Chapter 6
CHAPTER 6
B oone had never met anyone like Tildi. It was a wonder she hadn’t gotten into the kind of trouble men like Midnight brought before now. She was the poster child for sweetness and vulnerability, all wrapped up in the sexiest body he’d ever seen. She was like a pitcher of cool water about to fall off a table in front of a man just leaving from a week in the desert. She should come with a warning tag.
When he’d seen her running across the grass with her handgun bouncing alongside her own head, finger on the trigger, he had almost lost his mind. Instead, he’d lost his balance and fallen from the window like a damn new recruit. If the blast hadn’t increased his forward momentum, he probably would have broken his neck.
“We’re going to start this relationship the way I intend for it to go.” He sat back down on the boulder and, with a firm yank, pulled her face down over his knees.
“Wait!” She tried to push off his lap. “What are we doing?”
“You are lying over my lap like the naughty girl you are,” he told her, stating what he thought was more than obvious. “I am about to show you what happens when a Little girl of mine throws caution and common sense out the window and puts her safety at risk.”
Not for the first time since he’d met her, he appreciated her short skirt. She threw her hand back to try and prevent him from lifting said skirt, not that it would do her any good. When he had it shoved up to her waist, he smiled. Her lavender thong was very convenient. It meant he didn’t need to waste time pulling them down.
He took just a moment to appreciate the swells and curves of her bottom and her pale, unmarred skin. A moment was all he had, though, so he brought his hand down with a solid thwack to the dead center of her cheeks.
The yelp that escaped her was satisfying. She’d be making many of those yelps in the next few minutes and a lot of other noises, too. He didn’t have the time for a real lecture, so he made do with, “You never point a gun at anything you don’t intend to shoot. And you never, ever point it at your own head.”
Then he let his hand take over the conversation. He intended to be very thorough.
“Ow! OW!” she howled. “I didn’t mean to. I’m sorry! Please–ouch! Please stop! It was an accident.”
If that was supposed to be an excuse, it wasn’t anywhere close to being good enough. “Do you have any idea the number of people who wind up dead by accident?” he demanded.
“Oh! OH! OOOWWW! No! Stop! Please! I didn’t give consent.”
He didn’t even slow down. “You have a safe word, and you agreed to accept the consequences of naughty behavior. If you need to stop, the word is red. Are you using it?”
“Owie! Oh, OW!” She kicked her legs and bucked her hips, waving her bottom around to try and ease the heat in her cheeks as he rained down swat after swat. “Please stop! I’m sorry! I won’t ever touch a gun again as long as I live. I promise. I promise!”
Boone did not stop. He moved lower, spanking her sit spots and the tops of her thighs. He’d be able to see those even when her skirt was back in place. With one final crack to her bright red bottom, he hauled her up and set her on her feet in front of him.
She didn’t even bother to lower her skirt. Grabbing her scalded backside, she bounced up and down on her toes and stared at him with wide, tear-drenched eyes. “That hurt!” she cried.
“It was meant to,” he said. “You are going to prioritize your safety from now on, or you will find yourself right back over my knee, and next time, I’ll use my belt. Do you understand?”
Tildi whimpered and nodded. “I promise,” she said again.
He held her eyes to make sure she was serious, then held out his hand to her. She threw herself back on his lap, straddling his legs with hers and burying her face in his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and held her while she cried out all the pent up emotions she’d been carrying. At least all she could get out in the few minutes they had.
She fit perfectly in his arms. He tried to pull his hips back in the hope she wouldn’t notice how hard his dick was.
Long before either of them was ready, he shifted her more toward his knees, though he couldn’t make himself move her from his lap. Her nose and eyes were red, but she was still the most beautiful woman he’d ever known.
He needed to prepare her for the next step of their escape. After the way she reacted to their short trek through the narrow band of trees hiding Midnight’s compound from the view of fishing vessels and tourists, he had no idea how to tell her about the thirty-five mile hike through real forests containing very real animals and an active volcano or two.
At least he’d parked the jeep Sev had arranged for him about five miles down. They’d be able to drive most of the way.
When he and his team had come up with the escape plan, he hadn’t counted on having anyone with him. He had no problem with the jump as long as he had his base jumping equipment. But for Tildi? A drop from that height off a sheer cliff to a narrow strip of beach below was not going to go over well.
To be honest, he would never have subjected her to anything close to what she had coming in the next few days. He had planned his escape to the smallest detail. But he’d had no idea he would have a woman who’d been confined to tiny rooms for a year with him. Much less a Little. That could be the picture beside the term best-laid plans in the dictionary or whatever book held such things.
With no other option, he stood and put her down. “First things first.” He loped to his pack and took out the spare thermals he always kept there. “Let’s get these on you so you don’t freeze to death.”
Five minutes and a great deal of tucking and folding later, he had her in his spare set of thermals. The shirt hung down as far as her skirt, and he’d had to roll up the pants so many times they made a thick ring around her ankles. He’d also found a pair of wool socks in his bag, which was the best he could do to compensate for her shoes.
She looked like she’d been swallowed whole, and he thought she was adorable. Now, time to fill her in on what came next. “Bluebell, I need to share what the next two days have in store for us. Fair warning, you’re not going to be tickled pink by what I have to say.”
“Are you kiddin’ me?” he asked. She’d surprised him. He couldn’t remember the last time that had happened. He thought she might sulk from having her britches busted, but she hadn’t. When she shared some information about the town she’d grown up in, he understood why.
“Nope, it’s a family friendly tourist town in the eastern Tennessee mountains,” she said, attempting to keep up in her not-ready-for-mountain-range hiking shoes. “In Darling, almost all the men are Daddies. There all all kinds of things for Littles, hence for kids, to do. When I left, we were getting more and more Littles and Daddies visiting or moving there to try and find someone. Breezy says they have all sorts of things to do now.”
Her pace slowed at the mention of her sister. Tildi had spoken of her sister before. Had she been in the same camp as this General who was supposedly Tildi’s father?
He decided to wait to talk about her sister. There was something else he wanted to know. “You talk about home as if it is a wonderful place, and yet, you couldn’t wait to leave. Why is that?”
She shrugged. “The town is great. My family, well, my parents, not so much.”
Boone nodded. Talking kept her distracted. She hadn’t mentioned the wind or the ever-steepening trail, though it must be affecting her because her pace gradually grew slower and slower.
“Your parents but not your sister?” he asked.
“Breezy? No, Breezy was great. I couldn’t allow myself to show her how much I loved her back then. If the General thought anything was distracting me from my studies, he got rid of it. Even people. I had several friends whose parents miraculously got jobs somewhere else if I got too close to them. I came home one day and found a bunch of brochures about fine arts boarding schools all around the world. I knew it was the General’s way of warning me that he’d send Breezy away, too, if she got in the way of his plans for me. He was a shit father and a dick of a human being.”
He froze at her words and turned to face her. What kind of father would do that to his daughter? Either one of them?
“Language,” he drawled automatically. “Though I agree with the sentiment. Come here, Bluebell.”
She’d been lagging further and further behind the last mile or so, but she hadn’t complained. He was proud of her for that, but now that he watched her walk, it became evident she had a limp.
“You getting blisters from those shoes?” His years of military service had taught him the danger of open sores on the feet. It was one small reason to be thankful for the cold weather. Germs didn’t grow well in snow.
It hadn’t been a problem at first, but as they climbed higher, the drifts had grown deeper. His thermals and wool socks helped, but she could still get blisters or worse, frostbite.
When she got closer, he dropped to one knee and had her sit on the other. The breath she sucked in as he removed her shoe told him all he needed to know about the state of her feet, but he checked anyway.
As he suspected, she had several large blisters that had already popped on the bottoms of her feet and the backs of her heels. Even more concerning, her feet were a dark cherry red.
He should have stopped sooner, but she’d given no indication she was in pain. “Why didn’t you tell me you could barely walk, little girl? I could have helped.”
She sniffled, and he felt like an ass. Here she was, trying to be a trooper, and he was yelling at her.
“I didn’t want to complain. You saved my life already. I shouldn’t ask for more than that.” Those periwinkle eyes flashed, and her adorable chin jutted out. “I can do my part. You said we needed to make it to the jeep, so that’s what I’m going to do.”
He did his best to gentle his tone. “I appreciate that, Bluebell. I know you’ve had to look out for yourself and not make waves for the last year, but those days are gone. It’s my job as your Daddy to look after you. I know how strong you are. I’m proud of you, but being strong doesn’t mean not asking for help when you need it.”
“It always has before,” she said, her voice small and filled with pain. He’d bet a steak dinner that pain wasn’t because of her feet. Damn that man who donated sperm to her mother. He would never call the man a father again.
“Well, it isn’t that way anymore. I want you to come to me when anything is bothering you, no matter how big or how small.” He gave her a grin and a wink. “That’s one of the perks of having a Daddy.”
That earned him, if not a full blown smile, at least a tilt of her lips. With a nod, she said, “Okay.”
Schooling his face into an over-exaggerated scowl, he growled, “What are the words I want to hear, young lady?”
Her giggle was like bells jingling on a Christmas sleigh. “Yes, Daddy.”
“That’s my good girl,” he said. Without thinking, he leaned forward and kissed her. He’d intended to kiss her forehead, but at the last second, she looked up. His kiss landed on her lips. Her soft, plump, delicious lips.
It must have surprised her as well because her lips rounded into a gasp. It was all he could do not to take advantage of the opportunity to explore her mouth and taste her. With a self-control that had come from years of dealing with skittish colts on the ranch, he pulled back and brushed a kiss on her forehead as he had originally intended.
Was that disappointment in her eyes? He shut that thought down. There was no way he was going to make out with his girl when she was cold and in pain. It was more likely wishful thinking on his part, anyway.
“All right, Bluebell,” he said. “Let me look in my handy dandy backpack. I might have something to make your feet more comfortable.”
Before he could get it open, Tildi broke out in a rousing chorus of The Backpack Song, and his heart damn near burst.
Then she shook her head at him. “Handy Dandy goes with a notebook from Blue’s Clues . The magic backpack is from Dora the Explorer . Everyone knows that, Daddy!”
He grinned. “I guess I need to brush up on my Nickelodeon.”
As he’d thought, he had a small first aid kit containing some antibiotic ointment and bandages. Once he doctored her feet, he shifted his pack to rest on his abs. Before she could step away, he hoisted her onto his back.
“Wrap your legs around my waist, Bluebell. Daddy’s going to give you a piggyback ride.” He bounced her higher on his hips and then held his pack out to make room for her to do as he’d told her.
Her legs secure, he reached behind and grabbed under her butt.
“Are you sure I’m not too heavy for you?”
He bounced her, deliberately harder than before. “I’m gonna pretend I didn’t hear that. It came awful close to you talking down about yourself. That will get your britches dusted every time. Do you hear me?”
Her shudder sent hot waves of need through him, but now was not the time for that. The miles they needed to cover before reaching the spot he’d hidden the tent on his way in stretched before them.
He took off at a brisk pace, thankful he’d stuck to his training regimen in the mountains near the ranch. Other than the lack of humidity, Wyoming had been the perfect place to condition.
After about a mile, the trail became easier to follow. Not that the scrub wasn’t still overgrown and smacking them both in the face, but at least he had a narrow path. He watched his feet much of the time. It wouldn’t do to trip with his babygirl riding shotgun.
They rounded a sharp bend, and Tildi screamed.
Dropping her to her feet behind him, he pulled his Glock and searched for the enemy. Midnight’s men shouldn’t have been able to follow them, but it was possible he had men stationed closer to the western coast of the island.
When he spotted the problem, he holstered his gun and did his best not to laugh. To give his babygirl credit, it did present an intimidating picture. How it came to be on this island, he had no idea.
“We have to go back, Daddy,” Tildi whispered, tugging at his arm to retreat. “It might attack us, but if we don’t make sudden movements or noise, it might let us go.”
“Tildi—”
“It’s not time for brave hero macho Daddy,” she cut him off to insist. “It is too big, even for you. Please, Boone. Please, let’s go. We can find another way.”
A better man would have explained the situation to his Little girl. Boone was more a man of action. He had no idea how a Wagyu bull had made it onto this island, but there it stood, two thousand plus pounds of the most expensive beef on the planet.
“Get behind me, Bluebell. I’m going to get us through this. You stay calm and don’t move from this spot.”
“Wh-what are you going to do?” Tildi whispered, wrapping her arms around her chest.
“I’m going to do what I always do in this situation. This is not my first stare-down with a bull, babygirl. It can be tricky, but I know what to do. You just be still and quiet. Everything will be fine.”
He lowered his pack to the ground. Tildi wasn’t wrong. The massive animal had the body of a wild ox.
Boone held his hands out wide and approached the bull with slow, steady steps. These bulls were gentle, but he didn’t want to startle it and have Tildi hurt.
Though the horns on the bull were intimidating, it watched Boone approach with no more than the occasional blink. Boone reached forward and placed his palm on its forehead. The beast nuzzled against his hand like Dollar had so many times.
“Tildi, come here, darlin’. This one’s as gentle as a baby lamb.”
“That’s all right,” she assured him, not moving. “I’m good back here.”
“I promise it won’t hurt you. This beauty is the perfect introduction to steers. Didn’t they have cows in Tennessee?”
“Not in their natural state,” she said.
He sliced a look over his shoulder. “Don’t you want to touch one and see what it feels like?”
“Yeah, no offense, but I think I’ll wait for a gecko-size cow instead of starting with a Godzilla-size one. But maybe if you put that one in the dryer or something.”
“You know, Little girls with smart mouths get butts busted,” he said but left it as a tease rather than a threat. These things took time, and she hadn’t grown up around cattle like he had.
A thudding of hooves on the hard ground in front of them caught his attention. A dried bamboo pole appeared over the bull from the back and came down on its hind quarters with a resounding thwack . Someone had spliced the pole so it made a big noise without a lot of force.
The bull jumped and stepped forward. Boone stepped to the side and pulled Tildi back behind him. A young boy no older than ten whisked the pole again, prompting the bull to carry on down the trail.
The boy glanced at them as he passed but didn’t seem surprised or alarmed. Still, Boone knew that was their signal to get a move on.
Putting Tildi back on his back, he told her story after story of growing up on the ranch. They’d swapped stories at first. But all her stories made him angry. How could someone so sweet come out of a home so dysfunctional? She was a miracle in motion.
“Okay, here we are,” he said when he spotted the small clearing where he’d stored the tent. “Have you ever gone camping, little one?”
Her eyes were huge as she shook her head. “I was too busy with school.”
That's what he figured she’d say. “Well, you are in for a treat, babygirl. Take this tarp and spread it out right over there. We’ll get the tent up, and then, hear that water running?”
She nodded again. Cute. She was staring at him like he was a rocket engineer. He felt ten feet tall.
“There’s a creek at the bottom of that ravine. We’ll walk down there and get water.”
She lit up like the sky last week at sunrise. He’d thought that was beautiful. The excitement and joy gleaming in her eyes outshone the sunrise, hands down.
“Let’s pick out our sleeping tree and go from there.”
She was adorable, inspecting each tree. Her tongue peeked out from the corner of her mouth as she concentrated on finding the perfect tree. Even in the freezing temperature, his dick was fighting to break through his zipper.
They worked to lay down dry branches and put down a mylar tarp. Then he took over. He set up camp the same way he’d been doing since he and his brother camped on the edge of the back pasture when they were kids.
Since he’d grown up camping in Wyoming, he’d known how to prepare for the cold night air. The trees broke up the wind, and the way he set the tent added more protection.
She’d ooh’d and ahh’d over the freeze-dried lasagna they had for supper. He loved her delight at everything they did, no matter how small. Seeing things fresh through her eyes took the bite out of not only the dropping temperatures but also the failure of his attempt to take out Midnight.
He’d rescued her with a resentment he kept buried deep, but her unfailing ability to see the good in everything after all she’d endured humbled him. It had only been hours, but he couldn’t imagine a world without Tildi-not-Matilda Lewis.
And now he was headed for the hardest thing he’d had to do on this mission so far. He hadn’t planned for company and only had one sleep sack.
Glancing at his watch, he said, “Time for bed, Bluebell.”
She came back immediately with, “I don’t want to go to bed yet.” It would have been more effective if she hadn’t yawned in the middle of her protest.
“Sure you do,” he told her. “Once we’re in bed, we get to see the star show.”
He took one look at her and laughed. Suspicion didn’t just cloud her eyes. It painted her whole face. Good to know his Little girl wouldn’t be able to keep secrets from him.
She put both hands on her hips. “What are you laughing at?”
“You should never play poker, little girl. Your face is an open book. Now I’ll rephrase my statement. You have until I count to three to get you hiney in this sleeping bag, or I’ll put you there after I make sure it is very, very red.”
Her eyes almost popped out of her head. “I was just thinking how tired I was, Daddy,” she said, moving to the sleeping bag he already had in place.
“Good move,” he told her as he helped her take off her shoes. “I’ll get in first, then you crawl in next to me.”
“It looks awfully tiny to hold two people,” she said as he situated himself in the sleeping bag.
“That just makes it cozy. Now climb in, Bluebell.”
He managed not to groan as she wiggled into place, settling with her firm, round backside nestled against his crotch. There was no way to keep his cock from responding to her closeness.
He knew the second she realized that was his dick pressing against her bottom because she stiffened and stopped moving.
“Pay no attention to that, Bluebell. It doesn’t mean anything is going to happen. We are like this so we can stay warm.”
He rolled onto his back with her on top of him. There was no denying her closeness affected his body, but he was more concerned about the way she was wiggling into his heart.
Her bubblegum pink hair tickled his neck, and she smelled of the spruce and fir trees they’d hiked through and something spicy and feminine he couldn’t place.
He liked the way his mouth was pressed so close to her. He’d like nothing better than to run his tongue along the delicate shell of her ear. Instead, he said, “Are you ready to watch the star show?”
“Mm-hmm,” she said, her voice already drowsy. His girl had been through a lot today.
“All right. You’re going to have to pay attention to my words because I can’t use my hands since they’re inside the sleeping bag. But if you look straight up, you can see the Big Dipper.”
“Wait, where?”
“Tilt your head back more. There you go. See it now?”
“Oh. Oh! I see it!”
“Good girl! Now, do you see that basically open space? That’s where the star show will happen. We just have to be patient.”
It took about five minutes before it happened. A falling star streaked across the sky. One thing about being at a high altitude on a remote island was the clear sky made the heavens easy to see. And this area of the world was known for its beautiful night sky.
She sucked in a breath, releasing it with an “oohh!”
“Just wait,” he said. “It gets better. Now, the magic of a shooting star is that you get to make a wish, but you have to do it before the star disappears.”
They watched as the sky put on a spectacular star show for his Little girl.
There he went again. It had only been about twenty-four hours since he’d first laid eyes on Tildi, and he already couldn’t stop thinking of her as his Little girl. She wasn’t, and chances were she never would be.
He wouldn’t be good for her anyway. She’d seen enough of the harsher things in life. She deserved a Daddy who would be patient, kind, and gentle. None of those words described him.
His job was to get her back to the States safely and help her start over, wherever that might be. It could be anywhere. Just not with him.