Gabriel hadn’t been pleased, but he had nodded his understanding when Lucas had said he was going home with Jacob. He’d looked concerned and just advised him to be careful. Lucas had almost laughed then. He was being the very opposite of careful, but he couldn’t help but think this was his one chance to get what he wanted. A Daddy. But not just a Daddy. Jacob.
Adrian thanked him solemnly at the end of his shift and didn’t express an opinion when he said he was going home with Jacob. Just said he could come in to play whatever night he liked, be on the serving schedule for next Thursday but free the weekend.
Lucas grabbed his jacket from the back and peeked out at the bar, half expecting Jacob to have changed his mind, but Jacob sat watching for him and stood as soon as Lucas appeared and shot him a hesitant smile.
The fluttering in Lucas’s belly tripled, but he returned the smile. Jacob took Lucas’s coat from him and held it out for Lucas to put on. Lucas was charmed, even more so when Jacob gently batted his fingers away and fastened it himself. He looked critically at him “You need a beanie and gloves. I’ll make sure I pick some up for you tomorrow.” Then he casually put a hand on the small of Lucas’s back and steered him to the exit.
And all the way home Lucas was alternating between fear that he had made a huge mistake and giddy excitement that he was getting what he wanted even for a short while. “Are you still determined about this?” Jacob asked quietly and shot him a quick glance as he slowed for a stop sign.
Lucas nodded. “It’s the best way of finding out if it’s what I want without hurting anyone.” Except me. Him it was going to kill.
Jacob nodded thoughtfully. “Then if you’re sure we need to set some ground rules, and the first is that if you change your mind about this in one day or three weeks, all you have to do is tell me. You can use red as a safe word, but as I’m never going to put you in a position where you physically cannot talk to me, or play games where I might doubt your word, then just saying you have changed your mind will be sufficient. You can also say red without giving me a reason.”
Lucas nodded his understanding and tried not to gulp.
“The second is that saying red does not in any way affect your job. You will have that, and somewhere to live, until the house sells. Both myself and Patrick will help you make alternative living arrangements, so you never have to worry about that.” Jacob paused. “Do you have any questions about either of those?”
Lucas shook his head. He had a ton of questions, but not to do with either of them. He opened his mouth, then closed it, but Jacob must have noticed.
“You have other questions?”
“What do I call you?” Which wasn’t the main one, but he did want to know.
Jacob looked a little surprised as if he hadn’t been expecting that at all. “I think that’s up to you. You can call me Jacob, sir, or…Daddy Jacob like you would refer to Patrick as Daddy Patrick.”
But not just Daddy. Lucas supposed that was fair. “What will change at home?” Which again wasn’t exactly what he wanted to ask, but it was a start.
Jacob inhaled and then blew out a long breath. “Do you mean intimacy? Sex?”
Lucas stilled, feeling the blush creep up his neck. “Yes,” he squeaked out.
“The relationship we are entering into will by its very nature be intimate. I will, for example, put you in the bath and help settle you in bed. I will assist you in grooming to my preferences. That will involve intimate touching with the proviso you can always safe word at any point if you’re not ready for that especially given the short-term nature of our relationship.” He hesitated briefly. “Sex never has to be a requirement in any D/s relationship, and given again the short term involved, I doubt either of us would want to get to that point.” He glanced at Lucas. “I’m assuming you have—”
“Yes,” Lucas interrupted hurriedly. College had been like an all-you-can-eat buffet once he’d gotten over nerves and the fact that being gay wasn’t a problem. He’d been cute, and even chubby there had been a lot of guys that liked him. “And I’m okay. I had to get tested for the club.”
Jacob nodded, seeming to understand Lucas’s ramblings. Lucas relaxed. They drew into the driveway, and Jacob turned off the engine. “Maybe it would be better to take tonight to think about it.”
Alarm shot through Lucas. Was Jacob regretting his offer already? “I won’t change my mind.”
Jacob undid his seat belt and opened the door. Lucas got his hand on the door handle before Jacob touched his arm. “Wait for me please.”
Lucas swallowed, stunned, and watched in awe as Jacob got out and came around to Lucas’s door, opening it. “It might be slippery, and I want to make sure you don’t hurt yourself.”
If he had to have a moment when Lucas knew he’d fallen for Jacob, it was that one. If there was a moment when Lucas knew he was in over his head, it was also then. But he wasn’t safe wording. He was going to have the best Christmas of his life and worry about the rest later.
Jacob reached for Lucas’s hand and clasped him firmly, guiding him to the house and ushering him inside before setting the alarm for the outside which Lucas was surprised at as it was the first time he had done so.
“Are you hungry?”
“I can—”
But Jacob shook his head. “So can I. Are you hungry?”
“Not especially, but I can make you something.”
“Hot chocolate?”
“Yes, please,” Lucas capitulated.
“Then go get into bed, and I’ll bring it right up.”
Lucas turned and nearly ran to the stairs. “No running,” Jacob called out, and Lucas giggled. Oops.
Lucas got the fastest shower on record and was tucked up in bed before he heard Jacob climb the stairs. He was sitting up and trying not to vibrate with excitement and nerves as Jacob appeared. What would he want? Would he just give him the hot chocolate and go?
Jacob didn’t bother giving the hot chocolate to Lucas, just walked around the opposite side of the bed and set it down on the nightstand. He came back around and then put his own down. Lucas tried not to let out an audible sigh of relief and carefully moved to one side in silent invitation. Jacob glanced at the stack of books that Lucas hadn’t really bothered with. “Do you like reading?”
“I used to,” Lucas said. Jacob lifted an eyebrow in a silent question and sat down with his back to the headboard and swung his feet up. “I guess I stopped reading for pleasure when it became a chore.” And when he was so exhausted with his mom that all he’d done when he’d finally collapsed into bed at night was sleep.
“In college?” Jacob pressed.
“And with my mom,” Lucas admitted. “It was often the only thing I could do to get her to stay in bed.”
“Did she ever read to you as a child?”
Lucas frowned. “I suppose she must have done.” But he didn’t remember.
“So is it that reading has some unpleasant memories for you and you would prefer not to, or would you like me to read to you?”
Lucas’s lips parted in shock. “You,” he said quickly. He wasn’t sure about the reading part to be honest, but anything that made Jacob stay in his room longer could only be a good thing.