“That’s an interesting statement. Your freedom? That implies you were a prisoner, who was holding you captive?” There was a dark note to his voice and she swallowed, feeling a little nervous around him.
“What? No one. Sorry, I was being overly dramatic, I guess. Don’t listen to me.”
“Lying isn’t allowed, you know.”
“W-what?”
“Dishonesty isn’t good in any relationship, but between a Dom and his submissive, communication is key. No lying.”
“Oh, right, but I just told you…”
“I know what you told me,” he said calmly. “I also know you’re a submissive. One who makes bad decisions and puts herself at risk.”
Okay, she wanted to argue that. Except a bad decision was how she’d ended up lying in this bed.
“I’ve never thought of myself as a submissive.” Except hadn’t she done what her parents had told her to for years, hadn’t she? “I don’t want to end up in a relationship with someone who’s going to use me. Who will walk all over me.”
His gaze narrowed. “A good Dominant would never use you. He’d put you first.”
“Yeah? I haven’t experienced that much. How would I know a good Dom from a bad one who would just take advantage of me?”
He watched her thoughtfully. Why the hell was she having this conversation with a man she’d just met? But she was curious about this stuff. And it wasn’t like she had anyone to ask.
“See, this is why it’s best that I be my own,” she told him, managing a small smile.
“I don’t know about that. You clearly need a keeper.”
“I do not!” She glared at him.
Strangely, he just smiled at her. “You’re cute when you’re mad.”
“That’s pretty condescending. I’m not cute.”
He leaned forward and tapped her nose. “Definitely cute. You know, we’re stuck here for a few days. I will be taking care of you. Would you like me to show you what having a Daddy Dom would be like while we’re here?”
Okay, she’d just fallen down the rabbit hole.
“Ellie, you can totally say no. In fact, maybe it would be a good thing to say no. This will probably be a disaster. Can’t quite believe I offered…” he trailed off with a frown. “But I want you to know what to look for in a Dom, I don’t want you getting taken advantage of.”
“I can take care of myself, you know.” Maybe. She wasn’t really sure.
He gave her a skeptical look and she caved. “All right, maybe I can’t. I live in this world in my head where I’m a kickass bitch, instead I’m a mousy little coward who lets people take advantage of her.”
“I don’t want to hear you talking about yourself like that. You are not mousy or a coward.” His voice had grown low. Stern. “That’s rule three.”
Her nipples hardened. Why did that tone of voice turn her on? “Rule three?”
“Rule one is no getting up without my help. Rule two is no lying. Rule three is no talking down about yourself.”
She licked her lips. “Considering I haven’t agreed to anything; I don’t think I should have rules.”
He grinned. “But you so clearly need them.”
“Not sure I like this image you have of me as a wimp.”
He leaned forward. “I don’t see you as a wimp, honey. Not at all. I see you as someone who needs a bit of guidance. You’re a little reckless with your safety. You could use someone to watch over you.” He shook his head, rubbing at the back of his neck. “Look, don’t worry about any of this. Forget I said it, okay?”
He stood up. “No, wait.” She reached out and grabbed his arm.
He stilled and gave her a disapproving look. Not because she had touched him, she knew, but because she’d pulled her arm out from under the blankets. Jeez, he was overprotective.
And damned if she didn’t love that.
Here was this gorgeous hunk of a man, who could probably have any woman he wanted, and he was fussing over her. Why, she wasn’t exactly sure. She wasn’t anything special.
“What about sex?” She blushed bright red, unable to believe she’d said that. And did she want sex to be part of the deal? Damned if she knew.
He didn’t take offence. Instead he gave her an incredulous look. “You can’t even pee by yourself, how do you expect to have sex?”
“I just…I don’t know. I don’t really know much about sex at all.” Crap. Why had she told him that? Men liked experienced women, didn’t they?
He was silent for a moment. “Have you had sex before, Ellie?”
“Umm…well…no.” She kept her gaze averted from him, not wanting to see his reaction.
“Look at me,” he demanded.
No way.
“Ellie. Eyes on me. Now.”
She turned her gaze to him.
“Honey, there is nothing wrong with being a virgin.”
“Isn’t there? Don’t men like women with experience? Who know what they’re doing?” she asked.
“Maybe some do. Experience can be good. So can innocence. Ellie, are you attracted to me?”
“I can’t believe you are asking me that,” she groaned. “Can we just forget I said any of this?”
“Nope. Are you attracted to me?”
When she still didn’t say anything, he sat and gave her a stern look. “Daddy expects an answer when he asks a question, little girl.”
Those words were like a trigger inside her. She wanted to answer him, please him. It scared her how much she wanted that.
He reached out and cupped hold of her chin, lifting her face. “You can tell me anything, little one. Daddy will always listen.”
“Yes, I’m attracted to you,” she whispered.
“Good. I’m attracted to you too.”
“You are?” She stared at him in shock.
“That’s such a surprise?”
Well, yeah, frankly it was.
“But…” he said.
Here it came, the dreaded but.
“You are not up to anything much at the moment, and I’m not going to risk your health. I also don’t want to take advantage of you. So, nothing is going to happen right now. Later, if you want it to, we’ll see.”
So, it wasn’t an absolute no. And he said he was attracted to her.
“All right,” she agreed.
“Good.”
“Is that why you offered to do this? Because you’re attracted to me? I mean, I’m guessing it’s not that you’ve fallen instantly in love with me.”
He grinned. “No instant love.”
“I don’t…I’m not looking for anything permanent.” She didn’t want to go into this without making that clear.
“Neither am I,” he said simply. “Like I said, this lasts for as long as we are here.”
That should have been a relief. For some reason, it wasn’t. “I feel like agreeing to his wouldn’t be fair to you. What would you be getting in return?”
He just stared at her, studied her like she was some weird species of bug he’d just discovered. “Not fair to me?”
The balance wasn’t even. It felt wrong just to take from him without giving him something in return.
“Umm, yeah. You’ve been so amazing, rescuing me, taking care of me. If I can pay you back in any way, I will. I don’t have any money, I’m afraid, so I can’t offer to pay you…. but once I have a job…” the thunderous look on his face made her trail off. She licked her lips nervously. She wasn’t scared of him exactly, but he did look rather intimidating right now.
“You, umm, look a little mad.”
“Do I? Maybe it’s just because you offered to pay me for taking care of you. Do you think I work for you?”
“No. I didn’t mean it like that.” Misery swamped her. “I’m sorry. I’m not very good at talking to people. I don’t have friends anymore. My last boyfriend was when I was seventeen. I’m pretty damn pathetic really. Maybe you could do me a huge favor and forget we ever had this conversation.”
; Nope. That wasn’t happening. He especially wasn’t going to forget the part where she’d said she was attracted to him. His cock was hard and pressing against his zipper. How had she not had a boyfriend since high school? He had her pegged at around twenty-three. Were the men in Florida blind? She was gorgeous. Sweet. And submissive. How had some Dom not snapped her up? She should be completely and utterly cherished for the gift she was.
Someone else’s loss is your gain.
Nope. He couldn’t think like that. Neither of them was looking for something permanent. He’d only known her a short time. He felt protective of her because she was so helpless, that was all. He couldn’t stand the idea of her being taken advantage of and he couldn’t stand to think about that happening again.
How had she thought he wouldn’t get anything out of this?
Because she doesn’t understand, dumb ass.
He sat back in the armchair. “Your objection to doing this is that you think I won’t get anything in return?”
“I-I guess so. I mean, I’m also a little nervous. I don’t know how I’ll react to any of this.”
He nodded. “That’s totally understandable. I get that. Which is why you’d have a safe word.”
“A safe word? I’d need that?” She looked alarmed.
“Easy, honey,” he told her with a smile. “Not because I’m going to strip you naked, tied you up and spank you. You’re definitely not up to that. And I would never risk your health, understand?”
“Yes. So why would I need a safe word?”
“Because this is new to you and you might find it overwhelming and need some way to make it stop. Littles can easily get out of their depths. It’s a big scary world sometimes when you don’t have a daddy to guide and protect you.”
Tears filled her eyes. “You know exactly what to say, don’t you?”
“I’m being sincere, little girl. I haven’t had many Littles in my life. Most women are scared by my size. And my sometimes abrupt manner.”
“I’m not.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You lying to me, little girl? Remember the rules.”
Her eyes widened. “What happens if I break the rules?”
“Then you get punished.”
“H-how?”
“You don’t remember our talk about spankings?” She had been half-asleep at the time.
She just stared up at him, looking shocked. “You’d spank me?”
“Not while you’re ill. But you won’t be sick forever, now, will you?” he said in a low voice.
She bit at her lip.
“Besides, I’m betting I could think of some punishment other than a spanking. Not that you’re up to writing lines or standing in the corner.”
He heard her small gasp. “Those are normal punishments for a Little?”
“Yes. And not just for Littles. Of course, not every daddy/little girl relationship is the same. So, you can’t treat it as a one size fits all, understand?”
“Yes.”
He wanted to insist that she address him as Daddy, but he was well aware she hadn’t agreed to be his temporary little girl.
Yet.
“I wasn’t lying, though,” she said earnestly.
“You shied away from me that first day.”
“God, I can’t believe that was just the day before yesterday. It feels like much longer. I just got a fright. I think that’s normal. But I’m really not scared of you. You’ve taken better care of me than anyone ever has before.”
He ran his hand over his face tiredly. “You really do need a keeper.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re going to get in trouble going around trusting people so easily.”
“But you said I could trust you,” she pointed out.
“Yes…but…” Okay, what was he arguing about? He wanted her trust. He just didn’t want her to trust anyone else. Which was pretty damn selfish of him, wasn’t it?
“Okay, forget about that. I want to make a couple of things clear. No matter what you decide, you don’t owe me anything. You are not paying me.” He scowled at her.
“Maybe I could do something around here to help out then?”
There was no way he wanted her doing chores out of a sense of obligation. He got that she was feeling better and that’s why she was pushing him. But she still needed to take things easy.
“I don’t need you to do anything to pay me back.”
“You really don’t want me to do anything to help out?” She looked slightly anxious about that.
“I don’t. Listen carefully, because this is very important. I am not offering this just for your benefit. Yes, I want to show you what it’s like to have a Daddy Dom because I worry you might be taken advantage of. However, I am not doing this because I’m selfless. The reason I like being a Daddy Dom is because I have a huge desire to be needed. To take care of someone. Caregiver, protector, disciplinarian, monster destroyer.”
She smiled.
“So, don’t think I’m doing this just for you, I’m not. But it is entirely up to you whether you take up the offer.”
“I can say my safe word at any time?”
“Yes, without any fear that I’ll walk away or get upset or mad. That I promise.”
“And I’ll call you Daddy. And I’ll do what you say, within reason—”
“Within reason?”
“Well, if you order me to run naked through the snow, I’m not going to do that.”
He snorted. “All right, within reason. Although if I was the kind of man to do that, I’d expect you to get out of my company as soon as possible.”
“And you’ll show me what it’s like to have a Daddy Dom. You’ll take care of me. Like I’m really your sub, your Little.”
“Yes. Would you like some time to think about it?” He really didn’t think she was going to go for it. Why would she? She barely knew him.
“I don’t need any time. I agree…D-daddy.”
She couldn’t believe she’d just said yes.
What was she thinking?
And yet, when was she going to get an offer like this again? There wasn’t much chance of her meeting another Daddy Dom. And pretty much a zero chance of meeting one who was willing to show her what it would be like to let her Little side free in a safe place without asking for any kind of commitment.
So yeah, she’d said yes. Only what happened now?
Her tummy danced with nerves. This was crazy. So unlike anything she’d done before.
He looked surprised but then his gaze filled with warmth. “All right. What would you like to use as your safe word?”
“Umm.” What the hell? She had no idea.
“Something a little unusual but short enough you can say it easily. Of course, you can always just tell me you need a breather or to stop for a while.”
“How about Hawaii?” she asked.
“Hawaii, that works. Any reason why?”
“I’ve always wanted to visit,” she said a little wistfully.
“Feels like a world away from winter in Montana,” he said with a smile. “Okay, so communication between a Dom and his sub is key. You talk everything out first so there are no surprises. No misunderstandings. Or less of them, anyway. Guess there are always going to be misunderstandings in relationships. You get it all in writing. Always, always have a contract. Okay?”
“Yes, okay.” She was starting to feel a bit intimidated by all of this. “We don’t have one.”
“We should.” He frowned as though thinking that over. “But we’re not doing anything hardcore. I’m not into it and you’re not up to it.”
“I trust you.”
“Another thing. Don’t trust so easy. Don’t ever play unless there are people around who know what’s going on and will keep an eye on you.”
“I don’t want to be tied to a cross and have some stranger take a crop to my ass. I don’t think I’ll ever be going to a club or anything.”
He nodded. “You already have three rules. Th
e next rule is that I am fully in charge of safety. You feel unsafe. You get into trouble, you call me. You put yourself in a dangerous situation, you’ll be in trouble once I’m sure you’re safe.”
Her bottom tingled. Although it was difficult to believe that she could get up to much trouble stuck here in this cabin. And this was only a temporary arrangement.
“I am in charge of health. Which means I’ll be watching you closely for any signs of my baby feeling unwell. I will be making certain you eat right. If you start to feel ill, you tell me immediately so I can take proper care of you. I expect you to tell me if you feel nauseous, are in pain, need something from me, understand?”
“Yes.”
“As well as the rules you already have, I set bedtimes. I set chores. I set any sort of routines. Not something you need to worry about since you’re not well enough for chores. And well, routine has kind of gone out the window. But still, that’s what you can expect. Questions?”
“I don’t think so. Only, what will you do if I break the rules? Since you can’t spank me?”
“Like I said, I’ll find something. Or I’ll just keep track for one hell of a spanking at the end.”
“Something to look forward to,” she muttered. Then blushed. She couldn’t believe she’d just said that. She didn’t actually want him to spank her, did she?
“Oh, believe me, it won’t be.”
* * *
He warmed up some soup for their lunch.
He could hardly believe she’d agreed to be his little girl while she was here. He was determined to make it a good experience. Although he wouldn’t hesitate to punish her, especially if she put her health at risk.
How he’d do that would be a challenge. Couldn’t give her an early bedtime when she was stuck in bed anyway. She didn’t have anything he could take off her. He couldn’t take away screen time.
Some Doms would withdraw their attention from a naughty sub. Not him. Looked like he might actually need to start keeping a notebook or something.
When he decided the soup was warm enough, he poured some into a bowl and grabbed a spoon and a towel.
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