Page 51 of Daddy's Muse
Forever.
When the water began to cool, I pulled the stopper and wrapped him in a thick towel, lifting him from the tub as easily as if he weighed nothing. His damp curls clung to my shirt where his head rested against my chest.
“Bedtime now,” I told him, carrying him back into the bedroom. He didn’t answer, only curled closer, the pacifier still tucked between his lips.
Perfect. He was too tired to argue. Too worn down to run. And now that I had him here, I’d make sure he never needed—or wanted—to leave.
I set him down on the edge of the bed, removing the towel from around him. Grabbing the clean set of pajamas that I’d pulled from his bag earlier, I helped him stand and held his hips as he stepped into the fresh pair of baby blue briefs. I carefully tugged the snug underwear over his half-hard cock, taking a mental picture of it for later. Next, I helped him into a deep navy t-shirt and matching bottoms, decorated with little pale yellow stars reminiscent of the night sky.
I helped him lie back under the thick comforter, tucking it snug around his shoulders so he was wrapped up like the precious thing he was. He blinked slowly up at me, eyes glassy and heavy-lidded, pacifier bobbing faintly with each lazy suck.
“Comfy?” I asked, smoothing the blanket over his chest and brushing an errant curl from his forehead.
A small nod.
“Godgutten.Good boy.”
I stripped down to my undershirt and joggers and slid in beside him.
He shifted instinctively toward the warmth, curling into my side like he’d been doing it for years. I slipped an arm around his waist and pulled him closer until his head rested under my chin. His breath was slow but not quite even, still catching now and again in those leftover tremors of adrenaline.
I pressed a kiss to the top of his head, inhaling the lavender from his bath.
“You’re safe here,” I murmured. “Nothing can get to you here.”
He made a soft sound against my chest, and I felt it vibrate through my ribs. That sound was trust. It was dependence.
It was mine.
My hand drifted slowly up and down his side, over the soft cotton of his pajamas. Not sexual—though the temptation simmered deep in my gut—but each pass a reminder:I’m here. I’m keeping you.
“God natt min skatt,” I whispered.Good night, my treasure.
The rhythm of his breathing finally settled, and the tiny, unconscious weight of his body settled against mine. I could feel his guard completely down, his mind already drifting into sleep, and that was when the darker thoughts settled in once more, just as they always did.
He belonged here. His fate was bound to mine. The gods had created the perfect creature, just for me.
I would keep him here, no matter what. He needed me.
If he never went back, he’d never have to feel unsafe again. Scaring him out of his dorm had been necessary, but now that he was home, I wouldn’t need to use those tactics again.
And I’d never have to feel this ache in my chest when he was out of sight.
I held him tighter, just enough to make sure he couldn’t roll away in his sleep.
Tomorrow, I’d make sure he had even less reason to leave.
But for tonight… I just watched him sleep, counting each slow rise and fall of his chest like it was the only thing keeping my own heart beating.
Maybe it was.
14
Colby
I woke to the smell of coffee.
For a second, I didn’t know where I was—the bed was way too cozy, the blankets heavier, and there was the faint hum of a heater instead of the usual gurgle of the radiator in my dorm. I snuggled deeper into my warm nest, wriggling away the sleep and squinting my eyes open.
