Chapter Five
She listened to Simon move around the room. With her back to him,she had no idea what he was doing. He called a few people but spoke so softly she couldn’t hear the words. Her eyes slammed shut when he walked past her bed and into the bathroom. The door closed, and then the shower turned on.
He had been dirty from her rescue but hadn’t thought past that. Her body started to tingle at the thought of him naked on the other side of the door.
Casey hadn’t known she had fallen asleep until the bathroom door opened. She didn’t remember to fake sleep, and her eyes widened. He was in faded jeans and a black t-shirt. He was carrying his bag and boots.
“Are you having trouble falling asleep, Baby?”
She looked up. “Kind of.”
“Let me put this down, and we’ll figure out what to do.”
Casey turned over to her other side. She almost hummed when Simon laid his huge, warm hand on her forehead.
“Are you cold?” he asked.
Casey hadn’t realized how stiff her body was because of the cool air. “It’s not a big deal.”
Simon rolled his eyes and turned down the light over the bed. “Move over.”
Casey automatically did what he said and then gasped when he slid into bed beside her. He was so huge thathe took up three-fourths of the mattress, but then he pulled her tightly against his chest and arranged the blankets around her.
“Simon, what are you doing? You can’t be in the bed with me.”
He chuckled, and she couldn’t believe how the sound went straight to her tummy.
“Sure, I can. Now relax. Here’s your puppy,” he said and tucked it against her stomach.
“I don’t know if I can. I’ve never slept with another person.”
She didn’t understand when he froze for a moment, and tension was in the air. “What’s wrong?” she asked.
Simon cleared his throat. “Nothing. I just haven’t been around someone so innocent before, except for the littles.”
She looked over her shoulder at him. “Littles?”
“Yeah. My friends have women who are considered ‘littles.’ It is just a term given to them because they’re in a relationship with a man who controls every aspect of their lives. They call their men ‘daddies.’”
“I don’t understand,” she said.
“It’s a lifestyle. The little calls her man ‘Daddy.’ It means the same as Sweetheart or Honey.”
“Doesn’t that embarrass them?”
“Not at all. These women are different from what society considers the norm. They don’t want to have jobs, go to parties, or dress in fancy clothing unless they’re playing dress-up.”
She thought about that for a moment. It sounded so much like her, she was astounded. She didn’t realize there were other women like her.
Simon cupped her face. “So, when you said things about not sleeping with anybody, it made me think of them because they’re so innocent.”
“So, you like people like that?” Casey asked.
“Yes. I very much like women like that. I’ve always needed to be in charge and have control, and it seems the littles are the only ones who understand that kind of personality trait and thrive under it.”
“Oh,” she said. It sounded so much like herself that it excited her because now she knew she was not alone.
“How about we get some rest now? We can talk about this later.”
Casey turned on her side away from him again and tried to relax. The heat from his body wrapped around her, and it was a feeling of warmth, but italso made her feel less alone and safe.
A few nurses came in during the night to check on her. When they saw Simon in bed with her, their first reaction was shock, but they didn’t say anything about it.
Casey woke up slowly the next morning and blinked several times against the brightness. She felt Simon slide out of bed behind her and could hear him on the phone again. She twisted to her back and then turned her head toward him to see his backside as he was on the phone by the window.
Her eyes scanned over his back, and shecouldn’t help the hot feeling that built in her core. He was very tall with broad shoulders, big arms and hands, and his legs were as big as tree trunks, and his bottom looked… She could feel herself blush when he turned and caught her looking at his bottom. The smirk on his face made her want to yell at him. But she kept quiet.
Simon walked over to the bed. “Good morning, Sweetheart. How do you feel today?
She moved her body to see if anything ached, and besides a few twinges, she felt good. “I think I’m doing very well,” she said.
He grinned down at her. “I’m very glad to hear that. Maybe we can get you out of here today. How does that sound?”
The thought of leaving the hospital and having nowhere to go scared her. But she wasn’t going to tell him because it wasn’t his problem. She would figure out how to get to her aunts without a car and then go there. She had been headed there originally because her mom said her aunt would help her. Since she had never met this aunt before, she had no idea what kind of person she was. She’d heard a few things that scared her but decided to wait and make her own opinion.
If it didn’t work out, she didn’t know what she would do, but she would figure it out on her own. She wasn’t going to be a parasite. She’d been called that before, and it always hurt.
A nurse walked in and smiled at her. “How do you feel this morning?”
Casey struggled to sit up, and Simon was there to help her with the bed. “I feel much better. What do you think the doctor will say today?”
“You look better. I’m guessing the doctor will let you go if you have somewhere to go and be with.”
Casey nodded and didn’t look up at Simon. “I’ve got my aunt, so I’ll be fine.”
The nurse looked confused, but Simon must have given her a look because she turned to the IV stand to check it.
“There is a breakfast menu in the drawer if you’d like to order something,” the nurse said.
Casey opened her mouth, but Simon interrupted her.
“My partner is headed this way with food.”
The nurse nodded. “Good. You need rest and food to get better.”
Casey nodded. “I’ll do my best.”
“She’ll be taken care of,” Simon said.
Casey watched his arms cross over his chest, and his gaze was solely on her. The look in his eyes made her back down from saying anything else. She didn’t want to fight with him. He’d already done so much for her.
“Can I have my clothes?” she asked the nurse.
“Honey, your clothing is ruined. We’ll have to give you some scrubs to wear out of here.”
“I’ve also got that covered,” Simon said.
The nurse grinned. “If you need anything else, push the button. The doctor will be in to check her, and then she can be released.”
Casey nodded. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. You take care,” the nurse said and walked out.
Casey turned back to Simon. “How are you getting me clothes and why? They have food here, so you don’t have to spend money.”
Simon leaned over the bed until his face was a foot from hers. “Let me take care of you, Baby.”
“I think it’s wonderful that you’re doing all of this, but I owe you so much already.”
She didn’t like the glint in his eyes.
“You don’t owe me anything, and I don’t want to hear another word about it.” He raised one of his brows. “Do you understand?”
She nodded and looked down at her lap. “Yes, sir.”
He placed a kiss on the tip of her nose. “Good girl. I have a surprise for you.”
“Really? What is it?”
“It wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you now, would it?” he said.
Casey didn’t know how she felt about it. She’d never had a surprise before, but it felt like she was taking more from him. She had to find a way to leave without him knowing. She just had no clue how.