Hear Me, Daddy: Rainbow Room Book 2 Read online

  “Great.”

  He seemed to hesitate when I held out my hand for him. It was apparent this sweet guy had gone through some tough times. He had a hard time trusting people. I wiggled my fingers at him. When he finally reached out and took my hand, I was so proud of him. I led him to a booth away from the others to give us a bit of privacy and asked if he had eaten yet.

  “No. It doesn't make much sense to eat at home when you're visiting a bar at dinner time.” His response was fantastic and caught me off guard, and I threw my head back and laughed.

  “Fair enough. Would you like to have dinner with me then?”

  The poor guy looked like a deer caught in some headlights. He was stuck.

  “You came here because you're a Little, right?” This time he nodded. “Then you know that Daddies mean what they say, and they don’t mess around. So, would you like to have dinner with me, Henry?”

  Then he caught me off guard and told me he was broken. Why the hell would such a cute, beautiful man think that? Then he tried to tell me what a Daddy would want. But I was determined.

  Oh, no. You won’t get away that easily.

  Before I lost my temper or scared him away, I slowed down my signing. I asked him to sit so that we could talk. But I needed to know some necessary information and to see if he was allergic to anything. He told me he didn’t like fish, and he was allergic to apples. That was a good sign. He was answering my questions even if he was scared. Proudly, I smiled at him and signed, “No apple juice and no fish then. I’ll be right back.”

  I walked over to the bar as I watched him out of the corner of my eye. After a long moment, he sat down, and I relaxed. Good. He decided not to run away. I stepped up to Des and ignored the knowing grin on his stupid face.

  “Can you bring us iced tea and some juice in a sippy cup, please?”

  “Some juice?” Des asked, and I rolled my eyes.

  “Yes, some juice. Anything but apple juice.”

  “I know. Henry is allergic to apples.”

  “Great,” I forced out, and Des laughed.

  “He loves cranberry juice.”

  “Then cranberry juice in a sippy cup and…” I glanced back at Henry again. What would he like to eat? Des offered up more information that indicated he knew him, even if it was Henry’s first time here.

  “Lasagna with a side salad.”

  “How do you know him?” The question jumped out of my mouth before I could stop myself. Des sighed. I turned to focus on him instead of the perfect Little waiting for me to come back.

  “He’s Ava's nephew. No one knows all the details of their past, but I do know that Ava got custody of Henry when he was fourteen. I guess the police were involved. But neither of them speak about it. Ava has been trying to get him to come to our Daddies and Littles night for years.”

  “He said that he’s broken.”

  “Yeah.” Des sighed and shook his head. The worried look on his face surprised me. “He wasn’t born that way. He lost his hearing shortly before he came to New York. As far as I know, it’s not the only medical condition he has. Ava mentioned once that he keeps talking about being broken. That’s all I can tell you.”

  Poor Baby. I looked back to where Henry was still sitting, staring at me. He blushed when he realized that I caught him staring. Henry thought he was broken, but that wasn’t right. He just needed someone to show him how special he was.

  “Thanks, Des.” I knocked on the bar and walked back over to Henry.

  “Des will bring us our dinner shortly,” I signed after I sat down and smiled at him. “I’m very proud of you, Henry.”

  “Why?” His hands shook as he signed his question.

  “I know you are still scared, but I think it’s brave of you to stay.” He blushed again, and his mouth formed a perfect O. “And I’m thrilled that you agreed to have dinner with me.”

  Henry looked up from my hands, and his blue eyes widened. For a second, he just stared at me, and then he gave me the most beautiful smile I’d ever seen.

  “You really mean that?”

  “I do, Little Boy. I would never lie to you.”

  “You’re a Daddy.”

  “I am.” Henry looked at me like he had just discovered the holy grail or the existence of unicorns. He was so adorable. “And you’re a Little.”

  It took him a moment before he shook his head and signed his answer, “I am. But I’m damaged. No Daddy would ever want me.”

  Before I could respond, Des came over and put a sippy cup in front of Henry and a glass of iced tea in front of me. I thanked him, and then I looked at Henry again. He wore the same pained expression when he tried to leave the bar. What the hell had happened to this poor Boy that he kept insisting that he was broken or damaged?

  Whatever it was, this would end now. I had to touch his shoulder a couple of times to get him to look up again, before I signed, “I don’t want you to talk about yourself like that. You are neither broken nor damaged, Henry. We just established that I am a Daddy and that I would never lie to you”. My next sentence could have him run away, I knew that, but I needed him to understand my feelings. “I would be honored to discuss becoming your Daddy.”

  For a long moment, I held my breath, fearing that he would just get up and leave, but he just sat there staring at me. Then he whispered something that sounded suspiciously like unicorn and raised his shaking hands.

  “I’m deaf.”

  “I told you that my sister is deaf, too. That doesn’t make me love her less, Henry. Or respect her less. Do you think I would think less of a Little because he is deaf?” I could see him thinking about my words. Then he reached for the sippy cup, peeked up at me, and took a sip from his juice before he lowered his cup to free his hands.

  “What about diapers?” he signed.

  “Are you asking if I’m into it?” I waited, and after a long moment, he nodded, so I continued, “I think it’s the most intimate way to take care of a Little, and I love that kind of intimacy. It is an honor that a lot of Daddies don’t get to experience.”

  “But…” Henry started, but then lowered his hands.

  I patiently waited for him to gather up the nerve to keep going. When he did, he observed my face, and I realized that he was waiting for a reaction, so I kept my face straight and just watched his hands. My experience with hurt and troubled souls taught me how to school my responses. Being upset could come later, but Henry needed me to be unflinching at that moment. He started to sign clumsily.

  “When I was fourteen, I had an accident that ruptured my bladder. The doctors repaired what they could, but it does not work properly, and I need to wear diapers all the time.”

  Ah, the other medical conditions, Des had mentioned. The look on his face pushed every Daddy button I had. This Boy feared my reactions. He fully expected me to say that he was right and to leave him. Oh, this sweet Boy had no idea that was not how this would work. Now that I had gotten to know him leaving wasn’t an option. It wasn’t who I was.

  “Do you use them for all your needs or just for your bladder?”

  “Just bladder. I use the toilet for everything else. But my blood doesn’t clot properly because I don’t have a spleen.”

  Very confidently, I signed, “I still haven’t heard how you’re broken or damaged.” I shrugged my shoulders.

  His hands flew as he signed, “How can you say that? I’m deaf, I can’t pee on my own, and I have…other issues.”

  Nodding my head, I processed what he had signed. I made sure he watched my hands and signed, “Henry, tell me what you think a Daddy does. What is his role?” That caught him by surprise. He sat there, blinking at me for a moment.

  “A Daddy is a caregiver. A Daddy takes care of his Little, in every way possible. He loves him and cherishes him,” he signed slowly and deliberately.

  “Why do you think that any of your issues would keep a real Daddy from taking care of you? From cherishing you or doting affection on you?” I signed my question.
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  “Because there are Littles better than me,” he signed, and his hands started to shake again.

  My arms ached to reach over and hold him, but I needed to sign my answer. I reached out and caressed his cheek and then squeezed his shoulder before I signed my response.

  “I think you’re a perfect Boy, Henry. Do you have a safeword, or do you want to use the traffic lights?”

  “I prefer traffic lights. Why?”

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Des approaching us with our food and went all-in with Henry.

  “Can you read lips?”

  Henry frowned but nodded.

  “Good. Then I want you to come here and sit on my lap while I feed you. Let me show you that no matter what, you’re still able to be a perfect Boy for a Daddy.”

  I held my breath, and I waited for his answer. But I didn’t get one. Instead, Henry jumped up, rushed around the table, and threw himself on my lap.

  Oh, my sweet, needy Boy. My sweet Boy? Oh, I’m in so much trouble.

  My heart had already claimed him. Des smirked at me as he placed our food in front of us, but I ignored him and held Henry.

  Henry watched me as I put some lasagna on the fork and blew on it. He was fidgeting with his hands, but there was a happy smile on his lips.

  “Open up for Daddy.”

  Henry opened his lips like a little bird, chewed carefully, and then swallowed. He seemed to be thinking hard, and then he signed, “I never thought I would ever have anything like this.”

  Because I had my hands full as I held and fed him, I waited till he looked at my lips again before I replied, “It’s beautiful, isn’t it? The deep connection between a Daddy and a Little, even with something as simple as me feeding you.”

  “I always wanted this,” he signed carefully.

  “It’s up to you. We can have a nice evening and file it as a one-time experience, or you can give me a chance.” My heart prayed that he wanted more. I smiled at him and blew on another forkful of lasagna. Henry began to relax into me, and he opened his mouth even before I said something. “Good Boy,” I praised him.

  Of course, there had been other Littles in my life. There were minor playdates and fleeting boyfriends. But no one with any substance or any meaning. No one had ever pushed my buttons the way Henry did. No one made me want to wrap them up and protect them. After these brief moments together, I’d already claimed him. Was it too fast? Maybe? It might appear that way to some people. But I could care less what they thought. Henry was as needy and desperate for a Daddy as I was for a Little. He was downright adorable, and I wanted him to be mine. My mission would be to show him I could be the right Daddy for him. He wanted someone to spoil him rotten, to love him and dote on him. That could be me. If Henry gave us a chance, I was sure that we would be perfect together.

  After four forks of lasagna, I picked up some salad, and Henry wrinkled his nose. Yep. Absolutely adorable. “Uh-uh. You need something healthy, too.”

  “What about you? Your dinner is getting cold,” he signed, clearly trying to distract me.

  “Nice try, Little Boy. You eat your salad, and I will eat as well.”

  Laughing, I winked at him. We spent our entire dinner like this. The more time went by, the more Henry relaxed. When we’d finished dinner, he snuggled into me and made grabby hands at his sippy cup. I handed it to him, gently rocking him while he drank. Henry sat up after he finished his drink and placed it on the table, and then he turned to me.

  “I don’t know anything about you,” he signed.

  “Do you want me to sign? Or are you good like this?”

  “I’m perfect, Daddy.”

  “Yes, you are, sweetie,” I said, knowing that it wasn’t what he meant. But I got the response I wanted. Henry blushed, and he giggled. It was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard. “What do you want to know?”

  “Everything.” He exaggerated the sign.

  “Ok, well, that narrows it down. I’m forty-one and a lawyer. At first, I wanted to be a prosecutor, but then I opened a victim’s rights law office with two friends. I have been a Daddy for years. My sister is my only sibling, and my mom lives with her. My dad left us shortly after my sister was born.”

  “Wow, you are a lawyer, that’s cool. I’m just a writer.”

  “You’re a journalist?”

  Henry shook his head and blushed even further and signed, “No. I’m an author. I write books.”

  “Impressive. Any chance that I’ve read one of your books?”

  Henry hesitated, but then he signed, and again he watched my face closely while he did so. “Have you ever read any books by Lucian Holston or Little Boy Blue?” He fingerspelled the names.

  Because of my immense love of books, it only took me a moment to place them.

  “Oh, yeah. Lucian Holston is one of my favorite authors. I’ve read Bloody Tears and Silent Screams. I think there’s another one coming out soon. I have read a few books by Little Boy Blue as well.” Henry just looked at me, and the penny finally dropped. “Wait. You’re Lucian Holston and Little Boy Blue?”

  Henry nodded with a shy smile, and this time it was me who just stared at him for a second. Henry was such an angelic, sweet Boy, and the Lucian Holston books were, there was no other way to describe them, they were brutal. Brutal but brilliant. It was hard processing that information. Based on his personality, it made sense to me that he was Little Boy Blue.

  “Now, I’m pretty sure I’m not good enough for you.”

  Again, Henry giggled and signed, “They are just books.”

  “Yes, they are books, but they’re brilliant. Bloody Tears is even going to be turned into a TV Series, right? And those sweet stories by Little Boy Blue.”

  “Yes. I sold the rights three years ago,” Henry signed. Then he hesitated before he added, “Nobody knows that I am Lucian Holston or Little Boy Blue.”

  “I promise I won’t tell anyone.” There was a story there, I was sure, but I didn’t push. Instead, I grinned at him. “How about dessert, and then we go and meet—”

  “Can I have ice cream with sprinkles?” Henry signed before I finished my sentence and gave me the most adoring look.

  Oh dear, that was going to be a hard look to say no to. Henry might get anything he wanted if he kept looking at me like that. Instead of pointing out that he’d interrupted me, I nodded but held up my finger when I saw him getting ready to sign another response.

  “Ice cream with sprinkles. But after that, you’re going to be a brave Boy and meet the others, ok?”

  Again, Henry hesitated and glanced over to the table on the other side of the bar. Jakob, Sam, Darrell, and Josh were sitting around the table, eating and talking. It was quiet for a Wednesday night. Those four were the only ones attending to the Daddies and Littles evening. But I had a feeling that Henry and Sam could be good friends. After everything I had discovered, it was going to be important for Henry to know that I wasn’t the only one who would accept what he thought were issues. After a moment, Henry looked at me again, and my heart melted when he signed, “Ok, Daddy.”

  “That’s my good sweet Boy. After that, we can talk about doing this again.”

  Chapter 3

  Henry

  My very own unicorn Daddy was right here holding me, and I couldn’t stop staring. Caden was just like a unicorn. He was so unbelievable that he couldn’t be real. Reaching out, I touched his arm and squeezed. He was a real Daddy, and he didn’t mind that I had issues. Or that I was needy and overeager. Instead, he seemed to enjoy it because he was all smiles and cuddles. Caden was everything I’d always thought a Daddy should be. He was tall, handsome, caring, and strong. But he was also stern and took charge. It blew me away that he wanted to do this again.

  “You really want to do this again?” Mentally, I crossed my fingers.

  Again, Caden smiled his beautiful smile at me, and I watched his lips moving. He was even perfect when he spoke to me. It was not too fast. He made sure that I understood what h
e was saying. It was neat that while sitting on his lap, I could feel his voice vibrate in his chest. Lip reading was hard when the person speaking did not understand that they needed to speak clearly. It sounded funny to expect a hearing person to speak clearly to a deaf person. But when a person spoke clearly, they formed words correctly and made it easier to read lips. But my unicorn Daddy was perfect in every way.

  “Yes, Little Boy. I’d love to have a real playdate with you.”

  Wow. A real playdate with a real Daddy. I didn’t want to seem to be too needy, but I couldn’t stop myself from asking, “When? Tomorrow?”

  “I have to work tomorrow. But how about I bring you home later, and we’ll make plans for the weekend.”

  “Really? The whole weekend? Really? With me? Are you sure?” Ok, he really would think I was too needy after all that. For a second, he just looked at me. But then he smiled and pecked a kiss on my nose. It was such a Daddy thing to do that I touched my nose in wonder. Wow. I’d gotten a nose kiss by a Daddy.

  “There is nothing I would like more. I couldn’t think of anything better than spending the weekend with a cute and sexy Boy.”

  “Really?” My mouth fell open, and I think my jaw hit the floor.

  “Yes, really. Remember, I would never lie to you. Ah, there comes your dessert.”

  I turned my head and smiled when I saw Des walking over with a big bowl. He placed it in front of me and ruffled my hair when I clapped my hands. There were two big balls of strawberry ice cream, but what had me so excited were all the colorful sprinkles. Yay. Grabbing the spoon, all I wanted to do was dig in, but I got a slap on my hand and looked up in shock.

  “What do you say to Des?” Caden asked with a raised eyebrow.

  Oops. Blushing, I turned around to Des and signed, “Thank you, Des.”

  Des nodded, winked, and with a grin, made his way back to his place behind the bar. Turning around, I reached for the spoon again and earned another slap on my hand. Ouch. Shaking my hand, I stared up at Caden.

  “What was that for?” I signed in a hurry.

  “As long as I’m your Daddy and you’re not using a safeword, Daddy is going to feed you.”