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“That’s all.”

“But—”

“No.” I cut him off, fierce, and I see the shock of it register in his eyes. “No more buts, Kamden. You want to go to college? You go. You want to design dresses, or sew, or never work a day in your fucking life? You do it. The only thing I want in return is you.”

His hands come up, claws into my shirt. “What if I mess up?”

“You’re allowed to mess up. In fact, you’re required to, at least once a week. Daddy’s rules.”

He snorts, which is a sound I want to hear every hour for the rest of my fucked-up years. “I love your rules.”

“Want to hear the ones for college?”

His eyes go big. “Um. Yes?”

“No frat parties. Ever. If anyone tries to pressure you into going to one, you tell me, and I’ll handle it. Actually, no going to frat houses at all. Don’t even walk in front of one.”

“Okay, Daddy. No frat houses.”

“No clubs, bars, or concerts unless I’m with you, or I’ve approved it beforehand. I will need names, times, addresses, everything.”

He nuzzles his face into my hands, hiding a smile. “Okay.”

“You keep your phone on at all times, and your location always enabled, and if you go anywhere after dark, it will need to be discussed beforehand, and only after I determine you can go, you will only travel in approved vehicles, with approved drivers, to approved locations. You will check in with me every half an hour.”

He makes a little “mmm” of acknowledgment, the sound vibrating in his throat.

I continue, “If you ever need to get out of a situation, no matter where you are, you call me. I don’t care if it’s a study session, a class, a test, or you just want to come home. No questions asked. I’ll come get you.”

He closes his eyes. “You’ll come get me,” he echoes, the words like a prayer.

“Always.” I brush my thumb over his cheekbone, and he leans into it, breathing slow and deep until the shuddering fades from his shoulders.

He’s quiet for a long minute, and I let him sit in it, let him process. I feel his pulse slow, the tension bleeding away and replaced by something softer, sweeter.

Finally, he whispers, “What if I want to pay you back another way?”

I blink. “Like how?”

He shrugs, but I see the flush creeping up his neck, pink as a sunrise over the city skyline.

I can’t help the laugh that rips out of me. It’s rough, brighter than I expect. “You want an installment plan? Or you thinking lump sum?”

Kamden’s blush goes nuclear. He clutches Rabbit like a shield, but his eyes are hungry and shy all at once. “I just meant… I could be extra good for you sometimes. If you want.”

“Oh, I want,” I say, and haul him right into my lap, seating him across my thighs. He squeaks, then melts against me, and I’m already hard, just from the weight of him and the way he fits.

I press my nose into his hair. He smells like me.

I cradle the back of his skull, fingers threading in the wind-tangled mess of his hair. “You want to pay Daddy back, Kammie?”

He gives a single, fast nod.

“You want to be good for me?”

Another nod—harder this time, a little desperate.

“Say it.”