Page 40 of Born Daddy

Chapter Twelve

The alarm on Tate’s cell blared, and he groaned as he rolled over to shut it off. His night had been a series of fitful moments of sleep combined with half-awake dozing while recalling the day he’d spent with Rogan. Even if they only ever remained in the friend zone, would Rogan want to do something like that again?

Tate knew from their many conversations that Rogan didn’t have anyone in his life—or at the very least—no one he lived with or was seeing seriously. The information had leaked out in-between other subjects without any obvious intent behind the revelation. That’s how Tate had taken it anyway, but he’d tried to attach more meaning to the words.

He’d been doing that a lot, and he should knock it off before an emotional gut punch caught him unaware and he found himself wallowing in disappointment. Rogan would undoubtedly find it creepy that Tate was starting to fall for him. Plus, it always circled back to the same thing. Rogan wasn’t a Daddy and had shown zero interest in participating in the lifestyle.

Tate chewed on his bottom lip as he made a promise to himself he hoped he had the strength to keep. He wouldn’t call or contact Rogan until their scheduled get together on Sunday. That was only three days. A total cinch.

He raked his fingers through his hair and reached for his cell so he could do his check-in. When he saw he had a text notification, Tate sucked in a sharp breath. Quickly checking to see who it was from, Tate grinned so hard his cheeks hurt.

Glad you enjoyed the day, I had a great time too.Looking forward to Sunday.

The explanation Tate had been searching for regarding Rogan’s behavior around him clicked in his mind. Rogan was struggling not to flirt. Most of the time, Rogan treated him with concern and protectiveness. Every other time, he seemed at war with himself. The same war Tate now realized he was battling as well.

What a fucking mess.

Tate checked his phone again. Only one minute left until his check in, so he rushed to find Master Zane’s contact info.

“Good morning, Tate. Right on time.”

“Good morning, Sir. I didn’t want to mess up on my first day.”

Master Zane chuckled. “Then you’re off to a great start. Tell me about how you’re doing. We touched briefly on what’s been happening, but as part of our check-in, I’d like to hear how you’re feeling regarding any particular concerns. Is anything worrying you, or do you need guidance in a specific area?”

All Tate could think of while Master Zane spoke was Rogan. Yeah, he should fess up.

“Okay, uh…” Tate bit his knuckle, closed his eyes for a moment then forged ahead. “I’m struggling with how I feel about…” He winced. “This person I met. Well, not just met. I knew him casually before…” Tate cleared his throat. “He’s a friend—I mean was a friend of Cam’s.”

“I see.”

Master Zane paused, and as the seconds went by without him continuing, Tate feared he’d angered him somehow. At last, he continued.

“I need more details, Tate. Are we talking bad feelings—such as him making you feel uneasy, or scared—or good feelings, like attraction?”

Tate swallowed hard. “The good ones.”

Master Zane paused again, and while Tate logically knew he had to give the man a chance to ponder what was probably the last thing he’d expected to hear, that didn’t calm Tate’s nerves any.

“Before I give you any feedback, can you tell me a bit about him? I’d be remiss if I didn’t immediately express grave concern over your safety. I would assume anyone who had a close association with Cam could be dangerous.”

Tate bristled. “You mean like me?”

Master Zane sighed. “Tate, that’s not what I meant and you know it.”

Tate’s face heated. “Sorry, Sir. I didn’t mean to snap. It’s just that everyone’s been treating me as though I’m as big a monster as Cam was.”

“My words were thoughtless, too, Tate. I wasn’t taking into consideration how badly you’ve been affected by your own association with Cam. But can you give me more background on this person? Danger can come in other forms.”

Tate nodded to himself. “His name is Rogan, and he and Dad—Cam went to high school together. They’ve sort of stayed in touch over the years, but Rogan’s never been in the lifestyle. Sometimes he’d get invited over to the house, but we never really talked.”

Tate scooted to a sitting position on the bed, concentrating on saying the right things to help Master Zane understand.

“He wouldn’t have known about Cam either. Not only because they didn’t hang out much, but Rogan is a cop. Well, was a cop. Now he teaches at the Academy.”

Master Zane snorted. “I wasn’t expecting that. You’ve piqued my interest. But please tell me he isn’t part of the investigation?”

“No, not at all. As a matter of fact, I feel sort of guilty about that part. I think he’s gotten in trouble with his detective friends because of me. Not work trouble, but friend trouble.”

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