1
Devlin McHale made his usual evening round through Paradise, the small, intimate gay BDSM club he’d owned for five years now. Even though he was tense with anticipation, he greeted regulars by name, watched a flogging demonstration for a minute or two, checked in on the private rooms, then finally made his way to his favorite area of the whole club: the playroom for Daddies and their littles. Would he be there again, the boy he couldn’t get out of his mind?
As a Daddy Dom himself, he’d always favored the playroom, but lately, he had a different reason to spend the rest of his evening there after walking the rounds. The same reason why he carried David Baldacci’s latest thriller under his arm, counting on being able to spend some time reading. He’d timed it perfectly, judging by the clock.
“Daddy D!” one of the littles greeted him as soon as he walked in. The boy running straight into his arms was super cute in his Superman onesie, a diaper creating a lovely round bottom.
“Hey, Danny-boy.” He hugged the chubby little tightly, then winked at his Daddy. “Are you being a good boy for your Daddy?”
Danny nodded. “Always, Daddy D.”
He ruffled his hair. “I know. You’re the sweetest boy there is. Your Daddy is a lucky man.”
Good thing the man knew it too, always singing his boy’s praises and treasuring him like the adorable little deserved. He’d been Devlin’s boy for a few weeks a year before, but then his Daddy had visited the club, and that had been that. Devlin hadn’t regretted a thing, knowing he and Danny wouldn’t have worked out in the long run anyway. And how could he begrudge the boy his utter happiness?
He greeted a few more regulars, making sure to keep things light and casual, especially with the boys he knew were looking for a Daddy. They were all eager, and a few were technically his type, but he didn’t feel any sparks. He’d had boys his whole life, but lately, he was tired of it all. Not of being a Daddy but of only serving as a temporary Daddy. He wanted a boy of his own, someone to settle down with, to share a future with…but none of those boys appealed to him.
Oh, he knew they’d be perfect with just the right amount of brattiness to deserve an occasional spanking, which, he had to admit, was something he loved. But to him, they all felt toosafe. Boring, even. He needed something else. Someone different and fresh. A challenge. A unique boy who needed him and him alone, who wouldn’t settle for any other Daddy. Foolish to think he’d ever find anyone like that, of course, but he couldn’t help himself…just like he couldn’t help feeling that maybehewould be the boy Devlin had been looking for.
He chatted for a bit with a new Dom and his boy and then made his way to the back where he saw him. The man always chose the corner farthest from the door, away from everyone else. He never interacted with anyone, always focused on his play, and he did that with full intensity. Today, he’d taken out the bins with the railroad tracks, and he was building a bigtrack, his tongue peeping out from between his rosy lips. Clearly diapered and dressed in a jeans shortall with a Minions T-shirt, he didn’t stand out in any way…except for one.
He always came by himself, which intrigued Devlin. The club was open to everyone, including subs without a Dom, so that part wasn’t so unusual. But the fact that he always wore a red bracelet that said he didn’t want to be approached by a Dom was. How could a little come on his own and not want a Daddy? Did he already have a Daddy? If so, where was he? Why would any Daddy allow his little to come to a club like this one by himself?
Not that he was in any danger. Paradise had strict rules, and Devlin enforced them rigorously. Consent was the cornerstone, and everyone’s bracelets were to be respected at all times. So he didn’t worry about the man being approached by a Dom when wearing red. But still, a place like this wasn’t a space where Devlin would ever want a little to be on his own. Especially not consistently.
How many times had the man come in now? The first time Devlin had seen him had been right after Easter, so that must have been six weeks ago. For six weeks, the man had come in twice a week, never interacting with anyone…and after playing for maybe an hour, he always fell asleep, napping on the floor for about an hour before he left.
Devlin found a chair in a dark corner of the room where he could sit and observe him. He’d looked up his name after the first week. Phex Blanchet, thirty-eight years old. With a unique first name like that, a quick Google search had quickly provided more information. He was the CEO of Blanchet Renewables, a company he had founded eight years prior that had become a market leader in renewable energy options for consumers and small businesses. Two years earlier, the company had done a successful IPO, and ever since, the value of the stocks had tripled, making Blanchet a wealthy man by any standard.
What was the millionaire CEO of a successful company doing in a small, gay BDSM club? One would think that if he wanted to play with trains, he could afford to build an entire track in his backyard. Or one of the twenty rooms in the luxurious villa he owned just outside the city that came with a pool, a private tennis court, and a six-car garage. Google had proved to be a veritable source of information on Phex Blanchet. Openly gay and single, no mention of a boyfriend ever. Not even a date. And with every word Devlin had read, his curiosity had grown even more. What was the story here?
He was cute as a little and hot as a man. Devlin estimated him an inch or two shorter than his own six feet two, with a much leaner build. Smooth and sleek, almost like a jaguar. But maybe that was also because of his black hair and his olive skin, which hinted at a Latino heritage or maybe Indigenous. His moves were sensual, though Devlin doubted Phex intended them that way. Maybe it was more a case of Devlin having a bit of a dry spell and desperately needing to get laid, but watching Phex turned him on.
Phex’s movements were getting slower, and then he yawned, blinking. Devlin knew what would come next. Phex had never deviated from the pattern. And there he went, reaching for the binkie that was clipped to his shortalls and plopping it into his mouth, then grabbing a blankie that was always on the floor next to him. He sagged sideways onto the floor, closed his eyes, and within seconds, he was asleep, suckling his binkie and clutching his blankie.
Devlin waited two minutes to make sure he was asleep, then did the same thing he’d done for the last few weeks. He got up, grabbed his book, and sat down on the floor next to him, keeping watch and making sure no one dared to wake him. Why he felt so protective of a man he didn’t know, he had no idea, but hefollowed his gut. Phex needed someone to guard him, and so Devlin would.
Within minutes, he’d gotten sucked into his book, everything around him fading except for the story…and the gentle smacking sounds of the soundly sleeping man beside him.
2
Phex awoke slowly, first registering the background noises, then becoming aware of his surroundings. Oh, right. He was in Paradise. He’d managed to fall asleep again. His body wasn’t fully awake yet, stuck in that dreamlike state between sleep and wakefulness, pleasantly heavy and warm. The headache he’d come in with had retreated, and his mind felt calm and clear.
How long had he slept? He checked his watch. An hour. Good. Time to go home. He’d gotten what he came for, so no more dallying. He had work to do, as much as he hated to admit it to himself. If he could, he’d stay here for much longer, but he couldn’t.
He turned his head, startling when he spotted the man sitting next to him on the floor, engrossed in a book. Good god, how had he missed him before? The guy was hard to overlook. Even sitting, he seemed big, dressed in jeans, his furry upper body bare. God, he washot. Phex itched to touch the dark hairs on his chest, run his hands through it, maybe play with his nipples, which seemed to beg to be sucked on. Not that he’d give in to the urge. He knew better by now. Daddies were not for him.
But what was the guy doing, sitting so close to him? He pushed himself into a sitting position. “Excuse me, can I help you?”
With a jolt, the man glanced up from his book, looking stunned for a moment. “Sorry. I’m…I didn’t see you were awake. Did you sleep well?”
His voice was deep. “Excuse me?”
“I asked if you slept well.”
“Why are you asking?”
The man’s smile was friendly, his blue eyes soft. “Just showing interest.”