“I know you can. But you’re very precious to me and I can’t stand the thought of you risking your health by not eating. So, when I’m not around to keep a close eye on you, I want you to keep a food diary, all right? I want you to put down everything you eat in it and I’ll be checking it every night.”
“But you wouldn’t know if I’d really eaten or not.”
“A daddy knows when his little girl lies and that’s not allowed, is it?” he rumbled.
“No, Daddy.”
“Baby, if you keep feeling the urge to hoard food then we’ll need to consider professional help.”
She grimaced. “A shrink. I don’t know…”
“I know one who is in the lifestyle,” he told her, thinking that would make her feel better.
“You do?”
“Yeah, he’s Doc’s half-brother and he’s been dying to come out for a visit. Doc doesn’t want him here.”
“He doesn’t? Why not?”
“Apparently his brother wants to try and fix him. Could be amusing to watch.”
She giggled. “Daddy, that’s terrible.”
He winked at her. Then hugged her close. “I just want my little darling to be happy.”
She breathed out a sigh. “Clint, I know it might not seem like it since I just soaked your shirt, but being here in your arms makes me happy.”
“Good. Then I’m doing my job right.” He stood up and carried her back to bed, laying her down then lying next to her and pulling her against him, so her head rested on his chest once more.
“I’m sorry I woke you up,” she told him. “I know you have to get up early for work.”
“I’m going to be sticking close by for the next few days in case you need me,” he told her. “The nightmares will disappear as you feel more secure here.” He kissed the top of her head. “I’m going to show you that you have nothing to be ashamed of. That you’re perfect for me, exactly the way you are.”
“I think that it’s the other way around, Daddy.”
No, it wasn’t. He was cantankerous and bossy and demanding. But if she thought him perfect, well he wouldn’t dissuade her of that.
He lifted her so she lay on top of him, stomach to stomach, her head on his chest.
She tried to roll off but he held her to him, his hands heavy on her bottom. “Lay still, little girl.”
“But, Daddy, I’ll squish you.”
He snorted. “Little bit like you couldn’t squish me. Now, go to sleep. Morning will be here soon and my girl needs her rest.”
He rubbed her back gently until he felt her drift off, but sleep was a long while coming for him.
13
Clint glanced up at the knock on his door. “Come in.” Surprise filled him as Kent strode into his office. He frowned. “I didn’t know you were home.”
“Zeke said he didn’t want to interrupt you to tell you know I’d gotten back.” Kent raised his eyebrows questioningly. “He didn’t tell me what you were so busy with, though.”
“Zeke doesn’t get to make those sorts of calls. I want to know whenever anyone leaves or arrives.”
“I’ll make sure to remind him.” Kent took a seat across from him.
He studied his brother. He appeared weary. There were dark smudges under his eyes. “You look like shit. Why aren’t you in bed?”
Kent narrowed his gaze and leaned forward. “You might be my older brother but that doesn’t mean you get to boss me around.”
He let out a frustrated noise. Life would be much easier if people just did what he told them to.
“You’re not responsible for the world, Clint.”
“Don’t want to be.”
“No, but you want to protect everyone on this ranch, don’t you?” Kent asked.
“Don’t you?” he countered. “You’re almost as bad as I am.”
Kent sighed then nodded. “Point taken. Sorry, I didn’t come here to fight. You’re right. I need some sleep.”
“So why are you here?”
“I thought I’d check on Charlie, only when I went to the kitchen where I thought she’d be, I found Ellie prepping for dinner. She told me that Charlie was here at the house with you and that Allan had been sent away.” He raised his eyebrows. “Want to tell me what’s going on?”
Clint explained everything. From Allan mistreating Charlotte, to her panic attack, to her hoarding food. By the time he was finished, he was riding the fine edge of his temper. “It was my fucking fault. We promised her somewhere safe to live and then this happened right under my fucking nose! She should have been safe, damn it.”
Kent nodded with a frown. “Not entirely your fault, though. We’ve never had any issues with Allan before. I wonder what was going through his head?”
Clint sighed, ran his hand over his face. “I never thought he would harass a woman like that.” He scowled. “I dropped the ball and that won’t ever happen again.”
“We’ll both be more vigilant. Do you know why Charlie was hoarding food?”
“Her bitch aunt abused her. She used to withhold food from her.” He told his brother what Charlotte had confessed to him.
Kent frowned. “Where is Charlie now?”
He grabbed hold of the monitor on his desk and handed it to his brother. “She’s sleeping.”
Kent stared down at the monitor. “You have a camera on her? Does she know? Wait, is she in your bedroom?”
“She is,” he said with a wealth of satisfaction in his voice. “She’s mine now.”
A slow grin crossed Kent’s face. “Well, hot damn. I knew you wanted her.” Kent frowned. “What are we going to do about Allan?”
“I told him I don’t want him back. It’s time he retired. His son agrees. I had Bear and Zeke pack up his stuff and ship it to his son’s.”
“Good. Can’t have someone like that here. I just can’t believe he acted that way. Charlie should have told someone he was terrorizing her. Makes me feel sick to think about how scared she must have been.”
Him as well. “She’s not good at asking for help which I’m working on. She’s going to know that she’s to come to me about anything.” He’d make sure of that. “So, how did your trip go?”
“Fine,” Kent told him. His brother wasn’t one to talk about his work and Clint got that most of it was classified. And that his clients wanted privacy. Kent stood and walked across the study. He paused at the door and turned back. “Clint?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m really happy for you.” There was a note to his brother’s voice.
“You’ll find someone special,” he told him. He’d never imagined he’d find someone like Charlotte.
Kent grinned, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Of course, I will.”
* * *
“Hello, baby girl.”
Charlie smiled happily up at Clint as he settled onto the bed next to her. She switched off the cartoon she’d been watching on TV. It felt decadent to be lying in bed watching television in the middle of the day.
“Hi.”
“Have a good nap?”
She blushed. It was going to take her a while to get used to the way he openly accepted her Little side. Not just that, that he really enjoyed it. Enjoyed being her daddy.
“Yes. I feel a bit lazy, though. My hand is heaps better and I’m feeling much more rested. I think I should be back at work. Ellie needs my help.”
“You can’t do much with your hand, and you’re still a bit pale for my liking. Don’t worry about Ellie, everything is under control.”
“It’s not Ellie I’m worried about so much as everyone else,” she said dryly.
He grinned. “Well, there’s been no cases of food poisoning so far.”
She snorted.
“But if you’re a good girl and do what I tell you, I’ll have Doc come and check on you tomorrow and see what he says about your hand and returning to work. You also need a complete check-up.”
“Yuck.”
He gave her a firm look. �
�I’d suggest you change that attitude because you’ll be visiting Doc regularly. I intends to keep my girl in good health.”
She sighed. “I’m usually really healthy, Daddy.”
“Sure, you are. Getting next to no sleep, living in your car, eating junk all the time is a recipe for good health.”
She scowled, feeling very put-upon. “I feel fine.”
“Hmm, you’ve very out of sorts for a little girl who has just woken from her nap. Perhaps I better check your temperature.”
Her eyes widened. “I feel fine, Daddy.”
But he was already pulling off the covers. He reached for the bottom of the t-shirt she was wearing. It was one of his. She loved wrapping herself up in his scent.
“Sit up,” he ordered. He stripped off the t-shirt, leaving her completely naked since he hadn’t let her put any panties on this morning. “Lie back down,” he said huskily. She saw the heat in his gaze as she did as ordered. She was too thin, almost painfully so. She didn’t have curves or boobs. She wasn’t anything special.
But when he stared at her like that, she felt special, wanted, loved.
“Your nipples are hard. Are you cold, baby?” Clint crooned. “I’ll turn up the heat.”
“I’m not cold,” she told him, blushing.
She was anything but cold, her body went up in flames whenever he was near. Hell, he didn’t even have to be close by. She just had to think about him and she started to get wet. She might have been tempted to do something about it if she hadn’t remembered his order that she wasn’t to pleasure herself.
He cupped her breast and she groaned, arching her back. He rubbed his hand back and forth across the tight nub, making her clit throb. He lightly pinched her nipple between his finger and thumb and she let out a gasp as the slight pain sent waves of need through her body.
Then he pulled away from her. “No, Daddy!”
“Sh,” he told her. “You’re a little flushed. I need to ensure you don’t have a temperature.”
She was flushed because she was aroused and he damn well knew it.
He reached over and pulled the thermometer out of the top drawer of the nightstand, along with a jar of lube.
“Umm, what sort of thermometer is that, Daddy?”
“The only kind I’ll ever use on you,” he replied cheerfully. “It goes up your bottom.”
Oh God, she should have known.
“I really feel fine,” she told him quickly.
“Well, I’m glad about that. But I’m still going to check. It’s my job to keep you nice and healthy.”
She wanted to protest further, but she also knew he wasn’t going to give her a reprieve so she might as well get it over and done with.
She started to roll onto her side to assume the same position as she did when he was administering the painkillers but he grabbed hold of her waist, stilling her. “Did Daddy say to move, baby?”
“Ah, no, but I was getting into position,” she said in confusion as he grabbed her legs and pulled them up, pushing them into her chest.
“Clint!” she squeaked.
He gave her a stern look. “What was that?”
“Sorry…I…umm…what are you doing, Daddy?”
“Taking my girl’s temperature.”
“Not this way!” He’d given her a bath last night and shaved off her pubic hair so she was completely exposed to his gaze.
“Oh yes. I like you this way. I get a nice view of everything.”
God. Could this get any more humiliating?
“Now, I want you to hold your legs right where they are. You let them go and Daddy is going to have to get firm with you, understand?”
Okay, so it seemed things could get more embarrassing.
He placed his finger in the lube. He wasn’t…he wouldn’t…oh shit, he would. He pressed his finger against her puckered entrance. She whined and tried to move away from that finger, but her position made that pretty much impossible. And he grabbed her hip firmly as he pushed his finger inside her. “Daddy, you can’t!”
“Oh, but I can. Because I’m in charge right now.”
Just right now? Somehow, she doubted he’d ever give up control.
He pushed his finger in deep as she moaned and wiggled, need flooding her. When he withdrew his finger, she had to bite her lip against a protest. Brian had often pushed her to have anal sex and she’d always turned him down. She’d thought it gross and yuck…and here she was on the cusp of begging Clint not to stop. He swirled the thermometer in the lube. Was it just her or was he moving extra slowly? He parted her bottom cheeks, taking a moment just to stare at her.
“Daddy! Please don’t look at me there.”
He glanced up at her. “Why not?”
“Because it’s dirty.”
He grinned. “Oh, baby. Don’t you know that there is nothing that is forbidden or dirty between Daddy and his girl. Well, unless you’re talking sexy dirty.” He winked at her then pushed the tip of the thermometer inside her. He paused, stared down at her. “It will be more comfortable for you if you relax.”
“Easier said than done,” she muttered.
He gave one cheek a smack. “You getting sassy with me?” The smack startled her but there was only a little sting and his grin told her he didn’t mind her sassiness that much.
He pushed the thermometer inside her. “We’re going to leave that there for ten minutes.”
“Ten minutes? Noooo.”
He gave her a stern look. “Yes, and if you keep complaining I’m going to make this a regular part of your day…I just might anyway.”
“No, Daddy. I’ll be good.”
He reached up and brushed some hair off her face. “I know you will, baby. You let me know if you start to feel uncomfortable or sore in that position, okay?”
She nodded. She thought about lying and saying she was in pain, but she was a bit worried she might find herself in a worse position. Besides, it wasn’t right to lie to Clint. He’d been upfront with her. She didn’t want to do anything that might make him regret any of this. Because even though it was embarrassing lying here like this, there was a part of her that liked it.
Was aroused by it.
He moved into the bathroom and she heard water running. Then he returned to the bedroom, and sat on the mattress staring down at her. A wave of heat rushed through her. He cupped her pussy then parted her lips.
“My baby is very excited, isn’t she?” He raised an eyebrow. She watched him for any hint of disgust, but there was only heat in his eyes. “Tell me, did you like Daddy’s finger in your bottom?”
Shit. He was giving her a look that said she better answer quickly. Or else.
“Yes, Daddy.”
“Yes, Daddy, I liked having you push your finger deep inside my naughty bottom,” he instructed.
Jesus. Jesus. Why did she like this? Why the hell did it turn her on? She sure as shit didn’t know, but her clit was throbbing, her nipples so hard they ached.
“Yes, Daddy, I liked having you push your finger deep inside my naughty bottom,” she repeated.
“Good girl. Daddy’s so happy with how well you are doing that he’s going to give you a reward.”
A reward? She perked up. She liked the sound of that. He pulled something out of his pocket, holding it up.
“Do you know what this is?” He held up the object so she could see it. It was purple and egg shaped with a long tail.
She shook her head. “No, Daddy.”
“Never played with sex toys before?” he asked with surprise.
“No. Never.”
“Well, you’re just full of surprises, aren’t you? And it’s going to be fun introducing you to some of my toys. This egg slips up inside your passage. Let me show you.” He ran it down her folds, it was cool and she shivered at the sensation of it against her hot folds. “You’re so wet. Poor baby, you need to come, don’t you?”
She was slightly shocked by just how turned on she was considering he hadn’t even touc
hed her clit yet. But then he parted her lips and started to press the egg deep inside her. It didn’t do anything. What was the point?
She stared up at him in confusion and he smiled then pulled something else out of his pocket. He pressed something on the bit he held. Suddenly the egg started to vibrate.
“Ohh,” she said, staring at him with wide eyes.
“This is the remote which means that Daddy controls the vibrations,” he told her in a deep voice. “Even better is that it’s waterproof so you can wear it in your bath. Now, let’s check your temperature.” He turned the vibrator off and she whimpered at the loss.
“Easy, little one.” He slid the thermometer out and glanced at it. “Your temperature is good.”
She started to lower her legs then froze as he frowned. “Did I say you could move?”
“No, Daddy.” She quickly moved back into position. He gave her a couple of sharp smacks to her ass. They stung, but the pain soon morphed into a heat that filled her body, centering around her clit.
“Good girl,” he praised her. She didn’t think she’d ever get tired of hearing those two words. “You can lower your legs now.”
She placed her legs flat on the bed as he leaned in and kissed her, his mouth warm against hers. He dipped his tongue between her lips, playing with her. When he pulled back, she let out a whimper of protest, not wanting to lose contact.
“Easy, baby. Daddy will take care of you.” He ran his hand down her body as he bit then licked his way down her neck. He reached her breast and took her nipple between his finger and thumb, pinching it lightly.
“Daddy!” The egg started to buzz and she groaned. Then he surrounded her hard nipple with his mouth, sucking on it lightly.
The egg died off and she whimpered. He lifted her, moving her into the middle of the bed then lay on his side beside her. Grabbing the leg closest to him, he placed it over his thigh, opening her to his touch.
Then the egg went on again. She moaned in delight, her eyes closing as he ran his hand down her stomach, cupping her mound.
“So hot. So ready for me, aren’t you, baby girl?” He circled her clit with his finger and she arched up with a cry of pleasure. “No, don’t close your eyes. I want them open and on me.”
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