Page 67 of A Little Bit Naughty

Dammit. Remi had suspected that was the case, but it still hurt to acknowledge it.

“Alright, darling. I’m glad you’re listening to what you need and telling me.”

Izzy heaved a deep sigh. “I think I need to be big again.”

“Whatever you need.”

Isaac nodded, his cheek brushing against Remi’s chest. They both rested that way for a long moment.

When Isaac spoke again, his voice came out differently. Not necessarily deeper, but more even and reflective. Mature. “I think I shouldn’t have tried to be little this morning. I knew I was upset, and as an adult I can handle that. As a little, I guess it just hit me and I flipped out.”

Remi kissed his forehead. “I understand. I hope I still handled everything alright.”

Isaac returned the kiss on his chest. “You handled everything perfectly. I don’t even know what was going on in my head, but the second you said the word punishment, it was like everything went clear.” Isaac kissed him again, that slight brush of his lips burning a hole through him. “So thank you for, once again, giving me exactly what I needed. You truly are my ideal for a Daddy, and I hope you know that.”

Remi felt his own eyes getting wet. This felt too grown-up, too mature for either of them. “Well, you should also know that you’re my ideal little. Even though you scared the shit out of me when I came up here this morning and you weren’t moving.”

Isaac laughed ruefully. “I swear I’ve never done that before. I’ve really only had one other outburst before and that was… well, probably just as intense but for a completely different reason.”

Remi wanted to ask what it was, but he realized that if Isaac didn’t want to tell him right now, it truly wasn’t his business. He might never know.

“I did make pancakes,” Remi said instead. “But we could go out for breakfast if you’d rather.”

Isaac sighed. “Is that alright?”

“Of course.” Remi would just need to sneak into the kitchen and hide all of the little stuff before Isaac came through. He already knew he’d throw all the food away—eating it as leftovers would be unbearable. “There’s a nice place that I wanted to take you anyway. It’s a Mexican place that does huevos rancheros and a few other things.” Basically as far as he could get from pancakes.

“That sounds good.” Isaac roused himself and offered Remi a hand.

He was so close, and yet it already felt like he was becoming a stranger.

“I’m going to use the bathroom, and then I can carry my suitcase down.” Isaac gave him a lopsided smile, clearly as unsure with this new status they were in as Remi was.

“Sounds good.”

Ten minutes later, they were on their way to the restaurant. They chatted, but only about trivial things. The courses that Isaac would be taking and the ones that Remi would be teaching. Isaac’s flight and whether he should order a burrito from the restaurant to take with him.

All too soon, Remi was giving Isaac one last hug—tighter than he’d held anyone before—and then waving at him on the other side of security.

Six-and-a-half hours later, he got a text.

Isaac: Arrived safely.

15

Remi

Friday was a wash. Remi figured that if he went into his office, he’d at least be able to focus on planning his courses, but all he could think about was Isaac. The memory stone, the one shaped, supposedly, like a sleeping dinosaur, kept making its way into his hand.

He could see Isaac laying on the picnic table the first time they met, when his heart had swelled with protectiveness and longing. Isaac talking about his day at Tommy’s clinic, excitement in every word. Isaac’s smile when he tasted the first sip of milkshake. Isaac fitting in so easily and happily with Remi’s family.

And even more, his darling Izzy. Jumping across the room from flower to flower. Spinning until he couldn’t walk straight and crashing into Remi’s arms. Singing to his plastic animals. Looking up at Remi with those gorgeous gray-blue eyes, like he was the answer to every question in the universe.

By the time Remi got home from work, he couldn’t remember a single thing he’d done.

Saturday wasn’t any better. His brother-in-law, José, was out of town so he was hanging out with Dani to help with the kids. Even Nina could tell that he was feeling down and brought him her stuffed rabbit to cheer him up.

“How do you do it on your own?” he asked Dani, looking around the toy-strewn living room after he’d tucked the kids into bed.