Mixing business with pleasure was a recipe for disaster on a good day, and with the way our roles constantly interacted, one of us would have to make a change if things got serious. But I was getting way ahead of myself.
For now, all future plans needed to be put on hold until I’d actually spent some time with Abby. Genuine one-on-one time that would make things more clear. Maybe.
Apparently, I was gonna do that over ice cream floats.
A smile tugged at my cheeks as I dried off and got dressed. There was something freeing in making a dumb decision and ignoring the potential fallout that could come from a workplace fling. She was a sweet little thing, and if she wanted to have dessert with me, I was all in.
I rarely let my guard down around new people, so hanging out with Abby was exciting. She was one of the few people who challenged me, and that was intriguing. She also frustrated the hell out of me, but much of that was on me. I glanced at myself a final time before grabbing my bag and heading out toward the parking lot.
"Hey, Royce." Abby was standing just outside the building, fresh-faced and with her hair in a french braid. In a simple dress, she actually glowed in front of the setting sun. Gorgeous.
"Hey." I tried not to stare at her curves and the way her full lips spread when she smiled. I could imagine them spread around my cock, and that was exactly what I didn’t need to be thinking about. "You promised me a life-changing float."
"And I never break my promises!" She winked and spun on her toes. “Let’s go.”
5
ABBY
When we went inside Mamma B’s, I could feel my big side slipping away and the regression starting. I’d never fully regress in public, but it was easy to tap into my Little side when I was in such a special place. Full of jittery energy, I bounced on my toes as I walked the length of the display case, looking at all the yummy flavors. The sweet scent of waffle cones and candy toppings wrapped around me like a cozy blanket, and I wanted to roll around in it.
After looking at all the options, I turned to Royce. “What do you think?”
He shrugged. “Your choice, sweetheart. I trust you to pick something yummy.”
I grinned and turned back to the guy behind the counter. "Two of the daily specials, please." The sandwich board advertised a sherbet lemon-lime float with cherries on top that sounded amazing. A bit tangy but still refreshingly delicious.
As he prepared our order, I hopped onto a stool at the counter and swiveled to face the window, catching glimpses of people passing by outside.
A chill ran down my neck as Royce tugged on my single french braid. "No pigtails tonight? They looked good on you."
Warmth bloomed in my cheeks, and I couldn't stop my voice from rising a few octaves. It was the high pitch that always seemed to bubble up when I felt Little and playful. "After bathtime, I like one braid to make my hair curly in the morning." My eyes widened once I realized what I'd said, but I couldn't take it back now.
Royce’s nostrils flared, and he leaned closer to my ear. "Too bad the locker room wasn't stocked with bubbles and toys for a proper bath."
I swallowed hard as my pulse raced through me. His words felt charged with energy, and I couldn’t look away as he sat down and our floats were brought to us.
After a moment to gather myself, I took a tentative sip. The tartness of the sherbet danced on my tongue while the fizzy soda coated my throat. It was refreshing and light, which helped distract me from the heavy thoughts that wanted to creep into my mind.
Royce was watching me with an unreadable expression before he took a sip. “It’s good.”
“So good.”
The cherry on top of my whipped cream mocked me as I stabbed it with the straw before giving up and just grabbing it by thestem. I brought it to my lips in a desperate attempt to seem nonchalant, but I could feel his heavy stare on my mouth.
This game we were playing was dangerous, teetering on a razor’s edge, with a giant mistake on one side and the best sex of my life on the other. That second part was just an assumption based on what I knew of Royce so far.
"Y'know…" I licked some whipped cream from the corner of my mouth. "The softball game was fun and all, but you’re right about bathtime." I shrugged, letting the insinuation hang in the air between us.
"What about it?" He leaned back against his stool with his arms folded across his chest and a smirk on his face like he knew exactly what I was thinking. The way his shirt stretched over his muscles wasn't helping my composure.
"Well, I did miss my duckie…" Oops. That shouldn’t have actually come out of my mouth. I was gonna say that I needed a warm bath for my muscles to relax. I clamped my mouth shut, wishing I could dive into my sherbet float and swim away from my embarrassment.
The silence that followed was thick, so I finally dared to lift my gaze to meet his.
Royce was staring right at me. His pupils had dilated just a fraction, but it was enough to know that my confession had an effect. That darkening gaze felt like a gentle caress, sending a ripple of excitement through me.
He picked up his spoon and slowly stirred the foam that topped his float, never breaking eye contact with me. Every clink of the metal against his glass sounded unusually loud in our silence."Your duckie, huh?" The corner of his mouth quirked up ever so slightly. “Is that your favorite bath toy?”
