Chapter 9
CHAPTER 9
T hey made it to Midnight’s Mistress without any further incidents, but by the time they pulled alongside the yacht, Tildi was shaking like a leaf. Whether from cold or shock, he didn’t know. Probably both.
Tying up the Zodiac to the last cleat, Boone called to his friend, “Grif, get down here and help me get Tildi aboard. Take her below so she can get warm. Bluebell, you go with Grifter. He’ll get you a blanket and some dry clothes. I’ll be down in a few minutes. I need to bring the guys up to speed and touch base with the ranch.”
And bring Sev up to date about what went down with his father, or rather, what didn’t go down. He wasn’t going to tell Tildi about that. She’d find a way to make it her fault and he wasn’t having that. He was a big boy, and he’d made that decision all by himself. Even though it cost him his shot at taking out Midnight, he had no regrets.
“On it,” Grif said. Slinging his rifle onto his back, he jumped down from the flybridge and knelt on the back deck of the yacht. Extending his hand to Tildi, he said, “Grab my hand, Bluebell.”
“Her name is Tildi,” Boone growled. He’d be having words with his friend later about proper names. If Grif was smart, he’d stick to calling her Tildi.
Grif’s gaze shot to Boone. It took only seconds for his confusion to shift into a knowing grin. Bastard. Still grinning, Grif lifted Tildi from the Zodiac onto the open deck and rushed her below, hopefully to the center of the ship where she’d be safest.
Boone fought back a growl at having his Little girl out of his sight. He’d always been overprotective of those in his care, but somehow, in a matter of hours, he’d grown incredibly possessive as well. That hadn’t happened in a long time.
Yet this Little girl, with her pink hair, spunk, and sass, had reached a place in his heart he’d thought was damaged beyond repair. Hard times revealed true friends, or so the saying went. Maybe that was it. Whatever the reason, as a Daddy, he’d never felt drawn to a Little so fast.
Dutch jogged out to the swim deck and helped Grif get Tildi to the companionway before returning to help Boone stow the Zodiac. By the time they had attached the crane and hoisted the tender up to the boat deck, gotten it wiped down and covered, Boone had worked up a sweat.
“So, now can we talk about this new we you picked up from Midnight’s compound instead of taking that sonofabitch out?”
“I’m not telling this story but once,” Boone said. “You can wait long enough for me to get the ranch on the radio and Grif to get back up here.”
Dutch’s eyes narrowed, but he kept silent. That was one thing he appreciated about Dutch. He knew how to bide his time and wait for the right moment to strike. It was probably why he was so great at breaking in the new horses. He was calm and patient.
Once Grif got back, Boone put in a call to the ranch. Of course, his little sister, Kenzie, answered the phone.
“Wide Ribber… Wide Rib, Ribber Rach. Dabbit!” she rasped out, obviously unable to breathe through her nose.
“Why aren’t you in bed if you’re sick?” Boone demanded. “Have you seen a doctor? Where’s Chance? If he isn’t taking good care of you, I’m going to kill him.”
“Ugh, relax,” Kenzie sniffled. “Id’s juss a code. I’b fide. Dabbit to h?—”
“Do not think I won’t dust your britches and wash your mouth out with soap when you’re feeling better. Get Chance to the phone and go to bed. Do not get out until he tells you that you can. And drink plenty of fluids. Orange juice. Drink plenty of orange juice.”
“I’b too tired to argue with you. But I’b going to bed because I wad to, dot because you’re the boss of me,” she tried to say.
“You keep telling yourself that, Tiger,” he said. He scowled. At least she was full of energy.
“MacKenzie Jane Daniels, what are you doing out of bed?” Chance demanded. Even over the phone, Boone could tell Chance wasn’t happy with their younger sister. “I’m going to tan your backside if I catch you anywhere but under your covers again. Do you understand me?”
Boone grinned when Kenzie answered with a whine. “But is boring! I don’t like laying id bed.”
“You’ll be laying in bed on your stomach if you get out of it again. Now go.” A scuffle, a smack, and a yelp came through the speaker, and then Chance spoke. “Boone? Is that you? Damn, but it’s good to hear from you, brother. We’ve all been worried. This radio silence shit is for the birds. Are you all right?”
He ignored the pleasantries and demanded, “What the hell is wrong with Kenzie?”
“Nothing too serious. Doc says she has the crud, but I insisted he do an X-ray to make sure it wasn’t pneumonia. She’s supposed to be staying in bed and getting rest, drinking plenty of fluids, the normal stuff. I think she’s fine.”
“Stay on top of it,” he said, knowing he didn’t have to. They were all protective of their baby sister.
“I’m on top of it,” Chance said. “How’d the mission go? Did you acquire your target?”
Boone didn’t keep anything from his brothers. They were family. They had each other’s backs. They knew how much it meant to him and the men who had been on his team and now worked with them on the Wild River Ranch.
“Not yet,” Boone answered. “There were complications. That’s why I’m calling. Once I got inside Midnight’s compound, I discovered they were holding a woman captive. She was on the verge of being assaulted when I got to her. I kept that from happening, but I lost the opportunity to attain the objective of the mission.”
“Fuck, man,” Chance said. “Sounds like you didn’t have a choice, but I’m sorry your mission wasn’t a success.”
Boone wouldn’t go that far. True, he hadn’t killed Midnight, but Tildi was far from a burden. He’d get Midnight soon enough, and the feelings he already had for Tildi were strong.
“Right, about that. The woman I rescued might be coming back to the ranch with me. She doesn’t have anywhere else to go, and we have the room. It will give her time to get her head together after everything she’s been through.”
And give you time to convince her she never wants to leave.
Ignoring the voice in his head, he asked about the ranch. He wanted to know the number of foals they ended up with and how the fields were doing.
Trace and Tanner hopped on to say hello and report on the progress of repairing the fencing and all the other tasks they put off until winter.
As good as it was to talk with his brothers, he cut their conversation short. He wanted to get below to his babygirl. And he still had another call to make.
“So, how long before you’re home?” Trace asked.
“It will take a solid three weeks to make it to Seattle, so probably three and a half.”
Tanner, the older twin by nine minutes, asked, “Does that allow you time to drop the woman you rescued off somewhere?”
If Boone had anything to say about it, Tildi’s home would be with him at Wild River Ranch. Either way, he wanted to give her a chance to see it. “No,” he told his brothers. “Both Tildi and I will be back at the ranch in three and a half weeks.”
His statement was met with silence. He got it. He hadn’t shown any interest in the opposite sex since he’d gotten home. Three years was a long time. But as soon as they met Tildi, they’d understand.
“Okay then,” Chance said. “See you for Thanksgiving.”
Thanksgiving on the ranch with Tildi. That sounded perfect.
After Boone cut the call, Grif and Dutch exchanged a glance. Grif was the first to speak. “So, Tildi’s home is on the way to Wild River?”
“No, but we wouldn’t be stopping by there even if it was.”
Grif grinned like a Cheshire cat.
Dutch nodded and asked, “So, it’s like that, is it?”
“Yeah, Dutch,” Boone deadpanned back. “It’s like that.”
The call to his friend Sevin was short and to the point. Boone just needed him to know that Nico was aware it was Boone who’d tried to take him out. There was no connection between Boone and Sev that Nico would know about.
“I’m headed down to check on Tildi and get on some dry clothes,” he called out to Grif and Dutch. “Grif, you’ve got first watch to make sure that fucker Midnight doesn’t show up. Dutch, bring us around and head for Seattle. Let me know if there’s a problem. I’ll be up to relieve one of you after I get some shuteye and make sure Tildi’s situated.”
Both men gave him a chin lift, though Dutch added, “Roger that.”
Boone moved silently down the spiral ladder to the lower deck where the staterooms were found. The two twin staterooms where Dutch and Grif slept lay to the aft of the ship. Boone turned forward where the master suite lay.
The master stateroom suite sported a high ceiling with three large skylights over a king-sized bed. Forcing the things he could do to Tildi in that bed out of his head – for now – he sat down beside her on the couch in the seating area opposite the bed and drew her onto his lap. Trembling in his arms, she searched his face. Those gorgeous lavender eyes sucked him in.
He'd found her curled up on the couch, her knees curled into her chest, staring around the luxurious stateroom. The clothes Grif had found in Sev’s closet still lay stretched out on the bed.
He had to give it to his friend, Sev. The man did nothing by half measures. It had shocked the shit out of him when Sev had offered to let him use Midnight’s Mistress after learning Sev’s father was Boone’s target.
It shouldn’t have. There was no love loss between Sev and Nico. There hadn’t been for a long time. Nico hated Sev’s mother. Sev had never shared why, but as the oldest of Nico’s four sons, Sev would inherit the Midnight throne whether the old man liked Sev’s mother or not.
Boone was all for it. His friend wanted to take the Midnight family in a different direction. Not that Sev was a boy scout, far from it. But even he realized his father was a threat to everyone, especially the Cosa Nostra.
That was between the two of them, though. Boone knew better than to get mixed up in Cosa Nostra business. But with that look on the senior Midnight’s face, as his chopper had turned back, Boone might not have a choice.
She continued to gaze at him without speaking, looking for what, he wasn’t sure. If he had to guess, he’d bet on assurance, so he gave it to her.
After wrapping her in his arms, he said, “It’s all right now, brave girl. You’re safe now. You’ll always be safe with Daddy. I promise. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“How many women have you had on your boat?” she asked. “There must be a lot for you to have a whole closet full of women's clothes.”
“First, it’s a ship, not a boat, and I’ve never had a woman here,” he told her.
“Then why do you have a closet full of women’s clothes? They’re not your size,” she said.
Her confusion was acceptable. Her snarky comments were not. “Are you wanting a second spanking in one day, babygirl? If not, I suggest you change your tone, stop accusing, and ask me what you want to know in a respectful manner.”
She squirmed and quickly uttered, “Sorry, Daddy. I don’t want another spanking. Why have you got a closet full of women’s clothes on your boat, I mean ship?”
“Thank you, sweet girl. That was exactly the way to ask. I don’t know why there is a closet full of women’s clothes, darlin’, because this isn’t my ship. It belongs to my friend, Sev Midnight. He let me borrow it for my mission. I asked Grif to pick you out an outfit because I knew he wouldn’t mind.”
She caught her bottom lip between her teeth and blushed. “Oh.”
He tapped the tip of her nose and repeated, “Yes, oh.”
“I’m sorry, Daddy,” she said. “I shouldn’t have said anything. Even if it was your boat, it’s none of my business how many women you’ve had here.”
Um, no. He lowered his finger to her chin and tilted her face up until she was forced to look at him. “I want you to ask me anything you want to know. As long as you ask respectfully, I will never get upset with you for asking. I may not be able to answer your question, but I will tell you why I can’t. And I promise I will answer it as soon as I’m free to do so. There are no secrets between a Daddy and his Little girl. Understand?”
She smiled. “Yes, Daddy,” she said, then shivered in his arms.
She was ice cold. What was wrong with him? A Daddy didn’t let his Little girl sit there and freeze to death.
“Let’s get you out of these wet clothes,” he said. “A warm shower will make you feel better.”
She gave a startled cry when he lifted her from the seat they shared and carried her into the bathroom on the left. The marble counters were surrounded by dark, wooden paneled walls. The room took up the entire bow of the yacht, but to Boone, it was small. Then again, for a ship, it was huge.
Entering the master stateroom en suite, he couldn’t hold back a grin at the shower. It would easily hold two people, which fit in with his plans perfectly. But what caught his eye was the built-in seating area at one end and the almost shoulder-high ledge shelf under the dual shower head.
There were any number of advantages to explore, but he needed to talk to her first. She might prefer a soak in the free- standing marble tub. That would only be disappointing if she wanted to do it alone.
“Tildi, you have a choice to make about how you want this to go. I want you to know I won’t be upset with whatever you decide. Your comfort is the most important thing to me. We can handle this shower one of two ways. I can get the water set at the right temperature for you then leave you to shower alone. Or I can stay, and we can shower together. If I stay, you need to know we will be getting dirtier before we get clean. I will do whatever you want. There is no wrong decision. This is about you, what you are ready for, what you need, and what you want. What can Daddy do to make you feel better?”
She stared up at him for a long time, still shivering. He was about to make the choice for her when she said, “I’ve been alone for over a year. I don’t want to be alone anymore.”
Thank God.
“You aren’t alone anymore, babygirl. Now you have a Daddy. I feel a connection to you that I’ve never experienced before. I think you feel it, too.” At least, he hoped she did.
Without breaking eye contact, she nodded.
“I’m going to need your words this time, Bluebell.”
He could have predicted the adorable pink that washed over her cheeks. “Yes, Daddy. I feel it, too.”
A tension he hadn’t realized he had relaxed its hold. But he wasn’t done. “If we do this, I won’t be able to pull back. You’ve already made a decision that lasts until we get to Seattle. But I’ll be honest. The way I feel right now, I don’t know if I’ll be able to let you go by then.”
“I don’t know if I will, either,” she said. “But I’m willing to risk it if you are. If I’ve learned anything the past year, it’s that you can’t waste today waiting for what might come tomorrow.”
Truer words had never been spoken, though it gutted him that she knew them already. She was way too young to have learned those lessons. Especially since he knew she’d learned them in such a hard way.
Grabbing the bottom of her shirt, he said, “Reach for the sky, Bluebell.”
With a laugh, she raised her arms, allowing him to pull off her wet top. It landed with a splat where he dropped it. When he turned back to face her, his mouth went dry, and he lost the ability to speak. Hell, he lost the ability to think. Even knowing from the spanking he’d given her earlier, he was unprepared for the sight before him.
She stood, eyes to the floor, back stiff as a board, like a prisoner before a judge waiting to be sentenced for a crime. The warm air of the hot shower had smoothed the pebbling from her skin, but her nipples pressed against the sheer fabric of her bra, barely hidden by the tiny lace flowers scattered across the cups.
Without lifting her face, she peeked up at him through her hair. Rage threatened to engulf him at the fear in her eyes, but he fought it back. It wasn’t her he was upset with. She’d been through enough, and not just that day. She’d been living under the threat of the Cosa Nostra for a long time. No woman should endure what she had.
Before that moment, killing Midnight had been justice enough. Now… now that man would suffer. He would beg for death before Boone put him down like the vicious animal he was.
He schooled his features to only show the desire consuming him at having her here with him now. As he removed her bra, he traced each of her numerous bruises, pressing his lips on each mark on her her arms. They didn’t shock him, nor did they dampen the desire keeping his cock at attention.
He shifted closer, crowding into her personal space. Her face shot up to stare at him, and he let every ounce of hunger and passion he’d held back show in his eyes. He wasn’t always great with words. Actions were his language.
He slipped his fingers into the waistband of her skirt and slid it and her panties to the floor. After she stood naked before him, he stepped back for a moment and rid himself of his clothes. The rigid state of his dick could speak for him. Cupping her jaw in his hands, he guided her back toward the shower.
He allowed his eyes to skim her tempting curves. When she lifted her hands to cover her breasts and the vee between her legs, he blocked her efforts and placed her palms on her outer thighs.
“Every inch of you is perfection, babygirl. You have no need to be ashamed of your body, and you have nothing to fear. Nothing happens between us, now or ever, without your consent. Nothing. Do you remember that safeword from earlier?”
He waited for her answer. She nodded, but that wasn’t good enough.
“Words, Matilda…” He paused, realizing he had missed gathering important intel. “Tildi, what is your middle name?”
She gave a small start of surprise before stammering, “Um, it-it’s Matilda. Um, Matilda Faith Lewis. Why?”
“If you’ve ever read one of those Daddy romance books, you know there are times when only a Little girl’s full name will do.” The adorable blush stole across her cheeks again, making him grin. Oh yeah, she’d read those books. He made a mental note to buy her an eReader and fill it with every DDlg book she wanted.
With slow, measured steps, he backed her into the flowing water of the shower, making sure her footing was sound. Once her shivering slowed, he turned her so the water sprayed her front. Adjusting the height of the shower nozzle so it focused on her chest, he altered the spray to a pulsing massage setting. As the pressure of the steaming water pelted her nipples, the rosy buds tightened, eliciting a moan from her that went straight to his already rigid cock. Stepping closer, he maneuvered them so they could both stand underneath the hot water.
Taking her hand in his, he pressed even closer, turning her so she faced him again, rubbing her hands to ensure they were getting proper circulation. He barely held back a groan of pure pleasure as his cock pressed against her stomach. No worry about blood flow there. Quickly taking care of bathing himself, he then moved on to his girl.
His hands moved up her arms and shoulders, around to her back, and finally lower, cupping her bottom. He couldn’t resist giving the firm globes a squeeze.
“Let me help you, little one,” he said. He pumped a generous amount of soap into his hands and began washing her. He was very thorough. Wouldn’t want any part of her to be irritated later by salty ocean water.
He allowed his attention to drift down, soaping her breasts and playing with her tightly puckered nipples. Taking encouragement from her gasps and moans of pleasure, he moved lower, running his hands over her stomach and lower still, slipping his fingers along the space between her thighs.
“How are you doing? You okay?” he asked as he leaned forward to run the tip of his tongue along the shell of her ear. Her delicious shiver answered him.
“More than okay,” she moaned.
“Should I stop?”
“No! I don’t want you to stop, Daddy.”
“That’s good because I’m not sure how I’d have managed if you’d said yes.” Holding his hands underneath the steaming hot water to warm them even more, he once again slid one finger along her slit before plunging it deep into her heat.
His cock throbbed with the need to come. If he didn’t stop soon, he was going to come all over her stomach. The idea was hot as fuck, but he had more than that planned for his Little girl. He’d save that for a later time.
“Oh, God,” she cried. “That’s good because if you stopped, I just might die.”
That was all he needed. He took the mobile shower head and rinsed her off. The water pressure was fantastic to play with. If her cries of pleasure were anything to go by, it was just right for some parts of her body, and over the top fantastic for others.
Once she was thoroughly rinsed and aroused, he returned the showerhead to its place. With a hand under each arm, he lifted her to sit on the higher ledge underneath the showerhead. She clutched his shoulders, squealing when he lifted her thighs to rest on his shoulders.
“Boone,” she called out as she struggled to remove her legs.
“No, naughty girl,” he said and gave her bare mound a sharp smack.
“Ouch,” she said, but the breathiness in her voice said it was the best kind of pain. Good to know.
He gripped her outer thighs, holding her in place, and took the mesh sponge hanging from the side of the shower. Adding more soap, he said, “I don’t think we got your pretty pussy clean enough.”
As he passed the sponge over her mons, her head fell back against the shower wall. “Oh, don’t,” she cried out. But when he pulled back, she whined her disappointment and looked back at him. “What are you doing? Why did you stop?”
He painted an innocent expression on his face. “I wouldn’t want to hurt my precious babygirl.”
“Please, hurt me like that some more.”
And wasn’t that the prettiest begging he’d ever heard? He couldn’t hold back a wicked chuckle. “Your wish is my pleasure, sweet girl.”
He returned the sponge to her pussy and dragged the net loofah over her clit, circling it gently with his finger. He traveled lower, putting just the right amount of pressure to drive her need higher. And when he pressed the heel of his palm to the sensitive area between the opening to her core and her bottom hole, she screamed out his name.
Lifting the showerhead again, he sprayed the soap away. After returning it to its place, he pushed her thighs further apart.
She stiffened. “Wait, what are you doing?”
He wiggled his brows. “Let’s see if you can figure it out.” Then he eased himself between her thighs.
“But you can’t… I’m not… Oh, God!”
Her head bumped the shower wall again as he drew his tongue all the way up her slit, flicking her clit before returning to the start and repeating. Her thighs tightened around his head with each pass he made.
He played with her without mercy, darting his tongue into her depths and teasing her sensitive bud. She grabbed his head as if she could control him. Her nails dug into his scalp and shot pulses of need straight to his cock.
It had been a long time since he’d been with anyone and even longer since he’d had a babygirl. His need was a driving, visceral force.
Lifting his head, this time, he sank two fingers deep inside her and circled her swollen nub with his thumb. Then he lowered his mouth to her sex and sucked her clit into his mouth as he continued to thrust two fingers inside her, curling them to stroke her in just the right spot to send her tumbling over the edge.
Angling her hips upward, he dropped his mouth lower and replaced his fingers with his tongue. A gush of her sweet honey coated his tongue as she spasmed again and again.
Thank fuck. He was seconds away from losing his load like a randy teenager.
“Oh my God,” she gasped out as she came down from her orgasm. “That was the most amazing thing I’ve ever, ever experienced. I’ve never… I mean, not like that anyway.”
He would want to explore those words with her later, but right now, he had more urgent needs. “I’m glad you liked it as much as I did, Bluebell. But we aren’t anywhere close to done.”
Turning off the water and helping her from the shower, he wrapped her in a warm towel. Sev knew no bounds to the luxurious special touches his ship had, including a towel warming rack.
Drying himself off, he took her by the hand and led her to the bed. “I think this is a much better spot for what I have planned next,” he said.
“You want to lay down with me?”
Her surprise didn’t sit well with him. “Of course, babygirl. I want to be close to you. Is that a surprise?”
He lost her eyes when she shrugged and wrapped her arms around her waist. “Sort of. Most of the men I’ve been around for the past year didn’t want that kind of closeness, that’s all,” she whispered.
The shame in her words gutted him. As soon as he got her settled on his ranch, he’d schedule an appointment with a counselor who specialized in trafficking trauma. She still wouldn’t look at him.
He needed to make sure she was in the right head space to continue. “Will it make you uncomfortable if we cuddle, Bluebell?” She still didn’t look at him, but she nodded.
Sitting on the side of the bed, he pulled her into his lap. “Listen to Daddy, babygirl. You bear no blame or responsibility for what happened to you over the past year. You did nothing wrong. It was important for you to do whatever you had to do to survive.”
The look she gave him was filled with sorrow and humiliation. “I shouldn’t have worked the party. I just never thought anything like that could happen. It was a ritzy hotel. I thought I was safe.”
“Don’t go there, Bluebell. You were earning a living. There was no reason for you to think something like that would happen. It sucks that your employers did business with a group of cowardly, scum-sucking monsters.” He would be finding out the name of that company and dealing out some justice when he got home. “You were a victim in this. I’m so fucking proud of you. It makes you like me.”
She laughed, but it held no humor. “You were fighting for justice, Daddy. Defending America from people like the guys at that party. I was serving them drinks. We are not the same.”
He forced her to look at him. “You are exactly the same. We are warriors and survivors. We did what we had to to stay alive long enough to escape so we could take them down another day. I’m honored to be your Daddy, to be in your life in any way. We fit because you’ve been through the fire, too. You know who I am on a level most people never will. Not even my own family. I wish to God you didn’t, and I’d change that for you if I could. But you will never hear me condemn you for the choices you made. Not ever.”
Tears traced down her face, and he wiped them away with his thumb. She grabbed his hand and pressed a kiss into the center of his palm. And in that moment, his heart became hers.
She smiled, and damn if it wasn’t the most beautiful gift he’d ever received. To be able to smile like that after everything she’d endured... this woman was perfect.
“Yes, Daddy,” she said.
After placing her on the bed, he said, “Hold on a minute. I have something for you.”
He crossed to a set of narrow French doors that opened to one of the closets in the room. The last time he’d been on Sev’s yacht, there’d been a special shelf – ah, there it was. He scanned the items placed there, knowing immediately which one he wanted.
Lifting it from its place, he carried it to Tildi. Her eyes widened, and she breathed out a soft, “Oh.”
“I remembered this from when I got the whirlwind tour Sev gave me before he lent me his ship. I’ve been picturing it in your arms ever since we met.”
He held out a pastel tie-dyed plush baby dragon stuffie, complete with tiny silver lamé wings and horns. It was adorable, just like his babygirl. A cute, fierce little dragon that needed some special Little. Someone just like Tildi.
For a second, she stared at the stuffie. Then she reached out slowly, as if afraid it would disappear if she moved too fast, and petted the toy's head. Glancing at him, she whispered, “Is she for me?”
So the dragon hatchling was a girl.
“Just for you,” he told her. “Do you like it?” He’d never met a Little who didn’t like stuffies, but if she were the first, he’d find what she did like and get that. Anything for his girl.
“She’s beautiful,” Tildi whispered, not taking her eyes off the little dragon. “Can I hold her?”
“Of course, Bluebell. She’s yours.”
She lifted the toy from his hand like a priceless treasure, and the care she took almost broke his heart. He’d expected her to jump up and snatch it from him, maybe squeeze it tight against her chest.
“I’ve never had a stuffie for a friend before,” she said. “My sister did. She took it everywhere, even after she was too old, according to our parents. I was always so jealous.”
The emotion in her voice made him want to cradle her to his chest the same way she held her new friend.
“Why didn’t you have one?” He braced for her answer, knowing it would gut him. He was not wrong.
“I wasn’t allowed. I was expected to be an adult from a very early age. The General had my life all planned, and those plans didn’t include dolls and toys. Anything soft, really.”
“Wait, you said that before. Why was a general planning out your life for you?”
Shock and fear entered her eyes, and she shook her head. “Believe me, he’s no one important. That’s just what my father insisted everyone in the family call him. General. Forget about him. Lord knows I try to.”
What the hell? “I’m confused. Your father was a general? I didn’t know you were raised military.”
“I wasn’t raised military, just raised by a narcissist. But seriously, it doesn’t matter.”
Yeah, that was a lie. Because it obviously did matter. A lot.
After laying next to her on the bed and gathering her close in his arms, he stroked her hair as she continued to stare at her dragon.
He scratched behind her stuffie’s ear. “What’s her name?” he asked. “Have you thought of one, or do you need more time?”
She didn’t hesitate. “Her name is Puff.” She rolled into him and flung her arm around his chest. “Thank you, Daddy,” she said. “She’s the bestest present I have ever, ever gotten. I love her.”
The lilting tone of her words told him she was sinking deeper into Little space. His heart swelled. If he wasn’t careful, this woman would own his heart. Or maybe she already did. “I’m glad you love her, Bluebell. I expect you two will be the best of friends.”
“Uh huh,” she agreed. “I’m going to take good care of her. If I treat her right, maybe she’ll love me as much as I love her.”
“That’s not how it works, babygirl. You don’t have to earn her love by doing things. Her love is like a Daddy’s love. She loves you because of who you are, not what you do.”
She pulled back and stared at him for half a second, then his little bluebell launched herself at him.
The sparkle that flared in her eyes should have been a clue, but before he could process what it meant, she was kissing him. To say her kiss was unexpected would be an understatement. To say it was unwelcome would be a lie. Her lips were warm and sweet.
He enjoyed letting her have her moment, but soon his dick told him it was time for him to take control and show her what having a Daddy meant.
He pulled back. Slowly pulling her towel away, he took in her body, from the cotton candy hair to freezing at the tattoo above her ankle. It had to be more than a coincidence she’d chosen a dragon tattoo. He’d known exactly which stuffed animal he’d wanted for her.
He hooked her leg under the knee and lifted it so he could get a better look. With a smile, he realized it suited her perfectly. The tattoo wasn’t an actual mythical beast. Instead, she had chosen a Hello, Kitty wearing a green and purple dragon costume.
“I have to ask, what is the story behind your ink? It doesn’t seem that someone who insisted on being called the General would approve.”
Giving him a smirk worthy of any brat, she leaned across him to look at her ankle. Rolling onto her stomach, she explained. “It was the first thing I did after I ran away. Well, after paying for a new identi—” She cut her words off and stared at him, eyes wide and alarmed. “I mean, paying for a new ability to?—”
This time, it was his finger pressed to her lips that cut off her words. “Since you’ve already had your butt busted once today, I’m going to stop you before you earn another. But mark this down. You never lie to Daddy. I will always find out, and then you’ll have two punishments to deal with; one for whatever you’re trying to hide and one for lying. Do you understand?”
She nodded, adding a quick “Yes, Daddy” when he raised one brow in warning. “Now, would you like to try that again?”
She nibbled on her bottom lip before nodding. He got the feeling she would be more eager to swing a skunk around by the tail. Tempted as he was to let her off the hook, he wanted the truth.
She flopped back on her pillow with a huff. He gave her time before prompting, “Well?”
Without looking at him, she explained. “My father is a powerful man, and he doesn’t like anyone to derail his plans. So, when I left home, first I changed my hair and the style of clothes I wore. Then I paid some people a lot of money to create a new identity for me. My birth name is easily recognized because it’s unusual. And stupid.”
He had a hard time believing any name could be as bad as she was making out. She quieted, but he gave her time to collect her resolve. Just when he thought he’d have to prompt her again, she spoke.
“My name was Serephena Michelle. You see? Have you ever heard of a more hideous name in your life?” With typical Little drama, she covered her face with her hands. “It stands out like a neon sign. I had to change it, or he would have found me in days.”
The name wasn’t hideous, but he much preferred Tildi. It suited her. “So after you secured your new identity, you got the tattoo?”
Lowering her hands, she nodded. “It was something he would have hated.”
That was probably an understatement if her father had been even half as bad as she said. He let it go with a nod. “So, back to my original question. Why a Hello, Kitty wearing a dragon costume?”
No doubt she wanted to bolster her courage by having a dragon since they were fierce and powerful, though hers was adorable. But yet again, his babygirl surprised him.
“Dragons have good instincts, and they’re lucky. I knew I was going to need both of those things to stay hidden from the General.”
“I see,” he said.
He had started making plans to deal with Tildi’s father as soon as she had begun talking about him. But now he boosted it up the list to number three, right behind finishing off Nico Midnight and taking out the catering company that sent defenseless employees into such dangerous situations as working a party for a known leader of the Cosa Nostra.
“And what about the Hello, Kitty ?” he asked.
She looked at him like he’d just asked her if rain was wet. “It’s Hello, Kitty , Daddy. Who doesn’t love Hello, Kitty ?”
Who indeed. Glancing again at the tattoo adorning her shapely leg, he decided question and answer time was over. He propped up on his elbow and took in the shape of her calf and the curve of her gorgeous ass. Soon, looking wasn’t enough, so he ran his fingers along her arms before turning her back onto her back.
This time he slowed down enough to explore all her delicious dips and curves. He paused on more than one occasion, tracing especially enticing spots like the hollow of her neck and running his fingers along the curve of her breast. The tension in the room swelled almost as much as his cock.
She echoed his movements, tracing his cheekbones and jawline. Her fingers were soft and gentle as if she might break him. Had anyone ever thought him fragile? He should probably be insulted, but he wasn’t. Her care warmed his heart even more. She touched with a grace and sensuality he’d never known, yet her hand trembled.
“Here, babygirl,” he said, removing his towel and pulling up a blanket from the foot of the bed. “You’re still cold. Time for Daddy to warm you up.”