“Whatever it is lies in the past. We move forward and make better decisions.”

I kissed his forehead, then returned to my desk and my work. After our conversation, Ari seemed a bit distracted and lost, and the last thing I wanted him to do was go to the dark places inside his head.

“Baby,” I called. “Daddy needs you.” That would get his mind off whatever he was thinking.

It was definitely not the time or the place to do this, but nobody would know. He sprang to his feet.

“Yes, Daddy?" He was so eager to please.

“Get under the desk.”

Wide-eyed, he stared at me. “You want me under the desk?”

“Yes.”

He didn't ask why or even for how long. He got down on his knees and snuck into the empty space between the drawers. He was just small enough to fit.

“Unzip Daddy's pants.”

His fingers shook as he found my zipper and slowly pulled it down.

“Take Daddy’s cock out. Good boy. Now put it in your mouth and stay right there."

“Yes, Daddy.” His mouth wrapped around my cock, and I patted his head.

“Good boy, listening to his Daddy.”

I was beginning to see that Ari loved to please me. Perhaps I could use this to control his destructive tendencies.

I returned to my computer while he remained in position. Not even fifteen minutes later, someone knocked on the door.

“Come in.”

Her confused gaze met mine.

“Your stepson left? I didn't see him go past me.”

“In the bathroom,” I lied, and Ari sucked harder on my cock.

“Oh, okay.”

“I have the quotes you requested from the two companies about the buses you wanted to buy.”

“Thank you.” I took the file from her. “This is perfect.”

“You’re welcome.” Yet she hesitated like she wanted to say something else.

“Yes?”

“I’m really sorry about earlier,” she said, lowering her voice as if she didn't want Ari, who was in the "bathroom," to overhear her. “I wasn’t paying attention and forgot you had a stepson.”

“Out of curiosity, Julieta, did you really tell him to stop coming around the office so often when he was a student here?”

Her face turned red, and she didn’t even need to answer. “I’m sorry. I was trying to protect you.”

Ari’s hand tightened on my leg, and I prayed like hell he wouldn’t be irrational now and pop up to confront my secretary. It would be hard to explain what he was doing under my desk, especially after telling her he was in the bathroom.

“Protect me from what?”