Page 48 of Nicky

I crouched in front of him, resting my forearms on my knees. “And now?”

His eyes finally met mine, and they were wide, vulnerable. “Now, I think I might’ve been wrong.”

The room seemed to still, the air between us charged.

“Wrong how?” I asked, keeping my voice calm, even though my pulse was racing.

His throat worked as he swallowed. “I didn’t understand before. I didn’t understandyou.”

“Nicky…”

He shook his head quickly, cutting me off. “I didn’t want to feel controlled. Didn’t want to feel like someone else was running my life. But I learned it’s not…” He exhaled, like the next words were being dragged out of him. “It’s not about control. It’s about care.”

The admission hit me square in the chest.

“You make me feel safe,” he said, voice cracking just slightly. His hands twisted in his lap. “And I hate that I need that. But I do.”

I reached out, placing a hand on his knee. His breath hitched, but he didn’t pull away.

“You don’t have to hate it,” I said gently.

He stared at my hand like it was some foreign object before his gaze flicked back to mine. “I don’t know how to do this,” he murmured. “But I want to try. With you.”

Warmth spread through me, melting something I hadn’t even realized was frozen. I gave his knee a reassuring squeeze. “We’ll figure it out. Together.”

He huffed a small laugh, though it was more nerves than humor. “Is that your Daddy promise?”

A grin tugged at my lips. “You’ll learn fast, kid. Daddy promises are unbreakable.”

That got a real laugh out of him—short and sharp, but real. “God, you’re insufferable.”

“Good thing you like me that way.”

“Debatable,” he shot back, but his lips twitched into a smile he couldn’t quite hide. Then, quieter, more hesitant: “Can I… call you Daddy?”

Hearing that word, his voice wrapping around it with just a touch of uncertainty, was like a live wire straight to my chest.

I cupped his cheek, my thumb brushing along his jaw. “Only if you want to.”

He leaned into my hand, his breath unsteady. “This is what I want. You’re what I want.”

The raw honesty in his voice unraveled me. I pressed my forehead to his, letting the silence stretch between us, thick with meaning.

“You’re mine now,” I said softly, firmly. “And I’m yours.”

His lips curved into the smallest, softest smile. Then, as if testing the waters, he whispered, “Daddy.”

It wasn’t just a word. It was a declaration. A promise.

And I’d spend the rest of my life keeping it.

CHAPTER 24

Nicholas

Saying the word ‘Daddy’ had been one thing. Living it—stepping into this new, real part of myself over the last few days—was something else entirely.

My heart hammered as Daddy leaned back on his heels, his eyes fixed on me with that quiet intensity that made my stomach feel like it was filled with live wires. He hadn’t even touched me intimately yet, and I was already coming undone. But one thing I knew for sure, Daddy was going to fuck his boy tonight, even if said boy had to beg for it.

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