Chapter 3
Chapter Three
Dagger
I can’t believe what’s happening. I did not plan this or see it going down this way. I couldn’t even be sure she would ever be interested in me as a Daddy figure.
I still can’t be certain what her feelings are without asking, nor will I be posing such an important question while we’re driving into Seattle. But something seemed to click into place the moment I swept her off the floor.
Naomi feels like home. She feels like everything that’s been missing in my life just leaped into my arms and didn’t want to let go. She smells like vanilla. It’s a scent I’ve associated with her for several years. I assume it’s her shampoo, conditioner, and body soap. I even went so far as to put all vanilla products in her bathroom, including lotion.
Her hair was so soft when I buried my hand in it, and fuck me, when I lowered my palm to her bottom to make sure her dress didn’t ride up, she didn’t flinch. If anything, she leaned in closer.
Am I possibly reading too much into her reactions? I don’t think so.
It was brazen and risky of me to Daddy her so hard after I grabbed her bags, but I couldn’t help myself. She’s so pure and sweet. There’s something decidedly more feminine about her than I’ve seen in the past. I think it’s the dress and the pink boots.
Gone is the young child who played in the dirt and jumped into the lake the first summer we went camping. This Naomi is far more girly. And based on how she responded to my overbearing demand that she answer me verbally, I’d say she’s not bothered by showing me her Little.
My fingers flex on the steering wheel as I make my way through the city streets. “I fixed up the guest room for you,” I inform her.
“You didn’t have to do that. I’m not picky.”
I glance at her and smile. She’s like sunshine and life. “I’m glad I did. I want you to have a space to retreat to that makes you feel like yourself. If you don’t like it, we’ll change it.”
“I’m sure I’ll love it.”
“Did you have any trouble finalizing things with your father’s estate?”
“No. He had his will and trust in order. I’m so grateful. It made things easier,” she whispers, looking down.
“I hate that I wasn’t there to help you,” I tell her, being honest.
She rubs her hands together and looks at her lap. “I needed to take care of things on my own. I needed to… close that chapter. I didn’t want…” Her voice trails off.
I reach over and take her hand. “You didn’t want what, babygirl?”
She grips my hand tight as if it’s a lifeline and she might slip away if she lets go. “Can we talk about something else? I’m not ready to discuss the last few weeks yet.”
“Of course. Tell me what your favorite foods are. I did some shopping, but I had to guess. I assume you don’t live off chicken nuggets and mac and cheese like you did when you were five,” I joke.
When I glance at her, she’s biting her lip, and I nearly choke on how fucking adorable she is. It’s going to be damn near impossible to take things slowly with her. Even if we end up having chemistry and she decides to give an old guy like myself a chance to be her Daddy, I still don’t want to rush her.
She releases her lip and clears her throat as though her food preferences are a national secret and she’s afraid to tell me. “I tried eating like a rabbit for a while in college. It was all the rage. Half the kids were vegan or at least vegetarian. They ate shit like tofu and beans all the time.”
I squeeze her hand. “Don’t cuss, babygirl. It doesn’t suit you.”
Her breath hitches, and she’s biting that lip again when I glance over. I’m almost glad we keep hitting red lights. It allows me to look at her often. “Yes, Sir,” she finally mutters.
I lift her hand to my lips and kiss her knuckles. “Good girl. Now, back to your food preferences; are you out of the vegan phase?”
“Definitely. I’d rather have chicken nuggets and mac and cheese with all the real dairy cheddar any day of the week.”
I chuckle. “Noted. You’ve lost weight. I suspect you haven’t been eating well. That’s going to change. I’m going to cook for you.”
She stares at me. “It was a rough month. And I don’t only eat kid foods. I eat things that are healthy still, too.”
That’s good to know, although visions of making her sit at the table and finish her vegetables flitter through my head, making my cock hard.
This is happening too fast. I didn’t know what to expect, but not this. I’m not sure if I’m the luckiest bastard on Earth or if I’m misreading her so badly that I’m eventually going to make a fool of myself.
I finally pull into the garage beneath my building and circle down a few levels until I get to my assigned space. I have two spots. I assume if Naomi stays for any length of time—or forever—I’ll end up getting her a car, but that’s way down the road, and the thought of her driving in city traffic makes me panic.
After parking, I turn to her. “Wait for me to help you out, babygirl.”
“Yes, Sir,” she answers softly, staring at me. Is she as shocked by our instant dynamic as I am?
I never specifically thought about calling her babygirl. I didn’t have an endearment in mind until it felt exactly right as it slipped out of my mouth. Now, I can’t take it back. It’s out there in the universe.
Naomi is my babygirl. I can only hope that it means the same thing to her as it means to me.
I grab her bags from the back of the SUV before opening her door and helping her out. She lets me take her hand again, and I lead the way toward the elevators.
I’ve never held Naomi’s hand before. It wouldn’t have been appropriate. It’s probably still not appropriate, but neither is Daddying the hell out of her and moving her into my apartment. I’m being extremely presumptuous, and I hope it doesn’t backfire on me.
We get off on the tenth floor, and I guide her toward my apartment before releasing her hand to punch in the code that unlocks the door. “You’ll need to memorize the codes for the door and the alarm,” I say as I hold it open so she can step into the apartment before me. “But I don’t want you leaving the apartment without me for now. You don’t know the area well enough.”
I want to say that she isn’t allowed to leave the apartment without permission. That’s what I mean, but we’re not there yet. The thought of Naomi walking out of this building alone makes my chest tighten. I live in a safe area, but this is still a major city. No place is really safe enough for my babygirl.
After pulling her suitcases inside, I shut the door and reset the alarm.
Naomi wanders in deeper, heading toward the wall of windows that overlook the city. It’s a giant great room without walls separating the kitchen and living space.
“Wow, the view is amazing.”
I agree, but I’m looking at Naomi. She’s so fucking adorable in her cute dress with the ponytail swinging over her shoulders. The pink boots even make me smile.
“Would you like to see your room?” I ask.
She turns around, grinning. “Yes, Sir.”
My cock jumps. Ever since she first called me Sir, she has kept it up seamlessly. I’m pleased. I like it. I’d rather she call me Daddy, but we’ve been home one minute.
I nod toward the hallway and pull her luggage along. As we go, I point out the other rooms. “The first room on the right is my home office. I often work from here instead of going into the office.” I point across the hall. “Guest bath. It will be yours. I’ve stocked it with products I thought you’d like.” I keep moving toward the last two rooms. My apartment is spacious, but it’s always been just me, so I only have three bedrooms.
I nod to the left. “My room.” And then the right. “Your room.” I push the door all the way open and step inside, pulling her suitcases to line them up along the wall. I lower her backpack onto the desk before meeting her gaze.
“Oh, wow. You really went all out.” She wanders around, taking everything in before returning her attention to me. “I assume my father told you about my… preferences.”
“Yes, babygirl. He told me about how you snuck out and followed us three years ago. He also told me your favorite colors and your lifestyle preferences.” We might as well lay everything out in the open. Rip off the bandage. There’s no reason to pretend. We’ve already crossed several lines anyway. “If there’s anything you don’t like, we can change it.”
The truth is we haven’t discussed how long she’s staying or what she plans to do next in her life. When she told me she was selling the farm and wanted to visit me, I suggested she come here indefinitely. As far as I’m concerned, she’s here to stay, but I don’t have that kind of power over her. Not yet. Not until she gives it to me.
She’s biting her lip and looking at me.
“Do you like the paint colors?” I ask.
“I love them. My room at home was a lot like this. I assume you know that.”
“Yes.”
She wanders to the window and looks out. “I’ve never lived in a city. I could watch the pedestrians for hours. I could make up stories about them and write countless books.”
“You could do that.” I come closer until I’m directly behind her, and I can’t resist setting my palms on her shoulders. We stand like that for a long time. I don’t want to ask her about her writing right now. I don’t want her to feel pressured. She’ll tell me about it when she’s ready.
Eventually, she leans back, putting her weight against my front.
I wrap my arms around her from behind and fold them over her chest.
“I’ve missed you,” she whispers.
My heart hurts. “I’ve missed you, too, babygirl,” I murmur in response.
“Why did you stop coming?”
I kiss the top of her head and inhale deeply. I’m not sure what she’s ready to hear.
“Was it because you found out I was Little?”
“No, babygirl. I’m glad you found your true self and are honoring it. Most people would choose to hide from the world, stuff their Little side down and avoid nurturing it.”
“I didn’t think either my father or you would judge me… since I saw you two…”
“You’re right. I would never judge you, and your father didn’t either. I assume that’s why you felt comfortable enough to live somewhat openly at home.”
She nods slightly. “ Somewhat openly. It felt weird really being my true self, so I tamped it down some. After all, he was my father.”
“I can understand that. I don’t want you to feel like you need to hide here. Be who you are, babygirl.” Her heart races under my forearms.
After a minute, she whispers, “Will you… help me?”