Gently, he lifted her down then started taking off her T-shirt. She was trembling as he took it off. She didn’t have a bra on, and her small breasts were soon revealed.
“Remember, you can say your safeword at any time,” he told her.
She nodded shakily then cupped her breasts once he had the T-shirt off.
“Don’t hide, Duchess,” he told her in a low voice. “You’re beautiful.”
“Small.”
“Small can be beautiful. Flowers are small, but usually perfectly formed.” He tugged off her skirt, nearly laughing at the sight of her panties. On the front were the words: Lick me until followed by an image of an ice cream.
“Lick me until ice cream?” He grinned.
She went bright red. “I thought they were cute ice cream panties. It didn’t click until I received them in the mail what it meant.”
“I will happily lick you until you scream,” he murmured, staring up at her with heat in his gaze.
Her blush filled her face, and he took the opportunity as she was occupied with her thoughts to whip off the last of her clothing. Then she was trembling, naked, goosebumps covered her skin.
“You’re cold.”
She shook her head. She had a habit of not talking when she was upset or worried.
“Words, Duchess,” he reminded her.
“Nervous.”
“Why?”
“That you’ll think I’m ugly.”
Yeah, he was feeling very bloodthirsty. Standing, he cupped her face, glaring down at her ferociously. “You listen to me. You are not ugly. Naked or not, you are beautiful.”
He kissed her gently, then that kiss turned to something harder. He moved his mouth around to her ear. “I’m so fucking hard for you.”
She sucked in a breath. “I . . . I . . .”
“I want you so bad. The most beautiful girl in the world.” He needed to control his lust for her, though, because she needed him to help her through this. She needed reassurance. Not to be pressed up against the bathroom counter and fucked.
Thoroughly fucked.
“Come on, baby girl. Let’s get you all nice and clean.”
She stared up at him, her lips trembling before her gaze moved to his cock.
“Eyes on mine,” he warned. “I’m starting to worry that you only want me for my cock.”
“Daddy!” she protested. Although her shoulders eased and a glint of humor entered her gaze. “It is a pretty cock.”
“Brat.” He turned her towards the bath and swatted her ass, making her yelp. “Come on.”
Turning off the bath, he tested the temperature then helped her into the water. She sighed with bliss as he knelt and reached into the bag of toys she had. “What have we here? Mermaids?”
“Those are my special bath mermaids, Daddy.” Picking them up, she started to play with them, swimming them through the water. It surprised him how easily she relaxed when in the bath. Maybe she felt more covered up. Although her breasts were still easily visible, her pretty, perky nipples, calling to him.
Easy, man.
Grabbing a cloth, he started washing her, marveling at her smooth, creamy skin. He worried for a moment that she didn’t get enough Vitamin D with how much time she spent inside. Maybe they’d have to make time for outside play.
When he started to clean her legs, she tensed slightly, but she didn’t move away as he went higher up her thighs.
“You’re perfect,” he murmured to her, prepared to heap on as much praise as she needed to hear. “Most beautiful, darling, smart, and kind girl.”
She froze and he glanced up at her to see tears dripping down her face. Shit. That wasn’t meant to make her sad.
“You mean that, Daddy?”
“Every word, Duchess.” She threw herself into his arms. He caught her, holding her tight and murmuring to her quietly. He rocked her back and forth.
“Thank you, Daddy.”
“No, little one. Thank you for trusting me with you. I promise to never let you down.”
After her bath, Brick helped dress her in a pair of pajamas that had pictures of mermaids over them. Then he brushed out her hair. She’d loved having him bathe her. Although, she couldn’t stop herself from thinking about Xavier briefly. He’d actually given her the bath mermaids for Christmas last year. He could be so sweet.
Her phone buzzed as he clumsily finished braiding it. Brick was sitting on the rocking chair and she was between his feet. She raced over and grabbed it off the bedside table, relief filling her as she saw it was a text from Reuben. Although, usually, he hated texting.
* * *
Reuben: Mini, sorry I haven’t called. I need to go silent for a while, if you don’t hear from me for a few days, don’t worry. Stay safe. Love you.
* * *
Well, shit. That wasn’t cryptic or anything. Plus, thought she was going to worry more than ever.
“What is it?” Brick asked, walking over to her.
She turned the message around to show him. He swore quietly under his breath.
“Something’s wrong, isn’t it? I mean, when someone says not to worry, that usually means you should start worrying more. Oh God.” She started to hyperventilate. “What am I going to do?”
“First of all, you need to calm down,” he told her in a low, firm voice. “Look at me.”
She raised her gaze to his and he cupped her face between his hands.
Steady. Firm. Strong.
“Everything will be fine.”
“How do you know?”
“I just do.”
She nodded. Everything would be all right. This was Reuben, for goodness sake. He was basically indestructible.
“Tell me you’re not going to worry.”
She gave him an incredulous look. Really?
“Right, what am I saying? Now you’ll worry more than ever.” He huffed out a breath. “Then we’ll just have to keep you busy, so you don’t have time to worry. You trust your brother, yeah?”
“Yes.”
“You know he can take care of himself?”
“Yep. He’s ruthless and smart and savage.”
“And he wouldn’t like it if you were worrying after he said not to, right?”
“No, he’d hate it.”
“Then you need to have faith in him.”
“Right. Right, of course.”
Fingers shaking, she sent him a text back.
* * *
Juliet: Go kick some bad guy ass. I’m good. I love you. Be safe xoxo.
* * *
She let out a shuddering breath. He’d be fine. This was Reuben. He was always fine. It was everyone else who had to worry when he was on the warpath.
Only, she had no idea how she was supposed to sleep at night wondering what was going on. And then Brick said something she totally wasn’t expecting.
“Come on, it’s time we started getting your punishment out of the way.”
She gaped at him as he took her hand and led her into the playroom to where the punishment chair was. He sat and patted his lap. “Over you go.”
“W-what?” she squeaked out.
“Your spanking, remember? We’re splitting it over two nights. Twenty-five tonight.”
“But . . . but . . .”
“But what?”
“I thought we weren’t doing that! You didn’t spank me last night!” So she thought that meant he wouldn’t.
“Because I thought you’d had enough with everything that went on. Come on, let’s knock these out.”
Knock these out? Was he for real right now?
“Baby girl, do you need to spend some time in the corner first?”
“No, Daddy!” She really did not. She moved as slowly as she dared, then lay herself over his lap.
“Good girl.”
“Let’s do them all.”
He’d been in the middle of pulling down her pants and panties when he paused.
“All?”
“Yep. All forty.” She cros
sed her fingers as she said that, hoping he couldn’t see.
“Good try,” he said dryly. “It’s fifty.”
“Drat. Thought you might have forgotten.”
“Because I’m so old?”
“Daddy, I’d never say that.” Think it maybe . . .
“You know, I could add on extras for you trying to deceive me,” he said casually.
“What?” She turned to look over her shoulder at him. “No, Daddy! That’s just mean.”
“And trying to deceive Daddy isn’t naughty?”
She huffed out a breath. “Sorry, Daddy.”
Truth was, she could probably use this spanking to help clear her head. She’d spent so much time worrying about Reuben and Xavier, who she hadn’t heard from since he’d stormed out of the house yesterday, that she was exhausted.
“I don’t want to give you fifty at once when it’s only your second spanking. We’ll stick with the plan. But if you break a safety rule again, your punishment will be harsher.” They’d spent some time today going through rules, expectations, and her limits. She knew he meant every word. He was steadfast about her following rules for her health or safety.
“You disobeyed me. Several times. You put yourself in danger. That isn’t acceptable, and you earned yourself a harsh punishment. I don’t like having to deliver it, but it’s what is needed so you know that sort of behavior won’t be tolerated, and you do not do it again.”
“Yes, Daddy. I’m sorry.”
“You’re precious to me. I couldn’t live if something happened to you.”
Did he really mean that? It seemed crazy to her.
“You’re precious to me too, Daddy.”
He pushed her panties and pants right down and she kicked them off. Her butt was fully bare and she tensed for a moment, but he didn’t give her a chance to feel self-conscious.
He started spanking her immediately. It wasn’t long until she was kicking her feet, trying to wriggle away. He held her steady as he gave her the first ten spanks. She was sniffling by the time he stopped to rub her lower back soothingly.
“How you doing, Duchess?” he asked in a low voice.
“Oh, just fine,” she replied. “How’s your day going? Funny weather we’re having at the moment.”
“Smart-ass,” he replied. But she heard the smile in his voice.
“Gonna give you the last fifteen without stopping. Ready for the rest?”
“Does anyone ever say yes to that?” she squeaked out.
He let out a huff. But before she could say anything else in the hopes of delaying the inevitable, he started spanking her again. She couldn’t help but kick her legs as he turned her ass into a throbbing mass of agony.
Okay, it wasn’t that bad. But it was still damn sore. And by the time he finished, she was crying, lying limply over his lap.
And her brain was blessedly empty of all thoughts and worries.
Instead of turning her over immediately to give her the cuddles that she had totally earned, he ran his fingers lightly over her ass.
“Damn beautiful ass you have, Duchess.”
She rolled her eyes. Was he admiring his handiwork? “Thanks. It serves me well.”
A short bark of laughter.
Then she sucked in a breath as he moved his finger down the crack of her ass.
“Can’t wait until you’re ready for me to explore back here.”
Holy heck.
He pressed against her dark hole and she let out a small noise of pleasure. How was that pleasurable?
They’d talked about anal sex and she said she was interested. Maybe not before she had actual sex, though.
“It’s okay. I’m not going to do anything more,” he soothed. “Not tonight. But at some stage, I’m going to play more back here.”
A shiver of pleasure ran through her.
Oh, dear Lord. What was wrong with her?
“You’ll like it.”
All right for him to say. He wasn’t getting things up his ass.
How had this become her life?
23
He was a complete idiot.
Fuck.
With a groan, Xavier rolled over to check the time. Ten a.m.
Double fuck.
He’d called in sick to work. First time he’d ever pulled a sicky in his life. But it would have been worse than negligent to take his drunken ass into work.
Still. He felt terrible about that.
It wasn’t like he’d gotten any answers from the bottom of a whiskey bottle. All he had now was the headache from hell and regrets.
So many fucking regrets.
He’d messed up so bad. Taken her for granted.
What he needed was to get his shit together. The other morning, he’d acted like a child who didn’t get his way. Who had their Christmas present taken away when it had never been his in the first place.
He owed Juliet a huge apology.
He owed her bodyguards a big apology. Including the guy who’d claimed her.
And wasn’t that going to suck ass? But Xavier was an adult. He could own up to his mistakes.
Living in the same town as them, well, that was going to be challenging. But maybe it was better this way. This bodyguard seemed rougher than he’d have chosen for her. But he might have a gentler side. Neither of them had made a good impression on the other one.
Sure, he didn’t like that they barely knew each other and he was claiming her in a bar. Then again, maybe that’s what he should have done.
And now, he had to go apologize, beg her forgiveness, and find some way to spend time with her and her new man so he could ensure that this Brick guy was worthy of his angel.
“But I don’t want any more to eat, Daddy.”
Brick gave her a firm look. She didn’t eat nearly enough on a good day, and since they’d had that visit from Xavier, her eating habits had gotten worse. She was barely eating enough to keep a mouse alive, and he knew he had to get firmer with her.
“If you want to go swimming, I want to see half the food on that plate gone.”
She gave him a sulky look. Most of the time, she was very sweet-natured, with a slightly bratty side that he quite liked. But when it came to eating, she could get very stubborn.
He was also worried that she wasn’t sleeping enough. She looked tired with bags under her eyes. Tonight, he might insist on sleeping in her bedroom with her. Or maybe out on the sofa in her playroom with the door open if she wasn’t keen on him sleeping in the same room with her.
A long sigh left her. He raised an eyebrow. “Would you prefer something else?”
“No,” she muttered, poking at the sandwiches he’d made them.
“Would you like to eat your lunch on a hot bottom?”
“Daddy! What kind of question is that?”
He leaned forward. “A serious one.”
She picked up a sandwich and ate a bite. She’d just finished a triangle, which made him breathe a bit easier when his phone rang.
“What’s up?” he asked Elias.
He hadn’t seen either of them much since he’d been spending more of his time with Juliet.
“The Doc’s at the gate,” Elias told him.
He stiffened then forced himself to relax. She was his.
He had to learn to trust.
“Yeah? He didn’t just come in?”
“Nope.”
Interesting.
“Wants to know if he can. Said he sent a message to Juliet, but hasn’t heard back.”
Because he made her put her phone aside while in Little space. Otherwise, she obsessed over it, checking every few moments for a message from her brother.
“So, do I let him in?”
“Wait a sec.” He put the phone on mute. “Duchess?”
“I’m eating, I’m eating,” she replied hastily, stuffing another triangle into her mouth. Both of her cheeks puffed out, making her look like a chipmunk.
“Xavier is here. Wants to come in. Said he sent you a messa
ge.”
He walked into her room and grabbed her phone from one of those holders she had everywhere.
She grabbed it, reading the text. “He wants to apologize and see us both.” She glanced up at him and he saw the hope in her face.
“You want to see him, Duchess?” he asked in a gruff voice.
She’d chosen him.
Xavier’s loss was his gain.
But that didn’t mean he could cut the guy from her life. He’d taken care of her for a long time and Brick had to be grateful to him for that.
And he wanted to do what was best for Juliet. The doctor was important to her.
But he best not make a wrong move . . .
“What do you think I should do?”
He cupped her chin. “That wasn’t what I asked. Do you want to see him?”
She winced.
“Duchess, that’s fine. He’s your friend. You should see him as much as you want.”
“He was kind of acting odd last time he was here. He tried to fire you.”
“Because I wouldn’t let him see you. Fact is, I’d have done worse if I’d been in his shoes. So, you want to see him?”
She nodded.
“Good. Tell you what, put your bathing suit on. We’ll talk to him then go swimming after.”
“Where are you going?”
“Just to let him in.” He kissed the top of her head. “I promise to be nice.”
He ignored the incredulous look she sent him. He knew how to be nice.
Sometimes.
The door to the house opened as Xavier got out of his car. His shoulders tightened, but he’d known that he would be the first obstacle to go through. Reaching back, he drew out the bunch of flowers he’d brought with him.
White tulips.
Juliet’s favorite.
Walking up the stairs to the front door, he felt ridiculously nervous. He eyed the big man waiting for him warily.
“I come in peace,” he joked. Xavier got along with everyone. He was good at his job, a law-abiding citizen, he never even jay-walked.
But damned if he didn’t fantasize, just a little, about running this bruiser over with his car. Okay, it was wrong. On so many levels. And it wasn’t his fault that Xavier hadn’t realized he had feelings for his girl until it was too late.
Her Daddies’ Saving Grace Page 23