Page 7 of Healing Daddy

“Me,” Leary said, sounding certain. “Heck, I’m eleven years older than you. Why would you even want to go on a date with me?”

That was it. JJ wouldn’t put up with this. He knew Leary was more confident than he obviously felt around JJ. JJ pulled to the shoulder of the road and took off his seat belt. He didn’t wait for Leary to ask anything. JJ kissed him. His lips touched Leary’s, then he tried backing away to let Leary make the next move. Leary followed him, refusing to let JJ go. The move was sexy. Heat flared inside JJ. He took a chance and deepened their kiss. JJ was shook. He didn’t know what he had expected. Maybe a soft, shy kiss? No. Leary kissed him like he meant it. JJ had to stop. He planned to take Leary on a real date. They might not make it if they kept this up.

This time when JJ pulled away, Leary didn’t chase him. That was almost worse. Leary’s expression screamed arousal. JJ forced himself to settle back behind the wheel and buckle his seatbelt. He knew he should say something. No words came to him that would describe how he felt. He looked Leary’s way. Butterfliesstirred in his gut. Leary’s face was flushed. His eyes sparkled. JJ’s gaze moved over his smattering of freckles, swollen lips, and the dark hair he always kept slightly messy. Out of nowhere, JJ finally knew exactly what to say. “I care about you. If you just want to be friends or only my doctor, say so now. I’ll keep you any way I can. But for me, we’re more.”

“You’re more for me too.” The words were spoken quietly but firmly.

JJ dipped his chin. “Let’s go to dinner.”

Leary nodded.

JJ put the car in gear and steered back into traffic. They would go to dinner and then who knew. Maybe Leary would kiss him again. A guy could hope.

The restaurant had low lighting and a romantic atmosphere. Maybe the vibe was coming from JJ and not anything the restaurant did. The way JJ watched him kept stealing his breath. Truth be told, he still reeled from learning JJ’s age and that kiss. He knew he could have looked closer at JJ’s chart to learn his age, but Leary hadn’t even thought about it until JJ stood in his home. He had almost called off everything right then. ThenJJ had kissed him, and that age gap had vanished. If he were honest, they were probably on the same level of life experience. Leary’s parents had forced him to focus on nothing except his education. He had a high IQ, and that was all anyone had seen in him once they had seen those numbers. Leary hadn’t been a child. His life had been nose to the grindstone. It was only recently he had decided to embrace certain aspects of himself—like the pajamas and toys. He saw no reason he couldn’t take back the childhood he had missed. Leary hadn’t seen JJ coming, though. Now he couldn’t see anyone else.

They talked all through dinner. There were no awkward silences. JJ was his friend first, and whatever else second. He loved getting to know him.

“What did you do for fun before you started coming to the club?” Leary wouldn’t name the place he meant where they could be overheard. At The PlayPen, no one judged him. The rest of the world would.

JJ shrugged. “I used to shoot a lot. There’s a firing range on property. I was a great shot. The guys and I would take bets on it and whatnot. Then, you know.” He lifted his arm with the missing hand.

Damn. Whoever had done this had really taken everything from JJ. “I hope they’re dead.” Leary blinked at the ferocity of his own words.

“They are.” JJ’s nonchalant answer released the vise on his chest.

For a moment, Leary wondered if he was a bad person for how happy the news made him. Apparently, he didn’t care too much about his morals because he kept going. “Good.”

A bright smile exploded across JJ’s face. “You’re so bloodthirsty. I love it.”

Leary’s face heated. He hated that he was a blusher. It was JJ. He brought something out in Leary. Leary liked it. “One of these days, I swear I won’t blush around you any longer. I can’t help it.”

JJ chuckled under his breath.

Chills ran down Leary’s spine. He was just so damn sexy. Leary couldn’t stop thinking that.

“What are you thinking right now? You should see the way you’re looking at me. You’re not shy now.”

Damn. He really wasn’t. When JJ looked at him just a certain way, as he was now, Leary became nothing but a man staring at desire. “I was thinking—”

“Here’s your check. Can I get you guys anything else before you go? Box? A to-go cup for your drinks?”

The interruption killed the moment. “No, thank you. I’m good.”

JJ nodded. “I’m good too.” He held up a finger. “Hold on a sec, though.” He dug out his wallet and pulled out a few bills. JJ passed them to her. “Keep the change.”

She smiled. “Thank you. You two have a good night.”

They stood and headed for the door. JJ touched the small of his back, steering him toward the door. His heart rate kicked up every step of the way. He didn’t know what would happen next.

Back inside the car, Leary pulled a tin of mints from his pocket and popped one in his mouth. He wasn’t taking any chances if JJ kissed him again.

“Do you want one of these?”

JJ leaned his way, mouth open as he backed from their spot.

Leary laughed as he stuck a mint in JJ’s mouth. He really enjoyed being with JJ. A thought hit. JJ likely hadn’t been a child either. It sounded like he’d lived a rough life. Sometimes, he saw a playful side of JJ trying to peek out, but he always reverted to serious—like he immediately jumped behind a wall. He made Leary want to draw him out.

“Do you want to go to the park, since we didn’t make it the other night? I’ll push you on the swings.”