Page 2 of Saul

No, because I was pathetic and had retreated after I’d been dumped. Never again. “No,” I agreed.

“Well, that’s where the favor comes in. I have a new employee I’m trying out for some undercover work and accompanying you to the wedding as your Daddy would be an absolutely fantastic way of trying him out.”

I vaguely heard the delighted squeak from Ricky and that was the only thing that convinced me I wasn’t asleep or had been in a car wreck and was hooked up to machines keeping me alive.

Okay, so I was sometimes a little dramatic as well, but Christopher can’t have said what I thought he just did. “I’m sorry,” I said slowly, “but can you say that again?” I knew Christopher ran a security agency, butundercover work? I thought that a security company involved guarding billionaires. Taylor Swift if you were lucky.

“I have a new employee. He was actually my sergeant before I left the Marines, and he’s just retired. Like me, he doesn’t think much of retirement, but neither of us knows if private security will be a good fit. As you’re aware, bodyguards often need to be inconspicuous or play a role, so I need to see if he can pull it off. Being your Daddy would be a perfect opportunity.”

I saw a message pop up from Ricky and opened it as I was listening to Christopher, and my brain exploded.

I stared at the most gorgeous man I had ever seen in my entire life. Silver-gray hair, cut short military style, a uniform that had been pressed to within an inch of its life, sparkling medals adorning one side of his massive chest, and the most beautiful olive green-gray eyes. He screamed Daddy. I had to press my lips together to stop giggling at all the emojis Ricky had sent as Christopher was still talking.

“And of course only you, Saul, Ricky and I will know he’s not your real-life Daddy.”

Which brought me up short. Could I do this? But what was the alternative? Being humiliated when Steven paraded hisnon-clingyboyfriend? Asking my neighbor Gavin from upstairs with the leaky bath who worked as an accountant and constantly complained over the price of everything in a very loud, disapproving voice, or spend the day with my dream Daddy?

“Yes please,” I croaked out. And, not sure what I’d agreed to when Christopher told me the arrangements, I dragged out my suitcase and started packing.

Though with a vision of Dream Daddy in my head, I wasn’t sure I really cared.

Chapter two

Saul

“You want me to dowhat?” I eyed Chris. Good friend and a solid Marine. He’d retired earlier than me and I had joined his private security firm last month. I was bored. I didn’t play golf and while I enjoyed a drink with my buddies, it wasn’t something I was going to do every day.

Besides which, I was forty-six. As far as I was concerned, true retirement was a long way off.

“It’s not an official job and you can say ‘no,’” Chris said again. “But it’s just, Ricky will be devastated, and it’s all my damned stepbrother’s fault.”

“What is?” I asked, still not convinced Chris had meant what I thought he did.

“Look, you know Ricky’s a Little. I never tried to hide what I was looking for.”

I shrugged. “You do you.” I didn’t care. Officially, I guessed I was Bi if you had to call me anything. Never married. I’d seen how the service could tear apart couples, and if I needed a family or a kid fix, I had two sisters and a whole bunch of nephews and one very spoiled niece to visit. And I’d never missed not having someone to come home to. Well, not until I’d gotten out. And I’d been thankful Chris had given me an alternative to rattling around an empty house.

“Thing is, Steven came to my club with me because he said he wanted to get into the lifestyle a little. I met Ricky and Ricky’s best friend from school, Calvin. They’re both Littles, and we double dated for quite a while, like nearly a year. Anyway, Ricky and I were serious, and we all thought Matt was until he dumped Calvin five months ago. Said Calvin was tooclingy.”

“But,” I frowned. Clingy? “From what you’ve said, aren’t Littles supposed to be clingy? I mean, doesn’t that sum them up in a nutshell?”

Chris arched a brow in silent confirmation. I leaned forward, resting my forearms on my knees. “Tell me again what you need.”

“Calvin is going to be humiliated at the wedding because Steven is bringing his new boyfriend and Calvin isn’t with anyone, and as a Little will be doubly vulnerable. You have to understand that Ricky will do anything to make Calvin happy—”

“And you’ll do anything to make Ricky happy,” I interrupted, amused.

“Calvin knows you’re a new hire, but he thinks you’re on probation. I convinced him you were trying out to see if you could work undercover.”

I barked out a laugh. “And he believed it?”

Chris huffed. “Calvin’s proud. He grew up with shit parents and ended up in foster care. He’s well aware Ricky has money, but he refuses to take a dime from him. He’s a good man and I hate to see him hurting. He was the glue that kept Ricky together when his dad died, even when he was going through shit himself.”

I gazed at my captain. Well, boss, I supposed, now. Although he’d been my boss even when he’d been a green lieutenant. “Okay, so what does being a Daddy involve?”

Chris grinned. “You have to be over-protective, obsessed with every tiny detail, make sure he’s never hurt. That he eats properly, that sort of thing. You’re kind of a natural.”

I huffed. “What else?” Chris squirmed, and my focus narrowed. “What aren’t you telling me?”

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