Chapter 5
CHAPTER 5
Lori
Though Lori had known her Daddy wouldn’t take her someplace terrible, she had to admit, nothing she’d seen or anyone she’d met was what she’d expected. When he’d told her they were going to a ranch, she’d been expecting a sprawling ranch-style home with a barn, hay stacks dotting a field or two, and of course, the required livestock such as cattle, and maybe a horse or two if she were lucky. The first clue her vision was skewed was when her Daddy had presented his driver’s license to a uniformed guard before the man had welcomed them to Rawhide Ranch and opened a pair of huge iron gates, and an entirely different world appeared before them.
The requisite pastures enclosed with fencing were there, spreading out over gently rolling hills. She’d even spotted a couple of horses grazing on grass. Huge trees lined both sides of the drive that had seemed to go on forever. But when they’d crested a hill, she’d gasped out loud at the sight of the buildings nestled in a valley.
Some outbuildings appeared to be barns and stables, but she’d also seen a pair of large brick buildings, what looked like a small apartment complex, and then there was the icing on the cake—the building where her Daddy had stopped and climbed from the car. Even as he’d opened her door, she’d seen a man with hair as black as coal hanging in a long plait down his back walking toward them. She’d watched as her Daddy had moved his fingers and hands and she’d recognized he was signing. It was a language that fascinated her in that one could converse without having to actually speak, something she often found very hard to do, especially with strangers.
After the exchange, her Daddy had introduced her as he unlatched her seatbelt and helped her out. “Lori, this is Moses. He’s going to take our luggage for us and park the car.”
Lori had concentrated on forming the letters with her fingers. Her motions had been clumsy as it had been years since the last time she’d used the ASL alphabet to communicate in silence. She’d visualized each letter as she spelled out “hello”. The man’s smile had been broad and he’d nodded, his fingers moving slowly.
“W-e-l-c-o-m-e, that spells welcome,” she’d said, taken aback when Moses nodded.
“He can also read lips,” Daddy had remarked as he’d passed his keys to Moses.
“That’s amazing.” She’d thought about how it would be not to hear sounds around you but be able to communicate clearer and far faster than just knowing how to sign the letters of the alphabet. If she’d been able to read lips, she could know what someone across a room was saying, or be able to eavesdrop without having to get close to the speaker. Perhaps knowing what was being planned would have kept her from trusting that someone was good and letting them get too close. If she’d read lips, would she have had enough time to run before it was too late? That thought had caused her to stumble.
“Careful there.” Her Daddy had tightened his grip on her hand as they’d climbed the steps to the ranch house which was, in reality, a huge three-story structure.
A wide porch stretched across the entire front of the building. Rockers and chairs with fluffy cushions were ready to accept a weary traveler. There was even a porch swing, big enough for more than two, hanging down at one end of the porch’s expanse. She’d seen a couple seated at the other end, large mugs in their hands as they shared what looked to be a plate of cookies. As if noticing her perusal, the woman had turned her head and given her a little wave.
Lori’s returning wave had caused her Daddy to look over and nod at the couple before he’d looked down at her. “See, sweetie? I told you this was a friendly place.”
Words had failed her as she’d attempted to take it all in before her view changed yet again when they’d stepped through the double doors into the biggest lobby she’d ever seen.
It had been both a bit scary and exciting to meet Daddy’s friend, Master Jared. Her Daddy had often spoken of the man, telling her stories that made her laugh and some that had her eyes widening and her blood heating. Meeting the man who’d helped teach her Daddy to become a lawyer had been nice but meeting the very man who’d guided him to become her Daddy, was a bit overwhelming. She hadn’t really meant to ask him about spanking her Daddy, but when he’d laughed and joked with her Daddy, she’d been so enthralled she’d forgotten to be nervous. The appearance of his wife, Miss Erika, had helped her feel even better. Erika was as nice as anyone could be and between her and Luna, who had the coolest hair ever, she’d not felt the overwhelming press of anxiety she normally did when she and her Daddy ventured far from their house.
She’d continued to think about these things as Daddy had retrieved their key cards and they made their way into the guest wing where they were staying. As her Daddy set her down in the middle of their room, she asked, “Can I dye my hair pink?”
By the look on his face, it appeared she’d caught her Daddy off-guard yet again. “I rather like your hair just the way it is. Why would you want to change it?”
“’Cuz Luna’s is so pretty. Don’t you think so?”
“Yes, but I think my Little girl is perfect just the way she is.”
Warmth spread through her even as she mentally rolled her eyes. Wasn’t that something a Daddy was supposed to say? She smiled, thinking he’d probably say the same thing if her hair were green with orange polka-dots… or even if she dyed it every color of the rainbow. Lori forgot all about hair when her Daddy took her on a tour of what turned out to be a suite. They had a seating area with a couch, the biggest ottoman she’d ever seen, and a coffee table. A small table with two chairs was tucked into a nook, and a pair of French doors led out to a patio.
“Daddy, there’s a pool!”
Gordon chuckled as she pressed her nose to the glass. “There is, but it’s too chilly to swim outside. If you want to swim, Luna mentioned there is an indoor pool as well as an indoor playground on a lower level.”
“That sounds like fun!”
Their tour moved to the small kitchenette and he opened a cabinet.
“What do we have here?”
Lori looked to see what appeared to be the makings of hot chocolate. Two containers held white, fluffy marshmallows. You had a choice of large or miniature ones, or better yet, both!
“What’s this?” Her Daddy pulled a jar out of the cabinet and shook it as if it were a snow globe, causing the contents to shift. A vortex of rainbow colors swirled inside the glass.
“Sprinkles!” Lori shouted, clapping her hands before reaching for the jar. “Can we make some?”
“Yes, but not right now. We’re already behind schedule. You should have been asleep a half hour ago.”
This time, the eye roll wasn’t simply in her mind. Her Daddy was a stickler for schedules, organization, and planning everything. She supposed it was important for his job, but he wasn’t in a courtroom. “We don’t need a schedule, Daddy, we’re on vacay!”
“A vacation that will be a lot more fun for both of us if you get enough rest,” Gordon said, putting the jar back and closing the cabinet door. “Speaking of, let’s find your room.”
“My room? I want to stay here with you!”
“You are staying with me. I only meant we are lucky to have two rooms. One just for my special babygirl, and one for Daddy.” Before she could protest, he added, “Which we will share. However, just like at home, naps will be taken in your own room.”
Not completely appeased, Lori remained quiet as he led her across the living area and opened a door to a room. It wasn’t like any room she’d ever seen in any of the hotels they’d stayed in before. This wasn’t really a room , it was more like a palace. The walls were the softest of pinks, the furniture white with green vines and flowers painted on their surfaces. She could even spot a little bumblebee sitting on the petal of a daisy. There was a large rocker in one corner, big enough for both her and her Daddy. A shelf on one wall held some books and a few games she couldn’t wait to play with her Daddy. Her head swiveled to take in the rest of the furnishings.
Instead of a tall dresser, there was a wide bureau. The surface of the piece wasn’t wood. A thick pad stretched from one end to the other and the sight of O-rings at each corner had her breath catch in her throat. She snuck a glance up at her Daddy to see if he’d noticed that attached to each ring was a length of leather that ended in a cuff. His smile told her he most definitely had, or perhaps he was smiling at the sight of what could only be diapers folded and stacked neatly on the shelf beneath the mat. Her bladder clenched even as she wondered what the drawers below the shelf might contain.
Lori tore her gaze away only to feel her mouth dropping open at the sight of an actual crib instead of the twin bed found in her room at home. “It’s a… a real crib,” she muttered softly.
“Isn’t it pretty?”
She couldn’t deny it was. It was a bed made for a princess. Well, that was if said princess didn’t mind the fact that, again, each corner had a ring where the occupant could be put into restraints. Tilting her head back, she looked up. A pink canopy dropped from the ceiling, the fabric held back by ribbons with tiny flowers on them. If released, she could see how the fabric would fall together to form an enclosure around the entire crib. She imagined the occupant would feel as if they were secreted in their own little palace turret. A mobile hung above the thick mattress, fairytale creatures ready to sway and capture a Little’s attention as she fell asleep.
“How do you like your room?”
Lori looked up at him. “It’s not a room, Daddy, it’s a nursery.”
“A beautiful nursery, perfect for my very own Little princess,” Daddy said. “But you didn’t answer. Do you like it?”
Lori couldn’t help but give a nod, following it by a shake so that her head made a complete rotation, causing her Daddy’s eyebrow to arch.
“I’m afraid you’re going to have to explain that to me. Was that a yes or a no?”
“Both. It’s very nice, but”—she pointed to two things—“that is a changing table and the bed is a crib.”
“I know. Aren’t they nice?”
“But, Daddy, there are… um, diapers.” This last word was practically a whisper.
“I can see. They help make your nursery so special.”
Lori thought the rocking chair and games served that purpose. “You’re going to diaper me?”
He didn’t instantly answer, instead, he bent to pick her up and once she wrapped her legs around him to straddle his waist, he looked into her eyes. “I thought we decided that you’d like to try being a littler Little. This is the perfect place for you to be able to explore the dynamic.”
She felt her face heating but didn’t deny the conversations they’d shared about regression. “And the cuffs? You’re going to restrain me?”
“Perhaps I will if I think it will help you, or if you decide to test your Daddy.” When her mouth opened, he pressed a fingertip against her lips. “And we both know it won’t be the first time, don’t we?”
“No, but?—”
“Babygirl, remember all you have to do is safeword and Daddy will stop whatever we are doing and talk about what is frightening you.”
Lori felt some of the tension dissipating, her body relaxing against his. He was right. She had a safe word. It had taken her a long time to believe it worked, that a single word could stop a man, a very large man, from doing whatever he wanted to her. But it had. Each and every single time she’d called out Red, he’d simply… stopped. It was a magical word, and speaking it was as if she’d waved a magic wand.
“Okay, thank you for reminding me, Daddy.”
“You’re welcome, babygirl.” He bent to kiss her forehead. “Let’s get you unpacked, changed and tucked in.”
Changed.
For some reason, the word took on an entirely new meaning when one was staring at an actual table built specifically for the purposes of changing.
Dragging her eyes from the table, she said, “But I want to see your room, Daddy.”
“Silly me, of course you do. Our tour wouldn’t be complete if we didn’t.” He set her back on her feet and gestured toward the door they’d entered. “Think you can find a room for your Daddy?”
“Yes!” Lori ran past him and out the door. Hoping his room wasn’t far away, she tried the door next to her room only to discover it wasn’t his room. In fact, it wasn’t a room at all. Shelves lined the interior and were filled with item after item. Some she’d never seen before, others were ones she’d seen in the club she went to with her Daddy. Paddles of all shapes and sizes laid on one shelf while a crop that really should be in the barn she’d seen outside hung from a hook beside a cane that had her buttocks clenching tightly.
“What have you found?”
“Nothing!” she shouted, slamming the door closed. At the sight of his raised eyebrow, she hurried to drag his attention away from the door. “Let’s try that one.” Pointing back across the living room, she dodged around him and grabbed the doorknob. Sending a prayer out to the universe, she cautiously turned the knob and gingerly stuck her head inside the room. Relief flooded through her as she spotted a bed.
“I found it!” She gave a surprised squeak when she turned to find her Daddy right behind her.
His hand reached in to flip on the light as he gently nudged her further into the room.
“Wow, that’s a big bed!” Lori said as she took in the king-size bed. Four thick wooden posts marked its corners, rising almost to the ceiling. The mattress was so high she’d either have to use a stool to climb into bed, take a running start and hope she jumped high enough, or ask her Daddy to help her up.
“All the better to share with my wiggly Little girl,” Gordon said.
“I’m not wiggly!” she protested.
“You most certainly are. You’re as wiggly as those worms you got for Master Jared.”
Lori huffed but smiled at the memory of Daddy’s friend eating the worm just like a big fish would. “What’s in there?” she asked, pointing to another door.
“Only one way to find out.” Her Daddy opened the door and his whistle had her attempting to push past him to see, but he easily blocked her entrance with a simple shift of his body. “If you think the bed is big, look at the size of that tub.”
No amount of pushing or prodding could move his bulk from blocking the doorway. “Daddy, I can’t see. Move!”
Gordon moved, but not as she’d expected. Instead of stepping out of the way, he wagged his hips from side to side, causing her to giggle.
“See, you’re the wiggly one!” When his hips next swung right, she darted to his left. Her cry of victory morphed into an astonished “Oh!” as she saw the tub. Forget it being too cold to swim outside. She was pretty sure she could do a few laps in this pool.
“Looks like Master Derek is a believer in conservation. Think of all the water we’ll save by bathing together.”
Lori felt tingles running through her at the thought. She was just about to ask him to join her right now, but then she saw the large marble-walled stall which stood separate from the huge tub. Pointing, she said, “Or showering together.”
They both took in the sight of the huge showerhead hanging from the ceiling. “It will be like standing in the rain,” Gordon said. A huge grin appeared as he gestured to the various shower wands on the walls. “I’m thinking we are going to be one very clean Daddy and Little during our stay, what do you think?”
Lori was thinking all kinds of things, some that included her being seated or kneeling on that very wide bench against the shower stall’s wall while her Daddy was doing dirty, delicious things to her body, but wasn’t about to admit having such naughty thoughts. All she could do was nod and give him a rather breathless, “Yes, Daddy. It’s… it’s…”
It was as if he could read her very thoughts as his eyebrow lifted and waggled, his smile a bit lecherous as he reached out toward her, his fingers flexing. “It’s like a water park, but one for naked people.”
“Daddy!”
Gordon laughed. “What? You don’t expect to shower in your pretty dress do you?” His question was asked as he bent down, his fingers curling as he reached out, causing her to shriek at the contact as he began to tickle her sides. “Though I suppose that would save on the cost of doing laundry.”
She was giggling too hard to care about laundry, squirming in an attempt to escape the tickle bug.
“There’s my little worm,” he said, picking her up and tossing her into the air.
Lori gasped but wasn’t truly scared. She remembered when they’d first met, she’d been in awe of the pure size of him. He stood over a foot taller than she and was stronger than anyone she’d ever known. The first time he’d thrown her above his head as easily as if she weighed no more than a feather, she’d been terrified, and yet never once had he ever come close to letting her fall.
When once again he caught her, she wrapped her arms around his neck and sighed, laying her head on his chest. “I love you, Daddy.”
“I love you more,” he said as he stroked his fingers through her curls, gently detangling them.
It felt so good, she closed her eyes, enjoying each long pull. When she felt herself going from vertical to horizontal, she opened them to discover they’d left the bath and Daddy had laid her on the changing table.
“And you said you’re not sleepy,” he teased as he took her shoes off, setting them aside before sliding his hands up beneath her dress to slip his fingers into the waistband of her tights. “Lift up.” Once she had, he pulled the tights down and off.
Lori felt a shiver running through her when instead of sitting her up to unbutton her dress, he not only pulled her panties down, but removed them completely. When he stepped back a moment and reached beneath where she lay, she had a very good idea of what he was doing. At the sight of the diaper in his hand, she swallowed hard. Her Daddy gave her a long look, offering her the time to utter her safe word, but something held her back.
She thought back t0 when she’d first learned that the kink wasn’t abnormal. She’d taken classes, learned that people played as Littles of a whole range of “ages”. The infant, non-verbal age didn’t appeal to her. She was more interested in the toddler age—able to communicate, but still having the majority of decisions made for her. She for sure wasn’t a Middle—she learned she had no interest in being that close to adulthood.
She’d been a bit disconcerted when she’d found out her punishments had changed as her chosen age dropped. Now when she was naughty, instead of receiving a spanking while bent over the arm of the couch or the foot of her bed as she had as a submissive, he drew her over his lap where she had to trust him to keep her from falling while he blistered her behind. When she’d pointed out she was too little to write out lines, he’d taught her she was exactly the right age to sit on a naughty chair with her nose in the corner.
She’d been pretty sure she didn’t want to go younger than about three or four, but allowing her Daddy to diaper her would involve an even deeper intimacy. But, if she didn’t at least give herself and her Daddy the opportunity to experience what it would be like to regress further, how would they ever know if it fit them or not? Besides, she could always call out her safe word.
“Can we start with just wearing one to nap? You know, for me to get more used to the idea?”
“We certainly can,” her Daddy assured her. “I’m proud that you’re brave enough to give this a try.”
The smile on her Daddy’s face made her happy she’d decided to give being a littler Little a try. Lori basked in his praise and lifted her hips to allow the diaper to be slid beneath her bottom. When her Daddy carefully ran a wipe over her privates, making sure to clean all her little creases and folds, she shivered. Once she was clean, he squeezed ointment onto his fingers and retraced his path, explaining to her that the cream being applied was to keep her body from developing a rash.
Lori squirmed when his finger dropped to rub against her bottom-hole.
“What’s the matter, babygirl?”
The location of his finger’s attention along with his explanation and question gave an entirely different definition to the words “intimate care”. Before she could think of how she’d be able to ask that question, it became moot when his finger returned to slide along the seam of her sex. Her body instantly knew how to respond to that touch. Her nipples tightened and an ache began between her legs.
“Ah, you’re trembling. We can’t have you catching cold now, can we?”
By the grin on his face as he pulled the diaper up to fasten it around her waist, she knew he was well aware she hadn’t been cold at all. The diaper’s thickness between her legs felt strange, and the slight crinkly sound as he pulled her into a sitting position had her face turning hot.
She reached behind her for her stuffy, but she wasn’t there. “Daddy, I can’t find Fauna.”
“Babygirl, she’s already waiting in your princess crib. How about we get you into your jammies and you can join her for a proper nap.”
She should have known he’d have made sure she wouldn’t be all alone in that crib, but still, she couldn’t help but say, “We’d sleep better if you napped with us, Daddy.”
“Babygirl, as much as I’d love to crawl into that princess crib with you and Fauna, I’m afraid it’s not big enough for three.”
“Your bed is,” she suggested. “It’s big enough for a whole store of stuffies!”
“Ah, I suppose Erika told you there is a store downstairs?”
“No, but Luna pointed it out to me. She said it’s like Mary Poppins’ carpet bag. Once it’s open, it’s bottomless and has all sorts of things for Bigs and Littles.”
“Sounds like we will need to go shopping. But Little girls who want to go on a shopping spree, need to nap without distractions.” Before she could think of an argument, he had her dress off and had bent down to press his lips to her belly to blow a raspberry against her skin. The sound made her giggle while the vibration had what her Daddy called her kitty throbbing beneath her diaper.
“You really are cold,” he said, reaching for the nightgown he’d pulled from her suitcase.
“No, I’m not.”
“You could have fooled me. You can’t seem to sit still.” His eyebrow arched and his voice softened. “If you need to go potty, use your diaper. That is why Daddy put you in one.”
She didn’t see the need to inform him she had no intention of actually using the diaper. Instead she just said, “I’m not cold and I don’t need to potty.”
Her Daddy’s forehead furrowed. “Are you sure? You shivered and your nips are…” Understanding dawned, his forehead smoothed, and he smiled. “Let’s think about this for a moment.” He held out a hand curled into a fist before popping one finger up. “Wiggling for no reason”—a second finger popped up—“your nips hard as little pebbles”—finger number three joined the party—“your eyes are a bit glassy”—his little finger lifted—“your sweet face is flushed so prettily. I think I know why my girl is squirmy. She’s horny. Am I right?”
“Daddy!” She never failed to blush hotter and admonish him for saying such things.
“Don’t leave your Daddy hanging,” he said, the hand he’d used now waiting in mid-air.
“You’re so silly,” she said, smiling as she slapped her palm against his.
Gordon chuckled. “And you’re just so adorable when you’re all hot and bothered.”
She thought she couldn’t be all that adorable when instead of doing anything about it, he pulled the gown over her head and scooped her up before moving to the crib and lowering her to lie beside the stuffy he’d placed inside. Lori couldn’t fault the mattress as it was like sinking into a cloud. The linens smelled like roses and were not only soft but were her favorite color. After tucking Fauna into her arms, Daddy pulled the pink sheet up to her chin, tucking it around her until she felt like her bottom wasn’t the only part of her being swaddled.
He wound up the mobile which started to play a tune and rotate. He bent to kiss her forehead. “You and Fauna have fun in dreamland, sweetpea.”
“You won’t leave me alone?”
“I’ll just be in the other room. I’ll hear you if you call out.”
“And you’ll come?”
“Yes, Lori, I will always come. Close your eyes. I’ll see you when you wake up.” Leaving the room, he pulled the door closed.
Lori felt a moment of fear at being left alone for the first time in a strange place, but forced herself to remember “alone” didn’t mean “abandoned”. Turning on her side, she looked through the rails of the crib. It really was a nice room, but she’d really rather be allowed to stay up with her Daddy. There were ponies to pet and perhaps ride, and Luna had said something about caterpillars and butterflies that sounded like fun. Erika had mentioned a cafeteria where the bestest mac ’n’ cheese was served every single day. And there was a whole huge store to explore.
But what Lori really wanted to see was if there really were other Littles like her. Sure, she’d seen the couple on the porch, but they had looked like the Bigs at Daddy’s club. There had even been a couple of other Littles in the classes with her. But Littles who lived as Littles every day? Ones who took vacations where they could wear Little clothing and run and play instead of taking boring walking tours of museums? Did they have their own Daddies or Uncles to take care of them? Did they have Mommies or Aunties like she once had?
“If they do, I bet their Daddies don’t make their Littles miss out on the fun by taking naps,” she said to Fauna.
“I bet they do. Now go to sleep unless you need Daddy to demonstrate how it feels to wear your diaper over a hot bottom first.”
Lori’s head whipped up to look at the door and finding it closed, wondered how he’d heard her. A light caught her attention and she recognized it came from a baby monitor. Wow, it had to be very strong to have picked up her voice from several feet away.
“Do you think he can hear us now?” she whispered as softly as she could against the stuffy’s fur.
“Yes, I can, and that’s two. If I have to tell you again to close your eyes and go to sleep, your diaper will come down and your brush will be applied to your naked bottom. Understood?”
“She can’t answer, Mr. Daddy. She’s already asleep.”
Gordon chuckled. “Thank you, Fauna. Have a good nap; that goes for you too, sweetpea. Sleep tight.”
Or the brush will take some bottom bites…
Lori slapped her hand over her mouth to stifle the giggles as her mind twisted the line of the rhyme. Hugging Fauna closer, she closed her eyes and drifted into the arms of the sandman.