21. Jasper
21
JASPER
T he main house is quiet, which is unusual enough to make me pause when I walk in. I head down the hall toward the playroom, something pulling me there. When I get there, I find Rowie inside the tree trunk with a picture book in her lap. It’s always been one of her favorite places to spend time.
She’s alone, her legs tucked under her, hair spilling around her shoulders as she flips a page with careful fingers.
“Hey, sweetheart,” I say as I bend down and step inside, then stretch out beside her on the rug.
We really should have made this spot taller and bigger because it’s not nearly as easy for us guys to get in here as it is for the Littles. I’m sure my body will be screaming at me later for folding myself into such a small space.
She looks up with a bright smile and rolls onto her side to face me. “Hi, Jazzy.”
I chuckle, nudging her gently with my shoulder. “Feels like I haven’t seen you much lately.”
Our sweet Rowie. Deke Black saved all of us from ourselves. But Rowie, she saved our broken souls and mended pieced them back together again, day by day. It’s probably the only reason we put up with her being such a sassy girl at times.
“That’s because,” she says in a singsong voice, “you’ve been too busy falling in love with Ariana.”
I scoff, ready to argue, but the words stall in my throat. My mouth opens, then closes again.
Because shit… she might be right.
Rowie giggles and taps my nose. “Told ya!”
I shake my head, smiling like a fool. “You like her, huh?”
She nods, her eyes searching my face. “I really do. She’s sweet. And quiet, but not in a scared way. It’s like she brightens the room when she walks in. And… I think you look good together.”
I swallow hard, emotion catching in my chest. “Thanks, Row.”
Rowie’s voice softens. “Do you want to be her forever Daddy?”
My answer is immediate. “Yeah. I do.”
I may have told her we would have a temporary arrangement, but I don’t think I meant it when I offered it. Ariana isn’t temporary. Not for me. And not for my family.
Rowie smiles, but there’s something behind it—something wistful that tugs at me. A flicker of longing in her big eyes, like she’s trying to be happy but feeling something deeper. I make a mental note to talk to Theo later. Just in case. He’s more involved in Rowie’s day-to-day stuff, so he usually knows when something is going on with her.
Before I can ask her more, Ariana walks in, her eyes lighting up when she sees us. She starts to say something, but I open my arms instead.
“Come here, rainbow girl.”
She crosses the room without hesitation and lowers herself to the floor, then climbs right into my lap, nestling into my chest like it’s the most natural thing in the world. My arms come around her automatically.
Rowie grins and holds up the book she was reading. “Now you have to read to us. It’s a rule.”
I arch a brow. “A rule, huh?”
She nods. “Mmhm. If you come into the tree, it’s a requirement.”
I take the book from her, shooting her a playful glare, then open it to the first page.
“All right,” I say, my voice dropping to that story-time cadence I haven’t used in way too long. “Let’s see what kind of trouble this bunny gets into.”
And just like that, the three of us spend the afternoon reading in the tree trunk until eventually, each one of us falls asleep.
* * *
L ater that evening, I settle onto the couch and pat the seat next to me. Ariana wanders over from the kitchen, still barefoot and wearing one of my oversized T-shirts and a pair of her new leggings, her hair twisted up in a messy bun. All the new clothes I got her are adorable, but seeing her in my clothes makes my dick harden.
“You’ve got that serious look on your face,” she notices as she flops down beside me. “Are we going to talk about taxes because I can’t help you with that?”
I smirk. “No taxes. Just rules.”
Her eyes widen slightly. “Rules?”
“Yep.”
She tilts her head. “Is this the part where you go full boss Daddy mode and tell me I can’t have sweets after eight or I need permission to pee?”
I chuckle, surprised by how much I like her sass. “Not quite. These aren’t control-you rules. They’re take-care-of-you rules. Though at times, there will be control-you rules.”
Her expression softens, but she still narrows her eyes like she’s waiting for the fine print.
I rest my arm across the back of the couch, angling toward her. “Rule number one—safety. It’s a big rule and it covers a lot of things, but basically, if you know it’s not safe or it doesn’t feel safe, don’t do it. My job is to keep you safe, but I can’t have eyes on you every second of the day, so I need you to make good choices so I can breathe easy. Got it?”
She nods. “Okay. That’s fair.”
“Rule two—sleep. Eight hours. If you’re sick, you’ll need more. If I catch you sneaking around the house at two a.m. doing who-knows-what, you’re getting tucked back in whether you like it or not. Probably after you get a spanking.”
She bites her bottom lip, fighting a grin. “So what I’m hearing is I’m going to be forcibly spanked then snuggled.”
“If necessary,” I deadpan. “Brat.”
She laughs softly, and it hits me how easy she’s making this. How natural.
“Rule three,” I continue, “no leaving the property without telling me or one of my brothers. I need to know you’re safe, always. That includes running errands or going for walks. Anything.”
“Noted. No secret solo missions.”
“Exactly. And rule four—no lying. Not about how you feel, what you need, or what’s going on in that busy little head of yours.”
Her playful expression wavers slightly, but she nods again. “That one might take some practice.”
“We’ll work on it.”
“Okay,” she replies quietly.
“Last thing—boundaries.” I glance at her, giving her a moment. “You tell me what feels good. What doesn’t. What you’re okay with and what you’re not. This isn’t just about obedience. It’s about trust. You will have a safeword. It’s red unless you prefer something else. You ultimately have the control in this dynamic, rainbow, but unless you say red or tell me what your boundaries are, I won’t know if I’ve crossed a line. We’ll talk about it in detail, and we can even have a written list of your limits so we don’t forget.”
She goes quiet for a second, then says, “I’m not sure what my limits are yet. I mean, I know I don’t want to be yelled at or called bad names. I don’t think I’d like being sent away to another room or something if I do something wrong.”
I nod, reaching over to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “That’s good to know. I’ll remember both of those.”
We sit in silence for a beat before I stand and head to the side table. I pull out a small book and hand it to her.
“What’s this?” she asks, turning it over in her hands.
“Your journal. You can write in it any time you want. It can be every day, once a week, or never. Just thoughts, feelings, dreams. Anything you want. If you write something in it you want me to know but are too afraid to tell me face to face, you can hand it to me and I’ll read it. Rowie and Ember have the same.”
Her fingers trace the stitching on the spine. “Will anyone else read it?”
“Just me,” I say. “Only if you want me to.”
She swallows hard, her voice soft. “Okay.”
“I’ll be making you a rule board. You’ll get points for following your care rules. Good Girl Points, rainbow. Earn enough of them, and you’ll earn rewards.”
She lifts a brow. “Like what? Glittery stickers and gold stars?”
“I was thinking more along the lines of a toy or a special treat. But sure, glittery stickers if that’s what you want. You’re an easy one to please.”
She laughs and leans her head on my shoulder, snuggling against me.
I wrap an arm around her and press a kiss to the crown of her head.
“Any questions about your rules? Anything you want to add or adjust?”
“No. Those all seem fair and easy to follow. And all this time, I thought you would be some super-bossy Daddy giving me a million rules.”
My mouth twists into a smirk. “Oh, baby, these are just the basics. There will be many more rules to come as we get to know each other. You have no idea how bossy I can be.”