He filed that away for further thought later.
“I’m so sorry, teeny. Are you all right?”
She sniffled. “Oh yes. I’m fine. Sorry, I just got a fright.”
“Understandable. Is your bottom all right?”
“What? Hmm. Oh yes. Yes, I guess so.”
Was that a note of disappointment in her voice? Did she want him to keep touching her?
“What were you doing? Did you make dinner? I thought you couldn’t cook?”
“I was watching the oven. I didn’t. And I can’t.”
He drew back to peer down at her quizzically. She blushed slightly. “Abby dropped by with a shepherd’s pie. She said just to heat it up in the oven. But I wasn’t sure what temperature to put it on or how long it should be in there for. And I couldn’t Google it because I don’t have my phone.”
Oh crap. That reminded him of the bags he’d dropped as he’d rushed to get to her. He’d check them soon. If the phone was broken then it was broken.
“You didn’t ask Abby?”
She looked down. “I didn’t want her to think I was an idiot.”
“Hey.” He grabbed her chin, tilting her face up. “Nobody would think you are an idiot, least of all Abby. She’s one of the sweetest people I know.”
“I know. I just feel stupid for not knowing something so simple.”
“If you’ve never had to do it and haven’t had anyone to teach you then how are you supposed to know?” he said simply. “Ellie can’t cook to save her life, but nobody thinks anything less of her. Now, that’s the last time I want to hear you refer to yourself as an idiot, understand me?”
“Yes, sir.”
Oh, he liked the sound of that. But he’d like to hear her call him Daddy more.
“Good girl. Now, I’ll figure out what’s going on with the shepherd’s pie. Have you had your insulin?”
“No.”
“Why don’t you go get your bag?”
“Okay.” She disappeared and he glanced around. Were the floors shinier than they had been?
He drew out the shepherd’s pie and checked it. Bit crispy on top but otherwise it was fine. He’d let it rest for a few moments.
When Marisol returned, he grabbed her hand and drew her towards him.
“I spoke to Ed today,” he told her gently.
She tensed up. “What did he say? Did he see Tiger? What happened?”
“By the time he got to your aunt’s place last night, most of the Devil’s Sinners were gone. However, he had a chat with your aunt and Saber. Told them he was looking for Tiger.”
“Did he say why?” Fear thrummed through her.
“No, Mari-girl. But Saber told him that Tiger wasn’t even in the state. That he was in Seattle. And that if his son was being accused of something, he’d like to know because he was certain his son had plenty of alibis.”
“Oh God, Saber doesn’t even know what he’s done and already he’s setting Tiger up with alibis.”
Yeah. The fucking asshole.
“They wouldn’t let Ed take a look around, so there is no way of knowing if he’s there or not. Not unless you want to press charges.”
“I . . . I . . . they’ll all come after me.”
He nodded. “That’s my gut feeling too. I told Ed I didn’t think you would change your mind. Hopefully, the bastard is gone.”
But his gut said that even if he had, he’d be back. But Linc had no intentions of letting him harm Marisol.
“How long is he going to be a threat to me?” she whispered.
He drew her against his chest. “You’re safe here, Mari-girl. Nobody will get to you. All of Kent’s guys are on high alert, and I’ve spoken to the ranch hands. Everyone knows not to mention your presence here. But they’ll also be on alert for him. Kent said he’d send Zander to track him down if necessary.”
“But even if we manage to find him, then what?”
“Well, I’ve never felt that Ed warning him would be enough. So maybe we send a warning of our own.”
“No. These guys are dangerous. You can’t.” She shook her head.
He rubbed her back. But in the back of his mind, he kept that as a possibility. He wouldn’t have her always worrying about this asshole. And if that meant sending a strong message to Tiger that Marisol wasn’t his, well, that’s what he’d do.
“Take your insulin then set the table for dinner. You need to eat.”
She slipped out of his hold, but she still looked worried.
“Did you rest this afternoon?” he asked, trying to shift her mind off Tiger
“Um, yes,” she said. But she couldn’t look at him.
“Really? Because these floors look cleaner than they did this morning,” he chided.
“I might have done a bit of cleaning,” she admitted as she got her insulin ready then injected it into her tummy.
Then she started setting the table. She’d obviously acquainted herself with where things were in the kitchen.
He liked this. The two of them working together to make dinner. This felt right. It was all he’d ever wanted. Someone to share his life with.
He started to dish up two servings of the shepherd’s pie. He’d have to remember to thank Abby for this.
As he walked over with the plates, she was setting down a beer for him and a glass of water for her. He placed the plates down on the table then leaned in and kissed the top of her head.
“Thanks, Mari-girl.”
“I didn’t do anything,” she said with a small blush. “Abby made it.”
“Thank you for your company then. It’s nice having someone to come home to. Even someone who was naughty today.”
Her mouth dropped open. “I’m not naughty.”
“What did I tell you to do when I left this morning?”
She bit her lower lip as he took a bite of the shepherd’s pie. Delicious. “Rest.”
“And what did you do?” he asked sternly.
“I rested for most of the day,” she protested. “It was just a bit of cleaning. I felt bad being lazy all day. It also kept my mind off other things.”
“What happened with Tiger,” he guessed.
“Yes. It kept sort of sneaking into my mind. If I kept busy there was less time for me to think.”
“I shouldn’t have left you alone today.” He frowned.
“It’s not up to you to babysit me.”
“I don’t consider it babysitting when you’re my Little one. And it’s not being lazy. It’s called self-care. Well, actually, it’s Linc-care. I wanted you to take it easy because you’re exhausted. You had a bad scare last night and then you slept in a damn closet,” which wouldn’t happen again, “so you needed rest. Did you take a nap?”
She shook her head, looking a bit embarrassed. “No.”
“Then it’s early to bed for you, little girl.” Without thinking, he reached over and tapped her nose with his finger.
Marisol froze, staring at him. “Are you . . . are you a Daddy Dom?”
Her stomach dropped as he froze. Damn it. Why had she just come out with it like that? Why hadn’t she waited for him to tell her? Maybe he didn’t want her to know?
But he was the one going on about booster seats and highchairs. And the way he’d just spoken to her . . .
Maybe that’s just the way he is, Marisol.
Now she felt ill. Like he was going to get insulted or tell her that was ridiculous.
“I am.”
Linc was a Daddy Dom.
Holy. Shit.
“I thought they were a myth. Like sasquatch. Or unicorns,” she muttered, staring at her food without really seeing it.
“You thought that Daddy Doms were a myth?” he asked in his deep voice.
“Um. Yeah, I guess. I mean, I’ve never met one.”
“That you know of,” he pointed out. “They don’t make us carry around badges. Or T-shirts that say, I’m a Daddy Dom.”
“It would be really helpful if they did,” she mutter
ed.
“And what about the other way around?” he questioned.
“What do you mean?”
“Should Littles have a way of being identified? What would you wear if you wanted me to know that you are a Little?”
“You think I’m a Little?”
“You trying to tell me that you’re not?” he asked.
She licked her dry lips. “I don’t know . . . I mean, how do you know?”
“What do you know about Daddy Doms and Littles?” he countered.
“I have no real-life experience. I only know what I’ve read in books.”
“So you have read books with age play in them?”
“Umm. Yes.” They were only her favorite sort of books to read.
“And how did they make you feel? When you first read them, what did you think?”
“I thought that it was all fiction. That it couldn’t be real. But at the same time, I guess I hoped it was real because then that might mean that one day, I’d meet a Daddy Dom.” She kept her gaze on her food, which she’d barely touched. It sounded silly when she said it out loud.
But then again, she had met Linc, hadn’t she? So perhaps not such a foolish hope after all.
“I’m beginning to see that conversations while you’re eating should be kept light,” he said. Then he tapped her plate with his fork. “Eat up. Let’s talk about this after.”
She ate for a few minutes, everything she’d learned running through her head. Hadn’t Abby hinted at this earlier this afternoon. And the way she’d talked about Kent . . .
“Is Abby a Little?” She glanced up at him.
Linc narrowed his gaze. Shoot. Had she messed up?
“Sorry,” she said quickly. “Should I not ask those sorts of questions?”
“It’s not that you shouldn’t ask them. But it’s not something we would talk about with people who don’t live on the ranch. You’ve heard the rumors going around about the ranch from Mrs. Long.”
Oh. About the men spanking women on the ranch and not letting them do anything without permission.
“Abby seems really happy here. Not like she’s being held against her will or anything. Although she did say she was going to get in trouble if she didn’t get home and rest. Does that mean Kent would spank her?”
He’d just taken a sip of beer and he started to choke.
“Are you okay?” She jumped off her chair and rushed into the kitchen to pour him a glass of water. She handed him the glass, lightly patting his back as he sipped it. He placed it down then pushed his chair back. To her shock, he grabbed hold of her, bringing her onto his lap.
“Right. You need to eat. Or it won’t be Abby who has a red bottom.”
Her mouth dropped open at his words. “You’d spank me?”
He forked up some shepherd’s pie, feeding her. He didn’t answer until she ate it.
“First, answer a few questions for me. Are you a Little, Marisol?”
He’d answered her question. She couldn’t do any less, right? “I think so. But I’ve never had a Daddy. I don’t really know how it all works in real life. Or what I’ll like or dislike. Reading about something doesn’t mean I want to do it.”
He fed her again. “I get that. What do you like to read about?”
“I guess I’ve always loved books with protective men. It didn’t have to be a love interest. Books where the older brother or a friend took charge or protected the heroine has always been my thing. When I was fifteen, my aunt was reading this really sexy book. I remember being surprised because she didn’t read much.”
She looked away with a blush. “Turns out, she was using the book to get ideas for seducing husband number three or was it four? No, I think it was four. I’m not sure that number three could still, umm, get an erection.”
By now her face was flaming red, but he was listening attentively.
“Anyway, when she was done with the book, I decided to read it. She didn’t care. It had a lot of sex in it. Elements of power exchange. And spanking.” She looked down at the table. “I’ve kind of had an obsession with alpha heroes and spankings and punishments since.”
Marisol snuck a glimpse at him to see how he was taking this. But he didn’t say anything. His face didn’t change. “Then a few years ago, I found age play books. It finally clicked with me. I loved the more nurturing side of the power exchange. And I also identified with the submissive. The Little.”
She ate another mouthful. “I didn’t have much of a childhood. There were no stable, long-term influences in my life. I can’t remember my mom. My dad left before I was born. There are times when I feel like I have always been an adult.”
She pinched the top of her nose.
“Headache?” he asked.
“A little bit.”
“You need rehydrating.” Placing the fork down, he reached across the table and grabbed her glass of water. But instead of handing it to her, he held the glass to her lips.
It was the sort of thing that she thought she shouldn’t like, but did. Him taking care of her in small ways. After she’d drunk her full, he drew the glass away and set it down.
“We need to watch that you’re drinking enough,” he muttered almost to himself. “Do you need some painkillers?”
“No. I think I’m just a bit tense.” She glanced away, thinking. “I don’t remember a time where I didn’t have something to worry about. Where I could be carefree. Where I could give over decisions and worries, even if just for a short time, to someone else. The idea of watching cartoons while eating cookies and crafting, it seems bizarre to some, I’m sure. To me it sounds like heaven. Having someone that I could actually rely on, who I could trust. Who would care about me, my best interests. I’ve never had that. Not for any length of time, since Harry.”
“What about giving someone else control? Having rules to follow? Consequences if you don’t? Do you want that as well?” he asked.
“I think so,” she whispered. “It’s not just that I’ve never been in an age play relationship. I’ve never been in any sort of relationship. I’m not good with people. I’ll probably mess it up.”
“Nobody said that,” he told her sternly. “Did your aunt have rules for you?”
“I’m to work for her. I’m to keep the house tidy. And I’m not supposed to take the car without permission. As a child, I just had to stay quiet and out of her way. Not complain.”
He fed her until she couldn’t eat any more. Then he started eating his own food. “What happened if you broke the rules?”
“When I was younger, she’d usually lock me in my room. Often without food. This was before I was diagnosed with diabetes. Although once, after I was diagnosed, she forgot and locked me up. My blood sugar got so low I nearly went into a diabetic coma. I nearly died.”
“How old were you?” he asked in an oddly calm voice.
“Fourteen. After that, she punished me in other ways.”
“Like what?”
She chewed at her bottom lip, worriedly. “I don’t know if I should tell you.”
While he sounded and looked calm, she could see a tic going by his right eye. He wasn’t as calm as he was attempting to pretend to be.
“Oh, that means you should very much tell me.”
“She’d get mad. Stop giving me money for my books.”
“That’s not all of it, though, is it?”
“No,” she said quietly.
“What did she do when she was upset with you, Mari-girl?”
“She’d yell. Call me names.”
“That all?”
She shook her head. She really didn’t think she should tell him.
“What else, teeny?” he pressed.
“She’d slap me sometimes,” she whispered.
He went still. She’d kind of expected for him to get angry. Lose his temper. But he’d almost turned to stone under her lap.
Finally, he let out a breath, closing his eyes as he pressed his lips together.
“Are yo
u okay?” she asked.
“Okay?” he repeated. “No, pretty sure I’m not okay. You were given into your aunt’s care. By what you’ve said, she’s been neglectful as well as emotionally and physically abusive.”
“She’s never really hit me,” she protested.
He opened his eyes and stared at her incredulously. “What do you call slapping you?”
Damn it. It didn’t matter how she tried to deny it, he was right.
“She basically told you to give Tiger whatever he wanted.”
“I know,” she whispered. “I guess it’s just hard to know that the one person you have left, your only family, cares nothing about you. I think that’s part of the reason I stuck around. I told myself it was because of my diabetes and not wanting to be without insurance. But I also think it’s because she’s all I have. What would I do if I left? Where would I go? I have no money. I have no one. I don’t know how to make friends. I don’t have family. I was scared.”
“Oh, baby.” His face softened.
He wrapped his arms around her, holding her securely. “You’re not alone anymore, little one. You don’t have to put up with that bitch anymore. I’m here. If you want me, I’ll be here for you as your man and your Daddy. Do you think that’s something you might want? Are you interested in more than friendship with me?”
18
Linc held his breath as he waited for her reply.
He didn’t know what he would do if she said she wasn’t interested in taking things further. He’d still protect her, but it would be hell to come home to her every night and not touch her, kiss her, hug her.
But it needed to be her choice.
“I do want more. I’ve wanted it since you first mentioned being interested in me. I couldn’t believe that you would want me. Boring, mousy Marisol.”
“I’m going to stop you right there,” he said sternly even as relief flooded him. She wanted him too. “You are not ever to call yourself boring or mousy again. Or an idiot. I won’t have that. Understand? That’s a very firm rule.”
“We’re talking about rules already?”
“Yep. This is important. I want you to see yourself how I see you. Gorgeous. Kind. Funny.”
She stared up at him in amazement. “Really?”
“It kills me that you don’t know your own self-worth. That you don’t see that you’re a freaking queen and that’s how you should be treated.” He leaned in and brushed his lips against her ear. “Unless you’re being a naughty little princess. Then you’ll receive a different sort of treatment. Have you thought about being turned over my knee?”
Daddy in Cowboy Boots (Montana Daddies Book 9) Page 16