Chapter 5
Chapter Five
Anticipation fluttered through Sage’s chest like a whole kaleidoscope of butterflies having a dance party.
She barely refrained from clapping her hands and bouncing up and down on her bottom.
She ran her hand along the glittering, sparkling fabric of the mermaid dresses she had found.
The minute she’d spotted them in a magazine, she’d begun planning this party with Rose.
Hopefully, she loved mermaids too. She pushed away her nervous doubt because, seriously, who didn’t love mermaids?
Rose had been looking forward to this party for days.
Then again, so had Sage. Her young charge didn’t know about the dresses, so that was going to be a surprise.
Yep, this was going to be the best Pillow Palace ever.
Sage’s bottom did a happy little wiggle on the rug. She tried to tell herself to calm down, even as her fingers tapped excitedly against her knees. Big girls don’t bounce… but really, at a time like this, who wanted to be Big? Not her. That was for sure.
It was enough to make her completely forget…
well, almost completely forget… what had happened in the barn a few nights before with Grady.
Or rather, what hadn’t happened. Who knew a person could feel disappointment and relief at the same time?
He’d said that if she broke a rule, she would be punished.
And even though he didn’t say so exactly, he’d hinted that the punishment would be a spanking.
Heck, he’d even asked her if she’d expected a spanking, and she’d sort of admitted that she had been.
Fat lot of good that did her because even though she’d broken a rule...
well, sort of accidentally... all she’d gotten was a lecture.
The spanking she’d been certain she’d earned hadn’t happened.
Part of her was glad. But another, much louder, part of her was still pouting about it.
That made her crazy, right? From everything she’d read, spankings hurt.
Some of her friends in Wilder had verified that in no uncertain terms. Their descriptions left her feeling tingly and a bit jealous, even though she was very happy for them. They also felt the same way she had when an expected spanking didn’t happen. Disappointed.
So, if it was crazy longing for something you knew might really hurt, at least she wasn’t alone in her craziness.
Honestly, the whole thing had left her with nothing but more questions. Why hadn’t he spanked her? It was pretty obvious he’d wanted to, but what stopped him was a mystery. All she’d gotten was a scolding before he sent her to bed, like a naughty Little girl.
Even without the spanking, something had definitely shifted between them. He somehow had her Little slipping out more and more often. And he seemed to be growing less and less annoyed about it.
Maybe one day he’d actually like having a bouncy, sassy Little around. Goodness knew, her Little was into growly, scowly cowboys with big hands and even bigger rules. Unfortunately, it appeared she’d have to go on wondering for now.
While Rose was in the other room gathering more stuffies, Sage busied herself building the palace. Well, she would be, if she could just get this blanket to drape over the end of that ginormous entertainment center.
Without thinking, she stepped up on the flat part at the top of the stepladder.
Leaning way over, she readied herself to toss the edge of the blanket, sticking one foot out behind her for balance.
Their pillow castle would be the perfect height if she could just get the blanket she held over this end of the entertainment center.
Of course, balancing had never been her strong point, and the next thing she knew, her ankle began to wobble.
She over-corrected, turning her wobble into a teeter.
You are as graceful as a ballerina, she told herself sternly, you can do this. About the time it became evident that she was about to fall, two large hands grabbed her around the waist and lowered her safely to the floor.
Spinning around, she came face to face with a very scowling cowboy.
“Indigo Sage Cartwright, just what in the hell do you think you were doing?”
Her name on his lips shot sparkles and spasms straight between her thighs. The way he growled at her made it even worse. It didn’t seem normal for her tummy, let alone her bottom, to clench like that.
She should step back, create some nice, safe distance between them, before she did something completely ridiculous like melt into a happy little puddle at his feet. But her traitorous feet stayed rooted to the floor, refusing to listen to reason.
Every tingling nerve in her body felt like it was waking up from the longest nap ever, stretching and sparkling in ways that made her tummy do excited little flips. She’d never felt anything like this before Grady, and she had absolutely no idea how to handle it.
Oh no, she thought, her cheeks burning brighter. This was very, very dangerous.
“You need somebody watching you every second. What if I’d been out on the ranch somewhere and you’d fallen and broken your neck?” He pointed to the ladder. “That, little girl, is what I was talking about when I said not to put your safety at risk.”
Her gaze followed the direction of his finger toward the ladder. It wasn’t like she had actually fallen. He was making a big deal out of nothing.
Of course, she didn’t dare say those words out loud. As she stood there thinking of a suitable comeback, he snatched the blanket from her hands and, without any need for a ladder at all, draped the blanket over the edge of the entertainment center for her.
“All you had to do was ask.” Crossing his arms over his wide chest, he continued to glare.
“Thanks, boss. You’re right, that was easy. But I really was doing fine before you interrupted me.”
A look of disbelief exploded across his face.
“Do you call falling off the ladder doing fine? Maybe you didn’t notice the ladder starting to slip away from under your foot. One more second and you would have been lying on the floor.”
Unable to stop herself, she glanced at the hand weight she’d found in the exercise corner of the basement.
Even though it looked like the front wheel set for the giant Hot Wheels car, she’d thought that if she put the end toward the edge of the entertainment center, it would be fine and hold the blanket in place. Now she was rethinking her decision.
Of course, his gaze followed hers. She knew in an instant he understood what she’d been planning on doing with that weight.
Grady didn’t even try to contain his glower, which she thought was rather rude.
Taking her hand in his own, he dragged her across the room and pressed her nose firmly in the corner.
“Do not move from this spot until I tell you to,” he said and accompanied his words with a firm swat to her bottom.
Everything inside her froze. He had smacked her bottom! And it hurt. A lot. Her hands reached down of their own volition to soothe the sting.
“I wouldn’t advise it,” Grady said, his deep voice sending shivers down her spine. “I put that sting on your bottom, and it’s damn well gonna stay there. You put your naughty nose in that corner and think about why I smacked your ass in the first place.”
Darn it!
His words shouldn’t make her pussy tingle that way. That wasn’t normal, right? The good girl in her wanted to do as he said and think about why he smacked her bottom. But what would happen if she didn’t?
Why was he so mad, anyway? That blanket was the final touch to what she and Rose had proudly named the “Pillow Palace”.
Moving the couch closer to the entertainment center to use as the back of their castle had been the hardest part. Hopefully, he didn’t think it was too heavy. No telling what he would do about that.
The patter of feet let her know Rose was coming back with the last collection of stuffies.
It had been a lot of work, but when Rose’s eyes widened with wonder, all the effort had been so worth it.
It was a killer castle, if she did say so herself.
They’d even made a secret entrance between two chairs draped with colorful sheets. Everything was perfect.
Well, it would have been if Grady hadn’t stormed in and caught her trying to secure the blanket in place.
Now she was standing with her nose in the corner, with her bottom tingling, hoping Grady would let her out of the corner before Rose saw her there.
He must have read her mind because he stepped so close behind her that the heat from his body warmed the skin of her back.
“Rose will be back any second, so I’ll make this brief.
If I ever catch you standing on top of a ladder doing something as reckless as putting weights on the entertainment center to hold a blanket in place, you won’t sit down for a week.
Do you understand me, little wildfire? What would you have done if, while you and Rose were playing, that weight had rolled off and hit one of you?
Either of you could have been seriously injured.
You risk your safety like that again, you’re gonna be one very sorry Little nanny. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Dad—I mean, yes, boss.” Darn it. Why was he so good at bringing her Little to the surface?
“Believe me when I tell you that you had better.”
Warmth flooded her tummy, melting through her in slow, liquid waves that sank lower and lower until it pooled hot and achy between her thighs. Her cheeks burned even hotter, but the embarrassment only seemed to excite her worse… or maybe better. She wasn’t sure anymore.
All she knew was that he’d just tripped every alarm on her Daddy Dom radar, and her body was responding whether she liked it or not.
Nodding her head again, this time so hard and fast it just might fall off, she said, “Yes, Sir, I really, really, really do understand.” She chanced a peek over her shoulder to make sure he understood her sincerity.
For some reason, his face grew even scowlier. Had he not liked her answer? Before she could ask what she’d done wrong this time, Rose raced into the room, loaded down with friends to join their party.
Grady pulled Sage from the corner before Rose noticed. “Do we run in the house, Rosie-girl?” Grady asked.
Eyes wide, Rose shook her head.
“I can see I have two girls who need to remember their rules.” Glowering at Sage, he said, “Wildfire, you’d best keep in mind what I said.”
She fought against rolling her eyes. As if any part of her body would forget.
Better now, to focus on Rose. “See?” Sage whispered, voice full of excitement.
“This is our castle. And now we have a tall tower.” She pointed to the blanket hanging from the entertainment center before turning a glare on Grady.
“No grumpy kings allowed unless they come bearing juice boxes and snacks.”
Rose let out a tiny giggle and even clapped her hands in excitement. Sage’s heart squeezed. She glanced around and noticed that Grady was standing in the doorway, watching them. It was becoming a habit of his.
He leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed, that big, muscular body filling the space. Dark forest green eyes were fixed on Rose, soft and aching at the same time. The deep, quiet sadness in his expression made Sage’s breath catch.
Their eyes met for a moment, and her heart skittered. She could spend days watching the different shades of green dance in his eyes. Grady cleared his throat and straightened, the soft look vanishing behind his usual stern mask.
“Need anything before I go?” he asked.
Jeez! A girl could get whiplash from the speed his moods changed. Maybe he needed to sit down and color with them. She thought about suggesting it, but instead, shook her head, offering him a small smile. “No, Sir, we’re good.”
Grady’s gaze flicked to the pile of pillows, then back to her. For a second, she thought he might join them. But no. With a single shake of his head, he muttered, “I got work to do.”
Sage watched him go, her heart breaking and her fingers tightening around a pillow.
That look in his eyes lingered in her mind.
Ever since their time in the barn a few days ago, he had been much more standoffish toward her.
The incident at the Broken Bridle Saloon had given her hope that would change, but she’d been wrong.
As much as she would love to chase after him and comfort him, she needed to stay with Rose. For now, her silent charge needed her more.
He was carrying so much. Her chest ached with her want to wave a magic wand and fix everything. If only he’d allow her to bear some of that load. If not for him, at least with him.
Rose tugged on her sleeve, pulling her back to the present. Sage forced a bright smile and dropped back down into the Pillow Palace.
“Come on, Princess Coral,” she said, voice full of a cheerfulness she didn’t quite feel. “Let’s finish making our castle the most magical place in all of Wyoming!”
Rose nodded eagerly and handed her another stuffie to guard the entrance. Sage hugged the stuffed animal close, letting the soft fur brush her cheek. At least I can make one little girl happy today, she thought. Even if I can’t figure out how to make her grumpy Daddy smile.
They spent the next hour decorating the inside of their palace with crayon drawings taped to the blanket walls and arranging the stuffies into a royal court.
Sage kept sneaking glances toward the doorway.
Half of her hoped Grady would come back and join them in play, while the other half was a bit ashamed of the fact she hoped he’d come back and swat her ass again.
How did those two halves make sense? Don’t ask her, as she had no clue.
Every time she remembered the way his big hand had felt on her bottom—that single firm swat—her cheeks heated all over again.
Stop it, Sage, she scolded herself. He was her boss. He was Rose’s father. And most importantly, he was not her Daddy. Why was it that, no matter how many times she told herself that, her heart and her bottom refused to listen?
A soft tug on her sleeve reminded her Rose needed her attention. “Look, Rosie. I have a special gift for you.”
Rose stopped and clapped her hands in expectation.
Never had Sage seen such joy on a child’s face as she did on Rose’s when she drew the mermaid costumes out of the bag. Rosie’s joy was contagious, and before long, they were both squealing and jumping around, holding the dresses up in front of themselves and imagining how they would fit.
If only she could make Grady that happy. Putting that thought aside, she extended her hand. “Come on, Rosie. Let’s go get changed.”