Perfection Read online

  A minute passed. The other cars all rolled out one by one, leaving us alone, and I still held him.

  “You’re so patient with me,” he said into my chest, then leaned his head back and looked up at me.

  I kissed his forehead. “You’re making an effort, and you deserve the time you need to get better.”

  He gave me a small smile, but I still didn’t press. “Can we go now?”

  “All right, hop in.”

  I held his door for him just like Rue would have done. Then because he still looked so worried, I pressed a hard kiss to his lips.

  “One step at a time, yeah? Let’s focus on the hurdle you overcame tonight.”

  “Okay, maybe that’s best.”

  I got settled in the driver’s seat, but before I could drive off, Ashton pressed his palm on my thigh.

  “Callum?”

  “Yes?”

  “Can we buy some groceries?”

  I was completely taken aback by his question. Why did he want to get groceries? It didn’t matter. If he wanted groceries, I’d make sure he got them.

  “Uh, sure. Anything specific you have in mind?”

  “I couldn’t eat before I came. And now I’m starving. I was thinking we could cook something together. Something simple.”

  “Okay, let’s go.” It was almost ten thirty, but whatever he wanted.

  Not many grocery stores were open that late, and we ended up at one of the large chains that was open until midnight. Ashton was deep in thought, but I allowed him to get comfortable, to process whatever it was that he’d experienced at his first AA meeting.

  Whenever he was ready to talk, I would listen.

  He put products in the shopping cart without rhyme or reason, and at one point, I had to stop him and take a jar of pickles from him. He didn’t even like pickles. He found them disgusting.

  “Hey, slow down for a minute, will you?” I placed the pickles back on the shelf. “I think we’ve got way more things than we need.”

  He blinked and, for the first time tonight, seemed to notice the overflowing shopping cart. “Maybe ice cream?”

  When he looked up at me with his bottom lip caught in his teeth and his eyes wide and hopeful, I was a goner. I was seriously beginning to question how strict I could be with this boy.

  “You can have ice cream. But that’s it.”

  “Okay.”

  I cupped his chin and held his gaze. “That’s it, Ashton. No more buying. We go home, and I’ll cook you something while you put your feet up and relax.”

  “I don’t want to put my feet up,” he whined. “I’m tired of being useless. I want to help.”

  Swearing under my breath, I caught him around the waist and pulled him into me for a hug. “You’re not useless.”

  He snorted. “I know I’m good at riding your cock, but there’s got to be more, right?”

  A loud gasp brought his head up from my chest, and we spun around. An elderly lady, probably in her eighties, stared at us, her dentures almost falling out.

  “Hmmph.” She wrinkled her nose and headed in the other direction.

  Ashton giggled, the sound restoring some of my hope. “Oh my god, how much do you think she heard?”

  I smiled at him, hoping he’d keep that joyful look on his face. It suited him so much better.

  “Pretty sure she has the image of you riding me burned into her mind forever. She might go home and bleach her ears.”

  His giggles intensified. “Well, it’s true. I do love doing that.”

  “I know. I love sex with you too, but you’re wrong. You’ve never truly allowed yourself to discover your talents, but now you have the time to do that. Don’t expect everything to happen overnight.”

  He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “You’re right. It’s just that my meeting…” He glanced away. “Let’s get that ice cream. I can eat it off you tonight.”

  His impish smile was back. Thank fuck. I worried so much about him and his insecurities. That stuff was lethal. It would fuck with his recovery process.

  We had to cross the liquor aisle to get to the frozen section. I caught him glancing over at the shelves once or twice, but I was subtle about hurrying us ahead. There was no sense in tempting an alcoholic. He was just a day in recovery, and I didn’t expect him to instantly find super resistance.

  We picked up mint chocolate chip, his favorite ice cream, then wheeled our full shopping cart to the cash register and loaded everything in the car. When we arrived home, Ashton grabbed a bag and the keys to the apartment while I emptied the car. I never expected him to return to offer. Mario never did, even with putting the groceries away after I bought them.

  He jogged down the stairs, and I passed him two of the lighter shopping bags. Together we managed to bring everything inside without mishap.

  “I’ve never bought so many groceries since I moved here.” I stood with my hands on my hips, staring at the bags on the table and counter. “This is all your fault, you know.”

  Ashton stepped back with a laugh, but it was the wrong move as it backed him up against the counter. I easily trapped him, placing both hands on the counter on either side of him. He gave a halfhearted wiggle, but he wasn’t going anywhere.

  “Hey, I thought we were going to cook,” he said. His attempt to get away only succeeded in him rubbing up against me.

  “You know you don’t have to, right? I can make us something to eat.”

  “I want to learn. I’m twenty-one years old, Daddy, and I don’t even know how to cook.”

  Seeing the earnest look on his face, I nodded. “All right, I’ll teach you, but first you need to give me some sugar. You know, for all the energy I’m going to need to stay up.”

  “Is that right?” He cocked his head and pursed his lips. “And what if the only way you’ll get that sugar is to hold me down and take it.”

  “That can be arranged. But Daddy much prefers if your kisses given freely.”

  I waited for him to make a move. He placed both hands on my shoulders and leaned in. I didn’t help him but allowed him to set his own pace. From lowered eyelids, I watched him as he closed his eyes and tilted his head to one side, rising on tiptoes to reach my lips.

  Ever so slightly I lowered my head to help him out. His lips brushed against mine once. Twice. The third time, he pressed his mouth harder against mine, and I welcomed his questing tongue inside.

  I didn’t take charge of the kiss, even when I wanted to lift him, splay him over the counter, and kiss him breathlessly until we were lost in each other. I followed his lead, the tentative, almost shy nature of him exploring the power I gave him turning me on more than anything ever had before.

  Ashton slipped his arms around my neck, his fingers playing with the hair at the back of my neck, sending a current of desire down my spine. I groaned into his mouth, gripping the counter to refrain from touching him more than I already was.

  If I did, I would be gone.

  Little gasps escaped him. His hands explored the back of my neck, the width of my shoulders, kneading into the muscles there. His lips trailed from mine to my chin, where he planted a kiss.

  “Daddy Cal?” he whispered.

  I opened my eyes and stared down at him. I expected to see desire and for him to demand we fool around. That was Ashton. Instead, he gazed up at me with the most lost expression on his face.

  “Ash?” I took him by the shoulders, just to reassure myself that he was here with me, not buried in a bottle somewhere.

  “I don’t want to be an alcoholic,” he said in that same whispered tone as though if he said the words out loud, it would become even more real.

  I cupped the back of his head and brought him forward to rest his face against my shoulder. “I know, baby. I know.”

  Chapter Four

  Ashton

  Sitting in the center of the bed with the sheet pulled over my head and around my body, I openly leered at Callum’s hard naked ass. For a couple of minutes, said ass d
isappeared into his minuscule closet, and I pouted until he stepped back into my view, this time from the front.

  My Daddy looked just as good from the front as the back. My dick perked up as Callum stepped into his underwear.

  “Can I help?” I asked with as much innocence as I could muster. I let go of my fort of bedsheet and crawled to the edge of the bed, not giving him a chance to decline my offer.

  He smiled in my direction, and I gave him one back. I didn’t say anything, but I’d noticed his frown these days and the faraway look he sometimes got.

  I’d have asked him what he was thinking about on those occasions, but I was afraid I didn’t want to know the answer. Didn’t want to know that he was probably thinking about giving up on me after all.

  “Sure.” He stepped into his jeans and walked over to me. “Do up Daddy’s zipper, will you?”

  He tugged his shirt over his head, and while his head was buried, I did the opposite of what he’d asked me. I yanked down the front of his underwear, exposing his flaccid cock. Even when it wasn’t hard for me, I still wanted him. In fact, getting him hard was a challenge I couldn’t resist.

  “Ash, Daddy doesn’t have time to play.” His head emerged from the neck of the shirt. “I’ve to open up the coffee shop.”

  “Just five minutes,” I begged, wrapping my arms around his softness. “I promise I’ll make it quick.” I wanted to devour Daddy, but I needed his permission. “Please, Daddy.”

  His shirt settled down to his waist and brushed my hand. I disliked him being covered up. I loved looking at his hard body, at the tattoos that decorated his skin.

  Daddy Callum grasped the hem of his polo shirt and pulled upward to reveal my hand around his dick. It wasn’t as soft anymore, and feeling him growing in my palm only excited me more.

  He glanced at his wristwatch, then leveled his eyes back on me.

  “You have exactly five minutes to get me off.” His free hand found my head and carded through my hair. “You know the way I like it. If you don’t finish what you start, I’m going to punish you, and you won’t like that.”

  I paused, glancing at his dick for a few seconds. Could I get him off in five? I didn’t want to disappoint him. Plus, I wasn’t sure how I felt about Daddy Callum’s method of punishment.

  The one Daddy I had before him used to spank me a lot when I misbehaved, but that was because we both got off on the spanking.

  Daddy Callum’s punishment was different. He challenged me to do things that made me uncomfortable, but not in a bad way. More of making me aware of things that I always shied away from thinking about.

  I still hadn’t filled out the paper about the ten things I loved about myself.

  “Clock is ticking. I’m sure you don’t mean to waste Daddy’s time, boy.”

  Decision made, I plunged forward and captured his cock between my lips. He didn’t like it when I jerked him off and sucked him all at once, and I needed to capitalize on every second to deliver what I’d promised. I slid my hand lower to his balls where they hung heavy and tight.

  That he loved. When I took his boys out to play.

  My lips strained around his dick as I took him in. I sucked him down the back of my throat, backing off only when the urge to gag became too strong.

  He didn’t help me at all. Just stood there with his legs spread while I fucked my face on his dick. I slid from the bed to my knees and slipped a finger from his balls to stroke his perineum. His hand tightened in my hair, and his breath came out in quick raspy sounds punctuated with groans.

  “Fuck, baby.”

  I glanced up as I took him deeper until my face was pressed to his pubis. His eyes were hooded, almost closed, but he watched me. He licked his bottom lip and held on to my head, grinding his cock all the way in. I gagged, drool dripping down my chin, but the look on his face challenged me to do this. To get him off. Make Daddy proud.

  This I could give him until I could offer him something better.

  “Jesus, Ash.” He pulled back and allowed me to breathe. I took a gulp of air, then spit on his dick and took him back into my mouth.

  Head bobbing to the rhythm I found, I used every skill I’d amassed over the years. When his legs stiffened and he let out a long groan, I knew I had him. I massaged his dick with my lips and gently squeezed his balls. He spurted his cum into my mouth, and I swallowed every bitter-tasting drop before I released him.

  “Thank you, Daddy.” I gave him a satisfied grin.

  “You’re welcome.”

  He reached for me and pulled me to my feet. The kiss he pressed to my lips was soft and way too quick for my liking, but he had to go to the coffee shop. I had to respect that, even if I didn’t like it.

  “I did good?” I sat back on the bed and this time actually helped to do up the flap of his jeans.

  “You were hot and dirty. Perfect.”

  I didn’t bother to remind him how far I was from perfect. It was already so evident. I had my next AA meeting later, and given this was my third day, I didn’t feel so strange going. The first time had been unlike anything I’d ever experienced. The second was less shocking. They’d had a speaker meeting and had invited someone to talk to us about their journey.

  As Daddy sat beside me on the bed to put on his shoes, I remembered what I’d been thinking about since he woke me up when he climbed out of bed this morning to take a shower.

  “Callum, I want to go with you.”

  He glanced sideways at me. “Go where?”

  “It’s Wednesday.”

  He paused, just a second. I almost missed it, but I was watching him closely.

  “Ash, that’s not a good idea.”

  “Why not?” I wrapped my arms around his waist. “I won’t get in the way, I promise.”

  “Why do you even want to go?” He rose to his feet, walked over to the night table, and picked up his phone and the keys for the shop.

  “I know it sounds silly, but I feel connected to him somehow.”

  Callum stared at me in disbelief. “You know, that’s not necessarily a good thing, given he was in the same situation as you. Look how well that turned out.”

  Heat burned in my cheeks. “I still want to go.”

  He sighed. “Ash, I told you that the feelings I have for Mario have nothing to do with love. I love you, and you don’t have to worry about these visits.”

  “I’m not worried.” By the raising of his eyebrows, he didn’t believe me. “I swear I’m not worried. I just want to be there for you. The same way you’re there for me with my problems.”

  “This is different.”

  “Why?” I yelled in frustration. I just wanted to not feel so useless, and he wouldn’t allow me to feel better about myself.

  Callum clenched his jaws. “Is that the way you speak to your Daddy, all disrespectful?”

  I dropped my eyes to the floor. “I’m sorry. I just want to be supportive, and you won’t let me.”

  “And that excuses your behavior right now?” I didn’t know what to say, so I remained quiet. “Answer me when I’m speaking to you.”

  “No, Daddy,” I said quickly.

  “Look at me.”

  I glanced up, tucking my hands behind my back, and waited.

  “Hand me your phone.”

  I sucked in a deep breath. “My phone?”

  “Quickly, Ashton. If you make me late for work, you will not like it.”

  Without a word, I tugged my phone from beneath my pillow and handed it to him.

  “I’ll be downstairs if you need anything,” he said. He switched off my phone and placed his own basic one in my hand. “You can use this one if you want to call Rue or get in touch with your mother. Otherwise, I’m taking away your social media privileges for three days. That means not using your laptop to connect on those sites too.”

  “Three days?” I croaked, already feeling the loss. I checked my phone a million times a day. How would I keep up with what was going on if I didn’t have my phone?
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  “You argue, and it’ll be for an entire week,” he said. “I expect you to treat me with the same respect I give you. You will not raise your voice when addressing me. Have I made myself clear?”

  “Yes, Daddy.”

  He nodded, the tension releasing from his shoulders. “Now come here and kiss Daddy before I go.”

  I gazed longingly at my phone in his hand. There was no getting him to change his mind about my punishment. Since we’d openly talked about my drinking issue, it seemed that Callum was adamant at being strict.

  He’d told me from the very first day we started dating that he had rules and expected me to abide by them. He hadn’t been hard on me about the rules, however, even though I’d broken a few.

  With a sigh, I bridged the gap between us. When I was close enough, he placed a hand on my hip and pulled me into his body. When his lips came down on mine, I expected the kiss to be hard and demanding.

  He was surprisingly gentle. It was almost as if he wasn’t even upset with me.

  “I accept my punishment,” I said when the kiss ended. “I was out of line, but please consider taking me with you to the nursing home. I promise I won’t be any trouble.”

  He brushed the back of his hand against my cheek. “I’ll think about it. Don’t sleep the morning away, and eat something healthy.”

  I breathed a sigh of relief. He might’ve confiscated my phone in punishment, but he still cared enough to think about my terrible eating habits.

  “Okay.”

  “And, Ash, I require your honesty. That’s what we agreed on. If I can’t trust you with small things, I can’t trust you with the big ones.”

  I understood only too well. We’d agreed on complete honesty going forward if I wanted to remain in a relationship with him. That meant no sneaking on to my computer to check my social media pages.

  I walked him to the door where he kissed me again. When he was gone, I rested my head against the door.

  Don’t fucking screw this up, Ashton.