Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
Sam
Shock rooted her to the spot as she stared up at him, her mouth literally hanging open. “What did you say?”
A grin spread across his face. “Well, I don’t know that it’s really swimming with them. But you’ll get to be in the tank with them, and some of the rays, too.”
“Oh my god. Oh my god.” Forgetting all about the people around them, she let out a loud squeal of pure, unadulterated joy as she launched herself at him, throwing her arms around his neck. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
“You’re welcome, babygirl.” Pulling back slightly, he fixed her with a stern look that was completely ruined by the grin still tugging at his lips. “But you have to promise to be a good girl and listen to the workers and do exactly what they tell you.”
“I promise, I promise! I’ll be so good, I swear.” The word Daddy trembled on her tongue, but she had enough awareness to remember to hold it back at the last minute.
“I know you will. Come on, let’s get our food and then we can head back downstairs.”
She wasn’t sure how the hell she was supposed to eat with her stomach jumping from all the excitement, but she wasn’t about to argue and risk him cancelling their plans.
Still, she was only able to eat half her chicken tenders and fries, which Daddy sighed and shook his head over, but he didn’t push the rest on her.
When they’d both finished, he cleared their trash and took her hand again to lead her back downstairs. With every step, the excitement built inside her, until she was practically shaking with it.
“Hello!” They were greeted at the designated spot by a bright-eyed man about Dylan’s age. Even with the beard partially obscuring his face, his smile was warm and welcoming. “My name’s Cody, and I’ll be your guide for the shark and ray encounter.”
“Hi, Cody. I’m Dylan, and this is Samantha.” Dylan looked down at her and grinned. “She’s very excited to meet the sharks.”
It took every bit of self-control she had not to lose herself in her Little space as she bounced on her toes. “I am! Can I pet them?”
“You can, actually. We’ll have a few rules to go over, but once we’ve covered everything you’ll be able to pet the sharks and even feed the stingrays. Follow me.”
As he led the way to the ‘backstage’ area of the aquarium, Sam followed along, her hand clasped in her Daddy’s as she craned her neck to try and take everything in.
She knew she was supposed to be listening to Cody, but being behind the scenes at one of her favorite places was just so freaking cool.
“Samantha Kay.” The quiet rumble of her Daddy’s voice distracted her from her exploration and she looked up at him, her cheeks heating with embarrassment.
“Sorry. There’s just so much to see.”
“I know, baby, but you’re supposed to be listening to Cody. If you don’t listen, you won’t be allowed in the water. Understood?”
Of all the threats he’d issued during their time together, that was easily the most effective. “Yes, Sir.”
After that, she kept her focus locked on Cody as he walked them through the encounter, the rules for interacting with the animals, how their wetsuits should fit, everything.
By the time she was standing beside the shallow pool, she didn’t even care that the wetsuit clung to every single curve of her body.
She just wanted to pet a freaking shark.
Linking his hand with hers again, Dylan squeezed to get her attention. “Ready for this, babygirl?”
“I’ve been waiting my whole life for this.”
With a loud laugh, he helped her into the water, and they perched on the spot Cody directed them to.
And then the sharks came, and her entire being lit up with pure joy.
A pretty white one came by first, swimming right up to them so she could run her hand over its back.
“Oh,” she sighed, her heart trembling in her chest. “She’s so soft. I thought she’d feel rougher.”
Cody grinned. “Everyone is always surprised by how smooth they are. Oh, here comes Dotty.”
Dotty, it turned out, was a gorgeous zebra shark covered in black spots. And Sam fell in love at first sight for the second time in her life. The first, of course, being when she’d given birth to Ethan.
It was, hands-down, the most incredible experience of her life, with the sole exclusion of the day she’d become a mother. And even then it was a very, very close second.
When they’d pet all the sharks and fed all the rays, they were escorted back to the locker room to change out of their wetsuits and back into their civilian clothes. They said their goodbyes to Cody and Sam turned to look up at her still-grinning Daddy.
“Did you have a good time, baby?” he asked, sliding his arms around her waist and pulling her flush against him.
“The best time. Thank you.” Wrapping her arms around his neck, she rose up on her toes to press a kiss to his lips. “Seriously. This is the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me.”
“Good. I want to give you all the romance you deserve, Sam.”
“You’re off to a damn good start.” Her Little side slipped through a bit as she flashed a cheeky grin. “But it would be extra romantic if I had, say, a stuffed shark to take home with me to commemorate this very, very cool experience.”
“Incorrigible brat,” he said with a laugh. “Come on. Let’s hit up the gift shop.”
With a happy squeal, she spun out of his arms and grabbed his hand, dragging him behind her to the store.
Best. Day. Ever.
Dylan
Fucking hell, he was exhausted.
Between the aquarium and World of Coke, he’d needed a nap more than Samantha by the time they’d gotten back to the hotel.
But he wouldn’t trade a single second of the day he’d spent with her. And he knew he’d carry the memory of her, eyes bright with wonder as she got to pet a shark for the very first time with him for the rest of his life.
It had been, as far as he was concerned, the perfect day.
He’d spent way too much money, unable to tell her no when she’d been agonizing between two different stuffies at the gift shop.
But he’d been saving for over a year so he could have the extra funds to spoil her the way she deserved this summer, so he didn’t regret a single penny.
And someday soon, he’d be in a position to really spoil her. Maybe even convince her to quit the job she hated and find something fun to do with her life.
God knew his babygirl could use some more fun.
The bathroom door opened, pulling his attention away from the full-length mirror where he was trying—and drastically failing—to tie his own tie.
Samantha stepped out, her generous curves poured into the shimmering red number he’d convinced her to pack.
She wasn’t looking at him, too busy fussing with the hem and trying to pull it down to cover her perfectly thick thighs to notice him.
Thank god, because he was pretty sure he was drooling.
“Holy shit, baby.”
Jerking her head up, Sam stared at him, an adorable blush spreading across her cheeks as she tugged again at the dress. “It’s too short. I should change.”
“Samantha Kay, if you even try to remove that dress before I take it off you, I will bend you over the edge of that bed and whip your bare bottom with my belt.”
Eyes wide, she went still, the pink in her cheeks deepening. “But I look—”
“You look fucking incredible.” Abandoning his tie, he stepped forward, sliding his arms around her waist. “I’m changing our plans.”
“Oh?” She raised a brow in that way he remembered from when she’d visit him and Ethan at college when she didn’t think they’d been eating enough or sleeping enough or whatever other motherly concerns she’d had back then. “And what, exactly, are you changing it to?”
“Room service. And sex. Lots and lots of sex.”
Her pupils darkened, the black eating up the pale blue of her irises. “That would be incredibly expensive. Probably more so than going out to dinner.”
“And worth every fucking penny.” Nudging her backward, he walked her over to the bed, chuckling softly when her knees hit the mattress and she fell back with a shocked squeak.
“Some other night I’ll let you get all dressed up and take you somewhere nice.
But I want you just for myself tonight. My pretty, pretty babygirl. ”
“I don’t care about fancy dinners, Dylan. But if you don’t fuck me in the next five minutes I might lose my goddamn mind.”
“Naughty girl,” he scolded with another laugh, leaning forward to cage her in with his arms. “It’s a good thing I brought plenty of toys to help you behave. Stay right there.”
“What kind of toys?” she asked as he turned to retrieve the duffel bag he’d stashed in the closet when they’d first checked in.
“The kind meant to remind bratty Little girls like yourself who they belong to.”
“I am not a brat.”
When he returned to the end of the bed with his bag in hand and his own raised brow, she rolled her eyes. “Okay, maybe I’m being a tiny bit of a brat. But it’s just because you’re being so cagey about things.”
“And you don’t like surprises,” he said, remembering their almost-fight from that morning.
Pink rose to her cheeks and she jerked a shoulder. “I don’t like not knowing what’s happening.”
Something clicked in his mind at her confession. “You don’t like not being in charge.”
Eyes narrowing, she glared up at him as he returned to the bed and placed the duffel beside her. “Of course I do. Would I be here, calling you Daddy and letting you boss me around if I didn’t like it?”
“Exactly. You’re letting me. You enjoy letting someone else be in control. But only on your terms, and only when you get to call the shots.”
The corners of her mouth dipped down, and he watched the emotions flicker in her eyes as she processed what he’d said. “You’re making me sound like some kind of control freak.”
“Babygirl, you are the biggest control freak I’ve ever known.”
“I am not!”
“You are. And it’s okay.”
Some of the tension in her shoulders released, and her expression softened with relief. “It is?”
“It is. You’ve had to be the one in control for so long, so that’s what’s familiar to you. Comfortable. I understand that giving up even a little bit of that control is going to be difficult and scary.”
“I never really gave it much thought.”
“Because you never had a reason to. Never had anyone asking you to let go of that control, even for a little bit. So we’re going to practice, starting with you trusting Daddy to give you what you need tonight.”
At that, her bottom lip puffed out. “You’re not going to tell me what’s in the bag.”
“No, I’m not. But I can promise there’s nothing in here that we haven’t already discussed playing with. Can you trust me, just for a few hours, baby?”
Her gaze slid to the bag beside her as she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, worrying the plump flesh as she considered what he was asking her. And because he was nothing if not patient, he waited her out, let her take as much time as she needed to come to her decision.
Then her gaze shifted back to his, and every second of his patience paid off when he saw the truth swirling in her eyes.
“Okay, Daddy. I trust you.”