Page 29 of Daddy's Little Matchmaker

“And when did you get divorced?”

“Once the boys graduated.”

“You went without sex for over ten years?”

Tessica chewed slower as she considered her answer. But even if he thought it was pathetic, she didn’t want to lie to him now. She swallowed and answered. “No. I’ve gone without sex for eighteen years.”

CHAPTER NINE

Connor almost choked on his wine. Luckily, he got it down without spewing. “I’m sorry. What?”

He waited for an answer, but she took another bite of her food instead.

Connor leaned in closer and asked, “Are you telling me you haven’t had sex since getting a divorce?”

She nodded.

“Why not?” He found it unfathomable that someone who regularly frequented a kink club hadn’t had sex for eighteen years.

She finished her wine, and he refilled her glass.

“I’ve been doing myself for so long that including someone else in the mix sounds like… a lot of work. And everyone at the club is so much younger. I didn’t feel comfortable.”

Connor’s first instinct was to order her to go to the bathroom with him so he could show her what she’d been missing. He became half hard thinking about it, but he took a bite of dinner instead. That wasn’t what tonight was about. He’d promised they would go home separately. Though he seriously regretted that decision now.

He took another sip of wine as he considered how to respond without scaring her off or making himself sound like a horny teen. “Don’t you miss the intimacy? Maybe not sex itself, but just being held after a long day at work, or having someone to share a laugh with?”

Her eyes filled with tears. She nodded and focused on her empty plate. Then she cleared her throat and said softly, “But being a Mommy to the Littles at the club once a week makes up for it.”

“No, Tessica,” Connor disagreed. “It doesn’t make up for it at all. That’s like a starving person saying one cup of milk a week makes up for all the meals they’ve missed.”

She frowned at him.

He put his fingers on her chin, leaned in, and pressed his lips to hers for a brief moment. Then he pulled back slightly and looked into her eyes. “At some point in the future, I’d really like to show you what you’re missing.”

A tiny whimper came from her throat. She whispered, “I don’t know if I can.”

“If you can what? Have sex? Let yourself be intimate? Trust another man not to betray you the way your husband did?” Connor took a deep breath and sighed. “I promise you can.”

Tessica’s chin quivered and a solitary tear ran down her face. Gently wiping it off, he resisted the urge to lick it off his thumb. Instead, he kissed her forehead and put his arm around her shoulders. They were already hip to hip, but he pulled her in so that her entire side was against him. A heartbeat later, she rested the side of her head against his shoulder.

That tiny gesture brought out his Daddy instincts. He wanted to protect her. He wanted to see her in Little mode. He wanted to co-top a Little with her in Mommy mode. He wanted to fuck her. Hell, he even wanted to make love to her.

He finished off his first glass of wine, and poured himself another.Calm the fuck down,he chided himself.Use your brain, not your dick. He didn’t know her well enough to be in love. And besides, they lived in different states. Juneau was his home. He loved his apartment, his solitude, and his autonomy.

Connor’s ruminations were disrupted when the waiter came by and set two small bowls in front of them. “Lime sorbet,” he said as he picked up their empty plates and took them away.

Tessica glanced at him with confusion. “I thought you said this would be a seven-course meal. This makes it four.”

“This isn’t the last course. It’s a pallet cleanser. I’m sure we still have at least three courses to go. Maybe more, depending on the chef.”

“Oh. Okay. I’m glad none of the courses have been very big. I’d be too stuffed to eat another bite.”

After tasting the sorbet, Tessica shrugged. “Not my favorite, but it’s okay.”

Connor had a bite too. “It’s good sorbet, but I’m not a huge fan of sorbet in general.”

They both stopped eating after a few spoonfuls. Connor tried to decide what to ask next.

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