by Maren Smith
“Yes, Daddy. Oh, God.” She moaned when he slid his hand between her legs to where she was soaking wet for him.
Her little cloud wasn’t as dark anymore. Rubbing her swollen clit, he smiled when she and the cloud both shuddered violently.
“Please.” Her voice pitched to a needy whine. “Daddy, please.”
“Such a good girl. You want to come, sunshine?”
“Fuck, yes!”
Chuckling, he slapped her bottom and she jolted over his lap. “Ow!”
“Language, sunshine.”
Whatever smart ass response she’d been planning was lost when he slipped his fingers between her lips again. It didn’t take him long to bring her to thrashing, screaming release over his lap.
And through all of it, her little cloud stayed put. It was smaller than it had been, but damn if he wasn’t proud of her control. As she came down from her orgasm and her breathing began to slow again, drops of rain began to fall from her cloud.
And just below it shone a perfect little rainbow.
Chapter Nine
Lainey
Lainey watched her cloud rain into the bowl, smiling at the tiny rainbow that appeared. Daddy seemed perfectly content to let her keep this one. And since it didn’t seem attached to any deep, impractical feelings this time, so was she.
“That was incredible, sunshine. I’m proud of you.”
“Yeah?” Turning her head, she smiled up at him. “Maybe he wasn’t such an asshole after all.”
“I’m flattered,” he said dryly, raising an eyebrow at her.
“What?”
“You said maybe I’m not such an asshole after all.”
Her eyes widened and she clapped a hand over her mouth. “I didn’t say that out loud!”
“Yes, you did.” Laughing, he patted her bottom. “You can let go of the cloud now.”
“Awww.” She turned her attention back to the cloud. “But it’s so cute.”
“It is, but I don’t want you getting too worn out. I’m sure it takes a lot of effort to focus like that.”
Her head was starting to feel a little foggy. With a sigh, she let the cloud slowly disappear. “Bye, cloud.”
“You can make another one later. How do you feel?”
Sore. Exhausted. Thoroughly used. “I’m fine.”
If he knew she was lying, he didn’t comment. “Good. I’m starving. Did you eat anything?”
“Ice cream.”
“Seriously? You really do need a daddy. Up.” He punctuated the command with a sharp swat to her bottom.
“I don’t need a daddy. I have a – oh shit!” Guilt and panic churned in her stomach.
“What?” He was instantly on alert, running his hands over her like he was checking for injuries. “What happened?”
Slapping at his hands, she explained in a rush. “My parents. My friends. I lost my phone yesterday. Everyone is probably losing their minds!”
“Oh.” Sitting back, he frowned up at her. “Jesus, you scared me.”
She yanked her shorts back up and blinked against the threatening tears. “I’m a horrible person. I didn’t even think about anyone else. They must be worried sick!”
“You’re not a horrible person, sunshine. Shit, I should have thought of it, too. But yesterday was a bit crazy.”
“Can I use your phone to call my parents? Please?”
He almost said no. She could see it on his face. But she watched him soften, enough to jerk his head up and down before reaching into his pocket. “Five minutes,” he said, unlocking his phone and handing it to her.
Growling, she stomped a foot. “I can’t tell them what’s going on in five minutes!”
“Sorry, sunshine. We can’t risk a longer call. Someone might be listening on their end. And you can’t tell them where you are or who you’re with.”
She snatched the phone out of his hand, no longer bothering to fight the tears. “Fine. I’m going to the bedroom.” Without giving him a chance to respond, she stomped to the bedroom and slammed the door. With trembling hands, she dialed her mother’s cell number.
“Hello? Lainey?” Her mother’s panicked voice twisted her stomach into knots.
“It’s me, Mom. I’m okay. I’m sorry it took me so long to call.”
“What’s going on? Where are you? I called your phone and some drunk man answered and then it just kept going to voicemail.”
“I’m…” She paused. How much should she say? Was it better for her parents if they didn’t know what was going on? “I’m safe.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean? Safe from what? Lainey, where are you?”
Her heart cracked right down the middle at the fear in her mother’s voice. “I can’t tell you. I’m sorry. Is Dad there?”
“Why can’t you tell me? Frank! Lainey’s on the phone, but she won’t tell me what’s going on!”
There was some muffled shuffling and then the sound of her father’s deep, soothing voice. “Lainey? Where are you? Why aren’t you answering your phone?”
“I’m safe. I lost my phone. Dad, some things happened, and I can’t tell you what, but I wanted you to know I’m okay. I-I don’t know when I’ll get to call again.” There was a long pause and she worried she’d lost the signal. “Dad?”
“I’m here, sweetheart. You’re safe? You’re with someone who can help?”
“Yes.”
“Good.” Another long pause. “Heard on the news Baltimore has had some freak storms lately. Be careful, Lainey. You never know where lightning will strike.”
It hit her like a wave crashing on the shore. “You knew,” she whispered.
“Stay safe and call us when you can.”
“I…” She swallowed hard against the sob welling up in her throat. “I will. I love you.”
“I love you too, Lainey-bug.”
The call disconnected and she stared at the black screen. Her father had known the truth about her all this time and never told her. Did he know about the people out to get her? It sounded like he did. But how? Had they come to the house? Were her parents in danger, all because she could make it rain a little?
It was too much. The powers, the people out to kill her, her savior/captor Daddy, and now being cut off from her parents with no way to let them know she was safe after today. No way to know if they were safe. Tossing the phone on the bed, she curled up, facing the window. She waited for the tears, or at least the rain, but nothing came. The door to the bedroom creaked open and the bed dipped beside her. She didn’t protest when he pulled her into his arms, but she didn’t embrace him, either.
“You okay, sunshine?”
“He knew.”
A hand rubbed her arm. “Who knew what?”
Lainey closed her eyes. “My dad. He knew about my powers.”
“How much did you tell him?”
“Nothing,” she said, shaking her head against his chest. “He just knew. He said he’d heard Baltimore had been having lots of freak storms and to be careful. And something about not knowing where lightning will strike.”
The hand on her arm stilled. “Smart man.”
She lifted her head and opened her eyes, meeting his clear gaze. “Will I ever see them again? Don’t lie to me, please. I need to know.”
The answer was written all over his face. “I’m sorry, sunshine. But probably not.”
“I hate this. I just want to live my life in peace.”
“I know.”
No platitudes or empty promises. Somehow, his quiet acceptance helped ease the ache inside of her. “What do we do now?”
“You are going to work on controlling your powers. I’m going out tonight to meet with someone about getting you out of here.”
Yet another slice to her bleeding heart. “You’re sending me away.”
“It’s not about sending you away, sunshine. It’s about keeping you safe. It has been since I met you.”
“By sending me away,” she pressed.
His expressi
on was unreadable. “If that’s the only way to protect you, then yes.”
God, she couldn’t take much more. “I don’t want to leave. I don’t want to be alone.”
“I’m right here, sunshine. I will be for as long as I can.”
Sighing, she snuggled into his embrace. If that was all he could offer, she was going to take every last bit of comfort she could. “It’s not fair.”
“I know. I know, baby.” He gave her a gentle squeeze. “You should eat. You used a lot of energy this morning.”
She blushed at the memory of his talented fingers before she realized he probably meant the cloud he’d helped her make. “Okay.”
They rolled off the bed and he took her hand to lead her out to the kitchen. Stopping by the bedroom door, he stopped to look at her, his eyes serious, but kinder than usual. “It’s going to be okay, sunshine. It won’t ever be like it was before, and it may hurt a hell of a lot, but it’s going to be okay. I promise.”
The ache in her chest eased a fraction more, and she gave him a wobbly smile. “Okay, Daddy.”
Chapter Ten
Donovan
Beyond telling him what kind of sandwich she wanted, Lainey barely spoke to him the rest of the afternoon. She was lost in her own little world of sorrow, and he was completely helpless to fix it for her. Years ago, when he’d gotten wind of the experiments Rose Corp was conducting on Variants, he’d made the decision to walk away from his family and friends in hopes of keeping them safe. But it hadn’t been so long ago that he’d forgotten the pain of breaking those bonds.
His phone vibrated in his pocket and he pulled it out to check the text. It was his contact’s right hand man, confirming their meet-up for the later that evening. Good. That was settled. Now he just had to convince Lainey to stay put while he went out to discuss her future with someone she’d never met.
Piece of cake. “Lainey.” He waited for her to look at him, but her eyes stayed glued to the TV. “Lainey. Look at me.”
Her eyes flicked to the side for a brief second, but she still didn’t acknowledge him. Goddamn it, why did she have to be so stubborn? She could pout or cry all she wanted, but he needed her to listen. He pushed up out of the armchair and stepped over to the couch. Grabbing the remote from beside her, he switched off the TV.
“Hey! I was watching that!” She finally looked up at him, her face set in mutinous lines.
“You were ignoring me. What do you think happens to little girls who ignore people who are trying to talk to them?” The first hint of wariness crept into her eyes, but it was accompanied by a flicker of something else. Excitement, maybe?
“Nothing?”
“Try again, sunshine.”
Her heavy sigh seemed a little too put on for him. “They get spanked?”
That had been his original plan, but there was a hint of hopefulness in her voice that told him she’d enjoy it a little too much right now. Wracking his brain for an alternative, he smirked when an idea popped into his head. “Nope. They put their noses in the corner until they can act like they’re supposed to.” The shock on her pretty face was nearly comical, but he kept his face as stern as he could manage.
“You can’t put me in the corner!”
“If I can whip your ass, I can put you in the corner. Get up and go to the corner like I told you to.”
“No!” Glaring at him, she crossed her arms over her chest and tilted her chin up defiantly. “You can’t make me.”
He never could resist a challenge. Reaching for her, he pinched her ear between his fingers and gave her lobe a little twist.
A shocked squeal escaped her. “Ow! Daddy, let go!”
“Stand up, little girl.” He pulled just enough for her to get the point. Whining the whole time, she stood and followed him to the corner. “Hands on your head and face the wall. You’re going to stand here until your attitude improves.”
“I don’t want to stand in the stupid corner!” Arms crossed again, she stomped her foot.
“Too bad. Hands on your head, Lainey. Unless you want to be standing here with a nice red bottom?”
It was fun to watch the struggle play out on her face. Slowly, she lifted her hands and placed them on the back of her head. “That’s what I thought. Turn around.” With a little huff, she turned to face the corner. “I’m going to pull your shorts down and you’re going to stand here with your bare bottom on display while you think about why it’s important to listen when I’m talking to you. Got it?”
“No.” The single syllable was filled with attitude, but her hands stayed on her head. “This is stupid.”
Donovan tugged her shorts to her knees, and he couldn’t resist landing a sharp spank to each perfect globe. “Stay put, little girl.”
She huffed out another breath, but she didn’t move from where he’d placed her. Satisfied she’d stay put, he went back to the armchair and turned on the TV. He flipped through the channels, but he wasn’t really watching. He couldn’t seem to take his eyes off his little Lainey, standing in the corner with her hands on her head and her bare bottom sporting his fading handprints.
From the moment he’d met her, something about her had pulled at him. This whole time he’d been focused on getting her out of the city and tucked away somewhere safe by herself. But maybe she didn’t have to go alone. Watching her sigh and squirm in the corner, he let himself toy with the idea of going with her. Just when he was ready to tell her to knock it off, she settled down and stood quietly facing the wall. A few minutes later, her quiet sniffles told him she’d probably learned her lesson. “You can come out now, sunshine.”
She pulled her shorts back up before turning around. Even from across the room, he could read the uncertainty on her face. Donovan held his arms open and she raced over, flinging herself into his embrace.
Still sniffling, she pressed her face against his shoulder. “I’m sorry I was naughty.”
“It’s okay.” Giving her a little squeeze, he pressed a kiss to her hair. “I know you’re sad, sunshine. But it’s more important than ever that you learn to listen to me. Okay?”
“Okay, Daddy.”
As much as he hated to ruin the moment, he still needed to talk to her. “Sit up, sunshine.” When she raised herself up, his gut twisted again at the shimmer of tears on her lashes. “I’m leaving in a few minutes, and I need you to stay here.”
Her response was immediate and exactly what he’d expected. “I want to come.”
“I know you do. But you can’t.” Pausing, he searched for a way to explain the situation without revealing too much. “These aren’t the type of people to talk to just anybody and they don’t know you.”
Her eyes narrowed with suspicion. “But they know you. How?”
Shrugging, he deliberately kept his voice light when he responded. “I’ve been around, seen some things. I’ve managed to stay under Rose Corp’s radar, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been noticed.”
“What the hell does that even mean? Who noticed you?”
He should have known it wouldn’t be that easy to put her off. “People.”
Rolling her eyes, she shifted so she was sitting up straighter, putting a distance between them he couldn’t help but notice. “I figured it was people and not fucking elephants,” she spat. “What kind of people?”
“That’s all I can tell you for now, sunshine.”
The corner of her lip curled up. “So, I’m stuck hanging out here in the apartment while you go talk to ‘people’ I’ve never met and make decisions about the rest of my life? That’s bullshit.”
The sorrow from earlier had vanished, replaced by righteous fury. He was going to get whiplash trying to keep up with her changing moods. “Yeah, it is. But that’s how it has to be if I’m going to keep you safe. I want you to promise me you’ll stay in the apartment and you won’t open the door for a single soul. Got it?”
“I don’t have much of a choice, now do I?”
His patience finally snapped. “Sure
, you do. You could walk out the door now and figure this all out on your own. You’re smart, so maybe you’d get a good twenty-four hours in before Rose Corp finds you.”
Her face paled, making him feel like an asshole. But if scaring the shit out of her helped keep her safe, then so be it. Shoulders slumped, she muttered, “Or I stay here and let you make all the decisions.”
“Yeah. It sucks, but that’s just how it is, sunshine.”
“Fine. I’ll stay.” She lifted hopeful eyes to his. “Are you at least going to ask about the church?”
This shit again. He didn’t want to have anything to do with this so-called church, but he had promised. “Yeah. I’ll ask.”
She smiled sweetly. “Thank you, Daddy.”
His cock twitched in response. He needed to go but dammit if he wouldn’t rather just stay locked up in his apartment with her, fucking her senseless. Depending on how his meet-up went, maybe that would be on the table when he got home. With more than a little reluctance, he nudged her off his lap. “All right, sunshine. I have to get going. Don’t forget the rules.”
“I know, I know. I’ll be good,” she promised, with her eyes rolled up toward the ceiling.
“I’ll believe it when I see it. There’s plenty of food, so make yourself something other than ice cream for dinner, would ya?”
Her grin was full of mischief. “But I like ice cream.”
“You can have some ice cream when I get home. If you’re a good girl while I’m gone.”
“You’re bossy.”
“Because I’m the Daddy. I shouldn’t be gone too long.” Drawing her into his arms, he brushed his lips against hers in a kiss far too light and chaste for his taste. “Be good.”
“Yes, Daddy.”
Sitting in the dirty, dimly lit bar, Donovan knew he’d made the right call leaving Lainey behind. She’d have stood out like a sore thumb in a place like this, and the last thing he needed was extra attention. He was on his second glass of whiskey when a tall, perfectly groomed man in a suit that likely cost twice Donovan’s monthly rent slid into the booth across from him. “Donovan.”