Page 19 of Expensive

I thought I wanted him as a Daddy while we had sex—Daddy Doms have always appealed to me—but now I’m not sure that’s enough. This feels like having a Daddy too. Only this isn’t sexual. Not at all.

What does that mean?

“Thank you. For letting me talk to you about it. I know it isn’t your job.”

He looks up at the ceiling and sighs. “What if I don’t give a damn about what my job is or isn’t this weekend?” His words are hard, almost angry.

“I… don’t know. I’m sorry.”

“You don’t need to be sorry, baby boy.” He brings my hand to his lap. “I didn’t mean to get emotional, okay?”

“It’s fine. I don’t mind if you get emotional.”

He shakes his head and gives me a sad smile. “A hired knot isn’t supposed to get emotional.”

I don’t know what to say. I wish I could ask him to be more than my hired knot, but I’m too afraid of what he might say.

“Hey, would you mind if we got out of here?” he asks.

We both look at the rest of my uneaten ice cream.

“You can eat it on the way,” he says.

I nod. “Okay.”

10

Timber

I touch Andrew all the way back to the hotel. I hold his hand on the sidewalk, run my fingers through his hair while we’re in the taxi, and rest my arm around his waist in the elevator.

This weekend was supposed to be an opportunity to get to know him, to make him more comfortable with me. But I wasn’t prepared for my own reactions to him. The way he jumped up and down in the ice cream shop like he didn’t have a care in the world made me long to see that side of him more often. It was so surprising coming from a man with a past like his. And the way he opened up to me about his alpha father’s drinking… It was everything I could do to not take him in my arms and promise to take care of him.

But I don’t get to be his Daddy full-time. I’m nothing but a hired knot. And I know that I shouldn’t ask to be more right now. The connection between us is escalating at a speed that is unhealthy. I need to slow everything down and be the responsible one in this situation.

I’m just having a hard time convincing my heart that Andrew isn’t the man I’ve waited for my entire life.

When we reach the top floor, the elevator doors slide open, and I lead Andrew out into the hall. That’s when I notice the man standing by our door. He’s an alpha and bigger than Andrew in every respect. He’s also older with streaks of silver in his hair. But the shape of his nose and the curve of his jaw are exactly like Andrew’s. Despite their differences, the resemblance between them is uncanny.

Andrew stops suddenly, his whole body tensing.

I tighten my grip around his waist. Whoever this man is, Andrew clearly isn’t happy to see him.

“Good afternoon, Andrew,” the man says, taking slow, deliberate steps toward us. “Will you introduce me to your… What is it… scene partner? Hired knot? Daddy?” He sneers the last word.

Andrew takes in a shaky breath. “What are you doing here?”

The man ignores Andrew and holds out his hand to me. “Mitch Sullivan. Andrew’s father and adult legal guardian.”

Adult legal guardian? What is he talking about?

Mitch lowers his hand when it becomes clear I’m not going to shake it. “You didn’t think the Monroes would let an omega with a bond ache control their enormous estate, did you? When his bond ache was diagnosed five years ago, he was assigned a legal guardian to make sure he didn’t make any bad decisions.”

It makes a horrible kind of sense. When I found out about Andrew’s predicament, I also worried that someone would take advantage of him. I guess the courts tried to protect him.

If only they knew how much his father had taken advantage of him already.

Andrew’s gaze drops to the floor. “You haven’t contacted me in years. Why now? You promised me that if I gave you a stipend, you’d leave me alone.”

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