But he had to be careful not to cheer too soon. With some of the others, the first encounter had been fine as well. Not as fun as this one for sure, but not bad either. It had been on the second or third date that things had gone to hell in a handbasket.
He let out a deep sigh as he finished his apple. Yeah, he should wait before deciding he wanted a Daddy after all. For all he knew, this Daddy would be just as annoying as the others had been on their second playdate. And he couldn’t deal with another disappointment. If this Daddy rejected him as well, he’d be done forever because his heart couldn’t handle another break…
5
On the car ride over to Phex for their second playdate, Devlin kept mulling over what Phex had said. He believed him about having negative experiences with previous Daddies, but he didn’t understand why. Phex had mentioned control issues, a problem with letting go. Devlin was baffled about that statement. He hadn’t seen any indication Phex didn’t want to submit or even surrender. Aside from some initial reluctance—which Devlin could forgive him, considering Phex’s bad experiences—he hadn’t seen a hint of resistance. So what was that about?
Yes, the man was ridiculously wealthy. That could cause jealousy. That part, Devlin understood. But surely he couldn’t be the only one who considered that only a minor issue among a lot of positive things.
Phex was attractive, for example. Extremely cute as Mikey and super hot as Phex. Devlin wasn’t sure where Phex stood on casual sex, but the moment sex was an option, Devlin would jump on it. Jump on him, rather. Good god, he’d fuck the living daylights out of him. Phex was so proper, so professional, that Devlin had a deep need to see him fall apart.
Phex knew what he wanted, he was experienced in the lifestyle—always a plus, since introducing people to Daddy kink and especially age play was tiresome at times—and he hadn’t been bratty at all. Sure, he’d pushed back a little against the rules, but Devlin considered that normal. So what had caused the issues with the previous Daddies? He had no clue, but maybe he’d find out today.
He parked in the same spot as the first time, and Phex was waiting for him once again, still dressed in his business attire. “Sorry, I’m running late. Dealing with some stuff at work,” he said as soon as Devlin stepped inside.
“No problem. I’ve got nothing else planned, so I can wait.”
Phex looked tired, bags under his red-rimmed eyes. He’d mentioned having trouble sleeping. Was that a long-term problem, then? Something for Devlin to keep an eye on because he didn’t like this harried look on Phex at all.
“Thank you. I should be ten minutes or so. Make yourself at home. I mean it. Walk around, grab whatever you want from the kitchen, okay?”
“I will. Take your time.”
Phex hurried off, and seconds later, Devlin heard him talk on the phone. He figured he’d start by taking Phex up on his invite for a walk through his house. Well, villa, more accurately. The first floor had an open concept, boasting a living area, dining area, and kitchen that were all in the same big space. Phex’s taste was modern, a gray floor combined with stark white walls and ceilings, with the furniture and decorations providing pops of color in shades of red, orange, and yellow. Devlin would never have picked it himself, but the combination was peaceful and warm at the same time. Happy.
His tour also revealed Phex had a gym room, a study—not that Devlin entered it, since that was where Phex was on the phone—and a gorgeous, massive pool outside, partially in thesun and partially shaded by sun shade sails. Behind a row of low bushes, Devlin could make out the tennis court he’d seen mentioned online.
Since Phex wasn’t done yet, Devlin figured he might as well explore the second floor, where he discovered Phex’s bedroom with the most luxurious en-suite bathroom Devlin had ever seen, as well as multiple guest rooms, all with their own bathrooms. The house was gorgeous, but it was also large for one man. How long had Phex lived here? Had he intended to share it with a partner, maybe? Or a family? Somehow, the thought made Devlin sad. Phex was lonely, and it broke Devlin’s heart.
Half an hour later, Phex was still on the phone. Devlin didn’t want to listen in, but the frustration in Phex’s voice was clear. Something about a generator malfunctioning, and that was all Devlin caught before he walked back to the living room. He didn’t want to invade Phex’s privacy, all too aware of his issues with previous Daddies.
He was sure he could find something to read in the wall-to-wall bookcase while he waited. And indeed, no problem at all. With a drink from the fridge, he settled down to read.
It took another hour before Phex finally walked into the living room, his eyes widening when he spotted Devlin, who sat curled up on the couch, reading the latest John Grisham. “I thought you’d be gone by now,” Phex said, dragging a hand through his hair, making it stick in every direction.
“Why? I told you, I have nowhere else to be.”
“Yeah, but”—Phex checked his watch—“It’s almost two hours after our agreed time.”
Devlin shrugged. “I did what you told me and made myself at home.” He pointed toward the cold can of Coke on the table—on a coaster, of course. “Found something to drink in the fridge, and you have plenty to read.”
“I’m so sorry.” Phex shoved his hands into his pockets. “I didn’t think it would take this long. It’s all fixed now, but it took way longer than expected. I’m happy to compensate you for—”
“Stop.” Devlin put his book down and rose from the couch. “I don’t want your money. Don’t cheapen something I love by offering to pay me for it.”
“I didn’t mean it like that. I just feel bad, and I…” Phex let out a frustrated sigh. “And this is why it never works out. My job is… Things like this happen on a regular basis, and as the CEO, I can’t always delegate these things.”
“I understand.”
“We’re a small company, and even though I have full confidence in my engineers, I wouldn’t feel comfortable letting them make these calls.”
Devlin raised an eyebrow. “Did you hear me say I understand?”
Phex blinked a few times. “I’m waiting for you to be upset. This happened with the other Daddies as well, and they all got pissed, claiming I needed to get my priorities straight.”
Devlin chuckled. “You’ll be waiting a long time, sweetheart. I don’t get angry easily, not about things like this anyway, and besides, you had to deal with this. I completely understand that. I’m a business owner too, remember? On a different scale, but the principle is the same. The good news is that, by nature, I’m a patient man. It’s one of the traits that makes me such a good Daddy. You want to know what I’m also really good at?”
Phex frowned. “No? I mean, yes, I want to know.”