Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
Anson was aware that she didn’t look like she believed him. But he’d earned that.
Her disbelief.
Her hesitance.
It was his punishment. His penance.
But he was determined to show her. To earn that trust. To find out what had put that sadness in her eyes.
Or who.
Fucking George.
He didn’t even fully know what had happened, but he already hated that asshole.
Finding her in a onesie, her thumb in her mouth, holding onto that toy mouse in a tutu . . . fuck. It had opened up something inside him that he hadn’t realized was there.
A longing. A need.
He hadn’t thought about the club for a long time. Didn’t think that was something he wanted anymore. Hell, he hadn’t wanted anything except peace and quiet for a long, long time.
And yet . . . seeing her like that had made him think about what it would be like to take care of a Little. Being in the club, dominating a sub, it had always made him feel lighter. It had given him the control he’d desperately needed.
Being a Daddy Dom was similar but different and he needed to do some more research.
But he knew who to go to talk to about that.
Oh, and that fucking bastard was going to love that he was going to him for advice.
He nearly backed out of it, he could do his research online, right? But it wasn’t the same as talking to an actual Daddy Dom.
And she deserved the best. Which is exactly what he wanted to give her.
“Shall we go?” she asked, reaching for her suitcase.
That familiar flare of annoyance filled him. But he dampened it down. Being an angry dick wasn’t who he wanted to be anymore.
He had to do better.
He would do better.
“Joey will be here any minute, let him carry it down.”
“Oh, but I can take it. There’s no reason for him to come all the way up here.” She slid her hand around the handle.
“Alice,” he said in a dark voice. Then he stopped himself.
You don’t have the right to boss her around.
“Yes?” she asked, peering at him in confusion.
God, she’d looked adorable in that onesie. He wondered if she had any more of them. If she had any cute outfits. And what she liked to play with or how young her Little was. Did she often suck her thumb? Did she need a pacifier?
“Just leave it for Joey. Please,” he managed to add on.
“Why are you doing that?” she asked.
“Doing what?”
“Saying please. That’s not really like you. Generally, you just bark out orders and expect to be obeyed.”
“Well, I sound like a real dick, don’t I?” he said.
She shrugged. “I don’t know. You carry it off well.”
“Yeah.” He stared down at her. “Are you saying you like when I boss you around?”
Alice peeked up at him, then away. “I wouldn’t go that far.”
Oh, she was lying to him.
“You lying to me, little girl?” he murmured.
A shudder ran through her and she opened her mouth to reply. But a knock sounded, interrupting them. He caught the relief on her face.
She’d definitely been lying. Which meant that she did like him bossing her around.
Interesting.
Another knock and he reached over to open the door to his smiling, cheerful brother.
“Hello!”
“As usual, you have shitty timing,” he told him.
Joey’s smile didn’t falter. “It’s a gift.”
“It’s a pain in the ass.”
“You really don’t have the worst timing,” Alice said quickly. “He didn’t mean that.”
“Yes, I did,” Anson said. “And grab her suitcase.”
“Sir, yes, Sir!” Joey said, saluting him.
Asshole.
“You could say please,” she said, frowning up at him.
Lord, she was adorable. If he could pick her up and carry her around all day, he would.
Once, that would have been possible. He’d have never let her down. Would have carried her everywhere.
But not now.
The bitterness threatened to overtake him and he attempted to smother it. That bitterness was an old friend, but not one that was good for him.
Or her.
Maybe he should never have said goodbye to that part of him for his own sake.
And he was determined to do it for her sake.
“You, I’ll say please to,” Anson told her. “Because I’ve wronged you. Joey has been wronging me since the day he was born. He doesn’t get any pleases or apologies.”
“Apparently I’m very annoying,” Joey said with a grin. “It’s another gift. I got all of the good gifts. The ability to smile, to have fun, to make friends. Big brother here got coal in his stocking each year.”
“Coal is useful,” Anson replied. “GI Joe figurines are not.”
“Of course they are!” Joey said, bouncing up and down. “They helped me perfect all of my kung fu moves.” He swung his hands through the air and then kicked out with his foot.
Alice guessed those were supposed to be kung fu moves, she wasn’t really sure. But Joey did have the ability to bring a smile to her face. He seemed to lighten the mood of any room he walked into.
“Did GI Joe have kung fu moves?” she asked.
Joey looked at her with a crushed look.
Anson shook his head.
“He can have whatever you want him to, darlin’,” Joey told her. “It’s all in your imagination.”
She had to smile. That was true. “My mouse is a ballerina.”
Shit. Shit.
Why had she said that? She never told anyone about Lola. Not since George. And Anson, of course, but that had been in a desperate bid to drive him away.
Alice could feel her cheeks heating. She knew they were probably bright red.
“Well, of course she is, darlin’,” Joey said without a hint of shock or confusion. “She can be whatever you want her to be!”
Anson moved closer to her. A firm, warm presence standing behind her. She almost sank back into him, letting him take her weight.
Then she remembered his leg and managed to hold herself up.
Just.
“Joey, take her luggage out and put it into her car, will you? We’ll be down in a moment.”
“Sure, thing. Got your keys, darlin’?” Joey asked.
“Oh, yes, they’re on the dresser.” She attempted to move away from Anson, but he placed his hand on the back of her neck and let it rest there. Heavy and possessive. Leaving no doubt about what he wanted.
For her to stay.
She could almost hear those words in her head.
“Anson,” she whispered. “Let me get the keys.”
“Nope. Joey can see the keys and get them himself. Can’t you, Joey?”
“Sure can!” Joey grinned at the two of them without moving.
Anson cleared his throat. “Do you want to get the keys, Joey? And head down to her car?”
“Sorry, sorry,” Joey said hastily. “It’s just that the two of you make a darn cute couple.”
With a whistle, he grabbed her bag and rushed away.
Anson groaned. “Sorry about him.”
“Why?” she asked. She still felt slightly mortified, despite the fact that Joey hadn’t really reacted to her announcement about her mouse.
“Because he just blurts out whatever is on his mind without thinking. He’s always been that way.”
“It must be nice not to worry about what other people think of you.”
Alice felt him move until he was standing in front of her. She snuck a look up at him. Reaching out, he cupped her chin in his hand and kept her face up so she was staring straight at him.
“You don’t have to worry about what you just told Joey,” he told her. “If anyone is going to understand your Little and accept her, it’s him.”
“Is he . . .” Nope. That was rude to ask.
“A Little? Yep. And if he and Lochlan ever get their act together . . . they’ll discover that they are perfect for each other. Although both of them like women too. Maybe a Mommy for Joey or another Little, I don’t know which way they’d lean.”
Wow. Mind blown.
Although she did wonder if that was why she was so drawn to Joey, so relaxed around him.
“You will not be their Little,” he added sternly.
She gave him a shocked look. “I’m not sure why you thought you should say that.”
“You’re not meeting Lochlan,” he added bizarrely.
“I’m not?” She couldn’t help the hint of sadness that infiltrated her voice. Why wouldn’t he want her to meet his . . . friend? Well, she thought this Lochlan was his friend. Sometimes it was hard to tell with the way he talked about him.
“Can’t risk him stealing you away from me. Not before you’ve forgiven me. And put your trust in me.”
He almost sounded like he was talking to himself.
“I have forgiven you. And no one is stealing me away.” She cleared her throat. “Not saying that you and I are . . . that I’m ready to be . . . anything.”
“I know, baby. You might have forgiven me but that doesn’t mean you trust me. And that’s on me. I’ll work on that. All I need is a chance. I know I have no right to ask this, considering I pushed you into running. But please don’t push me away or run. If you need to leave, tell me first.”
“So you can kidnap me and lock me in your basement?” She attempted to joke.
“Of course not!” he said in mock-horror. “I would never put my baby in a basement.”
Alice smiled. Then she took a deep breath.
She shouldn’t agree to this. He had no right to ask it of her.
But she was so tired of running. All she wanted was to feel safe.
And she’d never felt more safe than she had with him.
That’s why it had hurt so much when he’d ripped it all away. “All right. I can give you that.”
Relief flooded his face. “Thank you, baby.”