wanted to move. Then the physical location would change, but not who was by my side. Daddy was my always and forever, and I couldn’t ask for a better man to walk side by side with for the rest of my life.

Sliding my clothes into his drawers—my drawers—our drawers—it hit me in the feels. I expected to move in and have not much change. But that simple act of taking my clothing from my suitcase to the drawers…it changed everything. I was home.

My sister didn’t say as much, but she was happy that I had moved out. She loved to have me around, but also, it was getting close to the time when her husband was coming home from deployment. Having an extra grown-up in the mix really didn’t work out too well. And while we would always be the best of friends, she didn’t need me underfoot. I was pretty sure she liked having her couch back too.

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