Page 2 of Love Unlimited

She glared at him.

If you have trouble remembering who’s in charge, I can remind you. He was curious how this would go. She might challenge him or acquiesce, but it always boiled down to the same thing. And he was happy to give it to her. They still didn’t have time for a quickie in the kitchen, but he could find some other delightful punishment if she kept pushing him—a result that would be quite enjoyable for both of them.

She seemed to be making the same calculation, but ultimately gave in. Sorry, Daddy. She signed the apology in a fisted circle on her chest.

Wow. That was unexpected. Did that mean she was feeling more comfortable with him starting to step in more? He hoped he wasn’t pushing too hard. It felt right to Dustin, but he still had memories of exes accusing him of being too controlling. At times like these, it was like they haunted his brain. And he was a hundred times more controlling of Lena than he’d been with any of them.

So far, she still seemed to want him. To want this breathtaking thing they were building between them, where he tried to smooth her jagged edges while craving them at the same time.

Come sit with me on the couch until Ash and Zhong get here. I haven’t spent enough time with you recently.

There was only a slight resistance as he guided her over and pulled her onto his lap.

Are you taking the day off tomorrow, too? she asked hopefully.

His chest hurt as he had to answer. I think I’ll be working for most of it. But you can always drop by to see me. She would doubtless be difficult and distracting if she wandered into his home office, but that was part of her delightfully bratty package. And he never wanted her to feel like she was less important than his work.

He hated that it felt like he was “taking the day off” today because it was Saturday, and he should have been off anyway. But he was working with a particularly difficult client right now, putting in a lot of extra hours and often exhausted by the time evenings and weekends came. Sorry I’ve been working so much. I hate being so busy when you’re on vacation. Since Lena often had meetings and gatherings in the evenings, it was harder than he’d expected to do special things with her. It wasn’t at all how he’d envisioned their first month living together.

Lena gave him a concerned look, going from sulky brat to more responsible adult. I hate that you’re so stressed. But don’t worry about me—I’m enjoying my break and I have plenty to do. That was mostly true. She was preparing to teach her summer school courses and still involved in a lot of volunteer work for the boards she was on. But she was putting a gloss on it. I just like being with you when you have time, she added.

He kissed her forehead. He would have to figure out something. She deserved more of his attention and he wanted to give her all of it.

Especially since she was still a bit hesitant about moving in with him. It was a development that made him both nervous and excited. They were both using it as a test to see if things would work out, and he desperately wanted it to succeed. If things went well, she’d be giving up the lease on her apartment in November.

She hadn’t moved everything over yet, but her stack of board games had joined his in the cabinet. He’d cleared off a whole bookshelf in the living room, too, to give her comic book collection a place of pride.

He never thought he’d feel so aroused or so tender at the sight of something so mundane. But comic books meant his Danger Girl laying on the floor with a juice box, wearing something slutty and provocative and kicking her feet innocently in the air like the teenager she let herself be around him. God, he loved her so much.

He didn’t even want to contemplate what would happen if it didn’t work out. He would make it work.

That was his job as her Daddy.

Do you still want Ash and Zhong to come over this afternoon? I could ask them to come over another time.

She looked horrified. No, don’t cancel. We don’t get to see them enough.

That brought a smile to his lips, since he felt the same way. Alright, just checking. He paused. Some of my exes have gotten sick of me inviting Zhong over all the time.

Lena cupped his chin and gave him a slow kiss on the lips. I’m not jealous. Anyway, it’s kind of perfect. Our two best friends are dating each other, so it’s like a double date.

He wanted to object or maybe rephrase that. Yes, it was like a double date. But what he felt for Zhong was more than best friend and verged into the area of romantic partner.

They’d had a conversation last winter that had been a revelation to both of them. Dustin had spent years pining after Zhong, but they’d both assumed that they couldn’t have a romantic relationship because Zhong was asexual. They’d probably missed out on a lot by not discovering their misconceptions sooner, but by the time they’d figured it out, Lena and Ash had entered their lives.

Now that they had acknowledged their feelings for each other—and to their respective partners—he was still nervous about how it would work. Was inviting Zhong back into his life too much to ask? It seemed like it might be, since it had been for everyone he’d dated in the past. He could only hope that with Lena, things would be different.

The one thing that gave him the greatest hope was that Zhong’s partner, Ash, had a crush on Lena, too. He wasn’t quite sure what that meant for all of them. Lena had explicitly invited Ash to play with them—in the very kinky sense—and they had declined. The two of them still flirted every chance they got though. He wondered if Lena still thought about it, because he knew he did.

You know you can invite Ash over without Zhong, right?

She laughed. I can hypothetically invite Ash over without Zhong, but they’re kind of a package deal. Anyway, I like having Zhong here. He’s funny, and he’s a good Daddy.

It warmed him to hear her say it. If she liked having Zhong around, maybe he could come over more often. Better than me? Dustin teased.

Lena pretended to consider, face wrinkled in thought.

He pinched her side, making her shriek, laughing at the same time. Fine! You’re the best Daddy.