by Lila Fox
Larkin made a face. “I’m really nervous. I’ve never met any of his friends before.”
“They are going to love you,” Brylee assured her.
“I hope so.”
“I know so. Call me tomorrow to tell me how it went.”
“I will. Night.”
“Night,” Brylee said and hung up.
Larkin was nervous. Darian was introducing her to a few of his friends, Noah, Kaleb, and Patrick. She and Darian had only been together a month, although it felt like a lot longer, but this was the first opportunity they’d had to visit Darian at his house.
She finished curling the ends of her hair. Then she stood back and looked at herself and smiled. She not only looked cute, she felt beautiful. The light-blue dress Darian had gotten her fit her perfectly. It stopped several inches above her knees and flared out. The top of the dress was fitted and showed off her breasts and tiny waist.
She was a little self-conscious about the way it displayed her boobies, but it was the dress her daddy told her to wear. The fact she was able to wear a pair of panties helped. Most of the time, she had to go without. She pulled on a pair of white sandals.
After she tightened the bow that held her hair back from her face, she put on some lip gloss and tore out of the bedroom. She slowed down at the top of the stairs, knowing if daddy caught her running, he’d spank her ass.
She vaguely heard the voices in the formal living room as she descended. The closer she got, the shakier she got. She stood outside the doorway, wringing her hands and trying to get the courage to move into the room.
“Larkin,” Darian called out.
She immediately answered when she heard her daddy’s voice. “What?”
The voices became quiet. She took a small step back, trying to hide farther into the shadows even though they couldn’t see her at all yet.
“Come here, sweetheart.”
“I can’t,” she told him in a strangled tone.
“Why?”
“Daddy, can you come here, please?”
****
Within a second, Darian came around the corner, took one look at the distress on her face, and set his hands on her shoulders. “What’s wrong?”
Larkin fidgeted, moving back and forth from one foot to the other, and nibbled at her bottom lip. “I can’t move.”
Darian bit back a grin. “Why, baby?”
“Because I’m so nervous, I feel like I’m going to pee my pants.”
Darian coughed to hide the different chuckles that came from the living room. He didn’t think she realized they heard everything even though she was talking just above a whisper.
“Larkin, you have nothing to be afraid of. These are a few of my closest friends.”
“Do they know about me? You know, the way I am? What if I embarrass you?”
Darian pulled her against his chest when she became more agitated. “Settle down.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “They know all about you, and there’s nothing you could do to embarrass me.”
She looked up at him with a mischievous grin. “I’d embarrass you if I peed my pants,” she murmured against his chest.
Darian huffed out a laugh. “Not even then.” He rubbed her back and waited for a minute for her to calm down. “Are you ready?”
Larkin blew out a breath and nodded. “Just remember if I suddenly run out of the room, it’s because I have to use the girl’s room.”
“I think you’re going to be fine.” He made her focus on his face. “Trust me.”
She nodded.
He knew she trusted him more than anyone else in the world, and she knew he would never let anything bad happen to her.
Darian grabbed a hold of her hand and started to lead her into the room. She took one look at the three large men staring at her and abruptly stepped behind Darian’s back.
Chuckling, he pulled her by his side and wrapped an arm around her to keep her in place. He watched as her gaze darted around the room and then down at the floor.
He decided to get the introductions out of the way so she could start to relax. “Larkin, these are my friends,” Darian said and pointed to each man. “That is Kaleb, that’s Noah, and the guy by the fireplace is Patrick.”
“It’s very nice to meet you,” Larkin whispered softly.
The three men smiled because even though she barely spoke, they heard her anyway.
Patrick walked up to her and waited for her to look up at him.
She slowly raised her head.
Patrick sucked in a quick breath. Her eyes were a chocolate-brown and tilted at the sides, giving her an exotic look. She was very petite, her head only coming to the top of his chest, but she had the curves. Her skin was creamy and looked as soft as a baby’s.
“It’s nice to meet you, Larkin,” he said and held out a hand.
Larkin looked up at Darian and got a nod before reaching out to shake Patrick’s hand.
Patrick dropped her hand and looked to Darian. “She’s stunning.”
Darian nodded. “Yes, she is.”
“He’s always been a lucky bastard,” Kaleb said gruffly as he stood and came to them. His gaze roamed over her before he reached and grasped her hand. “You’re a sweetheart, aren’t you?”
Larkin tried to pull her hand from his and looked up at Darian nervously when Kaleb wouldn’t release her.
Darian squeezed her waist and smiled. “She is very sweet.”
There were a few indrawn breaths from the men when she smiled brightly up at Darian.
“Sir, dinner is served,” Elder said from the doorway.
“Thank you, Elder. We’ll be right in.”
“Daddy, can I go with Elder?”
Darian shook his head.
“Can I go help Ella?”
“Sweetheart, I want you with me. All right?”
Larkin sighed. “Yes, daddy.”
“Let’s eat,” Darian said and led her into the dining room. Larkin went to pull away from him to sit in her usual seat when she wasn’t in his lap. “I want you here,” he said and indicated his lap.
She looked around the room nervously before she sat timidly against Darian’s chest.
Ella and a maid brought in the first course, which was salad.
Larkin scrunched up her nose but opened her mouth when Darian held up a forkful of lettuce.
“See, it’s not so bad,” Darian commented.
“It tastes like grass,” Larkin said, making the men laugh.
“I agree with Larkin,” Kaleb spoke up.
“Just one more bite for me,” Darian murmured and lifted the fork.
Next came the main meal. Prime rib, baked potatoes, and green beans with some kind of sauce on it. The food on their plate had already been cut up so Darian could easily feed Larkin as he kept a conversation going with the other men.
Larkin shook her head and laid it against his shoulder. “No more, daddy.”
Darian glanced down at her. “You didn’t eat very much, baby. Do you feel all right?”
“Yes. I’m just tired.”
Darian kissed the top of her head. “You didn’t get a chance to nap today, did you?”
She yawned and shook her head. “And you kept me up late last night,” she complained.
Darian chuckled. He’d only let her get a few hours of sleep. His appetite for her the night before had been ravenous, and he couldn’t get enough of her.
“I’m sorry, baby. I’ll let you get some sleep tonight.”
She tucked her face against his neck, sighed, and went to sleep.
“She just drops off, doesn’t she?” Patrick asked when he noticed the woman was asleep in his friend’s lap.
“Yes, I learned that the hard way.”
“What happened?” Noah asked.
“I took her to the opera. She was asleep in my lap before the first scene.” Darian chuckled. “Thankfully, we were in a private box.”
“She didn’t like it?” Kaleb asked.
&nb
sp; “No, she said they were talking gibberish, and their screaming hurt her ears.”
All four men laughed because a few of them had said the same thing before.
“Would you like dessert now, or later?” Ella asked as she picked up a few plates.
“Could you bring it into the office with some coffee? We’re going to talk about business for a bit.”
Ella nodded and walked into the kitchen.
Darian picked up Larkin, carried her into the office, and sat on one side of a sofa. He cradled her against his chest.
“Why don’t you put her to bed?” Patrick asked.
“Because when she’s this tired, if she wakes up and I’m not there, it upsets her. She’s still getting used to everything.”
Noah handed Darian an after-dinner cocktail and sat in one of the chairs. They ate the dessert and talked about the few projects they had going.
“Where’s Gage?” Kaleb asked. “I thought he was going to try to come.”
“He wanted to, but by the time he’d get here, it would be really late. He’s over in Stratford looking over the building we’ve got going up there.”
“Is there a problem?” Patrick asked as he set his fork down on the plate.
“We’re not sure. He’s not pleased with the progress. He thinks the construction crew is dragging their feet to make more money.”
“Too bad we don’t pay them for the job and not hourly.”
Patrick agreed with Noah. “I know, but the last one we paid for by the project and not hourly, they hurried through and cut a few corners, and we had to do some of it again.”
Kaleb grunted. “I think we should just stick to Franklin Construction. They always do a good job for us.”
“Yes, but they don’t want to build far from home. They want to be home with their families every night,” Darian said.
Darian set his glass down when Larkin started to fidget. He pulled her tight against his chest with one arm, and his other hand slid under her skirt and cupped her bottom. “Shh, I’ve got you.”
She pried open her eyes and smiled sweetly up at him. “Thank you, daddy.”
Darian grinned and kissed her forehead. “Go back to sleep.”
Larkin rubbed her cheek against his shirt, hummed, and drifted off to sleep again.
Darian looked up to see different levels of envy in his friends. Those three in the room, plus Gage, had talked about their sexuality for years and had found out they had a lot in common when it came to what they looked for or needed in a relationship.
They were all alpha men and liked total control, something that was hard for most women.
Darian had been the first to find a relationship, and he knew it had to be difficult for the others to watch. He just hoped they’d find theirs someday soon.
Chapter Thirteen
The next morning, Larkin slipped down the stairs. She couldn’t remember what happened after dinner the night before. She woke for a bit once in the office and then when her daddy was undressing her. The drone of the men’s voices, especially her daddy’s, soothed her and made her feel safe.
She walked past the office toward the kitchen and heard some of the men talking. She stopped suddenly when she heard her name.
“After watching you with Larkin and all the talks we’ve had about finding littles for ourselves, I’m not sure I’m up for it,” Kaleb said.
Larkin pressed her ear against the door and cocked her head to be able to hear better.
“Why?” Patrick asked.
“Watching you and Larkin last night got me thinking. It seems like a lot more work than I anticipated taking care of a little.”
“What do you mean?” Darian asked.
“She seems to be…”
Darian said, “What?”
“Needy, I guess,” Kaleb commented.
She leaned forward, wanting to catch what her daddy had to say.
“Yes, she can be…”
She bit back a gasp as her stomach dropped, and a buzzing sound filled her head. It felt like her heart was being ripped out of her chest. He wasn’t happy with her. She knew she’d disappoint him, eventually. She just didn’t think it would happen this soon. She heard their voices drone on but didn’t pay attention to any of the words.
She wanted to run away but knew she would have to be a big girl. If she didn’t explain why she was leaving, she was afraid he’d follow her.
Her stomach twisted at the thought of facing all the men, but it was the least she could do. She wanted to make Darian proud of her for acting like a grown-up. Something she knew would never really happen, but she could pretend for a bit.
She stepped into the room and froze when all the voices died away, and four sets of eyes turned to her. Twisting her hands in front of her, she looked at something over Darian’s shoulder. She knew she’d lose it if she looked into his beloved eyes.
She cleared her throat. “I’m sorry to interrupt, dad—Darian, I wanted to tell you I will be going to visit Brylee…” Her voice shook.
Darian narrowed his eyes, leaned forward in his chair, and set his elbows on his knees. “What are you saying, sweetheart?”
“I … I’ve overstayed my welcome, and I know it’s time for me to move on.”
“Why?”
Larkin bit the inside of her mouth until she tasted the coppery flavor of blood. She glanced around the room quickly, and her stomach dropped again as the four sets of eyes trained on her. She needed to get this out before she lost it. She knew her acting would fail before too long because a cry of pain worked its way up her throat. “I … I already told you…”
“Tell me again,” Darian demanded.
She sucked in a quick breath at the harsh tone of his voice. “I know I’m hard to deal with, and I drive you nuts. The last thing I want is to make your life harder.”
“Larkin…”
“No, I know I’ve got a lot to learn, but I really think I can eventually be a grown-up if I try hard enough. I’m going to stay with my friend—”
“Did you listen to our conversation?” he interrupted. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.
She thought about lying but knew he would catch it. “Uh, I … yes.”
“What did you hear?” Darian’s tone brook no argument.
“I … I heard you guys say … that I’m needy…” She looked over at Kaleb. “Don’t give up on your dream, sir. I bet there are lots of littles out there that aren’t needy like me. I’m not normal. I know that. I’ve always been reta—”
“Larkin, stop,” Darian barked. “I want you to go to our room right now. I’ll be up to talk in a bit.”
She looked over at him and sighed. He seemed so angry. At that moment, she knew she was making the right choice to leave before he hated her. “I just don’t want you to end up hatin—”
“Larkin,” Darian snapped and stood to stare down at her. “Go to your room. Now!”
Larkin looked down but not before the men saw her start to crumble. “Yes, sir.” She spun and raced from the room.
****
Darian sat back down and ran a hand down his face.
“Fuck, man, I’m sorry,” Kaleb said.
“What you said before about a little being a lot of work, I’d have to say there are very few times I feel she needs me more than others but it’s all still the most amazing feeling. I hope you all get the chance that I did. That woman upstairs makes me happier than I’ve ever been. She makes me laugh and worry at that same time. She makes me feel ten feet tall and invincible. The thought of going a day without her makes me break out in sweat and takes my breath away.”
Kaleb nodded. “I admit you have been different since Larkin came into your life. You’re happier, more settled.”
He nodded. “I can’t explain what all she’s brought to my life.”
“Do you want me to go apologize to her?”
He shook his head. “No, but thanks. I’ll take care of her.”
Kaleb, Noah, and Patrick s
tood. Patrick shook his hand. “We’ll leave you to it. We’ve got to get back to the city. We’ll talk later.”
“Thanks for coming. We’ll be back in town in a week or so.”
Darian watched all three men get into a large black Yukon SUV before he closed the door and headed for the stairs. He knew right away that the room was empty when he opened the bedroom door. He walked around the house, opening doors and calling for her. He felt a panic start to build.
“Elder,” he yelled.
The older man came around a corner. “What is it, sir?”
“Have you seen Larkin?”
“No, I’m sorry. The last time I saw her, she went out the patio door.”
“Did she have anything with her?”
“I couldn’t see, but she was far away. It did look like she was holding something in her arms.”
“Goddammit. I’m going to blister her ass.”
“I’ll call the employees and tell them to keep an eye out for her.”
Darian walked into his office when he heard his phone indicate he had a message.
It seems we picked up a stowaway, Patrick texted Darian. What would you like us to do?
Darian pinched the bridge of his nose as relief loosened the knots in his gut. Can you drive around but end up back here without her knowing?
We’ll try. Expect us in thirty minutes or so.
Darian called for Elder. “She’s with the guys.”
“Oh.”
“She’s trying to run away.”
“I’m sorry, sir.”
“She overheard Kaleb say some things about littles needing their daddies too much. She totally missed what I said, and it hurt her feelings.”
“She does have a tender heart.”
Darian nodded. “Yes, she does.” He walked to the front door and waited for the guys to show up. He was angry, but the worry overshadowed it enough that he didn’t know if he would punish her or not. He’d let everything happen and decide when he had her in their bedroom.
Chapter Fourteen
Larkin ran up the stairs after Darian yelled at her. She sat on the side of the bed and cried until she hiccupped. She stood, pulled out her backpack, and shoved a few outfits inside with her wallet and phone.
She didn’t have a plan. She just knew she needed to get away. At least for a while. She slipped out one of the back doors and looked around. Her heart tripped in her chest when she caught sight of the large black vehicle sitting in the driveway. She knew it was the guys and they planned to go back to the city that morning.