Page 13 of His Secret Little

Blade: No problem. Do what you need. I'll get them going.

With the confirmation received, Rocky set his GPS to take him to the well known computer store a couple of towns over. It wasn't until they'd bypassed the turn to the Hell Hole that Aiden noticed something was amiss.

"You missed the turn, Daddy."

Hearing Aiden call him that did things to Rocky he hadn't felt in ages. It lit him up inside, warmed his soul, settled something in him that he hadn't even realized had been agitated. Hearing Aiden call him Daddy felt more right than Rocky had ever thought he'd feel again.

"We aren't headed to the bar yet, baby. You need a new computer, remember? I texted Blade. He's going to get the contractors going so we can get you what you need."

Aiden didn't say anything else, just stared at Rocky with his mouth hanging open and his eyes as big as saucers for a bit. When the shock had apparently worn off, Aiden still didn't speak, just faced forward to see where they were going. The only sign of any nerves were his fingers tapping on his thigh in a rhythmic pattern. Aiden had social anxiety so Rocky knew he was working up the fortification he'd need to face the salesclerks and other customers. Rocky didn't speak or play music on the drive. They rode in silence so Aiden could gather as many of his defenses as possible.

They'd just entered the parking lot of the strip-center that housed the electronics store when Rocky heard a clicking noise that was most certainly out of place in the quiet of the vehicle. Checking around to be sure his actions wouldn't cause a traffic incident, Rocky stretched one arm in front of Aiden and hit the brakes.

Once he was sure his sudden stop hadn't put Aiden in any danger, Rocky placed the car into park, right there in the middle of the parking lot. He hit the button for his emergency flashers and turned to raise an eyebrow at Aiden.

Aiden just stared at him, obviously not understanding what had just happened. Rocky's heart thumped wildly in his chest as he fought the urge to reach over and redo Aiden's seatbelt right that second. Finally, the silence had stretched longer than he could handle, and Rocky voiced the first of many questions running through his mind.

"Had I pulled into a parking spot?"

Once again, Aiden just stared for a moment, but realization seemed to dawn and he said, "No, but you were about to."

"So, I was not in a parking spot and had not put the vehicle into park, but you thought it wise to undo your seatbelt?"

Sometimes it was hard to remember that sarcasm tended to pass Aiden by, but in moments like these, it became impossible to overlook. There was absolutely no hesitation whatsoever in Aiden's reply. No hint that Rocky's words might have given him pause. He simply said what his thought process was. "We'd pulled into the lot, we're already running late, and this is likely to take a bit of time, so I wanted to save us some by being ready to exit when you did park."

Rocky took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. They'd barely established their new dynamic; they hadn't had time to go over rules and limits yet. Rocky repeated that in his head like a mantra as he tried to pack away the panic he knew was a bit misplaced, and gather up all of his patience.

"Baby, until the car is parked, you do not undo your seatbelt. In fact, let's go one better, you don't undo your seatbelt at all. I'll unbuckle you when it's time."

Aiden just stared in confusion, his mouth working like he wanted to speak but hadn't yet figured out what to say, so Rocky continued, "Just because we've pulled into a parking lot does not mean all danger has passed. What if there had been a car I hadn't seen barreling through the lot and it had hit us?" The thought alone made that panic in his chest tighten further, but he pushed past it and finished making his point, "At no point when a vehicle is still in drive is it okay for you to unbuckle. Do you understand?"

Aiden nodded his head but didn't say anything so Rocky pushed, "I need words, baby. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Daddy." The sound of Aiden calling him Daddy helped immensely to settle some of the swirling emotions inside Rocky, as he reached over and pulled the seatbelt back across Aiden's chest and clicked it into place.

Rocky turned off his signals, placed the car back into drive and navigated his way to a parking space, making their first rule as went, "It's now a rule that unless I specifically say differently, I will undo your seatbelt when it is safe to do so. You are not to touch it. Understood?"

There was a bit of a smile in Aiden's voice that warmed Rocky down to his very soul when Aiden replied, "Yes, Daddy."

Chapter Ten

Aiden

Everyone was making space as Aiden and Rocky moved through the electronics store. Aiden was partly outraged on Rocky's behalf as people were clearly judging him as dangerous. He was, of course–all of Devil's Wrath MC were–but not to innocent people. Devil's Wrath was only a threat to those who would hurt women and children without a qualm. Yes, Aiden was angry that someone he cared about was being judged on their appearance alone. Another part of Aiden, however, was grateful. He didn't like crowds. Too many people in one place made Aiden uncomfortable and anxious. Having Rocky be able to clear a perimeter around them just by being him was something Aiden appreciated almost as much as he hated it.

Aiden was quick about browsing. He knew the specs he wanted for his laptops and he didn't dally in finding them. As soon as Aiden had decided on the machines to get, Rocky was able to have a salesclerk over to help them at a speed Aiden envied. He'd been to several stores and had never gotten help so quickly. Of course, he generally grabbed what he wanted and headed to the register. The things that needed to be gotten from the back rooms, however, he'd always just stood beside them until someone came to help. He didn't like to interrupt people, so he'd always waited until they came over to see if he needed assistance.

This time the shopping experience was an extremely quick one and they were back in Rocky's car in no time. Aiden found himself holding his breath and trying to curb his desire as Rocky took the seatbelt in hand, leaned over Aiden and clicked it in place. Once Aiden was secure, Rocky looked over at him, eyes bouncing back and forth between Aiden's lips and his eyes. Aiden was sure Rocky was going to kiss him and, shockingly, he hoped Rocky would.

Aiden had never been one for close contact. It was better with those he cared about but people touching him, even accidentally, made him feel itchy. He wasn't a fan of contact and he had certainly never hoped for it. He was still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that he'd been able to cuddle in Rocky's lap and engage in all the physical contact they had. His hope for a kiss was another thing he needed to process. Not right then, however, as Rocky slowly backed away and closed the door before rounding the hood and getting in his own seat. Rocky started the vehicle and once again they rode in companionable silence as Aiden processed all that had happened in the last twenty-four hours. It was a lot to take in.

Rocky and Aiden pulled into the parking lot of Hell Hole, or Devil's Playground. Aiden adjusted as he took in the new, much more elegant business sign over the door. The outside had received a fresh coat of paint and was now a deep dark red that caught the eye. The door had been replaced with a new glass door that allowed a person to see into the establishment before going in. It looked like progress on the outside was proceeding at an astoundingly fast rate. It looked really good. Like a place a person would want to visit.

Rocky parked the car but hadn't even cut off the engine before Blade had approached. Rocky lowered his window and Blade wasted no time in speaking.

"Could you park next door? I know it's an empty lot and probably rough terrain but we're paving the parking lot today. We're closed for the next twenty-four hours as the pavement sets."

"Sure, no problem."

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