Chapter 96: No Kisses for You, Daddy

Chapter 96: Chapter 96: No Kisses for You, Daddy

~Third-POV~

"You won’t kiss me, right?" Frederick asked, an amused glint flickering in his eyes.

Reynold nodded firmly against his chest. "Yes."

"We’ll see about that," Frederick murmured.

He leaned down, attempting to steal a kiss, but Reynold quickly dodged, pressing his cheek against Frederick’s suit jacket to hide his lips. Frederick didn’t give up. He leaned closer, gently cornering Reynold until his fingers found Reynold’s sensitive waist and began to tickle him.

"Ah—! No, wait, Frederick—!" Reynold squealed, bursting into helpless giggles as his defenses completely collapsed.

They both tumbled backward onto the plush mattress, their limbs tangled together as they laughed. Reynold squirmed beneath him, trying to cover his face with his hands, but Frederick caught his wrists and gently pinned them above his head, hovering over him with a victorious smirk.

"Still refusing?" Frederick teased, brushing his lips against Reynold’s jaw.

"Yes—ah, stop tickling me!" Reynold gasped between breathless bursts of laughter as Frederick’s lips traced up his neck.

Frederick continued kissing his neck, his fingers still teasing Reynold’s waist.

"Frederick, I’m serious!" Reynold protested, twisting beneath him. "Stop it!"

"Then give me a kiss."

"No!"

Frederick lifted his head, raising an eyebrow. "You’re really going to make me work for it?"

"You’re the one who got yourself into trouble." Reynold tried to sound stern, but the smile tugging at his lips ruined the effect. "And I’m not letting you off so easily."

"All right, sweetheart. I’ll accept my punishment." Frederick leaned closer, his lips hovering just above Reynold’s. "But surely you can give a poor man one little kiss?"

"Poor man?" Reynold scoffed. "You have everything you want."

"Not everything." Frederick glanced pointedly at his lips. "I’m still missing this."

Reynold pressed his lips together to keep from smiling. "That’s your problem."

Frederick chuckled and brushed his nose against Reynold’s cheek. "You’re being cruel to me, baby."

"Good. You deserve it."

"Then I suppose I’ll have to find another way to persuade you."

Before Reynold could ask what he meant, Frederick leaned down and kissed the corner of his mouth. Reynold turned his face away, but Frederick followed, stealing another kiss on his cheek, then one on his jaw.

"Frederick!" Reynold laughed, trying to hide his face against the pillow. "You’re impossible!"

"And you’re adorable when you’re trying to be angry with me."

"I’m not trying to be angry. I am angry!"

"Of course you are." Frederick kissed his forehead. "My poor, angry little pet."

Reynold gave him an indignant look. "Stop calling me that!"

"Stop being so sweet, then."

"You’re doing this on purpose!" Reynold said.

"Obviously," Frederick murmured.

Reynold stared at him for a moment before bursting into laughter again. He couldn’t believe how shameless Frederick was. One minute, the man was apologizing for hurting his feelings, and the next, he was teasing him as though he hadn’t done anything wrong.

Still, Reynold couldn’t bring himself to stay angry when Frederick looked at him like that.

Frederick’s smile softened as he brushed a strand of hair away from Reynold’s forehead. "There you are."

"What?"

"That smile I’ve been trying to get back."

Reynold’s laughter faded into a shy smile. For a moment, he looked at Frederick, his heart warming despite himself.

Then Frederick leaned down and kissed him gently.

This time, Reynold didn’t turn away.

He slipped his arms around Frederick’s neck and returned the kiss, no longer concerned with keeping up his stubborn act. Frederick smiled against his lips before kissing him again, more tenderly this time.

Reynold finally gave in completely. A soft sigh escaped him as he reached up and cupped Frederick’s face. He pulled him down, pressing his lips firmly against Frederick’s in a deep, sweet kiss. Frederick responded instantly, his grip softening as he deepened the kiss and captured Reynold’s mouth with a slow, hungry rhythm that turned their playful banter into something thick with sudden heat.

Without breaking the kiss, Frederick reached down with one hand, unbuttoning his tailored suit jacket and tossing it carelessly off the side of the bed. He slid his hand beneath Reynold’s fitted red top, gathering the soft fabric and pushing it up his chest.

He pulled back from Reynold’s mouth, trailing fevered kisses down his jawline, over his throat, and straight down to the smooth skin of his chest. Reynold gasped, his fingers threading through Frederick’s hair as Frederick dragged his tongue across his collarbone before shifting lower, wrapping his warm lips around one flushed nipple and sucking gently.

"Ah... Daddy..." Reynold arched his back off the mattress, a breathless moan slipping past his lips as the heat between them spiked instantly.

Frederick’s hand moved down toward the waistband of Reynold’s white trousers, intent on taking things much further—

Knock. Knock.

A polite, firm rap sounded at the bedroom door, shattering the heavy silence of the room.

"Sir?" the housemaid called respectfully from the hallway. "Madam Elizabeth asked me to inform you that the food is ready and everyone is waiting for you both at the dining table."

"Alright, we’ll be down soon," Frederick called back toward the door, his voice surprisingly steady despite his current state.

Outside, the housemaid’s footsteps receded down the quiet hallway, leaving the two of them back in the heavy silence of the bedroom.

Frederick looked down into Reynold’s eyes, a look of helpless frustration written across his face. Beneath him, Reynold could clearly feel just how affected Frederick was, his body tense and rock-hard where he hovered over him.

Reynold couldn’t help the soft smile that spread across his lips. He looked up at Frederick with a mixture of amusement and genuine sympathy. "Can’t we skip it?" he whispered, gently running his hands up Frederick’s arms.

Frederick let out a dramatic groan, rolling his eyes back before resting his forehead against Reynold’s shoulder. "Everyone is sitting at the table waiting. You know my grandmother won’t let anyone touch their utensils until we walk through those doors."

"Then we have to go," Reynold murmured, gently rubbing Frederick’s back to soothe him. "We can continue this once we get back to your estate."

Frederick lifted his head slightly, shooting him a dark, needy look. "No, baby... you don’t understand. I am so hard right now. How am I supposed to just walk down there?"

Reynold giggled, pulling Frederick down into a tight, warm hug. He wrapped his arms around his broad back, holding him flush against his chest. "Take your time to calm down, okay? Just breathe."

Frederick let out a long, heavy breath against Reynold’s neck. He leaned up just enough to press a sweet, lingering kiss to Reynold’s forehead, then buried his face back into the crook of his neck, holding him tightly. They stayed wrapped together on the mattress for a few quiet minutes, the gentle rhythm of Reynold’s breathing gradually helping the sudden heat between them cool down into a manageable simmer.

Finally, Frederick took one last deep breath and pushed himself up.

He picked up his tailored suit jacket from the side bed and slipped it back on, adjusting it until he looked immaculate again. Then he looked down at Reynold, who was still sitting on the bed, watching him with wide, innocent eyes.

"Are you okay now?" Reynold asked softly.

Frederick nodded with a faint smile. He reached down, took Reynold by both hands, and pulled him effortlessly up into a standing position. He smoothed down Reynold’s top, tucked it neatly back into his trousers, and then, before stepping away, delivered a sharp, playful spank to his rear.

"Ouch! Stop it, Daddy!" Reynold gasped, instantly putting on his dramatic, pouting expression.

Frederick repeated his words in a teasing voice. "Ouch! Stop it, Daddy!" He shook his head, clearly amused by Reynold’s reaction.

Reynold couldn’t help smiling. "Daddy, be serious!"

Frederick’s smile widened, a low chuckle escaping him as he shook his head. "You are definitely going to be the absolute death of me. Especially with the way you sound every time you say ’Daddy’ with those sexy eyes of yours."

Reynold beamed, thoroughly pleased with himself.

Once they both looked entirely composed, Frederick held out his arm. "Alright. Shall we?"

Reynold looked at him, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Yes, Daddy," he replied, intentionally making his voice small, sweet, and ridiculously high-pitched.

Without waiting, Reynold turned and darted toward the door. Frederick followed right behind him, a fond, helpless smile plastered across his face.

Reynold opened the door and stepped out into the hallway first, strutting down the carpeted corridor with a exaggerated, playful model-walk, tossing his head back as if he were on a runway. Behind him, Frederick watched every sway of his hips with a dark, intense focus, his mind already calculating the exact moment they would step through the doors of his private estate tonight, where no housemaids or family dinners could interrupt them again.

"Wait for me, baby," Frederick called softly.

Reynold turned around, smiling at him. "Alright, Daddy."

Frederick walked closer and took Reynold’s hand. Hand in hand, they made their way down the grand staircase to join the family.