Page 12 of A Daddy for Christmas 3: August
Thor had hurried everyone from the classroom so that by the time Auggie came out from changing back into his street clothes, they were on their own.
Auggie handed over the robe and accepted his payment without meeting Thor’s eyes. In fact, Thor was pretty sure Auggie was going to walk out without them saying a word, but he touched Auggie’s arm.
“Auggie. Look at me.”
Auggie’s eyes flew to his, worry clouding the lovely blue.
“I want you to answer honestly, and if the answer is no, that’s okay, and it won’t change your working here at all. Would you like to come home with me to have dinner with me and to see my paintings?”
Surprise colored Auggie’s face. “You still want me to?”
“Nothing’s changed on my end, but if it has on yours, that’s okay.” He would be heartbroken, but he wasn’t the kind of man who forced himself on people, and if Auggie didn’t feel the same connection that he did, then he would accept that.
Auggie shook his head. “I thought… I thought you might have changed your mind.”
“Nope. I still think you’re sexy, and I still want to get to know you better. I want to explore the connection I feel with you.”
“Hot guys like you don’t usually feel any sort of connection with me,” Auggie told him.
“Like I said before, their loss. Look, I don’t really care what other people think. I like you. A lot. And I want to spend time with you. If you feel the same way about me, say yes and I’ll take you home.”
Auggie took a deep breath. “Okay. Yes.”
“You’re sure?”
“It just doesn’t seem quite real,” Auggie told him. “And I… I’m…” Auggie shrugged.
“Waiting for someone to pull the carpet from under your feet?”
Auggie nodded, not looking at him again.
He put his fingers beneath Auggie’s chin and tilted his head back up. “I’m not being dishonest or leading you on or teasing you or joking.” He pressed his lips to Auggie’s and gasped as a spark flew between them. They both drew back, Auggie touching his lips.
“Stupid static.”
Thor shook his head. “It wasn’t static.” He rubbed his finger along Auggie’s lower lip. “But this isn’t the place. Come and see my paintings.” He’d painted his emotions onto the canvas, and he hoped that convinced Auggie he was being sincere.
Auggie rolled his eyes. “Sorry, but that sounds like a line.”
“It does, doesn’t it.” Thor shrugged. “It’s what I’ve got.”
Auggie regarded him for a long moment, face serious. Then he nodded. “Okay, let’s do it.”
Thor beamed at Auggie, relief flooding through him. Okay, so he’d been trying to fool himself when he’d said he would be fine with Auggie saying no. He wouldn’t have put any pressure on Auggie or punished him in any way, but he would definitely have been heartbroken.
While their dinners hadn’t technically been dates, they’d gotten to know each other during them and Thor knew Auggie was the boy for him. And now he would have the chance to convince Auggie this was real and that they would be good for each other.
They made their way to the elevator and then down, Auggie quiet, his hands in his pockets as he watched the numbers go by.
“You okay?” Thor asked.
Auggie glanced at him. “Nervous,” he admitted, looking surprised that he’d said anything. “I mean. I just… I like you a lot and I don’t want to mess this up. And I don’t know what it is about you that makes me just say the first thing that pops into my head.”
Thor knew, though. He knew that was Auggie responding to his Daddy energy. “You do it because you know you’re safe with me.”
“Do I?”
“Maybe not consciously, but subconsciously, you do.”
