He shivered as he threw more logs on the fire and was thankful Livingston wasn’t home from work yet. His Daddy loved to make fun of him for being cold all the damn time. He’d been there four months and still wasn’t used to the cold. A knock rattled the door, and he ran to look out the window. Little was standing on the porch.

Oh shit, what the hell was he doing here? He slowly walked to the door debating whether to answer it or not.

Livingston didn’t like anyone other than them in the house, but then a thought hit him. He threw open the door. “Is Livingston okay?”

“Oh fuck, yeah, damn, I didn’t think, sorry, I wanted to talk to you for a minute.”

“Sure, let me get my coat.”

“Daddy not here so you can ask his permission?”

“I’m being respectful of his wishes, and he’s on a takedown so I can’t call him.” He lifted Livingston’s leather jacket from the hook beside the door and stepped outside as he was slipping it on.

“Sorry, I sounded like an ass.”

“It’s okay. What did you want to talk about?”

Little hung his head and stared at the toes of his scuffed boots. “I wanted to apologize for putting you in danger.”

“Little, you didn’t know, and we learned he was good at disguises.”

“They told me my mom dropped me off at social services when I was five. Told them I was crazy and she couldn’t take it anymore. Don’t know who my dad was or even if he knew he had a kid. I read all my reports once. Basically, they said I was excessively clingy. Had some attachment disorder and separation anxiety. Said I became unnaturally attached when I was shown affection.”

“Little, you don’t have to explain.”

The misery on the man’s face broke his heart. Little was odd that couldn’t be denied, but everyone he’d met since coming to Powers was a bit on the weird side. It was their charm. He didn’t want the man to feel bad about the way he was—Little’s life made him have his issues.

“I do, Livingston said I put you in danger because I couldn’t see past a pretty face showing me affection. He was right. I fucked Rauch because it’s the only way people let me touch them. I know I’m scary looking and I’m not all there, but I ain’t all bad.”

“Little, you don’t have to apologize because you wanted some human contact. I believe you didn’t know who Rauch was.”

“Livingston’s still mad at me. I thought if I apologized and explained that maybe one of my best friends wouldn’t be mad at me anymore. The people I’ve met here are the only family I got. I can’t lose them.”

“And you won’t, I’ll talk to Livingston when he gets home.”

“Liv is lucky to have you. It must be nice.”

“What must be nice?”

“To be touched.”

The man’s deep voice broke over the last word, and he almost reached out to stroke Little’s huge bicep, but the man stepped back.

“Little, do you—”

“No, I overstayed, I’m on cheating spouse duty tonight.”

Little practically ran from the porch and to the black van. They joked that Little lived in it. Little didn’t look back at him, and he quickly backed out, headed down the dirt road.

His phone beeped in his pocket, and he pulled it out. Livingston sent him a message telling him he was on his way home. He removed his jacket and hung it back up as he went to find something to make for dinner. They needed to do a supply run soon. They couldn’t live on love and sex alone. He was going to lose his belly that Livingston loved so much.

An hour later, he was just taking the chicken and rice casserole he’d thrown together with stuff he’d found in the freezer out of the oven. He placed it on the stovetop. The door opened, and he glanced up to find Livingston still in his tactical gear. He ran across the room, and Livingston caught him with a grunt.

“You grunted, am I getting too—”

“You even say that word, or I’ll put you over my knee before this nights over with.”

“Don’t you do that anyway?”

“You’re getting awfully bratty, baby.”

He pouted, and Livingston smiled.

“I was headed home to take you out to dinner and then grocery shopping afterward.”

“I found enough stuff to make a casserole. Plan for it tomorrow?”

“Sure, what did you do today?”

“Well, I applied for the fall semester of college, I’ll need to get a vehicle to commute.”

He draped his arms over Livingston’s strong shoulders and batted his lashes at him.

“You have to learn to drive first.”

“That’s where my gorgeous Daddy comes into play.”

“We’ll go get your learner’s and then look at a nice safe car for you next week. I may also need to take up drinking.”

“It won’t be that bad. Little stopped by.”

“And why was Little here.”

Livingston walked toward the kitchen and sat him on the counter, then Livingston gave him a quick kiss and pulled away.

“Don’t get pissed, he wanted to apologize, and he said you’re still mad at him. He doesn’t want to lose the only family he has.”

“I’m not mad, I get Little and his quirks. The man just frustrates the fuck out of me. We need to find him a person to latch on to.”

“I don’t think he needs a person to latch on to as you so sweetly put it. He just needs someone who’s going to love him.”

“Little makes it hard to love him and the person who does is going to have to be a full-time keeper. He’s spent way too much time with Lily. I think she’s made him worse.”

“He’s fine. I just wanted you to know and quit making him feel bad. He just wanted to feel needed even if it was just sex.”

“Fine, I’ll talk to him tomorrow. Now, since you ruined my plans to take you out all romantic like, you’ll have to settle for this.”

“What are you talking about? Aren’t you going to change and get comfortable before we have dinner?”

“I know how hard it is for you to say no when I’m in my work gear, so I wanted to ask you something.” Livingston pushed his thighs wide and stepped his big body between them.

“And what did you want to ask me, Daddy?”

He started to grin until Livingston reached into a tiny pocket on his vest and pulled out a thin black band. He quickly glanced up at Livingston to find the man studying him, but he couldn’t read Livingston’s expression.

“I never really thought about the whole marriage thing, and I know people don’t need the whole piece of paper and all that to prove anything. I just want everyone to know you’re mine.”

“Like something you can show off, like look I got something pretty on my arm? I require vows. Party. The whole thing. You’re going to make an honest man out of me.”

“Fielding.”

“Ew, you used my name, put it on so you can spank me.”

“What?”

“Put the damn ring on, now.” He held out his hand. “Right here.” He wiggled his finger.

“I don’t think you deserve it.”

“What will make me deserve it?”

“Undress.”

He’d never get tired of his man’s gruff voice—dangerous and commanding. Two months ago, Livingston told him he wasn’t going home, but he still couldn’t get his head around how lucky he felt to belong to Livingston. His Daddy took care of him. Always made sure he was happy and safe. He never went without anything.

“Yes, Daddy.”

He bit his lips to hide his smile as Livingston lifted him off the counter, then the man stepped away from him to pull out one of the kitchen chairs. He slowly removed his clothes as he watched Livingston remove his holster and laid it carefully on the table.

He pushed his sleep pants off his hips and let them fall, kicking them aside when they pooled around his ankles.

His face flushed as he stepped forward and Livingston patted his lap. He shivered as he rested his stomach on Livingston’s hard thighs. Livingston’s forearm came to rest on his lower back. The rough pads of Livingston’s fingers and palm scraped seductively over the curves of his ass that was fuller than it was when he’d moved there. He didn’t have to starve or torture himself anymore, he still worked out, but he didn’t need to kill himself in the process.

“I think you’ve earned twenty, if you lose count I start again, boy, do we understand each other?”

“Yes, Daddy.”

He braced himself for the first strike, when it came he flinched and counted. The more he was punished, the harder it became to keep counting. His cock hardened against Livingston’s thigh. Livingston gentled him between smacks, soothing the burn to intensify it with the next time his hand connected with his burning, abused flesh.

He barely remembered to say twenty before he collapsed over Livingston’s lap. He was lifted off Livingston’s lap before being pulled down and cuddled. Livingston kissed the tears from his cheeks. Traced his wet lashes with the tip of his tongue.

“Can I have it now, Daddy, please?”

“Give me your hand.”

He raised his left and Livingston slipped the cool metal onto his ring finger.

“So, is this a yes?”

“Of course I was going to say yes. You said you didn’t think you could be happy without me. I don’t think, no, I know I couldn’t be happy without you. I love you.”

“I love you too. Thank you.”

He pressed a soft kiss to Livingston’s small smile.