Page 6 of The Sweetheart
“Why do you like being little?”
Katie shrank away from him, and the wariness in her eyes made him want to reassure her that he wasn’t judging.
“Why do you like being big?” she asked carefully.
“Oh trust me, I hate being big.” Kai grinned.
“I think you just answered your question. I’m big sometimes. At school and outside, but I don’t have to be big with family.” She went back to what she was doing but now a little more reserved. Kai immediately regretted bringing it up. It was clear that she was sensitive about her lifestyle. Or maybe she’d already been exposed to other people’s judgement.
“I think it’s cool. Maybe if you tell me what you like about it, I could do it too.” It wasn’t really a lie. While Kai had no desire to run around talking like a six-year-old, he had to admit that there was something carefree about Katie that made him a little envious.
“You want to be little?” Her eyes were wide, eyebrows shooting for her hairline, expression hopeful.
“I don’t know. Maybe? Can you tell me about it?”
“I like that I get to play with toys and colours. I like that Daddy takes care of me and that I can forget about all of the things that worry me when I’m big, like school and climate change and what I’m going to be when I’m grown up. Daddy takes care of everything, and I just have to be Girl.”
Damn. That sounded like a great deal. Kai’s eyes darted towards the kitchen, where the other men were chatting and laughing loudly. Nolan stood near the entrance to the living room, and he chuckled at something one of the other guys said even as his gaze collided with Kai’s. His eyes were warm, amused even, as he watched them with interest. Katie’s words stirred something like yearning deep in Kai’s belly. It was easy to cast Nolan into that Daddy role, Kai as his boy. The way Nolan had shown him care in the short time they’d been together made it so easy to play out that scene in his head.
He wanted to shake it away. He reminded himself he wasn’t here to stay, and building an elaborate fantasy where Nolan kept him, took care of him, dealt with all of the things that worried him, would only lead to disappointment, and he didn’t have the emotional capacity to deal with much more of that.
He looked back at Katie, but he couldn’t bring himself to kill the hope in her eyes. What was the worst that could happen? He grinned at her and watched her visibly settle, shoulders dropping and a happy smile playing around her lips. She looked like she’d made a decision about him. He’d made a decision about her too. Katie was harmless, innocent, his complete, polar opposite. She was sweet and Kai wasn’t used to sweet, but looking at her he felt a hollow kind of want, like he needed to bask in her glow for a minute. Like being around her might be purifying.
Katie scooted closer and cupped his face in both of her hands, vibrant blue eyes peering into his earnestly, their noses barely an inch apart.
“I’m gonna teach you how to be little.”
5
“Idon’t think I’ve ever seen you this smitten, little brother.” Chris’ voice was amused and quiet as he stood beside Nolan, both of them watching Kai and Katie sprawled out across his living room floor, toys scattered around them. Watching the way Kai submitted to Katie’s tutoring on Play 101 had been charm itself. He hadn’t indulged her. He’d listened and followed her gentle instruction. He’d given up on the dolls fairly quickly, but the box of Lego seemed to capture his full attention. He’d fashioned a little track and ramp that he was now idly rolling a little red Camaro along. His head rested on his arm where he lay, his eyes drifting closed like he was a minute from falling asleep where he was.
“Smitten? Intrigued, maybe,” Nolan retorted, but he knewintrigueddidn’t quite cover it.Smittenseemed far too tame for what he was feeling.Possessivewas probably a more accurate description and growing increasingly so the longer Kai was around. There was no doubt now that Nolan was keeping him. His fate had been sealed the instant he’d seen those tears on Kai’s cheeks. He wanted to know about those tears, but morethan that, he wanted to be the one that wiped them away, who held him close and offered him comfort.
“I haven’t seen him around the club before.”
Nolan huffed out a laugh, already knowing where that was going. Chris took nothing more seriously than security, and more particularly, Katie’s security.
“I’m just saying, let me run a background check before you move him in.”
And there it was.
“How about you let me think about taking him on a date before you sic your watchdogs on him?” Annoyance pinched his eyes and turned down the corners of his mouth.
Chris quietly chuckled. “The look on your face right now says you’re already thinking well past first dates, brother.”
Katie and Nolan both saw the exact moment when Kai’s hand stilled, his eyes closed. Katie shot a look at Nolan, silently asking what to do. He pushed off the wall he’d been leaning on and made his way over to them, squatting low so he could see Kai’s face. He looked more relaxed today, but his brow still creased like he couldn’t quite shake off his worries, even in sleep. Nolan cupped his face lightly, stroking his thumb along his cheek.
Kai’s eyes shot open, and he jerked away from Nolan, scrambling back on elbows to put some distance between them.
“Don’t fucking touch me,” he hissed as he tried to get his bearings. Katie gasped, her hands flying to cover her mouth.
“Woah, woah.” Nolan held up his hands. Kai shook off his confusion, the tension fading from his body. Katie sat frozen beside them.
“Shit. I’m sorry,” Kai apologized, rubbing the heel of his palm into his eye. “Damn Girl, you knocked me out.”
“Sometimes that happens to me too. Especially if I’m big for too long,” she commiserated, shoulders coming down fromwhere they were around her ears, now that Kai had relaxed. Kai gave a small laugh. The way that Kai interacted with Katie’s toys made Nolan think Kai wasn’t really a little, but he was becoming increasingly convinced Kai had probably been “big” for too long without someone to care for him.
“Why don’t you go up and get some more rest?” Nolan offered.
