Chapter 4
CHAPTER 4
“ H as she been asleep for a long time?” Zale asked quietly.
“About three hours. This is her second nap. She woke up to eat a second lunch and drink more at two. Then she fell back to sleep. Poor baby. She’s exhausted.”
“Yes. Thank you, Aspen. You’re a good friend. I know Pippa will want to spend more time with you when she’s not sleep deprived.”
“It’s not a problem. I’m glad she felt safe enough to rest,” Aspen said, leaning back against her daddy’s chest.
The lump on the couch shifted and Pippa sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes. “Did I fall asleep again?” she asked. She petted Rexy who had cuddled up next to her.
“You needed sleep,” Zale told her. “How about if I take you to my house now for dinner? You’ll be safe there.”
“You’re better than Rexy.” Pippa popped her hand over her mouth as if she could shove those words back inside. “I mean…”
“I know what you meant, Pippa. I’m glad you’ll feel safe with me. Besides, we all know that Rexy looks fierce, but he’s a total pushover,” Zale told her, using humor to smooth over her embarrassment.
“I put your clean clothes in a bag for you, Pippa, with a few things you might need immediately. Will you come back and hang out with me again?” Aspen asked.
“I’d love to. I promise I won’t crash next time,” Pippa said as she blinked her eyes open. “Thank you for washing my clothes and being so nice.”
“Making new friends is always fun,” Aspen told her. “We were lucky I was off today. We’ll coordinate schedules—you know, if you stay with Zale for a while,” Aspen suggested.
“I’d love that,” Pippa said. “I’ll wash these clothes and get them back to you.”
“No hurry. Keep them as long as you need them,” Aspen said.
“Thank you.” Pippa stood and turned back to spot the stuffed animal on the couch. She picked up the alligator and asked, “Are you sure I can take this, too?”
Now watching her body language in person, Zale knew she needed that stuffie.
“Of course! Toothie is yours forever. He’d cry when you left if he didn’t get to go with you,” Aspen answered and stepped forward to hug Pippa.
Zale saw her whisper something into Pippa’s ear. As Pippa listened, her face relaxed, losing the anxious expression that had appeared when she’d worried that she should give up the stuffie. Aspen had taken such good care of Pippa.
“Thank you, Aspen, for taking care of Pippa. I owe you one,” Zale told her when the two women stepped apart.
“I’ll remind you of that when you think I need a shot,” Aspen said with a twinkle in her eye.
“You’ll get two suckers the next time,” he promised before holding a hand out to Pippa. “Come on, sleepyhead. Let’s get you settled in at my house.”
In a few minutes, he had Pippa securely belted into the passenger seat. She waved goodbye to Aspen, who stood in the doorway with Jerico as he backed out of the driveway. “How are you, kitten?”
“I’m okay.”
When he glanced over to check her expression, she blurted, “I’m still tired and my wrists and arms ache. I must have pulled on that zip tie for miles.”
“Probably. Thank you for telling the truth. Lies always come with consequences.”
“Like the chart on Aspen’s fridge. She said she never wanted to lose a sticker.”
“I’m sure she doesn’t.”
“He doesn’t beat her, does he?” Pippa asked after a momentary hesitation.
“Jerico definitely does not abuse Aspen. She might get her bottom warmed if she is naughty.”
“Warmed? Like a spanking?” Pippa asked slowly, half turned in her seat.
“Yes, Pippa. Or she might earn corner time or miss dessert. I’m sure Jerico has several consequences that Aspen might earn.”
“She calls him Daddy. Aspen thinks the entire team are daddy doms,” Pippa shared.
“It’s not up to me to share personal information about others, Pippa, but I fit that description. I’ve searched for my little girl for a long time. Do you know what all that means?” As much as he’d rather have this conversation outside of the car where he could concentrate on her only, Zale guessed it was easier for her to talk now when he wasn’t looking at her directly.
“I’ve read a few books.”
“A few?”
“Okay, a lot of books. There are all sorts of Daddy books out there. You know, like a range,” she told him.
He knew she was covering for herself, trying not to reveal any intimate details. “I bet there are. There are a lot of different kinds of Daddies and Littles in real life as well. I enjoy taking care of my Little completely.”
“You have a Little?” she asked with a quiver in her voice.
“I haven’t for several years, Pippa. I decided after my last relationship fell apart that I would wait until I found the perfect Little for me.”
“What would make someone the perfect Little?”
“Someone brave who would let me take care of them completely,” he answered, trying to judge how much to tell her.
“Like charts and stickers?”
“More than that, although I love stickers as much as some Littles do. I enjoy activities like doing my Little’s hair, giving her a bath, feeding her, and taking care of her health. I want to be a complete caregiver.”
“You give Aspen shots?” she asked. “And you do hair?”
He saw her comb her fingers through her long hair. “I’m a whiz at braids and ponytails. Or at least I used to be. I need some practice. Maybe you’d let me brush up on my skills while you’re here.”
“Oh. Maybe,” she answered cautiously. “I have a tender scalp.”
“That’s good to know. I’ll be careful,” he promised before addressing her other question. “I take care of the team when we’re training or on missions. When Aspen needed medical care, Jerico asked me to help her. She and her daddy decided they’d rather have me treat her instead of going to a doctor. I appreciate their trust. Aspen is the perfect Little for Jerico. They love each other deeply.”
“Do you care about her?”
“I consider all my teammates to be like brothers. I trust them more than my own brothers to tell the truth. Aspen is Jerico’s little girl. I care for her because she’s amazing, but there’s no attraction between us,” Zale explained, sensing Pippa was worried.
“She is incredible. I think we’re good friends after just spending the day with her, and I wasn’t even awake half of the time.”
“There it is. We’re home. This is my green house. Number fifteen twenty-seven.”
“You like green?”
“I do. Fatigues, money, broccoli. Lots of good things come in green.”
“Frogs, the Grinch, algae. All green,” she pointed out, making him laugh.
“You are correct, little girl,” he acknowledged.
“Do you think I’m Little?” she asked, revealing the inner thoughts she must have been worrying about.
“I think you know your needs and desires. Today is definitely not the day to make any momentous decisions or life choices. Ten hours ago, you were tethered to the armrest of a car. You get at least another ten to determine anything.”
When she shivered in her seat, Zale fought to control his anger at the man who’d transported her. Strike that. Kidnapped her.
Zale had seen some horrendous things during his time on a special ops team. He’d run into the victims of a human trafficking ring once before. His mind shied away from considering what could have awaited her.
After a brief pause, she answered, “I know. I just want to forget all that.”
“You can talk to me about anything, Pippa. If not me, we’ll find you a professional to work through any rough places with you. There’s no shame in getting help.”
She nodded and remained silent.
Zale realized they’d been sitting in the Jeep in the driveway for a while. He reached up and triggered the garage door opener and drove into the garage. After turning off the engine, he told her, “Stay there. I’ll come get you.”
“I can do it,” she told him.
“I know you can, but it makes me happy to take care of you. Stay there.”
When she nodded, he slid from the vehicle and rounded the hood to open her door. After helping her down, Zale grabbed the sack Aspen had packed for Pippa. He took Pippa’s hand and led her to the door, saying, “I hope I didn’t leave the house in a mess.”
“I won’t pay attention to anything. I promise,” she told him as they walked in. Her mouth dropped open as she scanned the room. “A mess? You have to be kidding me. It looks like someone sanitized your house.”
“It’s not too hard to keep it clean when I’m the only one here. Come on. Let me show you the guest room. We’ll put your stuff there. I ordered some more clothes and things for you. They will be delivered this week,” he explained as he led her down the hall.
Zale set the bag on the double bed. “I’m going to let you settle in. Wander around and check out the house. There’s no place that’s off limits to you.”
When she appeared anxious at the thought of him leaving the room, Zale said, “I’m a call away, Pippa. You’re safe here.”
“I’m sorry I’m being silly.”
“Are you kidding me? You’re incredibly resilient. Remember, you’re protected here and I’m going to do everything to make sure nothing sinister finds you again. Okay?”
“Okay,” she said, nodding. “Thank you, Zale.”
“Make yourself at home, little girl. I’m not happy about how I found you, but I’m very glad you’re here.”
“Where are you going to be?”
“I’m going to jump in the shower. I’ll leave the door open so I can hear you if you call. We’ll meet in the kitchen for dinner.”
Turning and leaving her standing there alone was tough. Zale dragged himself away. He needed to strip off his grimy clothes and get clean. She didn’t need to spend the evening with someone who’d trained hard.
Caden, the team chief, had worked them ferociously today. Zale suspected he’d increased the training regimen to push the men. The thought of someone transporting a woman hundreds of miles against her will had riled up everyone.
He grabbed a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt before heading into the master bathroom. After flipping on the shower to warm, Zale grabbed his toothbrush without thinking. He rolled his eyes at himself when he realized he was brushing his teeth before eating. What was his subconscious plotting?
Give her time to settle in.
Zale rinsed his mouth and stripped off his clothes, dropping them in a pile by the hamper. They smelled so bad, they’d need to go into the washer immediately. Abandoning that task for later, he stepped into the shower and dunked his head under the spray to rinse his face and hair.