Page 69 of Love Unlimited

He kissed them again, lips closed and soft, rubbing one hand down their back and enjoying the feel of each knot in their spine, the small waves of each rib.

He had to get the first puppy play scene over with at some point. At least if he did it now, he would know.

Ash pulled back to look at him, dreamy and content. Ash wouldn’t be angry if he waited longer, though he should probably explain what he was thinking. He was sure that Ash would understand, now that he’d figured it out himself. If he needed more advice, he knew that he could turn to Dustin or Lena. They would all support him.

He was certain that was part of being a family, though he’d left it off his list earlier.

He and Dustin were the foundation. Lena was special to him, necessary even. Ash was his sunshine and joy. And the four of them, collectively, were kinky. Zhong was a part of all that.

This was what he wanted his family to look like.

Now, he agreed. Let’s go get you ready.

This had to work out. It just had to.

Zhong gave Ash a kiss on the nose and reminded himself who he was doing this with and how brightly Ash would smile.

Then he started giving instructions. It had taken him a while to figure it out and a lot of reading, but Ash loved commands, so Zhong had started using them more freely. When it was small, everyday things, he made requests. When it was something important like this, he told.

I’m going to get the things that we need downstairs. You have ten minutes to prepare. Go to the bathroom, find clothes that you can wear outside, whatever you need to do. When you’re ready, meet me on the back porch.

Yes, Daddy, Ash agreed, looking so excited that they might burst. Should I put on my puppy stuff? Oh, hang on. It’s out in the car. I can get it, though.

Zhong cupped their cheeks in his hand and pressed another light kiss to their lips. The knots in his stomach were still there, but now they were joined by a fluttery anticipation in his chest. No, puppy. That’s your Handler’s job.

Ash just beamed. OK, Daddy.

Zhong closed the bedroom door gently, but then raced down the stairs. There were a lot of things he needed to get ready, and he was already going through his mental checklist at warp speed. Most of it he’d stashed on the back porch behind the couch after the shopping trip with Lena last month, so at least it was all in one place.

The porch was enclosed, with windows that could be opened or shut for the weather. He loved the idea of knowing that the things were all there, even though he hadn’t used them until today. Maybe if this went well, he could spend a lot of time on the back porch on lazy summer days with his pup. Once he got things ready.

The bed slid out easily from beneath the couch once he pushed the coffee table to the side. He sat down on the thick, plush mat, feeling how cozy it would be for Ash, while he pulled out all the shopping bags.

Frustratingly, everything was covered with tags and packaging.

He rushed into the kitchen to get scissors, and picked up a pint of blueberries on the way. He was almost out the door when he turned around to fill a water bottle with ice water.

OK, so far so good. He zipped through removing the packaging and devoted a small bag to trash and a larger one to Ash’s goodies. He wanted to keep them a secret for as long as possible, but he had a sense that puppy Ash would dive into the bag as soon as they realized what it was. He left out one soft, squishy ball and put the rest behind the couch again.

Seven minutes had passed. He really should have given both of them more time.

Alright, now he just needed the puppy gear. He dug into the pocket of Ash’s backpack where they kept their car keys and raced out to the car. The duffle bag was heavier than he expected, and he realized that it probably had some of the clothing that Ash would want.

Well, he could figure that out when they came downstairs.

He returned to the back porch and set the duffle on the coffee table. It was only after unzipping it that he finally slowed down.

Right on top was the hood. He knelt beside the puppy bed and lifted it out reverently. It was black and teal, the neoprene shaped into a cute little snout, with fuzzy ears sitting jauntily on top of it. There were wide holes to leave plenty of space for Ash’s eyes and ears, which Zhong loved about it. Some of the puppies at the mosh had almost all of their heads covered, but he liked seeing more of Ash’s shining eyes and curling hair. He set the hood gently on the table.

Next came the little mitts that would slip over Ash’s hands. They were cute, but they also spoke so eloquently to the way that Ash would give himself over to the role, trusting Zhong to provide everything for them.

Zhong felt a rush of warmth just touching them.

Was that strange?

There were so many little things that they did together, like the pacifier and the toothbrushing, that were really just for Ash. Zhong just liked them because Ash wanted them.

But this truly felt different.