New friends and an unexpected romance… Was there a better way to spend a Saturday night?
Robert isn’t sure he made the right decision to come to the lifestyle meet and greet, especially when he gets ditched by the only person he knows. But when a new friend offers to save the day and show him around, things start looking up… especially when he meets Colin and April.
Colin and April have gone into their search for a third with open eyes and a frustrating start, but they’re not going to give up on finding a playmate for April and a boy for them both to love. They know he’s out there somewhere, and when they see a shy sub blushing across the room, they think they just might’ve found him.
With dinosaurs on their feet and love in the air, a Daddy, a princess, and a slightly worried accountant might just fall in love.
Author’s Note: While this is a standalone book, the series is best read in order.
Robert
At some point I was going to learn to tell people no, right?
Oh my god, why were there so many flashing buttons?
Who picked this song?
Shoot, had I picked this song?
When Jimmy, who was supposed to be the DJ at the BDSM event, had said he’d be right back, I’d stupidly thought that meant he’d return before the end of the current song.
It hadn’t.
I’d probably been a bit naïve, because I wasn’t sure I would’ve been right back if the big stern Daddy had come up and taken me away… but I wasn’t being paid to run the music for the dominant and little meetup party.
Oh no.
That was one unhappy… Dom?
The frowning man working his way through the crowd of Daddies, Mommies, and littles had the look of someone who was in charge and he was not pleased with the music.
No one should’ve been pleased with the club thumping sounds that were playing, but I wasn’t sure how to explain to the Dom charging over that it wasn’t my fault. Because it might’ve been? I wasn’t sure if I’d nudged something or if Jimmy thought I should’ve known what to do with all the buttons.
Okay, he wasn’t frowning as much as he got closer.
Maybe he knew it wasn’t my fault since he didn’t know me at all?
Wow, he was tall.
“Hey, thanks for helping, but where did Jimmy run off to?” He stopped before getting too close and seemed to be doing his best not to look threatening, which I appreciated, but I kind of wished I hadn’t looked so obviously panicked.
Nervous and shy would not get me a date with a Daddy or a Mommy.
Shoot. Words. “Um, he… he was… um, talking to a Daddy and said he’d be right back?”
I knew it wasn’t helpful, but his cute overreaction as he scoffed and rolled his eyes had me holding back laughter.
When I giggled, unable to hold back, he shook his head. “Let me guess, he’s found ‘the love of his life’?”
So it hadn’t been my fault?
Oh, how was I supposed to answer that? “He’s… impulsive?”
The way the man rolled his eyes again said he knew I’d downplayed my description. But he didn’t call me out on it as he sighed. “I take it you got left to man the music?”
“Um…” And I was back to not knowing what to say. “We know each other… kind of. He said he’d be right back. But then…”
I shrugged and gave up trying to figure out something that made sense. “Um, he’s… social?”
The tall man snorted.
It let out more of my stress and I smiled and shrugged, gesturing toward the setup. “I’m sorry. I don’t know how any of this works. I’m an accountant.”
A very boring accountant that had never run anything fancier than a car radio.
The man smirked and shook his head, wagging his finger at my shirt. “No, right now you’re a nervous little who got left by his friend who’s…”
He looked around, drawing attention to a loud erotic moaning that I’d been trying to ignore. I wasn’t sure it was polite to acknowledge it, and I couldn’t remember anyone online mentioning a rule about that kind of thing. “Who’s probably getting a spanking.”
I found myself laughing again as the man gave a dramatic frustrated sigh, and I couldn’t resist explaining what had happened. “The Daddy said he looked naughty and then Jimmy said he needed a spanking and… and then boom…”
Shrugging, I wasn’t sure how to explain the magic I’d witnessed. They’d just found each other and it’d been immediate chemistry and sexy times.
“He’s very… social.” It seemed like the best way to describe Jimmy. “No one’s even said hi to me and he’s already getting spanked.”
Oh, I probably shouldn’t have said that last part… looking pathetic was not part of my plan for the evening.
The man looked a bit panicky like he wasn’t sure what to say, which made me feel a bit better, honestly. “Well, um, that might be because you look a bit like you’re ready to run out of here if someone goes boo.”
Hmm, so maybe Daddies and Mommies could read littles better than I’d feared? “Um, that’s kind of how I feel?”
The man winced.
“I’m pretty sure the nice, laid-back Daddies are worrying about upsetting you. The… let’s call them fast-moving Daddies know you’re not the kind to ask for a spanking on the first date.”
I couldn’t help the blush I knew was creeping over my face, but no one ever thought about spanking me.
The man was back to feeling sorry for me because his words rushed out as he frowned. “They’re not avoiding you or ignoring you because something’s wrong.”
Of course they weren’t.
“I’m very taken with my two partners and I think you’re cute.” The way he rolled his eyes had me feeling a bit lighter. “The Daddies will too, trust me.”
Shoot. I blushed again.
I was never going to find a Daddy if I kept looking so ridiculous.
“What you need is someone to be your wingman. But first, we’re going to fix the music and wait for the social butterfly over there to finish getting his spanking.” He seemed so confident I found myself staring in shock as he started confidently studying the controls.
He was going to be my wingman?
The music seemed easier to talk about, so I shrugged again. “I don’t know how to work it. I was just glad when the music kept playing.”
“Yeah, I can see how it would’ve looked overwhelming.” He might’ve said he understood my hesitation, but he made it look easy as he hit buttons and changed settings. “I remember your application. Your face is really familiar, but I have no idea what your name is. I’m sorry.”
Oh, he really was in charge.
What did he know about me?
What had I said on the application?
Fuck.
“Um, Robert… but I guess here it’s okay to call me Robbie?” That sounded ridiculous, didn’t it?
The man shrugged. “If you like being called Robbie when you’re little, then let’s go with Robbie so you get more comfortable talking to the Daddies.”
That would never happen.
He chuckled as I found myself pouting. “Robert is a badass accountant who knows his shit and probably wrestles with the IRS for fun. Robbie is a shy little who wants to talk to Daddies. They’re really two different people.”
Was this what a wingman did, made someone more confident so they’d be reckless?
It worked.
His silly comparison had me laughing, but I tried to stand up straighter and play into his game. “I’m Robbie.”
“Nice to meet you, Robbie.” His quiet laughter made me smile. “I’m Ross and I’m helping to wrangle this event tonight because the cheeses in charge both come home with me.”
His slight cowboy twang made me laugh.
“But I’m usually running a hobby farm, not herding a bunch of Daddies without enough common sense to know not to pick up a little who’s on the payroll.” Ross’s frustration had me fighting the urge to laugh. He was cute. It was no wonder two people had wanted to keep him.
Smiling, I shrugged. “That didn’t seem to have occurred to either of them.”
Ross rolled his eyes again and shifted away from the setup to lean against the wall behind us. “Luckily for them, we’re thinking about the practical stuff.”
He looked around searching for someone then nodded toward the other side of the room. “The tall woman in the My Little Pony dress? That’s Nicole. She’s the head honcho around here and our partner Keller is… is busy somewhere.”
He seemed to be searching for the mysterious Keller, but I was still surprised at the two-partners thing. “You really do have two partners?”
I knew I sounded insane, but the words popped out before I could catch them.
People actually did that outside of something… well, something naughty?
“Yes, we’ve been together for a long time at this point.” He smiled as he talked about his partners. “That’s one of the reasons Nicole wanted to do these… mixers, I guess… we saw firsthand how hard it was to find people to date when you’re little. Especially when you’re little and polyamorous.”
I found myself nodding, but studying my feet was easier than looking him in the eyes. “Liking men and women is hard sometimes, and throwing in being little makes it… interesting.”
He laughed, a sharp teasing sound. “Try being bi and poly and a switch.”
Really?
The look on Ross’s face made me laugh. “It was painful. But we’re trying to help make things easier.”
He raised one eyebrow, looking around and making it clear he meant he’d been trying to help people like me.
Awkward littles who couldn’t seem to find a Mommy or a Daddy.
“I think you have.” I knew I probably looked nervous still, but I tried to appear more confident and less panicked. “Jimmy and I met through a work event he was DJing for, and he knew I was a little right off the bat. He’s almost psychic when it comes to that kind of stuff, so I didn’t question him when he said I should come to the party.”
I should have… but I hadn’t.
Looking around, I just saw a sea of unfamiliar faces and decided that it might not have been the best fit. These kinds of parties seemed more geared toward confident extroverts. “I’m just not used to meeting this many people at once.”
That seemed to be the politest way to explain it.
“Yeah, too many people in the lifestyle is just as hard to handle as too few. But at least with something like this, you know you don’t have to worry about shocking anyone.”
Okay, that was one good point.
Looking on the bright side, I smiled and shrugged. “Or worrying about what to wear.”
I thought I’d gone over the top when I’d picked out my dinosaur T-shirt and shoes.
I hadn’t.
“That’s always one of the hardest things.” Ross smiled as he looked over at his partner again. “Nicole had her dress made. She wanted something fun and professional looking, but she wasn’t finding anything on the regular sites.”
“I hadn’t thought about that.” Hmm, I guessed most little clothes I’d seen weren’t really something littles would wear when they were being grown-ups. Grown-up clothes weren’t really made for being fun. “I have a friend who’s a seamstress. I hadn’t thought about a need for clothes like that.”
“You’d be surprised at how many people here have regular jobs and who work in the lifestyle in some way or another.”
Nodding, I wondered if Amy would be open to making clothes like that, but before I could ask Ross a few more questions, he chuckled. “But I think before I reward you with people who will talk shop all night, we should find someone for you to flirt with.”
Work would be much easier… however, he was right. That wasn’t why I was here. “But I’m terrible at that.”
Ross snorted. “You don’t have to do anything but look cute and shy. I’ll do the rest.”
That was too easy. “There’s a catch.”
His eyes sparkled as he laughed. “A big one.”
Dropping his voice, he leaned in looking silly and naughty. “You have to tell me what you’re looking for tonight so I know what kind of wingman you need.”
Ugh.
That was a-whole-nother stressful conversation.
“Um… I don’t know?” As far as explanations went, it was as good as I had in the moment.
Ross leaned back, barely holding back a giggle. “Let’s start at the basics. Daddy or Mommy or either or both?”
Both?
That sounded… overwhelming.
“Um, I like men and women.” Saying I was bi or probably something closer to pan wasn’t hard any longer, but it was the rest that made my stress level go up. “And, I guess, I lean toward a Daddy? Is that rude? I don’t want to—”
Ross shook his head, stepping closer to give me a quick hug that cut off my crazy rambling. “No, buddy, it’s fine. You do you and don’t worry about what anyone else will think.”
Letting out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding, I nodded. “It just sounds… well, I like both but I think I would like a Daddy.”
Saying the words got easier every time I practiced them, but I couldn’t wait to get to the point where talking about wanting a Daddy in my life was easy.
Shifting back again, Ross gave me a pride-filled smile. “So does that mean you’re looking for a single Daddy who’s looking for a male little or are you up for something a bit more interesting?”
Swallowing past the lump in my throat, I tried to sound grown-up as I spoke. “What do you have in mind?”
Ross’s smirk said it might not have sounded quite right. “There are a few couples that are looking for littles here tonight. I know a few that are two guys looking for a third, and there are a few male-female couples looking for a third.”
There were?
Okay, I wasn’t so sheltered I didn’t know that kind of stuff existed. I just had to ask reasonable questions and make good decisions. I didn’t have to do anything tonight I didn’t want to. I just needed to figure out what the right place to start was.
“Well, which Daddy do you think would have the patience to handle my… newness?” Ross’s barely restrained smirk had me wanting to stick my tongue out at him. It wasn’t the most grown-up response, but it was better than pouting, right?
Coughing to cover a laugh, he shrugged. “Once they realize nervous doesn’t mean fearful, you’re going to have a lot of Daddies interested in you… the other littles too.”
Oh, I hadn’t thought about them.
“I want to make sure I don’t meet a couple who… where the little or other partner in general wouldn’t like me.” Coming into a relationship where the other person was jealous or angry wouldn’t be good. Hell, just coming into a relationship where I rubbed one person the wrong way would be too hard.
It would’ve been easier to meet people if I was more outgoing. However, that wasn’t how I was built and it frustrated a lot of more outgoing people, men and women.
I didn’t have to explain that to Ross, though. He seemed to get it as he nodded slowly, studying the room and seemingly sorting through what he knew of everyone. Just the way he was watching the different people said how many of them he knew personally.
For a moment, I realized I probably owed Jimmy for making sure I got to meet Ross.
But I wasn’t going to thank him for flaking off and going to get spanked or fucked while I panicked.
“Alright, I know there are a lot of people here who would enjoy meeting you. I’m going to focus on ones I think would be the best fit, though, first. There’s no point in introducing you to a Dom who loves public scenes and drama when that’s not what you’re into.”
Drama?
“No drama.” That sounded stressful. But what was I into? “Um, I don’t know about public scenes… I mean, if you mean public as in the club atmosphere, not as in the grocery store.”
Swallowing, I tried again. “I don’t know what I like as far as a lot of BDSM things go, but I know I don’t like standing out in public. I don’t want people to notice me because of something I’m doing with a Dom or a Daddy.”
That wasn’t unreasonable, right?
“What about noticing you because you’re with two people?” Before I could answer, he continued. “Most people see what they want to see and don’t notice. But there will be people who stare or ask stupid questions.”
There was something serious in his expression that said he’d run into more than one of those situations.
“Do you regret it?” The question was probably too personal, but I’d never had anyone to ask and I wasn’t sure when I would again.
“No.” The immediate answer was good to hear, but it was the way he turned to his female partner and smiled softly that made me believe it. “Never. Even when they drive me insane.”
Would it be unreasonable to say I wanted someone in my life to drive me insane?
Oh, I really hoped I hadn’t just jinxed myself.
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