Bossy Baby by Athena Steller

Six

Hayley

Hayley didn’t know of another time that he’d slept so well. The bed in Mac’s guest room was so comfy. Wiggling onto his stomach, Hayley buried his head in the pillow and took a deep breath. Freshly laundered sheets. Few things smelt as good.

He regretted waking alone, though.

After his bath, Mac had brought him a soft pair of pajama pants and a loose T-shirt, both in Hayley’s sizes. When questioned, Mac had blushed again, so Hayley hadn’t pushed to know where they’d come from. He knew Mac had bought them specifically for him. Hayley was figuring his big guy out.

The pj set was cute. High quality and so cozy. And kittens!

Kittens and Star Wars. Mac was perfectly sweet and geeky, and made Hayley feel amazing.

Experimenting, he wiggled his toes before taking stock of the rest of his body. Hayley seemed remarkably okay for first thing in the morning, especially with a broken arm. He didn’t really want to get up. Except he was alone. Mac couldn’t be talked into them sharing a bed the night before. Several times, Hayley had thought Mac would cave, but in the end, he’d tucked Hayley in and walked across the hall.

Of course, both doors were open so Hayley could have followed Mac back into the master bedroom. That didn’t seem right, though. Mac was worried about Hayley’s arm. The pain meds he was on. Hayley would respect Mac’s judgment…this time. If it took too long before they were sharing a bed, Hayley might have to boss Mac around a little more.

Amazingly, Mac didn’t seem to mind a bossy boy, which excited and intrigued Hayley. He knew what he wanted. Mac. And if Mac needed a push in the right direction, who better to help? Him! Hayley could think of all kinds of trouble they could get into together.

“Good morning.”

Hayley turned his head, spotting Mac hovering in the doorway. “Morning.”

“Did you sleep okay?”

“I slept great,” Hayley assured him. He sat up in bed with the comforter pooled at his lap, hiding his morning erection. Mac looked fresh in a dark pair of jeans and a fitted black T-shirt, and so yummy that Hayley could just eat him up.

“You look adorable,” Mac said quietly. “Still sleepy with a soft look on your face.”

Their thoughts were running along the same lines. Yeah, Hayley wasn’t going to have to do much pushing. Mac wanted him as much as Hayley wanted Mac. Mac’s erection had been obvious after he’d jacked Hayley off in the tub. Hell, after sitting on Mac’s lap for most of the night before, Hayley was certain that Mac had been hard for a lot than he had.

The thought of Mac jerking himself off while thinking about Hayley had his erection needing attention desperately.

He crooked his finger at Mac. “Maybe you need a closer look.”

Mac’s eyes widened as he barked out a laugh.

Hayley gifted Mac with his best pout.

“I didn’t know if you wanted to open your shop today. If you do, we should eat breakfast, so we can get you dressed, so we’ll open on time.”

Dang, adult responsibilities sucked. Hayley would much prefer rolling around in bed with Mac all day. “I guess I should get up, then.”

“Good boys get rewards,” Mac teased him.

Of course that reminded Hayley of the treat he’d missed out on the night before. “I’ve heard that before. And you cheat. I want my reward now.”

“Nope. You have to get up and ready for the day.”

“What about this?” Hayley waved his arm around. “You’ve seen how useless I am without my right arm.” He couldn’t even dress himself properly. Mac had to help him. “I just don’t see how I’m going to run my business.”

“You’ll accept my help.” Mac walked in and sat next to him on the bed. He even captured Hayley’s good hand with his.

Hayley loved how much of an effort Mac always made for him. Touching wasn’t something Mac was used to, but he did it for Hayley. “I don’t want you to get tired of me.”

“What did we talk about last night?” Mac demanded.

“That you want to take care of me.”

“That’s right,” Mac said. “It makes me happy to take care of you. You want to make me happy, don’t you?”

Chuckling, Hayley nodded. “You know I do.”

“Here’s what’s going to happen. You’ll get up and ready for the day. We’ll have to stop at your apartment for clothes, so we can’t laze around. After we have breakfast, I’ll drive you over. Then we’ll open the shop together. You’ll sit your cute little bottom behind the counter and tell me what to do.”

Oh yeah, that sounded like fun. “I get to boss you around?”

“To a point.” Mac flicked his ear. “But remember that I’ll be in charge when we get home. And bratty boys don’t get rewards.”

“Good boys get rewards,” Hayley said hopefully. Like more of those scorching kisses. Another hand job. More?

“You going to be a good boy for me today?” Mac asked, leaning forward.

Hayley stared into his light hazel eyes. The color seemed to change from time to time. Today they were a soft gray. “So good,” Hayley promised.

Mac kissed him gently.

The urgency from the night before was missing. This kiss was soft and sweet. Perfect.

Hayley blinked his eyes open as Mac pulled back. He knew his sigh was silly, but Hayley floated in bliss.

“Do you need my help getting ready?” Mac offered.

“I think I can do it,” Hayley replied. He needed to see what he could and couldn’t do, after all. He was still considering asking one of his brothers to come down and help him.

“I’ll get breakfast on the table.” Mac rose.

Hayley caught his hand. “One more kiss?” he questioned. After Mac kissed him, Hayley knew he could do anything.

“Of course.” Leaning down, Mac gave him another one of those slow, soft kisses.

“Okay.” Hayley could do this. He would absolutely conquer this new obstacle in his life. He had the tools to be mentally strong. Mac was there to help. Jumping off the bed, he headed into the adjoining bathroom.

Stepping inside the bright room, Hayley took a deep breath.

Of course it took a lot longer than Hayley had anticipated to use the bathroom, wash his uninjured hand and face, and brush his teeth. By the time he was finished, he was exhausted. Still, he had promises of more kisses. Maybe some cuddles. He could get through the day.

Stepping out of the guest room, Hayley peeked once again into Mac’s bedroom. More clothes littered the floor. And he just couldn’t leave them there. Mac was going to have to learn that Hayley’s need to clean was a part of him.

Hayley picked up the discarded pants, socks, and a shirt before looking around for a basket or hamper. The closet door was cracked open. Inside, right next to more clothes on the floor, Hayley found what he was looking for.

Dropping the clothes in the basket, he then picked up the others. Satisfied, Hayley closed the door behind him. He took a step toward the hall, but the French doors he’d spotted last night caught his attention.

Mac had said that Hayley could explore. Maybe he hadn’t meant it, though. Mac could have just been saying that to be nice. No, Mac wasn’t like that. When he said something, he meant it.

Hayley walked over and rested his good hand on the handle. He could just take a peek. It was probably a cute balcony. Nothing surprising. But Hayley just felt like there was something big behind those doors. He didn’t know why.

“You can open them.”

Hayley screeched, jumping and almost tripping over his own feet.

Smiling, Mac walked over to him. “Sorry, I thought you heard me walking up the stairs.”

“What…” He waved toward the room.

Mac lifted an eyebrow. “I guess you’ll have to open the doors to find out.”

Hayley sighed. He wasn’t even surprised by the answer. There was nothing bad through there, though. Hayley was sure.

Hayley bit his lip. “I don’t know why I’m nervous. This just feels like a big moment for some reason.”

“How about we do it together?”

“Please.”

Mac reached out to the handles and placed his hand over Hayley’s.

“Ready?”

Hayley bounced. “Open it! I’m dying here!”

Mac swung the doors open with a flourish.

Hayley stood there. Bright light flooded the room from the large windows. He could only stare at the most perfect room in the entire word.

“Ta-da?” Mac said, like he was being funny.

Hayley recognized Mac’s nerves now, though.

This was amazing. Mac was amazing. Everything… Wow, Hayley was getting overwhelmed again.

He took a few steps inside before turning in a circle. Along one wall was a twin bed with a dark blue spread covered in stars. A large black rocking chair sat in the corner. The window seat on the next wall had the same dark blue printed pillows. The rest of the walls were covered by shelves all holding bright containers.

Hayley strode over to the closest container and peered inside. Cars. Little cars that he could play with.

“What do you think?”

Hayley turned. Mac stood just inside the door, rubbing the back of his head. His poor Daddy was so uncertain.

Hayley stepped on the middle of the dark thick rug that had the entire solar system picture on it. “This might be the most perfect room I’ve ever been in.”

Mac froze, his hand still behind him. “Really?”

“Mac, this room is unbelievable. I can’t wait to spend my weekends in here. I’m never going to want to leave it.”

He was gifted with one of Mac’s rare truly radiant smiles.

“We can change anything you want. And I left plenty of room to make additions. I need to know what things you want. I’ll get you everything you want.”

“I don’t want you to change anything!” Hayley exclaimed. “Although I’d love to be able to pick things out together.”

Mac nodded and hurried to him. “These two rows of containers are things I thought we could do together, but I didn’t want to decide on everything. I wanted things you chose, too.” He waved his hand at the other wall and the rest of the shelves close to them. “We have so many boxes to fill.”

That was…awesome. Mac wasn’t trying to bulldoze his own wants onto Hayley. Mac understood that Hayley needed to have a say—he’d simply gotten them started. Hayley leapt.

Mac’s eyes widened before he quickly plucked Hayley out of the air. “Careful!”

Hayley laughed. “I knew you would catch me.” Hayley gave him a peck on the cheek as Mac held him close. “Now carry me to that comfortable-looking chair, Daddy.”

Mac was trying hard not to show how amused he was, but Hayley caught his lip twitch. “Bossy.”

And they both liked him that way. Mac did indeed carry him over to the rocking recliner. He cuddled Hayley close.

They stayed quiet for several long moments as Mac rocked them.

Hayley sighed. “I guess we should talk about where we see our relationship going.”

“We don’t have to talk about anything you don’t want to,” Mac assured him.

“I know.” Hayley smiled. “But the sooner we do, the sooner we can enjoy this room together.”

Mac nodded.

“Do you have any questions you want to start with?” Hayley asked.

Mac pressed his lips together. “So many.” Then he chuckled.

“Me too,” Hayley admitted.

“How little are you? Shit! I’m assuming you are a little. You might not identify as a little though.”

“I’m a little,” Hayley was quick to answer.

“I thought so,” Mac seemed to relax. “Child divided plates and sippy cups?”

“I love them. And you cutting up my food.” Hayley thought that was totally a Daddy job.

“What about bottles?” Mac questioned.

“Yes,” Hayley said. “I have a few for nights when I just need to let go. But I don’t use them often. I sort of always connected that with having a Daddy. That he’d hold me while he gave me a bottle before bed.”

“How often do you like to be little?” Mac asked next. “You don’t seem to stay little like Avery does.”

Hayley shrugged. “I still like to be big me. Avery is adorable being little but for me it’s something I like to escape into. I still want to go on grown-up dates and just hang out as adults.”

“I would like that. To take you on dates for when you’re little and big. That would give us plenty to do together.”

Hayley was glad Mac seemed to understand that he wasn’t exactly like the other littles or boys he knew. This kind of relationship was unique to the people involved.

“What about diapers or pull-ups?” Mac asked. He ran his fingers under the waistband of Hayley’s pajama pants. “I really like your tiny bright briefs.”

“Right!” Hayley was thrilled. “I’ve not tried diapers. Another thing I was waiting to see what my Daddy thought. I don’t have to have them, but we could maybe experiment together?” Was he being too pushy? “I have some training pants. I use them if I’m having trouble relaxing my mind. They help me get into the right mindset.”

“So we have some things we can try together, but we don’t have to get rid of the undies that I like so much. I’m happy with that.”

“I do love my undies. I have over forty colors!”

“Forty?”

Hayley giggled at the look of amazement on Mac’s face. “I might be a bit obsessed.”

“Okay, I’ll be happy to feed that obsession. What else should I know?”

Happier than he could ever remember being, Hayley laid his head down on Mac’s chest. “So much.” He lifted his head. “But when do I get to play? Talking is yucky grown-up stuff.” The room was calling to him.

“We need to have breakfast and get to work. So tonight? That is, if you can be good today.”

He’d forgotten it was time to take care of responsibilities. “Okay.”

“I was just coming up to find out what you wanted to drink.”

“Milk?”

“I can do that.” Mac looked around the room. “I’ll tell you what. How about you pick something to bring to the shop with you today? A stuffy or a toy. Whatever you want.”

“Really?”

Mac lifted Hayley off his lap and set him on his feet. “I’m going to get breakfast finished. You have five minutes, boy. So choose quickly.”

“I will,” Hayley promised.

He received a sweet kiss before Mac walked out of the room, leaving Hayley with so many things to choose from. What should he pick? Something that would mean something special to them.

Oh, this was hard.

Hayley stepped in front of the bookcase and peeked in several containers, but nothing spoke to him. Maybe a stuffy?

All the stuffed animals were lines up in two rows.

He looked over the bears, puppies, kittens, and other animals. He almost chose one of the kittens but then he saw it. In the corner. A Chewbacca stuffy.

Hayley grabbed it and brought it to his face to nuzzle.

So soft and perfect.

Before he could get distracted, Hayley walked to the door. He’d get to play later.

Hayley shut the doors behind him before he walked down the stairs to the kitchen.

Mac was bent over, getting something out of the bottom cabinet. How had Hayley ended up here? Who did he need to thank? Mac was so strong, kind, and Hayley wanted to shout from the rooftops that he belonged to Hayley.

Was it too soon to be feeling so possessive? Hayley had never felt this way in his life.

“Hey! You okay? You look lost in thought,” Mac said as he turned and spotted Hayley.

“I’m fine,” Hayley responded. “Just admiring a handsome man making me breakfast.”

“It’s not much. I’m still learning. I figured we could manage pancakes and sausage with your broken arm, though.”

“I’ll never complain about pancakes,” Hayley shared. He freaking loved pancakes. They reminded him of Sunday mornings at home. His mom always made pancakes on Sunday. Then they’d go down to the lake and spend the day as a family. He skipped over to the table and gasped. “Oh my God!”

“Is it okay? I wasn’t sure.”

“Are you kidding me?” Hayley had to stop himself from picking up the plate. A plate that was obviously bought specially for him. “It’s got Chewbacca on it.” He held up the stuffy he’d picked.

“Oh wow, it’s kind of perfect then. I’m glad I chose this one. I bought several different ones. Since we share love for the Star Wars universe, I thought this would be perfect for our first breakfast together.”

The child divided plate was so awesome! Hayley dropped down into his chair. Pushing the food around, he checked out his plate. Mac had already cut up the pancakes and sausage. The large plastic fork matched the plate and… “And a sippy cup?”

“Of course.” Mac hovered by the table.

Hayley grabbed the sippy cup with his left hand. Not only would the cup be easier to drink out of since his left hand wasn’t as strong as his right, but it was super cute. Hayley brought the cup up to his lips.

Mac was watching him with so much need on his face.

They were connecting in a way that made Hayley’s heart beat faster. He wanted to confess what he was feeling but now wasn’t the time for such a serious talk. They needed to get to his shop.

Breakfast first, though. With his new plate and sippy cup.

Hayley tilted the cup and sucked. Mac had gone to so much trouble for him. Hayley glared down at his bright cast. He wanted to hate the stupid thing, but he knew that he wouldn’t be sitting in Mac’s kitchen if he hadn’t broken his arm. Maybe sometime in the future, but not that morning. He lifted his head to look back at Mac. “Have I told you thank you yet? I don’t know if I have or not. Everything happened so fast.”

Mac sat in the chair next to his. “It did happen fast. But this isn’t something that I will ever regret. Not when I have you here with me.”

Hayley nodded. Even if he had broken his arm, Hayley had no regrets.

“How about we eat so we can get going?” Mac suggested.

Hayley picked up his fork. “Don’t laugh at me if I drop any food.”

“I wouldn’t,” Mac said sincerely. “And if you start to make too big of a mess, I’ll just have to feed you myself.”

Hayley shuddered. Being fed might sound sweet and innocent, but he’d found out the night before it was anything but. Being fed by Mac had made Hayley hot and horny. Not that he was complaining. Maybe he should go ahead and drop his food.

“If I think you’re doing it on purpose, there’ll be no reward for you.”

Damn it, Mac was smart. Hayley stabbed a piece of pancake and brought it to his mouth slowly. As he chewed, he batted his lashes at Mac.

“So fucking cute,” Mac mumbled.

That was good enough for Hayley.

Mac

There was something about caring for another person that Mac hadn’t truly understood until Hayley had needed him. Mac wasn’t an overly tidy person. He had a habit of leaving clothes on the floor. Stepping over messes instead of picking up. That was the complete opposite of how his boy operated.

From the moment that they’d stepped into the shop, Mac had been cleaning, straightening, or dusting something. Mac had to physically pick Hayley up and deposit him behind the counter to keep his boy from doing anything. Mac could and did clean, under the watchful eye of his boy. The pride and love Hayley had for his shop was obvious. Every customer that came in received a happy smile and Hayley’s complete attention. Mac could tell the difference, though, between how Hayley treated his customers and how Hayley had been with him. Mac had always made certain that he’d been the only patron inside the little shop when he visited. Seeing Hayley interact with the customers amused him, because as friendly as Hayley was—and there was still a lot of touching—Mac knew he was special.

As they closed up for the night, Mac walked around the small shop to make sure nothing was out of place. He’d sent Hayley upstairs to pack a bag of clothes for a couple of days.

Insisting that Hayley go home with him, Mac had expected an argument. Instead, Hayley had excitedly run up the stairs that led to his apartment. As Hayley grabbed his stuff, Mac tried to be patient. He didn’t like his boy out of his sight. He couldn’t protect Hayley if he couldn’t see him.

About to head upstairs in search of his boy, he paused when he heard the thump of heavy footsteps on the stairs.

“You better not be running, boy!” Mac hollered up.

“Sorry!” The steps did slow. “I’m ready, though.”

As soon as Hayley was in front of him, Mac took the bag from him. Quite a heavy bag. That had to be a good sign. Maybe if he talked Hayley into bringing something to his house every day, eventually all Hayley’s stuff would be at home. Hayley might not even notice that Mac slowly moving the boy in, if Mac was careful enough.

“I’m ready to go,” Hayley told him.

“Did you want to stop and get food or try one of the recipes I found?” They’d ordered from the deli for lunch, but his boy still needed dinner. That was part of taking care of him, making sure that Hayley ate properly.

“Can we just go home?” Hayley questioned. “I’m tired. Which is silly since I didn’t do anything all day, other than make change and run credit cards.”

“I don’t want you to exert yourself,” Mac replied.

“Trust me. I didn’t. I’m just tired.”

“The pain meds will do that. Your body is healing, so that’ll wear you out as well.”

“I know.” Hayley grabbed Mac’s hand with his good one. “Take me home please. I’ve been a good boy and was promised a reward.”

“You’ve got it.” Mac led Hayley out of the shop, locking the door behind them. His SUV was parked at the curb, where he ushered Hayley inside. Not that there was anything to be worried about, but Mac believed it was better to be safe than sorry. After closing the door, he put the bag in the backseat before climbing behind the wheel.

Hayley had his head leaning against the window, but he was smiling.

“Why are you smiling about?” Mac couldn’t stop his ask himself from asking.

“Just thinking.”

“Thinking about what?” He put the vehicle in drive and checked his surroundings. Once the street was clear, Mac merged into traffic.

“I still can’t believe that we wasted these last few months when we could have been dating this whole time.”

Mac nodded, although he disagreed. The last few months hadn’t been wasted for him. He’d had to clean up some trash in his life and make sure the city was safe for his boy. Mac had found his house, moving from a hotel suite that he’d been in since his arrival in the city. Then there was making the house comfortable enough to bring his boy home to.

“Will you tell me something? Something about your past?”

Shit, this wasn’t a conversation he wanted to have. He’d convinced himself the previous night that he’d have to come clean, but Mac wasn’t ready. “What do you want to know?”

“Anything, really,” Hayley replied. “Let’s start simple. What about your family?”

That should have been easy, but Mac hated talking about his family. Still, he needed to share with Hayley. That was how they’d build their relationship. See, he’d listened to all those lectures from Mitch and Byron.

“I grew up in a military family. My dad served, his brothers, his father. My mom was the perfect housewife to an officer. And I was the perfect son.” Mac tried not to sound bitter.

“That couldn’t have been an easy childhood,” Hayley stated.

“It wasn’t. But it was all I knew. There was no question that once I turned eighteen, I would enlist.” He still remembered the day his father had driven him to the recruitment office. It had been the only time Mac could remember that his father had been proud of him.

“You didn’t want to enlist?”

“I don’t know,” Mac answered honestly. He’d thought a lot about what else he would have done had he never signed those papers. He loved space and history, but his father had believed that reading was a waste of time. As long as Mac could run, fight, and shoot, his father had thought that was all he would ever need.

“Do you still talk to your parents?”

“No. My mom died of cancer over ten years ago. My dad remarried within six months. I haven’t been home since my mom’s funeral.”

“I can’t even imagine that. I miss my family,” Hayley said. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m glad to be here. I love my life. But I wish my family lived closer.”

“I like when you talk about your family,” Mac admitted. “You light up.”

“I can’t wait for them to meet you. My mom is going to go gaga over you. Hell, Jayme is going to be so jealous. He better not hit on you!”

“I’m only interested in you,” Mac assured his boy. He hadn’t spent so much time making his life perfect for his boy to have a wandering eye. “And I don’t know if meeting your family is a good idea.” It was a terrible idea. Mac didn’t do families. That might be the only thing that truly terrified him.

“Of course it is!” Hayley exclaimed.

Mac didn’t want to start an argument, so he needed to change the subject. “You were a good boy today. You didn’t overdo it.”

Hayley beamed. “I’m the best boy.”

Mac chuckled. “But I get to choose the reward.”

Hayley nodded seriously. “A Daddy should always choose.”

They were entering his neighborhood and would be home soon. Mac knew just what reward he wanted to give to his boy.

“See that house there?” Mac pointed to the right.

“It’s pretty.”

“That’s where Grant and Caleb live. And all their fur babies, of course.”

“Caleb does love his babies. That house is huge. They must have plenty of room to run around. It’s not as big as your house, though.”

Only the best for his boy. Mac didn’t say that, though.

“Do you only like cats? What about other animals?”

“I like all animals,” Mac told him. “There was a K-9 handler in my unit. We all spoiled his dog rotten whenever we weren’t in the field. They retired the dog after his third tour. That dog had probably saved us a couple dozen times. He was a real hero.”

“Do you know what happened to him?”

“The soldier’s parents adopted him until Carl could make it home.” Mac didn’t share that Carl had never made it home. The parents had kept the dog, though. Mac had made sure the dog had a good life.

“That’s amazing. Avery is about to start volunteering at the new organization that’s opening. They train dogs for military men and women who are disabled or have PTSD.”

“I heard.” Mac had thoroughly checked out the group to make sure the charity was legit. He wasn’t about to have Avery involved with anyone or anything that would hurt him. The organization was indeed legit. They wanted to do good work. Mac might have even given them a large anonymous donation to help them get started.

“Maybe after they open, we could help out too.”

“If that’s what you want to do. I’m sure they’ll appreciate all the help they can get.” Mac would have to be careful, though. Checking out the group of men who were starting the charity had been eye-opening. They were seasoned vets, a lot like him…trained to spot a liar. Hard to bullshit.

“Cool.” Hayley wiggled around in his seat.

Mac turned onto his street. He pulled out his phone and handed it to Hayley. “The code is 128863.”

“Okay.” Hayley pressed in Mac’s code.

Mac wondered if Hayley understood that Mac was giving him all his trust. “Find the app on the home screen that looks like a house.”

“Wow. It looks just like your house.”

“That’s the security app. Tap on it.” Mac waited until the app came up.

“It wants another code.”

He pulled in front of his gate. “395577.”

Hayley put in the second code.

“Look for any zones that are red.”

“They’re all green,” Hayley told him.

“That means that none of the entrances or accesses have been breached.”

“This is some serious security.”

“Force of habit,” Mac lied. “If everything is good, you can press the button that looks like the gate.”

Hayley pressed the gate tile.

In front of them the gate began to open.

“That’s really cool.”

“Once we get inside, we’ll download the app to your phone. I also need to add your fingerprints to the alarm system for the house.”

“Mac.” Hayley lowered the phone. “You don’t have to do this.”

He pulled up in front of the house. “I haven’t shown you the pool. Or the rest of the house.”

Hayley turned and looked at him. “You said I could explore.”

“I did. I’m not only giving you the codes. I want you to be comfortable here. Even if I have to run to the store or take care of another errand.”

“You trust me.”

“Of course.”

Hayley grinned. “Most people don’t get alarm codes before their first date.”

“We’ve had our first date,” Mac said.

“It got interrupted,” Hayley argued.

“No, it just changed. Instead of a beautiful picnic in the park, we went on a walk, picked up a lunch we never ate, then took a detour to the hospital. After that we had movie night, and finally ate dinner together. That sounds like a pretty good date to me.”

“When you put it that way, it does sound pretty good.”

“Our second date was breakfast. Our third, lunch from the deli at your shop today. That’s at least three dates. I think it’s the perfect time to give you the codes.” It made sense to Mac.

“I love the way you think.” Hayley released his seatbelt.

“Dinner tonight is our fourth date.”

Hayley laughed. “Okay.”

Mac opened the door and walked around to the passenger side. He opened Hayley’s door and helped him out.

“You need to plant some flowers up this walk,” Hayley pointed.

Mac glanced over. The decorators had said the same thing. Mac didn’t know how he felt about flowers, though. “I didn’t know what would look good. There are a lot of choices.”

“I love flowers. My mom used to let me plant with her every season. I could help.”

Mac turned to Hayley. “You would want to help?”

“Please!” Hayley rushed over to the side of the walk. “Rose bushes would look beautiful here. And over here. Do you have a favorite color of roses?”

“Could you do a mixture? It doesn’t seem right to only pick one color.” He knew that Hayley had trouble picking his favorite colors.

“Yes! That’s how I always did it. It would drive my mom crazy. She would want all the same colors grouped together.”

“We wouldn’t have to group all the colors together. Can you add other types of flowers with them?”

“You wouldn’t mind?”

Mac frowned.

Hayley shrugged. “The house is so nice. The yard was obviously designed and taken care of by a professional. I don’t want to take away from the property value by doing something wrong.”

“Fuck the property value,” Mac spat. “We can do whatever we want. Whatever makes us happy.”

“I’m so happy,” Hayley ran up and hugged him tightly. “I can’t wait to get started.” He suddenly lost his smile. “We can’t plant in winter, though.”

“There is a greenhouse out back. You probably haven’t seen it yet. It needs some work, but we could start in there and transfer the plants and flowers when they’re ready.”

“A greenhouse? Oh My God! This is the most perfect house ever.”

Mac was glad Hayley thought so. Easier to keep him. “It’s getting late though,” Mac said. “We can go to the nursery this weekend if you want. Order an entire truck full of flowers.”

“Great idea. Have you already been?”

“No, but the decorator told he about the place. I have a brochure for them somewhere.”

“Would it be okay if I called my mom? I know she’s never seen your place, but I love talking to her about planting. And she would know exactly what flowers will thrive here in our climate.”

“You can call whoever you want,” Mac answered. With a hand on Hayley’s lower back, Mac led him up the steps. “I’ll be more than happy to do the work. You can tell me what to do.”

Hayley lifted his casted arm. “Oh. I’m not going to be able to plant. I forgot.”

Damn, now Mac wished he’d never agreed. He hated seeing Hayley unhappy.

“We can wait. Until the cast comes off.”

“But I don’t want to wait! If we don’t do it now, we have to wait until next spring. It’s already late in the year.”

“I have a glove that will fit over the cast. If you promise to take it easy, we’ll see how much you can do. I’ll do the heavy digging, though.”

Bobbing his head as they reached the front door, Hayley was almost vibrating. “That’ll work. Yeah, that will totally work.”

“Okay, sweetie.” Mac unlocked the door and ushered Hayley inside. He took the time to explain the alarm system to Hayley and added Hayley’s fingerprints. Unsurprisingly, Hayley found the security system fascinating.

Once that was out of the way, Mac led Hayley to the living room.

“Why don’t you sit and relax. Would you like something to drink?”

“Can I have juice?” Hayley asked, almost shyly.

“Of course.” Mac strolled into the kitchen and went straight to the fridge. He pulled out the chilled apple juice. Closing the fridge, he turned toward the cabinet he kept the glasses in.

Would Hayley want a regular glass or should Mac fill one of the sippy cups he’d bought?

The sippy cup that morning had made Hayley happy. But what did Hayley want now? Avery was always in his little persona when he wasn’t at school. While Hayley got excited and Mac could see the boy shining through, Mac didn’t think that Hayley was little as often as Avery. All this was so confusing. But Hayley had told Mac that he needed to do things to make them both happy.

Fuck it. Mac was going to trust his instinct.

He chose the bright yellow sippy cup with a big sun smiling on it. Mac filled the cup with apple juice and screwed on the lid. He replaced the juice jug in the fridge then grabbed himself a bottle of water.

Mac walked back in the living room to find that Hayley was still sitting on the couch where Hayley had left him. Mac strode around to the front. Hayley lit up when he saw the yellow sippy cup.

“I wanted a special cup. I felt silly asking for it, though. Thank you.”

Hayley crouched in front of him. “Don’t ever feel silly about asking for what you want. I almost didn’t use it. I thought it might be pushing you too fast.”

“We need to get better at communicating. This is something we both want.”

“I agree.” Mac handed the cup over.

Hayley grabbed it and immediately put it to his lips. As he drank from the cup, Mac picked up Hayley’s right foot and removed his tennis shoe and sock, then did the same with his left.

“Thank you…Daddy.”

Mac ran his hand up Hayley’s leg to his waist. He went from his crouch to settle on his knees. “You were a really good boy today.”

Hayley’s eyes widened. The cup was lowered.

Mac leaned forward until his mouth was mere inches from Hayley’s. “It’s time for you to get your reward.” He pressed his lips gently against Hayley’s.

Hayley gasped, giving Mac immediate access, so Mac swept his tongue inside. Deepening the kiss, Mac pressed Hayley into the couch. With his right hand, Mac caressed Hayley’s soft cheek.

They broke away to breathe.

“This is okay?” Mac questioned.

“More. Please.”

He could do more. Mac was dying to do more. “Tell me if you want me to stop or slow down.”

“I don’t,” Hayley said. “Please. I’ve dreamed of you touching me like this.”

Mac had too. He pushed Hayley’s T-shirt up his stomach and chest. His boy’s beautiful flawless skin was revealed just for his eyes. Hayley helped Mac remove the shirt completely.

Pressing kisses from Hayley’s belly button to his nipple had Hayley almost squirming. Mac liked that reaction.

Mac lavished Hayley’s nipples with his tongue.

“Feels good,” Hayley gasped.

Mac loved being able to touch his boy. As he switched nipples, Mac lowered his hands to Hayley’s crotch. He rubbed Hayley’s erection, making Hayley twitch his hips.

“It’s okay,” Mac said. “You can rub off on me.”

Hayley pushed harder against Mac’s hand.

Licking lower, Mac loved the taste of his boy. He couldn’t wait to get a real taste, though. He flicked open the button on Hayley’s jeans before looking up at his boy. “Is this okay?”

“Don’t stop. Please don’t stop!”

Well, that was a yes. Mac slowly lowered Hayley’s zipper until he was staring down at Hayley’s bright pink briefs. Fuck, Mac had to grab his own crotch to keep from coming. That was fucking hot.

“Lift your hips,” he requested. Mac couldn’t wait to have Hayley naked.

Between the two of them, Mac was able to peel down Hayley’s jeans and remove his tiny briefs, leaving his boy completely bare for his eyes.

Hayley’s cock was hard and leaking.

Mac grasped him firmly, wrapping his long fingers around Hayley’s thick base. His boy had a beautiful long, thick cock. Teasing Hayley the night before in the water had been nothing like this, though.

“Yes!” Hayley hissed.

Mac stroked his boy a few times before he lowered his head. “I want to taste you.”

“I’m clean,” Hayley whimpered. “I swear. I can show you proof. Later. Much later. Please…”

There was no reason to make his boy beg. Mac wrapped his lips around Hayley’s shaft and sucked.

Hayley thrust into his mouth as Mac took him deep.

It was going to be one fast and messy blow job, but with the way that Hayley was scratching at Mac’s scalp, Mac didn’t think his boy would complain.

He worked his boy hard and deep, swallowing all the juices that Hayley gave up to him. His boy’s flavor was different from anything Mac had ever had. There was a tang that Mac could get addicted to.

“I’m gonna… I’m sorry! I have to come.”

Mac popped off Hayley’s cock long enough to tell his boy, “Go ahead and come.”

Hayley wasn’t quiet when he came. He yelled out his release, almost folding himself in half as he tried to wrap around Mac’s back.

Mac swallowed down every bit of come.

Hayley collapsed back on the couch as he panted.

Mac knelt between Hayley legs and tore at his pants. He got his pants and underwear pushed past his ass and gripped himself. Mac beat his shaft ruthlessly until he came over his boy’s stomach.

With wide eyes and a smile, Hayley peered up at him. That had been amazing. “I like my rewards.”

Chuckling while shaking his head, Mac fell to the side of the couch. “I like rewarding you. I knew you would be a good boy. I’m very proud of you.”

At the praise, warmth filled him. Mac wasn’t shy about telling Hayley good things about him. That was a sign of a good man. One who built up their partner.

Yawning, Hayley covered his mouth.

Unused to the weight of his cast, Hayley cried out, when the plaster fell down hard across his nose. “Ow!”

“Oh, baby,” Mac cooed to him.

Hayley was lifted and Mac held him tightly.

“That hurt.”

“You need to be more careful,” Mac chided. “Remember, no more hurting yourself.”

“Sorry.” That had sucked.

“I think I know what might make you feel better.”

“What?”

“How about that tour I promised you?”

Hayley nodded. “I think you should carry me. I might trip over my own feet and break my other arm.”

“Well, we can’t have that,” Mac agreed.

“And you should take off your shirt.”

Mac barked out a laugh. “Whatever you want, my bossy baby.”