by Lila Fox
Siena also liked the same things Riley did. She still wanted to color and play with dolls and watch cartoons. Getting dressed up, wearing makeup, or having a boyfriend didn’t interest her.
She would rather watch Beauty and The Beast than the Bachelor, Jersey Shore, or the Kardashians that people her age were into.
About the second week into the camp, she’d been sound asleep when she felt hands on her. Jerking awake, she found one of the male counselors trying to get in bed with her. She yelled at him to get away from her, but he just chuckled and kept trying to grope her.
As she looked for help from the other girls in the cabin, they all watched with different degrees of amusement on their faces. Then she screamed and then bit down on the hand that tried to cover her mouth. When that didn’t work and just made the guy mad, she kneed him in the crotch.
He’d fallen off the bed holding his genitals moaning.
One of the girls finally told him to leave when he got up angry and lunged for her.
The guy had yelled a few awful things to her and then left. Riley hadn’t been able to sleep for the rest of the night.
The next day, she moved around in a daze from exhaustion and despair.
How could she take what she was going through for another four weeks?
She didn’t have it in her, becoming more tired and thinner every day. Physically being around the horses wasn’t wise without being there mentally. One wrong move could cost her life or get her injured. The fact she was also terrified her distraction could get a child hurt terrified her and made her nerves even tighter.
Something had to be done, and her only recourse was Noah, but he was too busy for her. Once again, she had no one, and she was at her wit’s end.
Chapter Seven
Noah finally caught up with Riley a few days later. He spotted her standing on the bottom rung of the fence by the barn and petting one of the horses.
“Hey, sweetheart. I didn’t see you at dinner.”
She shrugged. “I wasn’t hungry.”
He studied her profile. “How is everything going?”
“Good.”
The distress in her tone was clear even though she tried to hide from him. “Riley, look at me.”
She sighed and turned toward him.
He studied her, sighed, and then pulled her into his arms. “I’m sorry. It probably feels like I’m not here for you, but I am. It’s been crazy around here all week.”
She hugged his waist. “I’m not your problem.”
“You’re not a problem, baby. You look like you haven’t gotten any sleep, and you’ve lost weight.”
She shrugged again.
“Tell me what’s going on?”
She sighed. “I don’t fit in here. I don’t fit in anywhere.”
“Yes, you do, baby girl.”
She shook her head. “You don’t understand. Something’s wrong with me, and there’s nothing I can do to fix it.”
He grasped her shoulders and leaned back a bit to see her face. “You don’t need to be fixed.”
“No one is going ever to want me.”
“Yes, they will.” He set his hands on her shoulders. “Listen to me. You’re just one of those women who need a daddy to take care of them.”
Her brows puckered in confusion. “I have a daddy, and he doesn’t want to take care of me.”
“No, that’s your father, baby girl. I’m talking about a big/little relationship.”
“What’s that?” she asked.
“It’s a relationship between two adults, but the woman wants to let the man take care of her, make decisions, support, and love her. Most littles are women who don’t understand the grown-up world or just don’t want to live in the chaos.”
Riley’s heart tripped in her chest. That was what she needed, but there were so many questions rolling through her mind. “What does the man get out of it?”
“The man has a burning need to take care of his little. He wants to dress her, feed her, and make decisions for her.”
“It … it sounds wonderful, but no one will ever want me like that.” She blinked back the tears that filled her eyes.
“But I already do.”
It took a moment for Riley to catch on, and when she did, her mouth dropped open, and her eyes widened dramatically. “Are you saying you want me as your little? Like in real life?”
He chuckled. “Yes, in real life, baby girl. We can see how it goes this summer, and if you’re happy, we’ll tell your dad that you’re coming home with me. But I want to make sure it’s what you want and need.”
“But you’re so handsome. You look like movie stars I read about. Why would you want someone like me?”
He cupped her face and brought it close to his. “You’re everything I’ve been looking for, baby girl.”
She sniffed. “I can’t believe you’d want someone like me. I’m a chubby mess.”
He growled. “If you put yourself down again, you will be spanked.”
She giggled. “You know, you threaten to spank me a lot.”
“It’s one of my favorite forms of punishment.”
“What are the others?” she asked in excited interest.
He chuckled. “I’m guessing you’ll be finding out.”
“I don’t know about that, dad … Noah. Sorry, that just slipped out.”
He cupped her chin to get her full attention. “When it’s us, I want you to call me daddy.”
Her eyes brightened. “Really?”
“Really.”
“I’m so glad I came here,” she said earnestly and hopped up on her toes in excitement.
Noah brushed the hair from her face. “I am too, baby girl,” he murmured.
He used the palm of his hand on the back of her head to bring her mouth up to his. Then he used his tongue to coax her lips to open before he pressed his into hers.
Both moaned and tightened their hold on each other.
He lifted his head. Riley’s eyes were closed, her face tilted up to his, and her lips were likely red and swollen. A growl caught in his throat, and he bent to kiss her again.
“Daddy, please,” she moaned when he lifted his head again.
“You want your daddy?” Noah asked in a guttural, desire-filled tone.
“Yes, please.”
“You can have him, but not now.”
“Why?” she whined.
“Because we have a hundred children who are going to wake up in a few hours, and they will want to be fed and then supervised and entertained, so we need to get our sleep.”
“Oh,” she said and pressed her fingertips against her lips. “Will you kiss me like that again?”
“Oh, yeah. I’m going to be kissing every part of your body, baby girl.”
She snorted. “Not everywhere.”
“Yes, everywhere.”
Her eyes widened. “No, yuck. You don’t want to kiss my Vijay jay.”
Noah’s brows snapped together. “What the hell is that?”
“My … you know, woman’s place.”
“Oh, fuck yeah, I’m going to kiss and suck on it a lot, so you better come to terms with it. I guarantee you’ll like it.”
“I can’t believe you’re saying this,” Riley said and snickered.
“Oh, you’re going to hear all sorts of things you never thought you would. But you’re going to love everything I say and do to you. Aren’t you?”
“Yes, daddy. I promise.”
He placed a quick kiss on her lips. “Now we have to get going.”
She stepped back and tried to smooth her t-shirt back into place. She got a look at her nipples and gasped.
“What?” Noah asked.
She pressed her hands over her boobs. “Nothing.”
He pulled her hands away from her chest. “Are you my little, baby girl?”
“Yes, daddy.”
“Then you are never to cover up your body in front of me. I love that you’re turned on.”
She gasped
as he pinched her nipple between two of his fingers. Her eyes closed as the sensations seemed to rip through her.
Noah smoothed the back of his fingers over the stiff peak. “We don’t have time for this.”
“When?”
“I’ll come for you.”
She nodded and walked hand-in-hand with him. He reached and gripped her cabin door but didn’t open it.
“Get in your cabin. You need to get a lot of rest for what I have in mind for you.”
“Okay, da … Noah.”
He smiled down at her. “You’re a perfect girl.”
“You bet I am,” she said and grinned.
****
After he opened the door to let her walk inside, he chuckled and headed toward his own cabin. He couldn’t remember being this happy before, and he just hoped he didn’t do anything to scare her and make her run.
He’d take everything slow and see how it worked out. What he knew of her so far was everything he ever wanted, and he could tell she needed him as desperately as he needed her.
Noah was frustrated because he didn’t have a lot of time, and he wanted to get to know her as much as possible before her father came to pick her up.
He’d try to give her every minute he could. But that was easier said than done.
Chapter Eight
A few days passed. Riley had been trying to get some time with Noah, but either he was swamped, or she was busy with children.
The cabin she was in got worse by the day. They tried pushing her into skinny dipping with them and the male counselors. Riley shook her head and complained about a stomachache. Then they tried to make her drink the alcohol someone had snuck into the camp, and she pretended she was going to vomit. The more they couldn’t get her to do, the worse they were with her.
She started to become desperate and tried harder to find Noah. But she’d catch a glimpse of him, and then by the time she got to where she saw him, he was gone. There were just too many people, buildings, and trees that could hide a person.
She started to become more unsure of a relationship between her and Noah. He was busy, but it didn’t seem like he’d even tried to see her. The last thing she wanted was to anger or bother him, so she tried to be a big girl and deal with the problems in her life herself.
She was afraid to go to sleep in her own bed. A few of the boys kept creeping into their cabin and making out with some of the girls. Different boys kept trying to climb in bed with her, but she threatened to scream every time. She’d even gone so far as to sleep with a steak knife she’d taken from the kitchen.
It was getting to the point that she was afraid she would be raped.
Riley couldn’t take it anymore and tried to find Noah later that night when most people were in bed, hoping he’d be in the office or his own cabin. There was no light in the office, so she turned toward the cabin.
She worried about him getting angry when she just showed up, but she didn’t know what to do. He was the only one she trusted.
The light was on in his cabin. Her shoulders relaxed when she saw he was still awake. Raising her hand to knock, she caught sight of Noah through a crack in the drapes. He had his hands on Brigit’s shoulders and was smiling down at her.
Riley’s stomach tightened painfully.
That was the way he looked at Riley. Was everything he said a game? A sob caught in her throat, and she pressed her hand against her mouth. The door started to open and she sprang around the corner, out of sight.
“Thank you, Noah. Just being near you settled me down.”
“I’m glad I could help. Now get to your cabin.”
Brigit smiled and walked off.
Riley waited to hear the door close before she stepped out of the bushes on the side of the cabin. Another sob sprang from her throat as she hurriedly walked away.
Noah came around the corner must have caught sight of her because he called out to her. The last thing she needed was face him. Hiding behind a large tree, she bit down on her knuckle to keep from crying out. She couldn’t talk to him at that moment because she felt too raw inside, and she hated the fact she couldn’t stop the tears from falling.
She waited until he walked off to make her way to the stables. It was the only place she thought she’d feel safe that night. Once she’d crept in through the door, she quietly closed it behind her, and walked through the stables, petting and talking to all the horses. It calmed her enough to stop the tears.
Riley wiped her eyes with the bottom of her t-shirt, and then she got one of the horse blankets and settled down in a pile of hay in the corner. After an hour of lying down, tossing and turning, she gave up.
She wouldn’t be able to sleep there. So she decided to sneak into the office and call her dad to tell him she couldn’t stay there anymore.
A shiver coursed down her spine as she looked back and forth on her way to the office. The shadows seemed more menacing at that moment for some reason. Maybe it was because she’d never felt so alone?
Riley breathed a sigh of relief when the door was unlocked. She turned on a small light that sat on the desk and reached for the phone.
****
Earlier that night, he’d been ready to make his rounds when Brigit showed up at his cabin, asking his advice on how to deal with a boy who wouldn’t leave her alone. It put off his plan to check the camp and make sure everything was quiet.
Things were settling down enough now that Noah was finally able to walk around the camp and catch a glimpse of Riley. He had to find time to be alone with her because he was going crazy not being able to touch her.
After Brigit left, Noah had shut the door. While he was outside, he heard a sound and walked around the outside of the cabin. He saw the back of someone running as he came around the corner.
“Riley! Is that you?” Noah shouted and started jogging after the person. She was gone by the time he made it to the fork in the path. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he shouted her name.Noah jogged to Riley’s cabin and knocked.
“Hey, Noah,” Brigit said when she opened the door.
“Is Riley here?”
Brigit looked over her shoulder when a few of the girls snickered. She turned back. “No, she might be with Tommy. She’s had the hots for him since she got here.”
A feeling of pure, heated anger hit before he caught the look in her eyes. Then he remembered Riley would never go off with a guy. He knew what Brigit was trying to do. She hadn’t been happy when he ignored her flirting and treated her like a child.
“If she comes back, tell her I’d like to talk to her.”
“Sure thing. I wouldn’t expect her before sunrise, though.”
Noah turned and walked away. The thought of another man’s hands on his girl made him livid. It wouldn’t happen. He’d make sure of it. As he made another circle around the camp, looking for her, he caught sight of the light in his office.
Skirting a stand of trees, he made his way to the small building and opened the door.
Chapter Nine
“Please, Dad. I can’t stay here anymore.” Riley wept. “I’m scared to sleep in my bed. The other girls are determined to make me lose my … you know,” she cried. “Boys keep trying to get into bed with me.”
There was a pause as she listened to whatever her father was saying.
“I can’t go to him. I’ve tried. He’s busy, and when he’s not busy, he’s with his girlfriend.”
“I know…” She listened for a minute.
Noah’s jaw bunched up. She had gone to him for help. Instead, she’d found him with Brigit. He knew how it looked, and it made him sick to know he’d hurt his girl so much.
“I know it hasn’t been that long…” She wiped her eyes and listened. “But, Dad…”
He stepped forward. “Hold up. Let me talk to your dad.”
She squealed, spun around, and bumped her hip into the side of the desk. “I…”
Nodding, he reached out for the phone and gently took it from her hands. “Em
erson, this is Noah.”
He listened to the worried man. “I know. No, I don’t have a girlfriend… I’m sure.” Noah sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. His hand jerked out when Riley tried to move around him to leave. “Nope,” he whispered to her. “You stay here.”
“How about she calls you in a few days, and if she’s still unhappy, I’ll bring her home myself?”
Noah nodded again. “I understand. I’m sorry she worried you, but I can assure you I will be taking care of her from now on. Yes, sir. Thank you. Bye.”
She lunged for the phone, but her dad had already hung up.
He grabbed her arm when she tried to move away. “Oh, no. Where do you think you’re going?” He sat on the edge of the desk and pulled her in until she stood between his widespread legs.
“Let me go,” she said and tried to wrench from him.
He grabbed both her upper arms and gently shook her. “No, I won’t let you go. I won’t ever let you go.”
“You’re not my daddy,” she cried out. “Let me go.”
Noah studied her. She had been getting more tired-looking as the days passed. He’d tried so many times to get her alone, but one thing after another took his attention. “So, you won’t give me a chance? A chance to explain or make things better?”
Riley’s shoulders hunched. “I don’t belong here. I just want to go home,” she murmured softly.
He pulled her against his chest and set his chin on the top of her head. “Oh, baby girl. You are at home. Anywhere I am, that’s where you will be.”
“I can’t compete with Brigit.”
“You never had to. She tried to come on to me, but I didn’t fall for it. I went to get you at your cabin. She tried to tell me you went off with Tommy to have sex.”
She jerked in his arms. “He’s one of the boys who keeps trying to get into bed with me. He talked about popping my cherry. I told him I’d scream if he touched me.”
“I knew she lied. You would never do that to me, and I would never do that to you. I want us to be a family, baby girl. Will you give us a chance?”