She fidgets and shoots him a glare. “Of course. She’s my best friend.”
“I know that, but I also know you have needled her for years about age play. Do not gloat, understood?” Yep, Colton has figured out what’s happening here.
“Yes, Sir.”
All I can do is hope that Leah can handle whatever Eve tosses at her and that Colton has made an impression. I’m worried Leah might retreat if she feels intimidated.
Colton rounds to face Eve, taking her chin in his fingers, tipping her head back. “Take a breath and think before you head down that hallway. This is important.”
Eve doesn’t look mad even though Colton is being extremely high handed. She looks pensive. “I know,” she murmurs. “You’re right.” She throws her arms around his middle and hugs him tight. “Thank you, Daddy.”
I’m not sure what she’s thanking him for, but I get the feeling he knows her well enough to realize he needs to remind her to handle Leah carefully. And apparently, Eve is fully aware that his reminder is warranted.
He releases her and pats her bottom as she walks cautiously toward the hallway. “Do not spin around in circles ten thousand times, Eve. I don’t want you getting dizzy and hitting your head.”
“Yes, Sir,” she tosses over her shoulder with a wicked grin.
“Eve…” he warns.
She turns around at the entrance to the hallway and holds out the two sides of her lavender dress. It’s the same length as the one Leah is currently wearing, which makes me feel better. She also has on white ankle socks with ruffles and white tennis shoes. Her pigtails have lavender ribbons that match her dress. She spins around in a circle one time. “But Daddy, it’s fun. What’s the point of a twirl dress if I don’t get to twirl?”
He sets his hands on his hips and shakes his head in dismay as she disappears down the hallway. “She’s a handful.”
“I can see that.” I can’t help but chuckle.
Colton looks at me seriously. “I sure hope this is really okay.”
“It wasn’t my decision to make. I took my time with her, making sure she was okay with it, and she insisted that in the end she would never keep a secret from Eve, so she might as well get it over with sooner than later.”
“I wasn’t sure if she was submitting to you or not, but I had my suspicions, especially when I saw the look on your face.” He nods past me. “That and the sippy cup on the end table.”
I sigh. “It’s complicated, but this is what she needs.” I turn toward the kitchen. “Beer?”
Colton follows me. “Seems like a good idea.”
“Will you stay for dinner?”
“Are you sure? We’re totally intruding.”
“You’re not. I think it will ultimately be good for Leah not to hide. It’s just hard to take the first step.”
“Understandable.”
I hand him a beer and we both pop the tops and take a long swig.
Colton leans a hip against the island. “So, tell me what’s been going on.”
Chapter 18
Leah
I’m sitting on the edge of my new bed, nervously wringing my fingers in my lap when Eve steps into the doorway. She stands very still for several seconds, looking as nervous as I feel, and then she runs across the room and launches herself at me, hugging me so fiercely that I fall backward and the two of us end up lying sideways on my bed.
When she finally lifts off me, she looks me over with the oddest expression. Not like she’s absorbing my new outfit. More like she’s checking to make sure I’m not injured. And then she starts shoving at me, and her expression switches to mildly angry. “You scared me to death. You don’t even call your best friend after you get abducted by a madman? I haven’t heard from you since you left for the police station Wednesday night.”
I smile because of all the things she could have said first, that one seems funny to me. “I’m sorry,” I say as I push to sitting. “I’ve been kind of busy.”
The elephant in this room is taking up all the oxygen and squeezing the life out of us, and my best friend is ignoring it. Bless her.
She hugs me again, this time we’re sitting. Then she holds me by the shoulders at arm’s length. “You’re seriously not hurt? He didn’t hurt you?”
I shake my head. “No. Not at all. I mean he drugged me, so I had a fierce headache for the entire day, but he didn’t injure me.”
She scoots up onto my bed and sits cross-legged, her lavender dress flowing out around her. “Tell me everything. I mean, Colton told me, but he’s a man. Men don’t tell stories right.”
I chuckle as I push up onto the bed and sit facing her, legs also crossed. We’re mirror images of each other at this moment for the first time in our lives. Pigtails, dresses fit for five-year-olds, pastel panties cut like they’re for kids also.
“Or you don’t have to tell me if you’re not up to it yet.” She waves a hand through the air. “Just whatever you want is fine. I don’t mean to be pushy.”
I giggle. “Eve? Pushy?”
She rolls her eyes. “Okay, I guess I’m always pushy, but sometimes I’m right.” She lifts a brow but doesn’t say more.
I’m grateful. We should deal with my abduction first. “It’s okay. Maybe if I tell you, I’ll be able to purge it somewhat.” I proceed to give her the facts from the moment I opened the door to the moment Craig burst into the room I was being held in and rescued me.
She gives a fake swoon. “This I’m familiar with,” she points out.
I nod. “Your ordeal was much worse. Colton had to shoot the man holding you inches from your face. I don’t know how you don’t have nightmares after that.”
She shrugs. “Who says I don’t?”
I reach out and grip her hand. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. It gets better every day.”
“Will it?” I ask hopefully.
She nods. “It will. I promise.”
I shudder. “Because right now I feel like I’m in a fog most of the time. I can’t focus, and I’ve slept so much. I don’t know how I keep falling asleep. I had two long naps today.”
“I did that too. Your body needs to rest. Your brain needs time.”
“I met with Master Quinten yesterday. He helped me make some temporary plans, and I’m going to see him next week.” I glance down. “It turns out I have a lot to unpack. Getting kidnapped was kind of a catalyst that opened a Pandora’s box.”
“I can see that.” She finally looks around, taking in my new room.
“What do you think?”
“I think I’m jealous.” She giggles. “This is amazing.”
“Don’t be silly. You have a room too. It’s fantastic.”
“When did Craig do all this?”
“Today.”
“Today? Are you serious?”
I nod. “I’m not kidding. Eight hours ago, this room had nothing in it but that rocking chair.” I point toward it. “And it was painted yellow.”
She slides off the bed and starts wandering around. “I love it.” She spins to face me. “Do you?”
I smile, feeling my face heat. I’m not as embarrassed as I expected I would be, but I know she deserves to hear a little about how this happened. “I guess I’ve been sort of in denial for a long time. I’m sorry I gave you such a hard time about your lifestyle choices. It wasn’t intentional. I seriously didn’t know what was buried inside me.”
She shuffles back toward me and squeezes my hand again. “It’s okay.”
“Not really. It’s a mess. And please don’t get carried away and read too much into this. It’s a trial. I can’t guarantee I’m going to want to play in this odd sandbox forever. It’s been one day.”
“That’s understandable.”
“It’s like something in me snapped, and I couldn’t pull it together, and it feels easier to let Craig handle things for now. I’m hiding from reality in a way.”
“You’re entitled to do that.”
I glance around
. “I feel bad about the lengths he’s gone to to make this happen for me. It was expensive.”
“I’m certain he’s not worried about the money, Leah.”
“I know.” I sigh. “But it’s one more thing weighing on me now.”
“If you’ve tapped into something you enjoy, chances are you’ll still enjoy it in a week, a month, and a year. That doesn’t mean you have to change your whole world so that you’re little twenty-four-seven. You could walk out of this room, close the door, and use it once a month if you choose.”
“Yeah, I’ve thought of that, but that also adds even more pressure. It presumes I’ll be with Craig in a week, a month, and a year.”
She grins. “You’re crazy about him. You have been from the moment he first spanked you. And everyone can see he’s crazy about you too.”
I nod and pull in a breath. “I am. I’ve been keeping him at a distance while trying to argue that I couldn’t be what he needed long-term. Maybe I was wrong, but maybe this is a fluke.”
“No one is pressuring you to rush things, right?”
“No. God, no. Craig is a saint. If you had heard all the things he said to me while you were waiting to see me… He’s amazing. So kind and thoughtful and caring.”
I look around my room again. “Something happened before that crazy fucker kidnapped me. Some of what’s happening here stems from my scene with Craig last Friday night.”
“That’s right. You did a private scene. We didn’t talk much after that. You were in subspace. I helped you change, but you didn’t say much. Colton told me not to meddle.”
I smile, not surprised at Colton’s reaction. “Yes. It was…intense to say the least. We had sex for the first time, and then I was in the deepest subdrop I’ve ever been in. Apparently, I wasn’t lucid enough to drive myself home, so Craig brought me here and I slept in his bed.”
Eve’s eyes widen. “Yikes. I didn’t realize that. Did you freak out when you woke up?”
“Totally. I panicked. I don’t go home with men ever. It’s also been a while since I had sex with someone at Surrender. Plus, I’ve only done that to scratch an itch. I think it was so intense because I have feelings for Craig. It wasn’t just a fuck. It was more intimate. It scared me I guess. I shut down.”
“What happened when you woke up on Saturday?”
“I was all up in my head, freaking out that I’d slept here. I was wearing one of Craig’s T-shirts when I woke up. I mean, obviously, we didn’t have sex after we came here. I was out of it. But he’d changed me, and that felt awkward.”
Eve furrows her brow. “He’s seen you naked lots of times.”
“Yeah, but it felt different. And then he was babying me Saturday morning. He was trying so hard to rein it in, but he couldn’t avoid it. His instinct is to baby me.”
“I get that. So what happened?”
“I ran. I couldn’t deal, so I had him take me back to my car, and I hid from him and my feelings.”
“Because on some level you liked him taking care of you.” She isn’t asking a question. She’s pointing out the obvious.
“Yeah. It scared me. I’ve spent years denying I have any interest in age play, and I meant it too. In some ways, it’s not like I was lying to anyone or myself. I believed it. But I couldn’t shake the feeling I got when he lifted me onto the counter. He cooked for me and made me tea. It’s not like there was one thing in particular that stood out, but he was struggling not to be a Daddy. It was adorable in some ways, but I panicked all the same.
“I just couldn’t face my reactions. My feelings. I was scared out of my mind. It felt like my world was crumbling around me. I couldn’t get any work done—though to be honest, I’ve hardly accomplished a thing since I met him.”
Eve nods. “I know you’ve been out of sorts.”
“So, it was purely shitty timing to get freaking kidnapped on Wednesday morning.”
Eve giggles. “Because there are much better days of the week to get kidnapped. Damn him.”
I chuckle too. “Yeah.”
“I can only imagine how messed up you were by the time Craig found you. You were in shock when you got in the car. I’m sure the rest of the night was a blur. It’s no wonder you curled up in a ball and decided to hide from the planet. I promise no one is going to judge you for wanting some time in little space. Hell, people not involved in age play at all might feel the same way.”
I nod. She’s got a point. I glance at the door, keeping my voice low. “I’m nervous though. I don’t want to hurt Craig. He’s been a rock. I’m not sure I would have survived the last few days without him. But I feel this intense pressure. He’s so pleased. His eyes are dancing with happiness. This is what he wants from a partner. He wants a little girl who’s young enough that she needs constant supervision. Someone he can care for in all ways. What if I can’t be that person in the long run and I hurt him?”
“Oh, honey, you can’t think that way. Craig is also a grown man. He knows the stakes. He’s completely aware that you might pull back at any given point. He’s making a conscious decision to give you a taste of his preferred lifestyle, but he’s no dummy. I’m certain he won’t blame you if it doesn’t work out the way he’s hoping in the end.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“Try to stuff your concerns about the future to the back of your mind and just let yourself be little for a while. Recuperate. Let someone else carry the burden, and count your blessings that he exists and wants to do it.”
I nod. “I’m so very lucky.”
“Girls,” Craig calls out. I can tell by his voice that he’s far enough away that he hasn’t heard a thing we’ve said. He’s giving us notice that he’s approaching. A few seconds later, he’s in the doorway.
His brow is slightly furrowed. I know he’s worried about me. “Dinner’s almost ready. Can you two wash up and come to the kitchen?” He heads over to the fan, turns it off, and shuts the window.
“Yes, Sir.” I slide off the bed to join Eve.
“I’ll go first,” Eve declares as she rushes out of the room.
I shuffle toward Craig and he pulls me into his arms and tips my head back. “You okay, sweetheart?”
“Yes. Thank you.” I hug him tight. It feels so good when his arms are around me. He grounds me somehow. Anytime I start to feel like I’m going to float away, he anchors me.
He meets my gaze, searching it as if trying to read my emotions. Finally, he smiles, satisfied for now. He pats my bottom. “Go wash up.”
I meet Eve in the hall bathroom and we scrub our hands in the sink before joining the men in the kitchen.
I’m slightly unnerved to face Colton. I think each time I face someone who’s never seen me as a little, it’s going to be awkward.
“Hey, Leah,” he says softly. “I’m so glad you’re feeling better. I hope we’re not imposing. Kick us out if you’d rather not entertain us.”
I like that he has addressed me personally. Not that I expect he would ordinarily go around a Daddy to take the pulse of someone else’s little, but this is a special circumstance.
I smile at him. “I’m glad you’re here. Thank you for bringing Eve. I’m sorry I haven’t called her.”
Colton sets a hand on the top of my head like any Daddy would do to show affection. “It’s perfectly understandable, but Eve was out of her mind with worry. She wasn’t going to rest until she set her eyes on you.”
I reach for Eve and hug her tight.
“Let’s eat,” Craig says, breaking up the serious moment.
Colton hasn’t looked at me askance, nor has he mentioned my newfound fetish. Not a single flinch. Even though he’s relatively new to the fetish world and age play in particular, he’s come a long way in just a few months. He’s an amazing Daddy. No one would know he knew nothing about the lifestyle before he met Eve.
Craig and Colton both pull out a chair at the same time, and Eve and I take our seats, letting the Daddies push us up to the table.
&nb
sp; “That looks delicious, Sir,” I tell Craig. “I love pasta.”
“I thought some tortellini and alfredo sauce would be agreeable to everyone.” He picks up my pink, plastic, sectioned plate and puts some tortellini in one section and Caesar salad in another. He adds a piece of French bread to the third compartment.
“Thank you,” I say as he sets the plate in front of me.
He puts his hand over mine. “Wait a minute to eat the pasta. It’s hot. Start with your salad, sweet girl.”
“Yes, Sir.” I’m oddly comfortable. After all, Eve is receiving the same treatment and a similar speech. In fact, Colton has gone one step farther. He’s cutting each tortellini in half.
Craig is smiling as he watches me pick up my chubby fork and take a bite of salad. He hasn’t served me more than I can manage, which I appreciate. I’m still unsettled enough that I can’t imagine eating a huge meal.
“Let me know if you want more, sweetheart.”
I nod before picking up my sippy cup and taking a drink of milk.
The dinner goes amazingly smoothly considering I’ve only been playing in this age range for less than two days and I’m exposed to other people, expanding the group who will now know my secret.
Neither Craig nor Colton make a big deal out of it. They both act like we’ve done this dozens of times. By the time my plate is clean, I’m no longer feeling quite as awkward.
“Who wants ice cream?” Craig asks as soon as we’re done eating.
Eve sits up taller, her eyes widening. “Me.” She turns her head to Colton. “Can I, Daddy?”
He chuckles. “Of course.”
“I’ve got vanilla ice cream, but I have chocolate sauce and probably even some sprinkles around here somewhere,” Craig announces as he stands.
“I’ll help you,” Colton says.
The two of them clear the table and quickly load everything into the dishwasher while Eve and I wait anxiously for dessert. It feels strange for these two men to do all the work while I sit and watch them, but I can tell it pleases Craig. He hasn’t stopped smiling all evening. Or all day really.
Convincing Leah (Surrender Book 9) Page 17