Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
Eloise
“What’s she like?” I ask as I lean my elbows on the island.
“Who? June?”
“Yeah.” I’m watching Cannon pull things out of the refrigerator. I feel awkward sitting on this stool while he prepares food for me. He did the same thing last night. I watched. He cooked. He cleaned up, too. He refuses to let me lift a finger.
“She’s the sweetest. You’ll like her. She’s thirty, but she’s been out of touch for six years. So, like you, there’s a lot she missed out on.” He glances at me as he opens more containers of meat and cheese than I’ve ever seen at one time.
He’s right about me being out of touch for a long time.
Four years. But he has no idea where I’ve been or what I’ve been through.
I should tell him. I don’t know why I’m holding back.
It’s scary opening up like that. I’ve been on the run for six months.
I never told a soul who I am or where I came from until Cannon. I’ve been too scared.
But I can trust him. I’m sure of it. My faith in his good intentions grows by the minute, but it solidified in the middle of the night when he dragged my mattress under the window and sat down to read to me.
I look at him while he opens the bread. Really look at him. He could be conning me. Everyone cons me. I must have a tattoo on my forehead that says: I’m an idiot. Please take advantage of me.
It doesn’t add up, though. He has a legitimate job and a nice apartment. His boss must be one of the good guys. Granted, I’m fairly certain he rid the world of June’s husband yesterday and covered it up so no one would ever know, but he did a good deed when he did so.
I’m going to take a risk. I don’t really have anything to lose. Like both of us have pointed out, it’s too late for me to unexperience what I’ve had in the past twelve hours here. I’ll never forget. I’ll always strive to have this. I’ve tasted it, and now I want it for the rest of my life.
College? The idea has never entered my mind. How would I pay for it? Ha.
There are so many things in my way, and I don’t see how to make my problems go away. I suspect Cannon thinks I’m on the run from an abusive husband or boyfriend like June was. But he’s wrong. My problems are a lot bigger than that. Insurmountably bigger. I don’t think anyone can fix them.
It’s silly for me to dream large. Who am I kidding? I’ll hide out here for a while, but I can’t apply for an ID. If I did… I shudder.
Cannon holds up two types of bread. “Wheat or white, Little one?”
“I’ve never had wheat bread. Is it good?”
“I like it. I prefer it except when I’m having grilled cheese to dip in tomato soup. Then I like white.” He grins.
My stomach growls. “That sounds so delicious.”
“We’ll have that tomorrow, then. Today, I’ll fix you a sandwich on wheat. Tell me what you want on it.” He runs his hand through the air to indicate the array of options.
I lean closer. There’s no way to choose. I don’t even know what some of those cheeses are. “Can you pick for me?”
“I’d be happy to. Is there anything here you don’t like, angel?”
“I will probably devour whatever you make.”
“I hope you do. You need the calories.” He winks.
I draw back a bit, feeling self-conscious. But I can’t keep anything from this man. He notices immediately, drops the package of cheese he’s holding, and rounds the island to come to me.
He cups the back of my neck with one hand and taps my temple with the other.
“The most important parts of you are in here. I don’t care a bit what size you are, Eloise.
I never will. I want you to be healthy, and I suspect it’s been a long time since you’ve eaten well or consumed enough.
I’m not commenting on your size. I’m only interested in your health. Understood?”
I nod slowly.
“Good girl.” He bends forward and kisses my forehead. I’m starting to enjoy and even crave how often he does that. It makes me feel cherished in a way I’m starving for. And when he calls me good girl…
“I like the bows, by the way,” he says, tapping them on the top of my head before returning to the sandwiches.
I reach up and touch them as soon as he turns away.
I’d forgotten about them. “I guess it was a whim when I put them on. They’re kind of babyish.
I just never had bows before, so I wanted to…
” My voice trails off. I sound ridiculous.
Why am I trying to justify the bows? He’s the one who bought them.
Cannon glances up at me. “They’re adorable, and I think they suit you. Don’t worry about what everyone else might be doing, Eloise. If you like bows, wear bows.”
“So you’re saying if we were like regular people and went out on a date, if you came to my door to pick me up and found me wearing this outfit with bows in my hair, you wouldn’t turn and run back to your car?” I’m baiting him to make a point.
Cannon’s eyes pop wide, and he scans up and down my torso. “Would this be a first date or more like the second or third?”
I hesitate. I hadn’t expected him to ask something like that.
He continues without waiting for an answer, “Because if it was the second or third date, I would probably step into your home, cup your face, and kiss you senseless. I might be more reserved if it were the first date. Most women don’t like to be kissed before I’ve at least bought them dinner.
” He’s teasing, but how much of that was a joke?
“You would go out with me dressed so…young?”
“I would go out with you dressed any way you want to dress at any body weight, Eloise. That’s what I’m saying.”
I think he’s serious.
“For the record,” he says, “What you’re wearing looks very similar to something June would wear.”
“Oh. June likes pink?”
He shrugs. “I don’t know that she has a favorite color, but June likes to feel youthful.”
I ponder his words. Interesting.
Cannon pushes a plate toward me before rounding to sit on the stool next to mine. He faces me. “I’m going to tell you a few things, and you don’t need to respond. Just ponder them while you eat.”
“Okay.” Now I’m nervous.
“One, June is what’s called Little. That means, though she’s a grown adult, she enjoys spending time in a younger headspace. It’s called age play. She calls Blade Daddy. I know that’s a lot to soak in, and you’ll have a million questions. I’ll answer them whenever you’re ready.”
I stare at him, absorbing his words. “Wait. Is that something you want, too? An adult Little girl?”
He strokes my cheek. “Ideally, yes. I always figured one day I would meet someone who longed for exactly what I crave.”
“That’s why you have a pink room filled with toys?”
“Yes. And, for the record, I suspect you will enjoy that lifestyle, but it’s not something that makes or breaks how I feel about you.”
I swallow. He’s so intense. It’s like he considers me a foregone conclusion. In many ways, it seems like I’ve been here a year instead of a day.
“Two days ago, I might have said I was a Daddy through and through, believing that I wouldn’t be happy without finding an adult Little girl who wanted to be with someone who takes care of her, but…”
“But what?” I ask.
“But then I met you, and, Eloise, I’m not kidding. You make me realize I shouldn’t be so rigid about my expectations from a woman. If you hate age play, we won’t do it.”
Age play… My mind is reeling.
“Now, I want to say one more thing, and then we’re going to eat.
” His fingers are still on my cheek, and he slides them down to my neck.
“Black Blade Protection is one of the country’s leading agencies for finding and protecting people.
I want you to know that I have no doubt that, with the minuscule amount of information I have about you, I could discover everything you’re hiding within a few hours.
Mace is our computer genius. He’d have it done even faster. ”
I gasp and start shaking.
“I don’t say that to scare you. I’m telling you that because I’d rather hear directly from you what you’re running from.
I’ve asked Blade to hold off on having Mace digging into your past until I say so.
They won’t wait forever because they’re as concerned about what we’re dealing with as I am, but they’re giving me a chance to talk to you first.”
“You don’t even know my name,” I blurt. I’m freaking out. Could anyone else look me up like he’s suggesting his people can?
“I assume you’re telling me the truth that your first name is Eloise, Little one.”
“Yeah, but that’s not enough.” My panic is growing.
“It’s more than enough. I’m guessing you were raised in the southern Appalachians.
Kentucky or Tennessee. Perhaps Virginia.
You’re twenty-two, so you probably went to high school in that area until about four years ago.
Eloise is a pretty rare name. I could find you, angel.
” His words are kind and gentle, but the implication has me wanting to run from the room, the apartment, and the building.
Fear makes it hard for me to breathe.
Cannon slides off his chair and pulls me into his arms. He holds me close and rubs my back. When he kisses the top of my head, I fall apart and start sobbing.
“Shh. You’re okay. No need to panic. I don’t care what’s happened to you, Eloise.
Whatever it is, we’ll deal with it.” He tips my head back and holds my gaze.
“I’m going to be honest. I suspect you might have killed a man for whatever he did to you.
If that’s the case, good for you and good fucking riddance.
I just need you to trust me enough to tell me the details so I can make it go away. ”
Tears drip down my cheeks. He’s serious.
He’s fucking deadly serious. He doesn’t even know me well enough to bring me into his apartment.
What if I were a conniving lunatic and robbed him blind?
The idea that, on top of that, he would clean up the mess I left behind and give me a high-five at the same time is impossible to comprehend.
“Tell me one thing, Eloise. If I had your full name and searched for you in a police database, would I find a warrant for your arrest?”
I answer him honestly. “Yes, but I didn’t do anything I’m accused of.”
He smiles. “Then you have nothing to worry about.”
Oh, I have a fuck of a lot to worry about.