Chapter 16
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Tanner kept his hand on the small of Junie’s back as he guided her up the wide staircase toward the east wing.
The warmth of her body that seeped through the thin fabric of her dress and into his palm was pure temptation.
It took real effort not to slide his hand lower, to cup the sweet curve of her ass and pull her against him right there on the stairs.
The Littles had been practically vibrating with excitement all through dinner, whispering and giggling behind their hands, but not a single one of them would spill the beans on what was going on. Even Ruby’s stern warning about eating cold supper for breakfast hadn’t calmed them down.
Junie stopped in front of his door, eyes wide with quiet wonder as she reached out and traced the heavy wrought iron bucking bronco latch with her fingertip, exploring every raised line and curve.
“This is really cool,” she whispered, “very rough and rugged vibe.”
A slow, satisfied smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
He’d chosen that latch on purpose—dark, scarred, a little rough around the edges.
Just like him. He wanted her to see it. He wanted her to look at that latch and think of him.
To understand that nothing about him was polished or safe or temporary.
He wanted her to see him.
After pushing open the door, he stepped aside, watching Junie’s face as she took in his space for the first time.
He tried to see it through her eyes—the heavy reclaimed barn wood beams overhead, the massive stone fireplace that dominated one wall, the wide, sturdy bed built for a man his size.
Everything was solid, masculine, a little rough. Just like him.
He hoped like hell she didn’t notice the faint, sweet vanilla scent lingering in the air.
He kept a small diffuser in here on purpose.
It reminded him of her—warm, sweet, and comforting.
Always had. He wasn’t ready for her to know just how long he’d been carrying her with him, even when she wasn’t physically here.
Walking over to a small fridge in the corner, she read aloud the little handwritten sign held in place by a magnet.
“The pies in this fridge belong to Tanner. Hands off!”
She opened the fridge door and took out one of the pies, examining it closely.
“These are my pies, Tanner, the ones I sold you earlier in the week.”
She let out a soft, delighted giggle that warmed his heart.
“I can make you more pies anytime you want, Daddy.”
Daddy.
The word rolled off her tongue so naturally, so sweetly, it still damn near knocked the air out of his lungs every time she said it.
But that wasn’t the only effect it had on him.
Heat surged through his body like wildfire, pooling low and heavy in his groin.
His cock twitched hard behind his zipper as he stared at her.
It was a struggle to fight the overwhelming urge to pull her against him right then and there, crush his mouth to hers, and make her say it again—slower, breathier, right against his lips while he pinned her to the door.
Fuck, he loved the sound of it coming from her. Loved it more than he should. It sparked something deep and possessive inside him while simultaneously making him ache to claim her in every possible way.
He swallowed hard, trying to keep his voice steady even as his control frayed at the edges.
“That’s a dangerous offer, Cupcake,” he said, his voice deep and rumbling. “Because once you start taking care of me like that… I’m not sure I’ll ever let you stop.”
Junie glanced around his room, taking in the heavy beams, the big stone fireplace, and the sturdy, masculine furniture. She inspected each facet of the décor. “It’s the perfect mix of bunkhouse and mancave.”
“Thank you, I fixed it up myself.”
“That’s something you didn’t have to tell me. I’ve known you were all man for a long time. But… this,” she paused to wave around the room, “this says it all. It’s definitely decorated perfectly for a single man like you.”
The words landed wrong.
Was she implying that he was still single, still unattached?
Then it dawned on him. She still thought this was temporary.
That he was temporary. That one day, he’d get bored and ride off like he had when he left for the rodeo.
At first, the idea that she could still doubt him after everything that had passed between them recently clawed at him, made him angry.
Then he paused, reflecting on how he’d actually treated her over the last few years.
Maybe she had good reason to feel that way.
Regardless, she needed to understand how he felt—not just hear the words but know them in her bones. From his perspective, this wasn’t temporary. This room, this ranch, this life… she was home now. And she was his home.
He wouldn’t push her right away. Instead, he let her wander over to the big picture window overlooking the Tetons.
The early evening light painted the mountains in soft purples and golds.
He gave her the quiet moment, watching the way the light caught in her hair, the gentle sway of her hips as she moved.
His hands itched to touch her, to pull her back against his chest and wrap himself around her so tightly she’d never question where she belonged again.
He took advantage of her momentary distraction to duck into the adjoining room.
At his return a moment later, she turned slightly, tilting her head. “Why don’t you have curtains? What if you want to sleep in one morning?”
He stepped up close behind her, close enough that his chest brushed her back and his breath fanned across her ear.
“I don’t sleep in.”
She shivered. He felt it roll through her body, and it sent a bolt of pure satisfaction straight to his cock.
“Up until now,” he added, voice lowering to a rough whisper, “I haven’t had a reason to.”
He let the words sink in, let her feel the heat of him at her back, the promise in his tone.
She needed to understand exactly what kind of reason he was talking about.
Her. Naked and soft in his bed every morning.
Her sleepy little sighs. Her body curled trustingly against his.
The thought of waking up with Junie in his arms—his Little, his woman, his forever—filled him with pleasure and desire.
He was done waiting. Done pretending. Done letting her think for even one more second that he wasn’t all in.
Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pulled her tight against his body.
Her nipples tightened visibly against the thin fabric of her dress.
The delicate shiver that rolled down her spine vibrated against him, sending a surge of pure, primal satisfaction through him.
Good. He wanted her feeling every single word.
Every breath. Every dark, possessive intention rolling off him in waves.
Watching the movement of her chest move up and down in increasing speed, he let the moment linger for another heartbeat before he gently guided her toward the big leather sofa facing the massive stone fireplace.
Once she was seated, he dropped to sit on the raised hearth directly across from her, elbows on his knees, eyes locked on her face like a predator watching his prey.
“Tell me again why you didn’t tell me about the gifts.”
“I thought maybe you’d forgotten about that,” she said.
“Well, you thought wrong, babygirl. Answer the question.”
“I thought if you knew about it, you might really hurt him.”
Tanner nodded. “That’s a valid concern, but still not a good excuse for ignoring Daddy’s instructions.”
“I was afraid that if you hurt him, you might go to jail.”
“And…”
“And… what, Daddy?”
“And you thought you would just handle it yourself.”
“Well, I guess that’s right, at the time I really didn’t think he was dangerous.”
“Babygirl, you know what this is really about, don’t you?”
“Me obeying you?” she guessed.
“It’s about trust. About you trusting me. Trusting me to know what I’m talking about when I tell you someone is dangerous. Trusting me to do what needs to be done to protect you.”
He stood and held out his hand. “Come here, Cupcake.”
She hesitated for only a heartbeat before rising to slide her smaller hand into his.
He led her to the foot of his bed. “Sit down, baby. And don’t move.”
She obeyed, perched on the edge of the mattress, watching him with those wide, nervous blue eyes that made his chest pull tight.
He crossed to the heavy sliding barn door that hid his private playroom. A moment later, he was back. He placed a black box on the bed beside her, keeping the other object out of her sight.
Junie stared at the box in disbelief.
“Recognize this, babygirl?”
Junie gulped hard. “It looks like the box the chastity belt came in.”
“It does. As a matter of fact, there’s a chastity belt in there. Can you tell me why there is a chastity belt in this room?”
“Does it have something to do with the whole punishment fits the crime thing?”
“Close but try again.”
Junie squirmed on the mattress. Tanner couldn’t help but notice that she couldn’t take her eyes off the box.
“It’s here because you didn’t trust me, Cupcake. It’s here because you didn’t call me when the gifts started arriving, so I could put a stop to it. It’s here so that I can teach you what happens to Little girls who don’t listen to their Daddies.”
He dropped to one knee in front of her, placing the second item he’d retrieved on the floor beside him before bracketing her hips with his big hands to cage her in. Close enough to feel the warmth radiating from her body. Close enough to see the rapid flutter of her pulse at the base of her throat.
“Lots of people see a bunkhouse or cave as temporary shelter,” he said, “I don’t. This is home. A place to belong. A place to protect what’s mine and hold it close.”
He looked straight into her eyes, letting her see everything—the hunger, the need, the absolute certainty burning in his chest like a brand.