by Pepper North
As he approached the open door, Bart’s large hands spanned each plump thigh to hold her in place as he looked at her solemnly. “You need to follow my directions, completely and immediately, Rita. I am here to take care of you. If I tell you to wait, wait. By opening your door and getting ready to jump out on your own when I’ve implicitly instructed you to stay where you are, you chose to be disobedient. Disobedience earns a Little girl a spanking.” He watched her eyes widen. I won’t spank you today because of your injury, but there are many ways a Daddy can punish his Little for not following directions. Do you understand?”
Again, he had to control his expression as he felt her thighs contract under his grip as she squeezed her legs together when he warned her of a spanking and again as he hinted at possible punishments. His Little was aroused by the thought of consequences that he would dole out. His Little, he thought to himself, realizing just how strongly he cared for this precious young woman. His mind had already claimed her.
Without another word, Bart wrapped his hands around her waist and lifted her from the truck. Setting her gently on the ground, he took her hand and led her to the back of the trailer. “Will you do me a favor?” he asked.
“Yes,” she eagerly answered.
As he thought, Rita needed to feel like she was doing something to repay the care he was giving her. The Little obviously didn’t want to feel like she was imposing. Little did she know that he was only too glad to take care of the enticing woman who had hidden in his trailer.
“I’m going to open the door. You hold it against the side here, so it doesn’t slam shut on Gumdrop and me. I don’t want her to spook. Do not move in front of the trailer ramp. The mare is a bit skittish because she’s in a new environment,” he warned.
“Okay. I promise,” Rita answered in a small voice that revealed her curiosity and slight fear of the beautiful mare that he had purchased.
“Thank you,” he said as he opened the lock and pulled the door open. Pressing the door to the side of the trailer, he showed her how to hold it in place, ensuring that her body would stay to the side out of the way.
Talking gently to the mare, Bart walked slowly past her flank to caress her long elegant neck. Gumdrop was a beauty. Calm and placid with a desire to please, the mare was precisely what he had been looking for as a mount for his Little. Even though he hadn’t found his, Bart had purchased Gumdrop without a qualm. The other Littles in SANCTUM would enjoy riding her. Now, his fingers were crossed in the hope that by the time it was safe for Rita to horseback ride, that the horse would have a permanent rider.
Bart patiently urged Gumdrop backward. This was a leap of faith for the horse to step into empty space. Would she trust him that it was safe? With only a slight hesitation, the mare lowered one foot to the ground. Reassured, she stepped quickly from the trailer.
He allowed her to look around and sniff the air as Gumdrop assessed her new home. Tossing her mane, Gumdrop nudged his shoulder with her soft nose. Bart laughed softly.
“Can I come over?” Rita asked from her position next to the trailer.
“Sure, honey. Just walk around the back of the trailer and come behind me to stand on my left,” he continued to stroke Gumdrop’s neck as he watched Rita follow his directions completely.
When she was at his side, Bart held out one palm for her hand. “Let her smell you a moment, and then you can pet her nose,” he instructed as he guided her to accomplish those tasks.
“She’s so soft!” Rita whispered, emphathically before giggling as Gumdrop snorted against her palm.
“She likes you,” Bart said with a smile.
“I like her, too.” Rita looked at him with stars in her eyes.
Bart’s heart lurched slightly inside his chest. It was the first real smile that he’d received. My Rita is so beautiful. He dropped his hand and wrapped it around her waist from the back to pull her gently to his side. “I’m glad. Let’s show, Gumdrop, where she’ll be sleeping.”
Leading Gumdrop into the barn, he paused to allow the mare to look around and scent the other horses that lived inside. Bart pointed to a large white jar sitting on one of the railings. “Go get Gumdrop a treat. There are sugar cubes in that white cannister. Get one and meet me at Gumdrop’s stall. Don’t come in until I tell you that it’s safe,” he warned.
He watched Rita slowly walk toward the jar. Confident that she was learning to move sedately to avoid making her head ache more, Bart turned around to lead the horse to an empty stall. The sweet mare had surprised him with her adaptability and pleasant demeanor.
The only time she had refused to do anything had been when Rita had hidden in the trailer. Horses saw much better in the darkness than humans did. Gumdrop hadn’t panicked. She had just hesitated, uncertain about the unexpected person at the end of the trailer.
Closing the stall door behind him, Bart ran an admiring hand down the goldish brown horse’s sleek coat. Shiny and glowing with health, Bart had known he would buy her immediately. Unfastening her bridle, Bart talked quietly to the horse. It didn’t matter what his words were, she just needed to become accustomed to his voice. The pretty mare’s ears turned toward him as Bart told her about all the other horses in the barn.
A slight noise at the gate made them both turn to look at the Little reaching a hand over with two sugar lumps extended. Gumdrop immediately lifted her nose as she sniffed the air. Bart stepped back as she curiously turned to approach the offering.
“One sugar lump at a time,” Bart warned. Immediately, Rita obediently plucked one cube from her palm and held it behind her back. Gumdrop snorted as if she was ticked that one of the treats had disappeared.
“It’s his fault, Gumdrop. Come try this one, and then I’ll sneak you the second one when he’s not watching,” Rita confided to the mare. A huge smile spread across her lips as the horse walked forward to pluck the cube daintily from the young woman’s outstretched palm.
Bart smiled at the giggles that bubbled from Rita’s mouth as the horse’s soft muzzle, brushed against her palm. For a moment, the horse distracted Rita from her pain and worries. When Gumdrop nuzzled her hand looking for another treat, magically, another cube appeared on her palm. The horse quickly disposed of that one as well.
“You’re going to spoil her,” Bart warned with a laugh. He was pleased to see that Rita seemed unafraid of the mare. From her tentative motions to pet the horse’s long neck, he could tell that being around the large four-legged creatures was new to her.
“Everyone needs a bit of spoiling,” Rita answered automatically. Her eyes were fixed on the mare.
As Gumdrop and Rita became acquainted, Bart moved quietly around the stall to fill Gumdrop’s water and put oats and hay into her feed bin. Only the sound of the sweet oats being added for her to eat tempted the gentle horse away from her new friend.
“Come on, Little girl. Gumdrop’s all set now. Let’s get you settled as well,” Bart announced as he took her hand and led Rita from the stall. She followed him slowly. He could tell she didn’t want to leave, but she was as tired as he suspected. The nap in the car hadn’t satisfied her need to begin to recover from the head injury.
Lifting her back into the passenger seat, Bart secured her seatbelt before closing the door. Thank goodness his house was finished now. He’d get her settled for a nap before checking to see if the police officer had made any progress in determining who she was.
Chapter 8
Pushing her forearm against the soft mattress to look around, Rita’s sleepy eyes widened at her surroundings. She was in a dreamy room with light purple walls. She smiled and sat up fully at the sight of an enormous rainbow-sherbet colored unicorn that filled one wall. Rita swayed a little as the movement made her slightly dizzy. She felt slightly better than before, but she definitely had messed up her head.
She moved more cautiously as she tried to understand the room that she was in. Rita had never seen anything like this. It looks like a nursery, but… Suddenly, she realized this
was a nursery, only sized for an adult. Bart really had been looking for his Little girl. He’d even created this room for her.
Her hands lifted to wrap around the bars in front of her. She was sitting in a crib. Rattling the bars slightly to test whether she could lower them, Rita’s heart beat a bit faster as she figured out that Bart would have to release her.
Hesitant to call out, she looked around the room. Over there stood a large padded rocking chair. It had a small table next to it with several drawers. A sizable flat table with a padded top sat across the room from her. There seemed to be all sorts of supplies handily arranged under and next to the cushioned section. A large chest sat against the other wall with an over-sized, stuffed zebra on top. Rita smiled at the pink polka-dotted bow tied around its neck.
“Hi, honey. Did you wake up from your nap?” a warm voice from the side drew her attention away from the stuffed animal.
“Hi!” she shyly answered, looking down at the bright yellow blanket that still covered her legs. “I’m sorry I fell asleep again. I don’t remember coming in here.”
“Nope. You were out the minute that the truck started moving. That’s a good thing. Your body needed sleep. How do you like your room, honey?” Bart asked.
She stared at him for several seconds, trying to quell the hope that welled inside of her. Could she really have a chance to be a Little girl? She almost hated to dare think her dreams could come true. Her big brown eyes met his as she struggled with what to say.
“Little girl,” he answered the uncertainty and fright that she knew showed in her eyes.
Walking forward to stand in front of the crib, Bart triggered something below her with his foot, releasing the railing to slide down in front of her. His arms reached in to pluck her from the mattress and cuddle her against his body. He rocked her gently in his arms for several seconds as her arms automatically reached up to encircle his neck.
When he turned to stride toward the rocking chair she had spotted earlier, Rita’s arms tightened around his neck. “I can walk,” she whispered into his ear. She knew that she was heavy. Rita had always struggled with her weight. She’d given up on dieting because each time she tried to lose the extra pounds, she’d ended up gaining more when the diet was over. Now, she just tried to eat healthy foods and get some exercise. She was embarrassed to have Bart carry her.
“I enjoy holding you in my arms,” he answered and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Bart sat in the large rocking chair with her tucked securely into his arms.
“I’m too heavy to carry around,” she protested, hiding her face against his shoulder. She didn’t want to talk about her weight but would feel horrible if he hurt himself.
“How about if you let me decide whether I wish to carry you? Sometimes a Daddy just needs to feel his Little in his arms,” Bart informed her as he lifted her chin
“I don’t want you to strain your back,” she whispered as her face heated, revealing a bright red blush to him.
“I promise you I won’t hurt myself if you promise me you’ll try to trust your Daddy,” Bart said with a solemn look.
“You’re not my Daddy. I don’t have a Daddy,” she protested in a small voice.
“I’m officially applying for the job,” he answered with a smile.
When he didn’t say anything other than stating his intentions, Rita hesitated and then finally answered, “You don’t really know me. I don’t even know who I am. I could be a horrible person.”
Bart’s smile never wavered. If anything, his lips tilted up just a bit more. “I know you’re not a horrible person. Losing your memory doesn’t change who you are. Your injury simply magnifies your personality,” he told her as he began to rock the chair under them.
“I don’t feel like a bad person,” she quietly answered.
“Will you let me show you what it would be like to be my Little while you recover here?” Bart asked, holding her eyes captive with his blue ones.
Rita waged a battle in her head. She wanted to have a Daddy. But Bart was so attractive. There was no way that he really wanted her to be his Little. She was too ordinary. Her eyes closed as her head began to hurt once again.
Something brushed against her lower lip. Automatically, she opened her mouth as her eyes opened as well. “Drink, Little girl. I know you don’t trust me yet, but I’m not going away. How about if I take care of you for as long as you’ll let me?” he proposed as he pressed the bottle’s nipple between her pink lips.
When she tentatively sucked on the large nipple filling her mouth, a wave of fresh water filled her mouth. Realizing that she was extremely thirsty, Rita continued to pull the cool liquid from the bottle. She swallowed eagerly as Bart continued to rock them slowly in the comfortable chair.
When she finished the bottle, Bart set it on the table next to them and continued to rock. His fingers brushed through her hair, being careful to avoid the left side that had struck the bar. Her eyes closed in contentment at his caresses, soothed by the warmth surrounding her as he held her cradled in his arms.
“Little girl, you rest for a few minutes, and then we’ll get something in your tummy,” he said softly after a long pause. “I’ve searched for my Little girl for a long time. I knew that when I met her, I would know immediately. It didn’t matter what she looked like, but in my mind, I always pictured her with big brown eyes and long, brunette hair that begged to be tugged.” His fingers tangled in the strands of her silky hair to pull gently.
“Oh!” popped from her mouth as she felt that pull on her scalp vibrate down her body to kindle the heat in her belly.
“I know, Little girl. I respond to your touch, as well. That’s how I know that you’re mine,” he said in a growly voice that made her look at him in surprise.
The look of desire on his face made her heart skip a beat. No one had ever looked at her that way. Like she was something so desirous that he could barely keep his hands from exploring her body. “Daddy?” she whispered.
“Yes, Little girl. I’m glad you feel it, too.” Bart sat her up to sit on his lap, and he pulled her in for a quick kiss. “Time to eat, Ritagirl. The last two words he slurred together as if they were one.
She smiled at him. She liked that name. It seemed to combine both parts of her, the Little girl that she’d always dreamed of being and the only name she could remember for herself. Her adult self and her Little side combined at last.
Chapter 9
Rita felt silly sitting in the adult-sized high chair at the table. Used to chairs fitting snuggly around her plump bottom, the Little squirmed on the wide wooden seat and pushed against the tray fixed tightly in front of her. She felt even more Little as she watched Bart prepare a few sandwiches for the two of them. Her fingers chased a few grapes around the tray as her mind tried to acclimate to the elevated seat.
Her feet swinging in midair, she tried to push the tray away stealthily for a second time. It didn’t budge. Staring at the tray in frustration, Rita popped a grape into her mouth. The crisp, sweet flavor burst through her mouth. “Mmmm!” she murmured, wiggling in her chair once again.
Freezing as Bart dropped a kiss carefully on the right side of her head away from the injury, Rita peeked up at him. She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do. Was there a wrong way to be Little? she wondered.
“Eating grapes are loads more fun than trying to unlatch the tray. I’ve made sure that you’re secure, so you don’t fall out and hurt yourself. You don’t need to hit the other side of your head. It’s a long way down for a Little girl to fall,” he said, gesturing down to the tiled floor below.
The floor did look far away when she peered over the tray. Reassured that he was taking care of her and not penning her in place, Rita smiled at him. She laughed when Bart theatrically grabbed his heart and dropped to one knee next to the highchair. “You’re silly, Bart…um, Daddy.”
“That, Ritagirl, is the first true smile that I’ve seen on your pretty face,” he leaned forward to capture her lips once
again. The heat that she’d experienced from his previous kisses flamed between them once again.
Her hand reached out to gather the soft material of his shirt into her grip, pulling herself closer to the handsome man’s skilled lips. His tongue explored the inside of her mouth. He invited her to participate, but he was in charge. Rita thrilled at the feeling of his dominance as his lips and tongue tasted and tantalized her.
When he lifted his mouth away from hers, Rita panted breathlessly. She’d forgotten to breathe as he kissed her. Bemused, her hand lifted from his shirt to trace her swollen lips.
“Ritagirl, you call me anything you want. I hope someday you’ll call me Daddy without any reservations. For now, there’s no pressure. I’ll just keep trying my best to woo my Little girl. Okay?” he asked, fondly smiling at her as his hand brushed the hair from her eyes.
“Okay,” she whispered.
“All these sweet kisses and I haven’t fed you yet. Let’s eat before we both perish from lack of nutrition. Then, it’s a bath and bed for you,” he announced as he stood and grabbed the plate from the kitchen counter.
Bart set half of a thick sandwich in front of her. Then, he turned to grab the milk from the fridge and pour it into a glass and a small plastic cup. Setting it back into the cooled chamber, he snapped a sippy lid on top of the cup and placed it on her tray. “It’s a good thing that I asked Josiah and Lindy to add a few items to their grocery list this week. We would have been begging for food from the neighbors.”
“Where are we?” she asked before taking a big bite of the sandwich and wiggling in delight on the high wooden seat below her bottom. The delicious taste made her realize just how hungry she was. She looked around, moving her head carefully to avoid making herself dizzy as she checked the time. Six o’clock! That had to be in the evening. No wonder she was hungry!