Page 72 of Off-Limits Daddy
He didn’t say much while he worked. But I could see the flush rising on his cheeks. Could see the quick dart of his tongue every time his pencil paused.
“You’re blushing,” I said quietly.
“You like when I look at you like this,” he murmured, not denying it.
I reached out, let my fingers trail the back of his hand.
“Can’t sit still, Daddy? Thought you liked giving orders, not taking them.”
“Maybe I like when you forget who’s in charge.”
He sketched for a bit longer before sitting up straighter and wiping his hands on his shorts. “I want to make you a crown.”
I blinked. “What?”
He was already gathering a few sunflowers, picking the ones with sturdy stems. “You heard me.”
“You better not.”
He didn’t answer. Just reached into the basket, rummaged around, and came up with a twist tie from the sandwich bag. I watched him braid the stems together with nimble fingers, weaving in small blooms and bits of green. It shouldn’t have worked. It did.
He turned to me, smug as hell. “Don’t move.”
“Ari—”
He planted a knee between my thighs and leaned in, placing the crown on my head like it was a damn coronation. “There,” he said, breath ghosting my cheek. “Now you’re perfect.”
My growl was low. “You’re lucky you’re cute.”
He pressed a kiss to my jaw, then one just below my ear. “I know.”
We sat like that for a while. His head on my shoulder, my hand curled around his bare knee. The kind of quiet that didn’t itch to be filled. The kind you earn.
Eventually, he spoke. “Can I ask you something?”
“Anything.”
He hesitated. “When did you know? That you were a Daddy?”
I looked down at our legs, all tangled together on the blanket. Took a breath.
“I think the signs were always there,” I said. “Even back in high school, I was the one making sure everyone got home safe. Wanting to fix things, to soothe.”
I paused, fingers tightening slightly on his knee.
“But I didn’t have the words for it back then. I just thought it meant I was dependable. Responsible. The kind of guy you marry.”
Ari didn’t speak, but I could feel the way his breath changed. Like he was listening with more than just his ears.
“I married young. My high school girlfriend—you know her, Tessa. She knew I was bi. That was never a secret, and it didn’t scare her. But the rest of it...” I shook my head. “I didn’t know how to explain it. That I craved...givingin a different way. Structure, tenderness, a kind of guidance that didn’t stop once you left the bedroom.”
I looked at Ari. His lashes were wet, catching the light.
“I tried to be what she needed. She tried, too. But I was always holding part of myself back, and she felt it. We were kind to each other, even in the end. Just... not aligned. She didn’t want a Daddy... that wasn’t who she needed me to be. And I didn’t want to keep pretending I didn’t want to be one.
“I started using the word after the divorce,” I admitted. “Casually at first. Hookups. I thought maybe it was just a kink I’d finally let out of the box. It was the first time I’d ever let myselfwant out loud.But it wasn’t just about sex.” I paused.
“Is that all you’ve done since the divorce? Hookups?” he asked, voice quiet.
