“Well, I’ve been searching for my own little girl. For a long time now. Thought I might have found her a couple of times, but it wasn’t right. Until I met you.”
Her heart leaped into her throat. She shook her head. “No. You don’t mean that.”
He raised an eyebrow. “I do. Are you saying it’s not something you want? Because I think you do. I think you need a Daddy Dom. Someone to protect and cherish you. Set boundaries. And enforce those rules and limits.”
Her heart thundered in her chest. She was scared to open up. Terrified of being hurt. But he’d started this conversation. “I-I think I might want that. When Ellie explained her relationship with Bear…well…I felt a little jealous.” She stared up at him. “It used to annoy my ex-boyfriend, though. That I had a stuffed toy and needed a nightlight and enjoyed watching cartoons.”
“I think all of that is cute. Although I do think it’s appalling that you only have one stuffed toy. We’ll have to remedy that.” He brushed her hair back from her face. “If you agree to be my little girl.”
She shook her head, then winced.
His hand stilled. His face froze. “You don’t want that with me?”
“No, you don’t understand. I do. So much.”
He frowned. “Then what’s the problem?”
“You…you shouldn’t want that with me. If you knew everything about me…”
“We’ve all got pasts, Charlotte. I don’t come without my own baggage. You may not realize it, but I’m not always that easy to be around. I can be demanding. And I like to be in control, to make the decisions. To take care of those around me. I don’t want to be a dictator, although I’ve been told once or twice that I think I’m God.”
“Oh, I’ve figured all of that out,” she teased him. “But I don’t know another person who would have looked after me the way you have.” She felt embarrassed at the thought of all he’d done for her.
“It was my privilege.”
She stared at him and knew he meant every word of that.
“What if you grow tired of me? I’m not that easy to be around. I’ll try to be good but—”
“Hush.” He placed two fingers on her lips. “Little girls can’t be good all the time. You break the rules, you get punished and then you’re forgiven.”
“I just can’t believe you want me.” She shook her head in disbelief. Her? How could she be that lucky? And how long would it last before he got sick of her?
“Why? Because other people have rejected you in the past?”
She stiffened in his arms. “I…yes.”
“I’m not them, baby. I want you. And even if you decide you don’t want a relationship with me, you’re not leaving Sanctuary until I am assured of your well-being.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means that you’re not going anywhere until I am sure you won’t be living in your car.”
She sucked in a deep breath. “So I can go back to work?”
“Once you’ve caught up on your sleep and your hand is better, you can resume your duties in the kitchens until Neil returns. However, I’m going to be watching you much more closely. Any hint that you’ve taken on too much and I will step in, understand?”
“Yes, sir.” Whoops that just slid out. But his satisfied look told her he liked hearing the word.
“Sir is okay, but I’d rather be your daddy.”
She took in a sharp breath.
“So, what do you say, Charlotte? Do you want to be my little girl? Before you say yes, understand that you’ll be living here in this house. No going back to your cabin. I don’t do things in half-measures. I’m too old and stuck in my ways to mess around. There will be more rules. There will also be no keeping anything from me. You will tell me everything. Because little girls don’t have secrets from their daddies.”
She sucked in a breath. This was it. The moment when she decided if she was brave enough to make herself vulnerable to this man and let him know her deepest desires. It wasn’t easy. God, no. And it would be a turning point because she’d learnt to protect herself. To always be on her guard.
But Clint had already floored her with his honesty. And his caring. How could she give him anything less? Only…what if she said yes and further down the road, he decided she was too much bother? How could she say goodbye to him? And yet would saying goodbye be any worse now? Why not be his for as long as he would have her? No matter the pain when it ended, surely it would be worth it.
“You’re thinking very hard. I don’t like seeing my baby so stressed. I know it’s difficult to trust in me. But I can tell you that once I make a commitment, I keep it. I am not a young man; I am not a fickle man. I know what I want, and what I want is you.”
“It seems pretty fast, don’t you think?”
“I’m a decisive person. Don’t have time to be anything else.”
That was true. The man worked harder than anyone else on this ranch.
“I know you’re it for me even if you’ve got reservations. That’s okay. But you’ll learn that I don’t let go of what’s mine. I coddle, I possess, I protect and I discipline, but I don’t ever let go.”
It was a leap of faith. But there was a voice inside her telling her that if she didn’t take this opportunity, she would always wander.
“Yes, please.”
He grinned. “Yes, please? You agreeing to be mine, little darling? Or saying yes to some ice cream?”
“Maybe both?” she teased but quickly sobered. “I don’t…I don’t know what words to say. I’ve never really had someone want me before. And I’m scared. Nervous. Excited.”
“Those words are just perfect.”
She squeezed Inky.
“Ellie brought him over for you,” he told her.
“He’s all I have left from my mom.”
“She died?” he asked quietly.
“Yes. In a car accident. My dad was driving. A drunk driver hit them. They died and I survived.”
“Oh God, baby. I’m so sorry.” He started rocking her again.
“I came out almost completely unscathed. I couldn’t understand why they were both dead and I barely even had a scratch.”
“It wasn’t your time to go.”
“My aunt certainly thought it was. I moved in with her after my parents died. She was angry because I was sitting in the front seat. I get car sick and my mom had swapped seats with me. So, you see if I’d just been sitting in the back as I should have been—”
He cupped her face between his hands. His gaze was fierce as he stared down at her. “You wouldn’t be here with me now. And my life wouldn’t be nearly as rich.”
A tear dripped down her cheek. Shit, she had to stop that. “You don’t even know me. I’m trouble.”
“I have my ways of dealing with trouble.” He grinned.
She snorted. And she just bet he did. The man had hands the size of a paddle. “I’m more trouble than I’m worth.”
“That’s the very last time you’re going to say that,” he said sternly. “You might have been taught to believe that, but it’s not true. And talking about yourself like that is going to end with you getting a nice, fat plug up your bottom.”
Her eyes widened. Her heart beat quickened. He couldn’t mean that.
“It’s time I got you back in bed.” He glanced around then stood, carrying her.
“Where are you taking me?”
“My room. That’s where I want you now that you’ve agreed to be mine.”
She was his. She still wasn’t completely sure what that would mean. It scared her a little, opening up and letting him in. Trusting him. He could hurt her. And yet, he’d already shown her such kindness. He strode into a rather sparse bedroom. It was huge, with large windows flanking each side of an enormous bed. The bed wasn’t just wide but high, she thought she might need to take a running jump to get up on it. The only other furniture were the two nightstands. A large TV was attached to the wall above a fireplace. How nice would it be to
have two chairs set in front of the fire, maybe a rug on the floor…
“Charlotte? You still with me?”
She blushed. “Sorry. I tend to do that a lot.”
“Daydream?”
She nodded. “It really used to piss Brian off.”
“Brian?” he asked. He sat her on the bed then knelt and started pulling off her shoes.
“My ex.”
“We need to have a talk about him later too.” He pulled her sweater off as he spoke, being careful not to jar her hand and giving her a moment to gather herself. He reached for the clasp of her jeans. “Don’t know what you were thinking, getting yourself dressed. As if I’d allow you to go back to work so quickly. Got a mind not to let you out of this room for a month.”
Didn’t sound so bad. As long as he stayed here with her. He stilled then looked at her, and his gaze was hot. Possessive.
“Crap. I said that out loud, didn’t I?”
“You did. And that’s enough swearing out of you. Good little girls don’t swear.”
“I never said I was a good little girl,” she said cheekily. By now she was dressed just in her t-shirt, panties and bra.
He grinned. “Well now, that’s going to make life interesting, isn’t it?” He tapped her nose. “Just means I get to spank you more.”
“You want to spank me?”
He shrugged. “I don’t like causing you pain. But if you’ve earned it, a spanking is a small, temporary hurt to prevent something that could really harm you. I wouldn’t be much of a daddy if I let you break the rules without facing any discipline. From now on, you can expect to be very closely watched. I don’t like that you’ve lost weight. You were already tiny as it was. What were you eating when you lived in your car?”
“Mostly crackers and fast food.”
“Well, fast food is going to become a distant memory for you.”
Suited her. She’d had enough crap food to last a lifetime. “Brian never worried about what I ate.”
His jaw was tight and a muscle ticked by his eye. “Brian was an ass.”
“So, you’re allowed to swear but I’m not?”
“Me, Daddy. You, baby girl. I make the rules and enforce them. You obey them.”
Okay, maybe she was weird because that made her sigh happily. Truthfully, she’d had enough of looking after herself, of worrying, and being afraid. To let go of everything for a while and let someone else take control sounded like fucking heaven.
This not swearing thing was definitely going to be a challenge, though.
11
God, he loved having her here in his bed. His hands were practically trembling as he reached for the bottom of her t-shirt and whisked it over her head. She was his. His baby girl. His sexy little darling. His cock throbbed as he stared down at her breasts. He reached behind her to unclasp her bra. She tensed as he drew her bra away.
He stared down at her breasts. He’d only seen them briefly when undressing her last night and hadn’t looked his full. Small but perfectly formed and tipped with red nipples that had grown stiff and hard. And it wasn’t cold in the room. She reached up to cover them.
“Baby, don’t hide yourself from me. This body is mine now. All of it. When it’s possible, I will be the one undressing you each night and dressing you each morning.”
“Is your body mine as well?”
“Of course.” His loyalty once given was absolute. There would never be anyone else. Her tension eased and she moved her arms, placing them at her sides. He rose and pressed on her shoulders so she lay on her back. She stared up at him from those big eyes.
He groaned. “I know you’re not up to anything more than a nap.”
“I don’t need a nap, Daddy,” she replied. His heart surged with that word. “I slept all night.”
He ran his thumb under her eye. “You still have dark circles here. Have you not been sleeping well?”
“It was hard to sleep when I was living in my car. I thought I would sleep better here, but all the quiet is kind of unnerving.”
And a little frightening.
“Well, I’m going to make certain you get plenty of rest from now on. It’s a wonder you haven’t gotten ill. Doc wants to give you a complete check-up.”
“Great. I hate going to the doctor,” she grumbled.
“Most Littles do. How did you get this bruise here?” He ran a finger over the slight bruise on her arm.
She tensed up and he knew immediately she was about to lie to him. She was a terrible liar. “I don’t remember.”
Hmm. He could press her for the truth, but right now he wanted her to relax. Later, though, he’d be demanding the truth.
“Wait here, I’ll go get a bandage for your hand. We don’t want it getting infected.” He tucked her under the covers then disappeared into the bathroom. When he returned, he gently wrapped her hand up. “How’s the headache? Need some painkillers?”
She grimaced. “I don’t like swallowing pills.”
“Well, luckily, I have pills you don’t have to swallow.”
How did that work? “Are they gummy ones I can chew?”
He snorted. “Not quite. I’ll go get what I need from the other room, you stay where you are, understand?”
“Okay, Daddy,” she said shyly.
When he returned, he was pleased to see her still in place. He had Inky, a jar of lube and the medicine with him. When he handed her Inky, a hint of embarrassment filled her gaze.
Nope. He wasn’t having that.
“He said he was lonely all by himself. We will definitely have to get him some friends.”
Her eyes flared open. “Really? I mean, you don’t have to spend your money on me.”
“What kind of daddy would that make me if I didn’t make sure my little girl had enough stuffies to fill the bed?”
She gave him a small smile that dropped when she saw what else he held. “I really don’t like pills.”
“Don’t worry, this is special medicine. However, no doubt there will come a time when you will have to swallow pills and you will be doing so if it’s for your health.”
She pouted a little at that and he reached out to tap her lower lip. “Put that away, munchkin. You need to drink some fluids. Do you think you could eat something?”
She frowned slightly. “Not yet. Maybe later.”
He nodded. He’d make sure of that.
“So how do I take the pills?”
“They go in your bottom.”
Her eyes widened. “Nuh-uh.”
“Oh, yes.”
She scowled at him. “No, Daddy.”
He gave her his sternest look. “Do you really think you get to say no to me when it regards your health, little girl?”
“I don’t want anything in my bottom.”
“Well, now, that’s a shame since you’re going to spend a lot of time with something up your bottom. Sometime in the future, I’m going to start stretching you to take me there and believe me I’m a hell of a lot bigger than these little pills.”
She let out a whimper. “It will hurt.”
“Do you honestly believe I would ever let anything hurt you?” he asked incredulously.
She stared up at him, wide-eyed then shook her head slowly. “No, Daddy.”
“That’s right. That’s why I will stretch you. And, darling, how do you think I’ve been giving you pain killers up until now?”
Well hell. She hadn’t thought of that, had she?
Was she really going to let him stick something up her bottom? It was one thing to sleep right through it but to actually be awake and aware…that was something else entirely.
And he wanted to stretch her to take him there? She swallowed heavily. A mix of trepidation and desire filled her. This was crazy.
“Roll onto your side and curl your legs up to your chest.” He waited for a couple of beats. “Charlotte, I’m going to give you until the count of three to roll back into position and then every second that you procrastinate equals
one smack on that little bottom. One.”
She stared as he placed a dab of lube on his finger.
“Two.”
Shit. Shit. She didn’t need a red bottom on top of all this. Because she knew either way that little pill was going up her bottom.
“Th—”
She quickly rolled into place.
“Just as well,” he growled. “Or that wasn’t going to go well for you. Legs up to your chest.”
She curled up her legs, felt him lower her panties. Oh God. Her clit throbbed in reaction even though she knew he wouldn’t be touching her there.
“I feel much better, Daddy. I don’t think I need any painkillers.”
“Are you telling me your head isn’t throbbing? That your hand doesn’t hurt?”
She chewed her lower lip. “I’m fine.”
“You just lied to me, little girl,” he said in a low, growly voice.
Oh, shit.
“I might not spank you while you’re not feeling well. But I will keep track.” He pushed the cheeks of her ass apart and dabbed some cool lube on her asshole. This was so embarrassing.
“Relax, baby girl,” he said to her.
Easy for him to say. But she tried not to tense up as she felt him push something cool and small into her bottom. She instinctively attempted to expel it, but Clint quickly pressed his finger against her hole.
“Do not push that out.”
From the growly note to his voice she understood that it was a big no-no.
Finally, he removed his finger and allowed her to roll onto her back.
“I’m just going to wash my hands then I’ll be back.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
Clint walked into the bathroom and quickly washed his hands. Happiness made him feel light-headed. He couldn’t believe Charlotte was in his bed. Oh, there were still things to sort out, but those things could wait. He dried his hands then strode back into the bedroom to sit on the mattress next to her.
“You need to have a nap now,” he told her, pushing back her hair.
“I just woke up.”
She looked completely wiped out, though and he didn’t like it. “Do you need the toilet?”
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