Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
The rain should have cooled him off after that kiss.
After the way she’d ridden him on that bronco bustin’ contraption, gripping her thighs around him and grinding her hot little pussy against his back—hell, he’d almost come in his jeans like a teenager.
How had she attached herself to his heart so quickly?
No woman had ever affected him like this.
The rain, which cooled almost everything else off, hadn’t helped cool him off at all. Probably because the burn under his skin had nothing to do with temperature. No, this heat was all about her.
She’d said she trusted him. Did she have any idea what that meant to a man like him? A Daddy like him? And then, when he’d needed a distraction the most, she’d gone quiet. Leaving him alone with his lascivious thoughts. He could really use her antics and wonderful rambling conversations right now.
He couldn’t get the picture of her out of his mind. The way her hair clung to her cheeks. The way her fingers twisted together for a second before she wrapped them around his neck. Her quick glances when she thought he wouldn’t notice while they waited for their turn to ride the bucking bronco.
His jaw stayed tight, but not from anger. He wasn’t angry, far from it. Not about the sunglasses. Not about the backward sprint that had nearly stopped his heart. Not even about the raging hard-on he was dealing with right now, thanks to that damn bronco ride.
Nope. He was tense because, for the first time in as long as he could remember, he had a Little girl taking up space in his head and heart and making him horny as hell. He wanted her, and that was the simplest truth in the world.
He wanted to hear her laugh every day. He wanted to take care of her and keep her safe and happy. Wanted her fire and zest for life. Wanted the way she melted into him, like she’d finally found something steady enough to lean on.
But wanting wasn’t always enough. He needed to figure a few things out.
He knew what was going on in her body. He wasn’t the only one struggling for control after that damn ride.
What he needed to figure out was what was going on in her head.
Was Rawhide Ranch some magical vacation spot for her?
A place where she could get her Little fix and be done?
He knew about Wilder and its proclivities. But did she want a Daddy in a long-term, permanent way? Temporary wasn’t what he was looking for. He’d been in that relationship many times before. It was fine for what it was, but now he wanted more. Now he wanted forever.
She glanced at him again, her lip caught between her teeth, worry in her eyes. She thought she was about to be spanked. He could see it in the way she braced her shoulders. He could hear each tiny hitch in her breathing whenever his hand brushed her back.
He didn’t correct the assumption. Not yet. There were many ways to punish a Little who tended to forget important things. The things he had planned could make his point, answer his questions, and bring them both pleasure, eventually.
“Daddy?” she asked softly, her voice nearly swallowed by the pounding of the rain.
“Yes, firefly?”
Her teeth still worried her lower lip. “You’re awfully quiet.”
He kept his gaze steady. “Daddy has some things to think about, little one.”
She shivered, but was it because of her wet clothes or his words? Her voice trembled when she spoke. “That doesn’t sound ominous or anything.”
Despite himself, the corner of his mouth twitched. “Oh no? I must be doing it wrong then.”
“Oh. Well then, I’ll just keep quiet and let you think like the good girl I am.” She slid him another look, searching his face like she was trying to read his thoughts.
She glanced away, but not quickly enough. He’d seen the hope and worry in her eyes. So tonight wasn’t going to be about sunglasses. Not really. It wasn’t even about running backward during the stick horse race.
Tonight was about what happened after tomorrow.
What did she want once camp was over, after she packed up her adorable suitcase menagerie and drove back to Wilder?
Something kicked him in the gut at the thought of her leaving.
Tonight was about whether she returned to Wilder alone or with him standing beside her.
The cabin was warm when they’d arrived, but Fiera still shivered. First things first. “Let’s get you dry, firefly. Then Daddy has some things he wants to talk about. Come with me.”
Fiera stood in the middle of the room, shivering so hard it rocked the medal still hanging around her neck, as her fingers worried the ribbon. She was waiting for him to punish her even as raindrops ran down her face, dripping off her chin and nose.
His head might just explode. What kind of degenerate asshat made her think she should stand in wet clothes, freezing, to wait for punishment?
She swiped at them impatiently and muttered, “Yes, Daddy. But if I slip and fall, I’m blaming you.”
As angry as he was at her former, dick of a Daddy, she could still make him want to smile. “Oh, really. And why is that?”
“Because you’re the Incredible Hulk, Daddy. You could’ve carried me.”
He huffed a low sound that almost passed for a laugh. “You want to be carried?”
Her eyes widened slightly, as if she hadn’t expected him to call her bluff. “I… well, that’s not what I meant.”
“Mmhmm.” His hands flexed at his sides with the effort it took to keep from reaching for her. He wanted to pick her up, hold her tight, and carry her to her room. But he shouldn’t. Not until after they had their talk… not until they… oh, to hell with it. “That sounds like a plan to me.”
With that, he scooped her up, grinning at her squeak of surprise. Sometimes a surprise ride in Daddy’s arms was just what the doctor ordered. He carried her to her room, picked out a dry outfit, and sat on the edge of her bed. “Let’s get you changed, babygirl.”
Forget saucers. Fiera’s eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. “Both of us? I mean, like you and me?”
God, he loved being a Daddy. He’d thought she would take the outfit and go change in the bathroom, but if this was where her mind went, he was here for it. “Yes, little one. I don’t want you to get sick. You can’t stay in those wet things. Come here, and I’ll help you change.”
Face glowing brighter than Rudolph’s nose, she walked toward him without further protest. “I can do it by myself. You have wet clothes, too.”
He rubbed her down with the towel, trying to dry her clothes. “Do you think I’m the kind of Daddy who doesn’t like to take care of his Little girl?” If he was going to be her forever Daddy, he wanted to start like he planned to finish.
She shook her head, windmilling drops of water around the room. “N-no, Daddy. I just didn’t want to be a bother.”
That’s what he’d thought. Yeah, he was definitely setting aside time to pay Erwin a visit.
“Look at me.” He took her ice-cold hands in his.
“You are many things to me, Fiera Danielle Sharpe. You are my fiery, witness of God, quick and smart, funny babygirl. What you are not, and never will be, is a bother. Whoever made you feel like you were a burden was a jealous, petty, narcissistic asshole. So, the next time someone tries to treat you like that, you tell them to expect a visit from me. I’ll be showing them what a real bother looks like. Do you understand?”
Tears filled her eyes as she stared at him.
Before he could respond, she threw herself into his arms, wrapping herself around him, and burst into tears.
Between the two of them, the bed was getting soaked, and he did not give the first fuck.
If everything went as he hoped, she’d be sleeping in his bed tonight anyway.
The question was, where would he be sleeping?
Wrapping the large towel around her, he hugged her, letting her cry it out. When her tears slowed to hitched breaths, he leaned her back and wiped the tears from her face. “Better?” he asked.
Sniffling, she nodded. “Y-you’re the b-best D-daddy in the wh-whole w-world.”
With a kiss to her forehead, he said, “Thank you, babygirl. I’m glad you feel that way. Now, let’s get you into these dry clothes.”
Reaching down, he pulled off her soaked shoes and socks before tucking the quilt around her feet. His reward for that was a contented sigh.
“Tell me, firefly. Just how many pairs of Converse do you have?”
Throwing a sheepish grin his way, she shrugged. “I stopped counting at fifteen. A bunch, though.”
Once he had her dried off and dressed in the softest, most adorable pink t-shirt with a kitten on the top that read “Time For A Cat Nap,” he carried her to their spot.
He grabbed Sniffles before sitting in the rocking chair with her settled on his lap, making sure her back was to the window.
Her beautiful eyes had been in bright light most of the day.
For several minutes, he didn’t say anything. With a gentle tug, he had her leaning against his chest. Rubbing her back, he just rocked, slow and steady, and hummed a low tune without thought. It took time, but the reward for his patience was her body relaxing against him.
Had anyone ever felt so perfect in his arms? Never. He had to find out what she wanted before he got any more attached. She might be his little firefly. But he wasn’t going to trap her in a jar and keep her. She had to want to stay.
With as conversational a tone as he could manage, he said, “I want to talk about what happens after camp.” The words landed between them like a stone in still water.
Fiera tensed. He hated the way her body instinctively braced for harsh words and actions rather than believing the best. In her experience, talking about the future meant bad news and blame games.
He tightened his hold just enough to reassure her. “Look at me, firefly.”
His brave girl did as he asked, and for a moment, he wished she hadn’t. Her eyes were wide, searching for clues in his body language or expression that would tell her how bad the conversation would be.
He held her gaze and smiled, anything to erase the fear from her eyes.
“I like you, Fiera. No, I more than like you. I’m drawn to you in a way I haven’t experienced in a very long time.
” This wasn’t the time to pussyfoot around.
“Being your Daddy here at camp isn’t just about having fun. Not for me.”
Tucking her hair behind her ear, he gave her a moment to think about that. The tension remained in her body, but a flicker of something crossed her face. Something that looked like hope.
“When camp is over, and it’s time for everyone to leave,” he continued. “I’d like to keep seein’ you. Back in the real world, I mean.” Could he sound any more like a jackass?
Thunder rumbled again, closer this time. Her fingers twisted in his shirt. He tapped his ear, the signal they’d agreed on for her to check her hearing aid and see if an adjustment would help.
With a quick shake of her head, she said, “No, Daddy. I want to hear more about back in the real world.”
Thank god for that. Maybe he wasn’t blowing this completely. “You need to know I won’t be angry no matter what you say,” he added. He needed to be clear on that. “If you don’t want that, you tell me. I won’t blame you or pressure you in any way.”
It pissed him off that he even needed to say that, but given her recent experiences, he wanted her to understand that he wasn’t that kind of man.
She nibbled her bottom lip, so he gently pulled it out of harm’s way. Her gaze dropped to his shoulder. Not making eye contact didn’t seem like a good sign.
“The only thing I ask,” he went on, firming his voice just a fraction, “is that you be honest with me. That’s the only thing that’s fair to both of us.” Even though their time together had been short, he hoped she knew him well enough not to pretend just to please him. He needed the truth.