Chapter 8
CHAPTER
EIGHT
L yla sat silently on the drive to Rock’s house. She didn’t know what to say. She was a ball of nerves. Things were happening so fast. He’d kissed her.
Could she blame him? After all, what did she expect would happen when he discovered Rock the Bear on her bed? She’d forgotten about the stuffie until he’d pulled the covers back, and there hadn’t been a thing she could possibly have said to weasel her way out of that situation.
The teddy bear spoke volumes. There were no words.
She wasn’t surprised to discover that Rock’s house was at the end of a narrow street with only a few homes on it. The space between the houses was large. He probably owned a few acres. The porch light was on, and she could see that the home was like a log cabin with a natural wood exterior.
He parked and rounded the car to let her out. She didn’t even bother to open the door herself. It seemed important to him to help her. Plus, she liked the way he Daddied her. She hadn’t experienced this level of dominance since the last time she’d seen him.
After that night, she’d stuffed her submissive side deep down and ignored it, never to pull it out again. She’d moved on. Gone to college. Gotten a teaching job. Eventually married Mike. She’d never mentioned a word to her husband about craving any sort of D/s relationship. He hadn’t given her any indication he would be receptive to the idea.
Here she was, a fifty-six-year-old woman clutching two teddy bears in her arms and staring up into the eyes of a man she’d loved dearly as a teenager.
He helped her out of the car and led her to the small porch. “It’s not a big house, but it’s home.”
“Did you raise your kids here?” she asked. The question she really wanted to know was, had he lived here with his wife?
“No. I’ve only owned this for about five years. I’ve only lived here on my own.” He opened the door, flipped on the lights, and nodded inside. “Go on in. Make yourself at home. I’ll grab your things.”
She turned and watched as he jogged back toward her car. The sound of a bike engine made her lift her gaze to see a single headlight coming toward them. That would be Doc.
She wasn’t thrilled by the idea of someone examining her. She didn’t think it was necessary. But she would do it. For Rock. To ease his mind.
Rock brought her things up to the house and set them just inside the door as the tall man climbed off the bike.
When the man joined them on the porch, she could see him better. Mid to late thirties. Brown hair. Blue eyes. A friendly, warm smile. He held out a hand. “Lyla, right?”
“Yes.” She shook his hand.
“I’m Doc.”
She giggled. “That’s your name?”
He winked. “That’s what all the Little girls call me. The MC members, too.”
“Okay.” She wouldn’t ask his real name.
“Let’s go inside,” Rock said, setting a hand on Lyla’s waist to guide her into the house.
Doc followed and shut the door. His expression switched to one of concern. “I understand you were attacked earlier?”
“Yeah. I don’t think I’m severely injured or anything. My head hurts.”
Rock growled. “He slammed her head against the wall repeatedly and shook her hard.”
“Better safe than sorry, Little one. I’ll check you out and then let you get some sleep, okay?”
Why did he assume she was Little? Maybe he simply called every woman Little one. Rock had indicated most of the members of the MC were Daddy Doms, so maybe most of their wives and girlfriends were Little.
“Let’s go into the bedroom,” Rock said. He set a hand on the small of her back and guided her toward the two doors on one side of the room.
She looked around, realizing this cabin was very small. She was in a great room, with one-half being the kitchen area and the other half being the living room. As she stepped toward the two doors, she noticed one was a bathroom, and the other was a bedroom. That was it.
It was cozy. Rock was obviously a minimalist. Everything was inviting, though. The colors were all browns, dark oranges, and reds. The furniture was rustic, perhaps custom-made. The floor was hardwood. The walls were wood paneled.
It wasn’t modern, but she loved it. She loved the warm feeling.
Rock turned on the lights as she entered the bedroom, and she found it to follow the same basic theme. He had a queen bed, a matching dresser, a small desk, and two nightstands. All of them also looked like a custom design.
“Have a seat, Little one,” Rock said softly, pointing toward the bed.
The quilt was also brown and orange and red, matching the pillows on the couch in the living room. As she lowered to sit on the edge, she realized she was still clutching the two teddy bears. She’d shifted them into one arm absentmindedly when she’d reached to shake Doc’s hand. She quickly turned to set them on the pillow, her face heating at the fact that Doc had seen this side of her. No wonder he’d called her Little one.
Doc grabbed the chair from the desk and pulled it over to sit in front of her. He nodded toward the bears. “One of those is very loved. I bet Rock gave you the other tonight.”
Rock came to her side and set a hand on her shoulder. “Rock gave her the older one thirty-eight years ago,” he declared, sounding like the Dom he was.
Doc’s brows lifted. “Is that so?” He shifted his attention back to Lyla. This was when she noticed he was holding a medical bag, which he set on the bed next to her. He opened it and pulled out a small light. “This will be bright, but I want to look at your pupils, Little one.”
She tipped her head back and held her breath while he pulled her eyelid back and looked into her eye. He switched to the other one and then back and forth another time. “Pupils look good.”
She breathed out a sigh of relief. The last thing she wanted was for him to decide she had a concussion and order her to go to the hospital. She was certain the pain was external.
Doc stood. “Can you tip your head down for me so I can see the back?”
She lowered her head toward her lap and winced as he prodded around the area of the injury.
“Tender?”
“Yes.”
“The skin isn’t broken. There’s some swelling, but it’s not bad. If it hurts, you can put ice on it for a while, but I suspect what you’d really like is some Tylenol, some warm soup, and sleep.”
“Yes.” Please . Her energy was waning.
Rock grunted. “The fucker grabbed her arms, too. He was holding her by the biceps and shaking her.”
Lyla looked at Rock. “It’s fine, Rock.”
He frowned.
Doc touched her shoulder. “Let’s take your shirt off so I can make sure. Is that okay?”
She drew in a slow breath. Of course it was okay. He was a doctor. She had a bra on. It wasn’t like she would be naked. But she was nervous anyway. She glanced at Rock. This was awkward.
He gently cupped her chin and tipped her head back farther. “Little girl, I’ve seen every inch of your naked body. I’m not leaving the room. Let the doctor check your arms.”
There was so much to read in his words and tone. Dominance. Hope. Promise. Reverence.
“Okay,” she whispered, swallowing her nerves.
Rock reached for the hem of her long-sleeved shirt and lifted it over her head.
As the air in the room hit her naked skin, she shivered. She was wearing a simple white bra because that was all she owned. It wasn’t like anyone ever saw her lingerie, and she certainly hadn’t expected to be in a position like this when she’d arrived in town.
Goosebumps rose on her skin.
Rock brushed her hair back from her face and surprised her by leaning over to kiss her forehead. “Good girl.”
Her breath hitched. He’d said that to her all those years ago, and she reacted the same to the praise today as she had back then.
Doc lifted one of her arms and gently examined it. “You’re going to have some dark bruising here in about a day, but it will heal.”
When she looked at Rock, she found his teeth gritted. He was furious. She kind of liked that he was so angry on her behalf.
Doc took his time examining the other arm next. “I can prescribe some stronger pain meds if you find you need them, but I bet Tylenol will be sufficient.” He turned toward Rock. “You can give her two every four hours during the night. Her head is going to hurt, but she’s not concussed. You don’t need to wake her up or anything. Just watch to be sure she’s not in pain.”
Doc smiled as he looked back at her. “I don’t like Little girls to be hurting.”
She bit her lip. He assumed she was Little. Why wouldn’t he? Maybe she was.
He stood and gathered his bag. “Call me if anything changes or she’s in too much pain.”
“I will. Thank you, Doc.” Rock lifted Lyla’s chin again. “I’m going to see him out. Don’t move.” He raised his brows.
She licked her lips and said nothing.
He leaned in closer. “Lyla…”
Did he need her to answer him? “Okay. I won’t move.” She tried not to sound sassy, but it came out that way anyway.
Rock gave her a slow smirk and then a warning chuckle.
As he left the room with Doc, she blew out a long breath and shivered from head to toe. Holy shit. Rock was so intense. And even though she was in pain and her head was now pounding, her body was alive like it hadn’t been in years. Her pussy was soaked, leaking onto her panties. Her nipples were hard points, and it wasn’t from the chill in the air.
The room was spinning. Not because she was dizzy but because her life was upside down.
She grabbed her shirt and held it up against her chest as a tiny barrier. There was no way she could put it back on. Lifting her arms hurt. Now that she was sitting still, everything ached more than it had for the past two hours. Her arms were throbbing.
Rock came back into the room less than a minute later. He headed for the dresser first, opened a drawer, and pulled out a T-shirt.
He came to her side. “Are you cold, Lyla?”
“No,” she murmured.
“Can I help you put a T-shirt on and get out of your jeans?”
She tipped her head back. “Rock…” She didn’t even know what she wanted to say. So many things. I’m scared. I don’t know you. I know you too well. Stop being nice. Please hold me. What’s happening here? The list was long.
He squatted down so he was at eye level with her. “I’m going to take your bra off and put this shirt on you, Little one. Okay?”
She drew in a deep breath.
“Baby girl, I’ve seen you naked before,” he pointed out a second time.
Baby girl… He was going there now? She had to fight back tears. He’d called her that several times the one night they spent together. It had felt so nice then, and it felt nice now, too.
“That was forty years ago, Rock. I’ve changed a bit.” Inside and out.
“Are those still your boobs?” he teased.
She rolled her eyes. “If they were storebought, they would not sag like they do.”
He chuckled. “I think you look exactly perfect, and I don’t give a shit if your boobs aren’t as far north as they used to be. None of my parts are, either.”
She didn’t have the energy to reach back and unfasten her bra. Plus, her arms would scream if she twisted them that way, so she relented. “Fine.”
After standing, he was quick about leaning over to undo her bra, and then he pulled the T-shirt over her head without making a big deal or looking directly at her chest. “Can you lift your arms for me, Little one?”
She released the shirt and the bra and let them fall to her lap before lifting her arms just high enough for him to get her hands through the sleeves.
“There,” he declared. He squatted in front of her again and removed her shoes and socks. “You want me to take your jeans off?”
“I can do it.” She didn’t need his hands that close to her pussy. She would die of mortification.
“Okay. When did you last eat?”
“Lunch.” She’d intended to pick up something on her way to the motel.
“I’m not a great cook, but I’m amazing with a can opener. How about chicken noodle soup and crackers?”
She smiled. “That sounds perfect. Thank you.”
“I’ll put your toiletry bag in the bathroom. You go potty and get under the covers. I’ll bring you some soup in bed.”
Her heart was racing again. He was Daddying her. Hard. It frightened her and warmed her heart at the same time. “Okay.”
He kissed her forehead and left her alone in the bedroom.
She looked around. There was only one bed in this house. It wasn’t even a king. The couch hadn’t looked big enough for Rock to sleep on, and besides, she would never kick the man out of his own bed. She was an adult. She could share his bed without mauling him in her sleep. Couldn’t she?
After removing her jeans, she padded quietly to the bathroom, glancing at Rock’s fantastic backside where he was standing at the stove. Damn, the man was just as smoking hot as he had been when he’d been twenty. Actually, maybe he was hotter. She was loving the silver-fox thing.
She found her toiletry bag on the vanity, opened it, and went to work removing her makeup, brushing her teeth, and using the toilet. When she returned to the bedroom, he was setting a steaming bowl on the nightstand.
He’d pulled the covers back and patted the bed. “Climb in, Little one.”
“I’m not sure age play is going to work for me at this stage in my life,” she pointed out, concerned about his expectations.
He gasped dramatically as he helped her get situated against the headboard with several pillows behind her. He pulled the covers up over her legs. “No one is too old for age play or any other kink, Little Lyla. Blasphemy.”
She couldn’t keep from rolling her eyes.
He sat on the edge next to her and set a hand on her thigh over the covers. “I can’t believe you’re here.”
“It’s certainly strange. I can’t believe I’m nearly naked in your bed, wearing your T-shirt.”
He gave her a slow, sexy smile. “I want you here. I can’t explain how instantly I knew I wanted you here. I know we have a lot to talk about, but, Lyla, I want you here.”
He’d said it three times. Apparently, he meant it. She couldn’t respond because she was choked up.
Rock lifted her palm and set two Tylenol pills in it from the bottle on the nightstand. He handed her a cup of clear liquid next. Not just any cup but one with a spill-proof lid. It wasn’t entirely babyish. Adults used spill-proof lids sometimes, but she suspected it meant something different to him.
She took a long drink, feeling better already. She was dehydrated.
He held up the bowl of soup next. “Do you want me to feed you, Little Lyla?”
She shook her head. She wasn’t ready for that. It was too intimate. Too…Daddyish. “I’ll do it.” She took the bowl from him, held it under her chin with one hand, and spooned some into her mouth with the other.
He watched her intently, stroking her leg as she ate.
It was hard to ignore him, but she was hungry, so she did her best to eat the entire bowl without panicking over the madness that she found herself in.
“Do you want more, Baby girl?”
She shook her head as she handed him the bowl. “No, thank you. I’m good now.”
He set it aside, stood, and helped her slide under the covers before fluffing the pillow behind her head. He handed her the two bears.
Lyla rolled onto her side, alleviating the pressure against the back of her head.
“Are you comfortable?”
“Yes, thank you. So tired.” Her voice was growing faint.
He bent and kissed her temple. “I’ll be on the couch if you need me.”
She reached out and grabbed his hand. “Don’t sleep in the living room. This is your bed. We’re grown adults. I think we can share a bed and keep our pants on.”
He smirked. “Baby girl, you already don’t have your pants on.”
She rolled her eyes again. “Turn off the lights and get in bed, Rock.”
He chuckled. “Bossy.”
“When it’s necessary, yes.”
He kissed her temple again. “Sleep, Little Lyla.”
She closed her eyes, hugged the two bears against her chest, and took a deep breath. She’d never slept with Rock before. The night they’d spent together hadn’t involved any sleeping. This was new.
She was so very tired, though, and vaguely aware of him moving around the house. She kept expecting the bed to dip next to her, but she drifted off before it happened.