Page 52 of Ruined

I sigh, and my shoulders drop. “You’re right. Sorry.”

The rest of the dinner passes without any more trouble, and if the waiter still thinks we’re father and son, so be it. I don’t need to prove to everyone here why I’m not some old creep who’s seduced a young man into my bed. They can think what they want. All I care about for now is getting Oliver home safe.

We drive in silence. I assume he’s tired. I’d planned on buying him dessert at the restaurant, but I have chocolate in my apartment if he…

The moment we step inside, he tugs at the sleeve of my shirt and looks at me strangely.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, adrenaline pumping through my veins. It’s like my body is always on high alert when he’s with me. The slightest sign that something’s off, it reacts immediately, ready to make things right and take care of whatever’s bothering him.

He bites his lower lip, and he looks away for a moment before his gaze shifts back to mine. “Remember… before we started?”

“Started?”

“The toys,” he says, a crease between his brows. “You told me not to be upset if we couldn’t go all the way, but… you were upset. You still are.”

“No, no…” I shake my head. “I was upset with myself, not with you.”

“Why?”

My throat clicks, the guilt making it hard to speak. “I made you hurt, Oliver.”

“Only for a second. It wouldn’t have hurt if you’d kept going. Lane said⁠—”

“Who’s Lane?”

“My best friend. Mason’s boyfriend.”

Right, I remember now. “Okay. So what did Lane say?”

“That it only hurts for a second, but it’s a good hurt, and then it feels amazing. So much better than toys or fingers.” His cheeks flush, and his voice is an eager whisper. “I really want to know what it feels like.”

I look away, jaw clenching, but Oliver reaches up to cup my face, bringing me back to him.

“Please, Daddy. If I’m in pain—too much pain—I’ll tell you. I promised, remember? I trust you, but you need to trust me, too.”

I shut my eyes, trying not to feel guilty about what he’s implying; I already feel guilty enough. He’s right, though. He trusts me, despite everything, and the least I can do is trust him back.

“The second dildo,” I tell him. “After the plug and the purple one, we’ll use the second dildo.”

“The one that looks like a real dick?”

I nod, mouth dry, and Oliver smiles.

“Okay. It’s not as big as your cock, though.”

“It’ll help stretch you out better.”

He makes a needy sound. “Okay, um, just a second.” He disappears into the bathroom.

I go to the bedroom to prepare the toys, heart beating fast and my skin tingling with arousal and anticipation. I take my clothes off and wait for him on the bed, and when he opens the door and sees me there, he widens his eyes and scrambles to get naked too.

I chuckle at his eagerness. He’s so fucking cute—too cute for me—and more trusting than I deserve.

I try not to think about all the reasons I don’t deserve him as he gets onto the bed and climbs on top of me, his mouth clashing with mine in a hungry kiss.

“I did it again yesterday,” he whispers against my lips.

“Did what?”