Chapter Five
DAISY
“Daisy,” someone gently said. “Little One, we’re at your house.”
She hummed, keeping her eyes closed. She was so exhausted and wanted to sleep.
“Come on, Little One. Just wake up for a couple of minutes, then you can go sleep some more.”
“Don’t wanna,” she mumbled.
The person gently patted her back, and she finally opened her eyes to see Asher looking at her with a small smile.
“Good girl,” he purred. “I’ll stay here until you get into the house and lock the door.”
She nodded and unbuckled herself, dragging herself out of the car and toward the front door. Daisy wanted to sleep all night in the car. It was the best nap she had had in forever, and she never wanted it to end.
Daisy turned when she got to her door to see Asher in his car, his gaze fixed on hers. He gave her a smile and dipped his chin. She unlocked her door, and before she knew it, she was flat on her bottom as Chilli licked her face. Tears sprang to her eyes as her bottom throbbed.
“Daisy!” Asher yelled as he ran toward her. “Get off her.”
“Chilli, sit,” she managed to say through her cries.
Chilli sat and started to whine. Asher helped Daisy stand and gently brushed off her bottom before kneeling and gazing into her eyes.
“Are you okay? Where are you hurt?” he asked.
She wiped her eyes with his jacket sleeve, but more tears fell. Everything was going wrong today. She didn’t know how much more she could take. The embarrassment she had already put herself through was more than enough for a lifetime.
This was why Daisy didn’t go out much, along with some other things…
“Oh, Little One.” He pulled her into his embrace. “Everything is going to be okay. Just let it all out.”
Daisy gripped his shirt and cried into his chest, letting it all out. The whole time, Chilli kept whining while Asher ran his hands up and down her back, trying to calm her down.
“I bet that scared you, huh?” he asked, and she nodded. “Does your bottom still hurt?”
“No,” she mumbled, looking away.
It was still aching a little, but nothing she couldn’t live with. How many times had she fallen down and had to push through the pain? Too many times, so she would get used to the ache and move on.
“Are you lying to me?” he asked.
She sighed just as Chilli whined again, her eyes going wide.
“Chilli!” she yelled and turned around.
Her vision started to sway with her fast movements, making Chilli bark.
Chilli jumped up and placed her front paws on Daisy’s stomach, signaling that she needed to sit down.
Asher grabbed her waist to steady her, which Daisy was grateful for.
She didn’t need to pass out in front of Asher and Chilli.
The chaos that would ensue if she did. Daisy shuddered at the thought of all the questions she would get from Asher when she woke up.
“I’m okay,” she ground out. “Chilli, I’m okay.”
“What is she doing?” Asher asked.
She didn’t want him to find out what Chilli was there for. Daisy had managed not to go out too much for people to learn what Chilli was.
“She’s okay,” Daisy said, ignoring his question. “I’m okay now. You can let go of me.”
But Chilli kept barking. Daisy knew if she didn’t sit down, Chilli would continue to bark.
“Okay, Chilli. I’m doing it,” Daisy grumbled as Asher helped her onto the cold concrete.
Shivers ran up her spine as the cold seeped into her bones. She would not be able to sit here for very long with how cold she was getting. But Chilli didn’t seem to notice as she lay down and put her head in Daisy’s lap.
“I’m okay, Chilli,” she mumbled.
“How long do you have to sit here for?” Asher asked.
Flinching, Daisy looked up at Asher.
“Sorry for scaring you,” he gently said.
Daisy shook her head. “It wasn’t you. I just got so caught up with Chilli that I forgot you were here.”
“How long do you have to stay here for?” Asher asked once again, his voice calm and patient.
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Until Chilli thinks I’m okay?”
The length of time changed every time something like this happened. It depended on how bad her symptoms were.
“But I think I can get up now, right, Chilli?” She looked down at her dog and patted her head. “I’m okay, Chilli.”
Chilli sat up, and Asher helped Daisy up off the ground, slowly. There was no dizziness, and she sighed in relief.
“Let’s get you inside and warm,” Asher said.
Asher had her walking into the house before she could utter a single word. She didn’t want him inside her space, but by the time her mouth was working, he was already there. turning the lights on.
“Are you feeling okay?” Asher asked as he knelt in front of her.
“I—” she started, but she closed her mouth.
He didn’t like lying, but she didn’t want to tell him the truth right now. Daisy was fighting with herself over what she wanted. She wanted him to take care of her. But at the same time, she didn’t know him and didn’t want to bother him with something as small as her needs.
“Daisy, I know we haven’t known each other for a long time, but I do care about your well-being.
Chilli was all over you, making you sit down.
I’m just asking if you’re okay and if you need anything else,” he gently said.
“You said at the bar that you don’t have any medical conditions, but your dog says otherwise. ”
Did he know what Chilli was?
“I’m okay now,” she whispered.
Which wasn’t a lie. After sitting down and then slowly getting back up, she was feeling better than she had before.
“Let’s get you in the chair,” he said as he helped her over.
Daisy’s eyes went wide, and she lunged for the chair, sitting on top of the vest.
“Little girl,” he growled. “What was that?”
She shook her head and pushed the vest out from under her bottom to the back of the chair. He didn’t need to see that.
“Daisy.”
“It was nothing,” she quickly said and painted a smile on her face.
Chilli took that moment to sniff behind her.
“Shhh, you’re off-duty,” Daisy whispered to Chilli. “Go relax.”
But Chilli didn’t go anywhere. If anything, it made her sniff even more, whining when she couldn’t get to her vest. Chilli was never really off-duty.
“Little Girl,” Asher said once more. “I don’t appreciate being lied to.”
Right. She had lied to him just then.
“Sorry,” she mumbled.
“You don’t have to show me, but don’t lie to me.” He crossed his arms over his chest.
Guilt festered inside her. Before she could really think it through, she pulled the vest out from behind her back and showed it to him. Chilli nuzzled her head on the fabric and looked up at Daisy.
“You’re okay, girl,” she cooed at Chilli. “You’re off-duty.”
She knew Asher had heard her the first time and knew there were questions brewing inside his head. While she didn’t owe him any explanation, he seemed genuinely worried about her.
“Chilli is a service dog?” Asher asked as he knelt in front of Daisy. “Why were you trying to hide that?”
She shrugged and ran her thumb across the material.
“That isn’t an answer, Little One.”
“Because I didn’t want you to judge me,” she whispered.
She also didn’t want him to worry about her because she knew he would. He had been worried about her all night. He didn’t need to anymore. It wasn’t like they were going to see each other after this.
“Oh, Little One.” He cupped her face. “I would never judge you for something like this.”
But so many people had.
“Little One, I thought you told me you didn’t have any medical conditions. Did you lie to me at the bar?” he questioned.
Shit.
She had lied, saying everything was fine. There were so many things wrong with her, but she didn’t even know where to start. Daisy didn’t know him, yet he wanted information about her that not many people knew.
Only because I don’t go out much, she thought to herself.
Daisy didn’t allow herself to have a lot of friends because she was worried they would judge her for who she was and the medical conditions she had.
“Baby,” he cooed at her. “I’m not angry at you, but I’m worried. Do you know how dangerous it was for you to lie to me at the bar?”
She nodded. It was dangerous, but the worst that would happen was she would pass out for a little while. Which she had already done.
“Why didn’t you tell me you had a medical condition?” he asked.
“I didn’t think it was that important.” Daisy winced at her own words.
“Didn’t think it was important,” he repeated. “You didn’t think it was important to tell me what medical condition you had when you already fainted in my office? You didn’t think it was important to tell me when I asked you after checking whether you had a bracelet on?”
She took a deep breath in and slowly let it out. “Y-yes.”
Asher pinned her with a hard look.
Danger. Danger. Danger.
She knew she shouldn’t have said yes to his question, but it was all that was on her mind at that moment.
The truth.
“Little One, I want you to listen to me,” he gently said. “It is important. You are important. Your health. What you want. What you don’t like. What you prefer to eat and drink. Everything is important.”
Daisy’s head spun with every word he said.
She was that important to him?
“You don’t know me, though,” she pointed out.
“I don’t need to know everything about you to care for you and make you important. You are important to me,” he stated.
Her mind went blank.
“Why didn’t you bring your service dog to the bar?” he asked. “What condition do you have that she alerts you to?”
She didn’t really want to get into this. Not with someone who wasn’t going to be in her life for very long. For someone who wanted to get to know her.
“I care about you. You are important to me,” he whispered.
Silence filled the air between them as his words lingered in Daisy’s head.
“Can you tell me why you didn’t bring Chilli with you to the bar?” he asked once again.
Daisy looked away. Was she really going to tell him the truth about that?
“Unless you want to end up over my lap with a hot bottom,” he threatened.
“You can’t do that!” she yelled as she looked at him.
But she wanted someone who would discipline her when she was naughty. She wanted to get rid of all the guilt she felt for lying to him. She wanted to feel what it was like when Asher spanked her.
“You’re right, I can’t spank you without your consent,” he said, searching her face. Daisy quickly looked at her lap, not wanting to give anything away. “But I think, deep down, you want it. You crave it, but you have no one taking care of you.”
Daisy clenched her jaw and took a deep breath in. Don’t react.
“It’s okay, Daisy. You don’t have to say anything, but I want you to know that if you ever need to be held accountable for things and want someone to give you rules, I can do that.
And if you aren’t comfortable with me, I want you to know that there are several Doms and Daddies at Behind the Scenes who will gladly help you out,” he told her. “Just think about it. Okay?”
She nodded.
“Now, can you tell me why you didn’t bring your service dog to the bar?” he asked.