Page 11 of Little Boy Toy

“Oh, um, he’s not my daddy.”

“Does that mean he’s up for grabs?”

“Well, not really.”

“Then he’s yours?”

“I don’t know. I mean, no. But he’s not looking.”

He grinned up at me. “You’re jealous. You want him to be yours. Do you want me to tell him?”

“No. And no. Don’t.” This boy was beginning to annoy me.

“Fine. I won’t. But if you need any help, my name is Dru. What’s yours?”

“Uh, I need to go now. I’m supposed to be reading.” I walked away.

Why didn’t I tell him my name? He’d made me a little upset with all his questions. On impulse, maybe out of a teensy bit of frustration, I didn’t want to give it to him. I wasn’t looking for little friends. I quickly reminded myself: I wasn’t looking for anyone.

Zale waited for me by the reading corner holding two juices, one in each hand. Had he heard my exchange with Dru?

He smiled and held out a juice box to me, the straw already in it. He was always thoughtful like that.

“Thank you.” I took the juice and set the books down between our chairs.

“No problem. Everything okay?” he asked.

I nodded. My face got even hotter to think he’d heard me talking to Dru. I didn’t want anyone hitting on Zale. I wanted him to myself.

Even though I wasn’t looking for anyone.

But Zale wasn’t just anyone. He was like a big secret friend who I’d decided maybe I could tell all my secrets to and he wouldn’t ever be surprised, and he could be trusted to keep those secrets locked in his heart. That was the Zale who brought me juice and let me read.

“Kendry?” Zale rarely said my name. It was like he was a little worried and soft on me at the same time.

I looked up.

“It would be really nice if—” He stopped. His Adam’s apple bobbed.

When he didn’t continue, I prompted him. “If what?”

He turned away, glancing at the wall. His head went side to side, like he’d decided something. “If you’d finish reading that book to me. The one we just gave medical aid to.”

That wasn’t what he’d been about to ask. I wondered and kept wondering as we both sat sipping juice, me reading. As usual.

6

Zale

I’d made a pact with myself from the first night I’d met Kendry. I gave away all my power to him, promising myself if there were any moves to be made between us, he would have to make the first one.

After two weeks of both of us eagerly planning to meet every evening the club was open, I knew a connection was there. Of course, there was. He’d moved his chair closer to mine. We talked more easily between stories. He showed off his physique with the cutest outfits. Plus, we were in a kink club. A person didn’t keep showing up to hang out with the same guy at a kink club night after night if there wasn’t something there.

But Kendry didn’t make any moves. Though it made my stomach hard as a knot to think he might never want me as more than just a reading buddy, I reminded myself I wasn’t looking for any quick satisfaction. I’d entered a daddy/boy playroom for the first time, and as a non-daddy, to observe something different from my past kinks and hookups. To gain some sort of inner peace I was missing.

I hadn’t expected to meet anyone, let alone feel an attachment.

Surprise and pure pleasure overwhelmed me when I overheard Kendry’s conversation with the boy we’d borrowed the tape from to repair a book.

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