Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
Livvy
If you’d told me this morning that my entire life would change before night fell, I would have looked at you like you were the one with a concussion.
I’d really hope that wasn’t the case, but I would definitely question your sanity at least a little bit.
But I’d sure be happy to learn that you were spot on.
Dinner’s main course was a cheeseburger casserole made by Judith, who it turned out, was the admitting nurse at the hospital.
It was delicious but what had me rubbing my belly and moaning was the chocolate-and-cherry ice-cream cake provided by Miss Eve.
Though I supposed it was actually the second helping I’d decided I needed to have after Luther and Kate headed out to the dance.
“I feel like a beached whale!” I groaned as I leaned back against Lincoln’s chest. “Why did you let me eat so much?”
“Babygirl, I might be bigger than you, but if I’d attempted to take that spoon out of your hand, I’m pretty sure you’d not be the only one sporting a split chin.
Not that you let your injury stop you.” He chuckled when I attempted a very poor swing at his head, missing by a mile. “And that makes four.”
I huffed and dropped my hand to return to rubbing my tummy. “What happens at four? I get an extra swat?”
“You could say that.”
It took me a moment to digest his words but when I did, I pushed up to twist around to look at him. “How come that sounds far more ominous than an extra swat warrants?”
“Maybe because extra swats earned in the same day don’t come with my hand attached to them,” Lincoln said.
How the same tummy could be so full of cake and ice cream and yet still find room to house a thousand butterflies taking flight, I wasn’t sure.
All I knew was that it did. I battled whether or not I really wanted to know if that meant the paddle he’d teased about might actually exist while Lincoln just grinned.
When he chuckled, I had a funny feeling he knew exactly where my thoughts had gone.
“Funny, I don’t remember you being so tricky.” I gave another huff.
“And yet I absolutely remember you never failing to test the boundaries, pixie,” he said in a tone that told me he was enjoying the fact that he wasn’t wrong.
I sank back against him again. “Fine, but I’m warning you, if you put me over your lap now I can’t be held responsible for any hurling that happens.”
His arms came around me to pull me even tighter to his chest. I had no explanation as how that didn’t upset my full stomach. Nor did I particularly care. I’d never felt safer or as happy in my life.
“Babygirl, what kind of Daddy would I be if I spanked you when you weren’t feeling well?”
I couldn’t have answered that question if my very life depended on it. Not the part about why I wouldn’t be spanked until I felt better. Only a truly evil person would inflict that on someone. It was the part about who would be doing the spanking that rendered me totally speechless.
Daddy.
I let the word hover over me and when I realized I wanted to grab it and wear it like a cloak, I smiled and found my answer.
“A naughty Daddy.” I was rewarded when his chest moved beneath me.
It was then that I understood he’d been holding his breath ever since uttering that magical word.
I slid my hand down his arm until I found his hand and worked my fingers to twine around his.
“My Daddy will wait until I’m not only feeling better, but will give me that bath he promised, tuck me into bed, tell me a story, and hold me until I fall asleep. ”
He bent down and I shivered as his breath tickled the shell of my ear after he’d moved my hair aside. “And exactly where does that spanking fit in again?” He spoke each word softly into my ear before he took the lobe and gave it a gentle nip.
“Um, we could just skip over that part and get straight to the snuggling,” I suggested.
His chuckle sounded far more like a promise and my body betrayed me when my princess parts tingled even as my butt cheeks crawled.
“I think it’s better to begin as I plan on ending,” Lincoln said as he kissed the pulse point at the side of my throat.
It served to spike my arousal as well as rang a warning bell. “When do you plan on ending?” I asked so softly I wasn’t sure I’d spoken aloud.
“Not until I take my dying breath.”
Tears welled for the umpteenth time that day but I’d already learned that he wouldn’t belittle me for them. I turned in his arms, making sure I kept my foot on the pillow. “Then promise me you won’t die for at least a hundred years, Daddy.”
He grinned and I leaned forward to kiss the dimple that appeared. When I pulled back, he cupped my face in his palms and brought my mouth within a breath of his lips. “I promise to do my best, babygirl.”
That was more than enough for me, especially when he sealed the promise with the softest, sexiest kiss I’d ever been given. I never wanted it to end, yet when he pulled back and said, “Bath time,” I was more than ready to get clean.
“Please tell me you do have bubble bath,” I said as I sat up to allow him to stand.
“Shall we go look?” he asked instead of answering and scooped me up into his arms.
To be honest, I’d not actually put a lot of thought into what would happen but now that it appeared we were taking that next step, thoughts flooded my mind.
This step would involve far more than banter.
A step that, if it followed any normal set of rules, would involve getting naked.
Make that me getting naked while he got to remain fully clothed.
And, if he did have bubble bath, did that mean he’d given baths to lots and lots of Little girls?
He might not wear a necklace, but if he did, was I just another bead in the string of pearls around his neck?
Questions I needed to ask and have answered, but none of those were the first question out of my mouth.
“How big is your tub?” I asked as he began to make his way down the hall.
“Big enough you could probably swim a lap,” he said which wasn’t an answer at all.
“No, I mean, is it big enough for both of us?”
“It better be. Otherwise we might look very pruney by the time Luther gets home and realizes we’re missing in action.”
“What sort of action?” I asked.
Lincoln barked out a laugh. “Let’s just say that while I can think of far worse places to be trapped buck naked, since you’ll be stuck to me like glue, I don’t think I could find it within myself to call for a quick rescue.”
I shook my head, trying not to smile and failing miserably. “Are you telling me what I thought was a simple bath might not be so innocent after all?”
He grinned. “What I’m saying is that knowing you, I’m not ruling out anything. Remember, I’ve known you since you were literally knee-high to a grasshopper.”
I laughed. “Wow, that must have been some mutant grasshopper.”
“Oh, it had to be,” Lincoln assured me. “How else could it have transported all those wickedly naughty fairies throughout the woods?”
By the time we’d walked through his bedroom and into the attached bath, I’d completely forgotten about being nervous. And when I saw a huge pink bottle sitting on the side of the tub, I gasped. “How did you know?”
Lincoln grinned down at me as he set me on the counter. “While I’d love to take the credit, that goes to Luther. He told me he found your list when he helped Earl move your car out of the ditch. Once the car was fixed, he and Kate went into town and did your shopping.”
“All of it?” I asked, gaping up at him.
“I’m not sure, but I’d be willing to bet what they couldn’t get, we can arrange to finish once your ankle is better.”
“This town is even more magical than I remembered,” I said softly, meaning every word as I looked up at him. “And that was before I discovered my childhood crush could be my Daddy Dom.”
“There’s no could be about it. As far as I’m concerned, I’ve been your Daddy Dom the moment I understood what the dynamic meant. I’ve just been waiting for you to find your way home again. And, babygirl, I’m ever so glad you did.”
What I’d done to deserve him, I would never know. How we could fit together so flawlessly after so many years, I didn’t question, just accepted the gift he was offering.
“Me too.”
He bent down and this time when his lips covered mine, the kiss wasn’t as gentle, but I wouldn’t have changed a single thing about it. I only clung tighter to him. However, the moment I whimpered, he stepped back, a look of concern on his face.
“No,” I hurried to assure him. “I wasn’t whimpering in pain.” I used my grip on his shirt to attempt to pull him close again.
“Still, I know better,” he said. “You’ll need time to heal.”
He cut off my protest by giving me a wry smile and running his fingertip along my jawline. When I winced slightly, I would have kicked myself except not even I was going to pretend my ankle still didn’t throb. That didn’t mean I was going to give up though.
“Maybe I’m one of those submissives who like pain,” I suggested.
His eyebrow arched and my flesh broke out into goosebumps. I felt all tingly inside until he said, “Then I won’t have to worry about going too soft on those spankings you’ve got coming.”
“Spankings? As in plural? I thought that fourth swat just…”
“Just what?” he asked as he moved to the tub to start filling it.