It would be easier if she just flat-out laughed at me and rejected one of my lures. But she has done the opposite.
I think back on how she hugged her stuffed animal against her chest in the night. She looked so young. I know she’s screaming for the attention she never got. I’m understanding better with every piece of information I get. She never had a Daddy in the first place, so she’s yearning for someone to take care of her.
But is she interested in me? As a man? Because I’m certainly interested in her as a woman. Sure, I’m a Daddy in the fetish community. I left out a lot of information when I said Collette liked me to take care of her. Including the fact that I liked it even more.
I was in my early twenties when I realized I had this kink, and it took me several years to find out there was an entire community of people who enjoy age play. I like to take care of my women, in every imaginable way.
But, they have to want it too. It has to be something they crave, being taken care of. It’s not for everyone. For Collette and I, we had that connection. She was a truly amazing little and I was just the right kind of Daddy for her. However, we clashed on a few issues, and in the end, we were struggling. When I got this job in Seattle and told her, I knew she wouldn’t be going with me.
I’m also aware it takes years to find a woman who totally meshes with my kink. For some Daddies, it never happens. I know I’m overzealous with Britney. Irrationally pressuring her to be someone I desperately want her to be. I have to slow the fuck down, I remind myself.
I’m not going to tell her about my trip to the club because I don’t want her to completely freak out, but I do want her to know her apartment was ransacked because she needs to feel the fear.
I sit in the middle of the couch, leaving half a foot between us. I’m not willing to give her more space than that. Or maybe I’m not capable of more distance.
“Don’t you need to leave for work soon?” she asks. “Can you drop me off at the shelter? I can get my car then too, and—”
I shake my head and interrupt her. “I took the day off. So did you.”
Her mouth drops open.
“I called Cindy. It’s okay. She’ll get someone to cover for you for a while.”
“For a while?” My voice raises. “Davis, I can’t miss work. I’ve already lost one job. I can’t lose this one too. As it is, I can’t possibly pay my rent off my salary from the shelter. I need to find another job waitressing or something.”
Now I’m glad I’m sitting this close, because I reach out and set a hand on her thigh. “Britney, slow down.” I meet her gaze.
She’s breathing heavily, feeling frantic. Her legs are curled under her, but her spine is straight now and she’s gripping the arm of the couch with one hand and the back of the couch with the other. Her knuckles are white.
“Sweetie, I need you to listen to me. Okay?”
She nods slowly.
“You’re not safe.” I hate to be blunt, but there is no option. She needs to grasp the severity of the situation. “When I went to your apartment last night, it had been ransacked.”
She gasps. Her eyes are blue saucers.
I shuffle closer to her and keep my hand on her thigh. “I need to ask you a few questions.”
She’s shaking now.
“First of all, do you have any family anywhere?”
She shakes her head.
“No one?”
“No. Why? What does that have to do with anything?” Her lip is trembling. I hate it, but I can’t blame her, and I really, really want her to grasp how serious this is.
“I suspect your boss sent someone to your apartment in hopes they would find you there. When they didn’t, their next job would have been to figure out where you might have gone. Do you have friends you could have called? Is there anyone who could have helped you?”
She shakes her head again harder. “If I had family or friends, I wouldn’t have been sleeping in my car,” she points out, her voice cracking before she glances away, flushed with embarrassment.
“Good. That means your boss’s men didn’t find anything. I’m certain that would have been their goal, to gather information and then hunt you down at a relative’s or a friend’s house. I just wanted to be sure no other person might be the target of your disappearance.”
She nods but tears are slowly sliding down her face. “At least my pitiful self didn’t involve anyone else,” she murmurs.
I’m done with the distance, as slight as it is. I reach for her waist, lift her off the couch, and settle her on my lap. She doesn’t resist, but her gaze drops. “You’re not pitiful. You’ve had a rough life. Let’s see what we can do to change that, okay?” I lift her chin with a finger.
She’s silently crying and also biting her lip. My undoing.
I wipe her tears with my thumb and then tug on her lip to get her to release it. I only have so much self-control. It’s hanging by a thread. “So, here’s the thing. You can’t go to work. You can’t go anywhere. No one knows you’re here, and I want to keep it that way. I’ll have someone move your car someplace secure and out of sight.”
She stares at me. It’s sinking in and she’s scared. Good. She needs to take this seriously.
“Another question. Do you by chance remember if any other women working at the Sky Lounge have gone missing recently?”
She frowns and shakes her head. “No. I mean, people come and go. They quit, but no one has gone missing.”
“That’s good.” I can’t be certain she would know for sure, but at least she doesn’t think so. Blade is also going to dig around on this subject and find out what the turnover has been. “So, you’ll stay here while my team works on figuring out how to ensure your safety. I realize it might be boring, but it’s the only way I can keep you safe while I figure this out.”
“How the hell are you going to fix this, Davis?” she asks, her voice shrill.
“It’s what I do, sweetie. I fix things. Your lucky day.” I smile at her and swipe away a few more tears. My heart hurts for her.
“You install alarms,” she points out.
I chuckle. “No. That was a favor for Cindy. I do work for a company that sometimes installs alarms, but not on that small of a scale. We protect people. We investigate and we solve problems.”
She swallows. “Is it…legal?”
I chuckle. “Yes, sweetie, it’s legal. And besides, do you really care right now? Is selling humans legal?”
Her shoulders drop. “Of course not.”
“Then I need you to trust me to figure out a way to make you safe. In the meantime, you need to stay here in my house so no one knows where you are. Don’t answer the phone or the door. Don’t even get too close to the windows. Got it?”
She glances at the windows and then flinches, her body going rigid. “It’s too dangerous, Davis. I can’t stay here. It’s too risky.” She tried to wiggle off my lap.
I hold her tighter and frown. “What do you mean? You’re perfectly safe in my house.”
“You’re not. I can’t let you get involved in this. You’re going to snoop around at the Sky Lounge and get yourself killed.”
I chuckle before I can stop myself. “Sweetie, I’m not going to get killed. I promise. I’m too stubborn. I just got out of the Army. Four tours in the Middle East. I’m a pro at snooping around the enemy and not getting killed. If I weren’t, I’d already be dead.”
That’s a lot to reveal. I don’t usually tell people about my time in the Army, but I need to impress upon Britney that I’m capable of fixing her problem. It isn’t going to be easy, but I will do it.
She gasps, but she’s still shaking her head. “No. Please. Don’t do this. If you’re really worried about me, give me money for a bus instead of clothes, and I’ll go far away where I can’t hurt anyone. I’ll make a new life somewhere.” Her hands come to my shoulders and shove.
I outweigh her by a hundred and fifty pounds, and I’m stronger. “Britney…” I keep one hand on her lower ba
ck, but grab both her wrists with my other hand, clasping them between us. “Sweetie…” I wait for her to stop fighting me.
Finally, she sits still, but her hair is disheveled and hanging around her face. It’s so long that some of it is trapped in my clasp on her back and some of it is threaded between our combined hands. I hope it’s not tugging on her head. When she gives up the fight, she slumps against me, burying her face against my shoulder.
I release her hands, which find their way around my neck. She holds me tight once again, and I love it.
I smooth my hands up and down her back, loving the feel of her silky hair and her small body.
“Thank you,” she murmurs against my ear.
I chuckle. “That’s one swear word and one thank you. I’m keeping a list.”
She pulls back and meets my gaze. “What were the repercussions when Collette said bad words?”
I hesitate. She’s not ready for this. I’ve gotten away with introducing her to a lot of things in the last twenty-four hours, but that’s going too far.
She squeezes my neck. “Tell me.”
I shake my head. “Let’s talk about something else. Tell me why you chose pink bedding when nothing in your apartment is pink. Do you even like the color?”
She sighs, frustrated that I’ve dodged her question. “Yes.” She glances at her hand, her fingers playing with the neckline of my T-shirt absently. I love the feel of her hands on my neck. The only thing that would make this perfect would be if she was straddling me.
“Explain.” I give her a little bounce.
“It’s kind of like the dresses, I guess. I never had many clothes growing up. Nothing of my own. When I got moved to a different foster home, I rarely took anything with me except Bunny. I never left her behind.” She meets my gaze and must see something that allows her to continue. “When I spent half of first grade going to school with my hair cut to my scalp, I learned something. People stopped noticing me. They made fun of me for a while, but when I ignored them, they gave up. I started my tomboy phase. I realized if I wore pants and plain shirts, people were less likely to look at me. I stopped wearing anything girly. No dresses. Nothing pink or purple or pastel.”
My chest is tight again, but I sit very still.
She licks her lips and continues. “I couldn’t bring myself to cut my hair again. I break out in a cold sweat even seeing a pair of scissors. But I just hid behind it or put it in a ponytail. I never wore makeup until I started at the club and I don’t own revealing clothes.”
I grip her back with my fingers.
She looks at me again. “I bet you’re wondering how I could possibly have been a stripper.”
I nod. “A little. It’s impressive.” It also hurts my soul to picture her. I can, however, visualize more than she knows because her damn boss gave me several photos in that file. It’s at the office. I didn’t risk bringing it home, nor did I spend much time looking at this sweet girl’s naked body.
She shrugs. “I disassociated. I had no choice. It pays well.”
“How did you get the job in the first place?”
“I met one of the women at the thrift store one day a year ago. She gushed over me. Usually, that stresses me out, but this time it wasn’t a man. Women don’t bother me as much unless their jealousy comes through.”
I smile. Makes sense.
“Anyway, her name is Licorice.” She giggles. “Her stage name anyway. She told me with my looks I could be making a ton of money. She’s the one who arranged for me to meet my boss. I was scared out of my mind at first, but Mr. Lazinski was so nice. He let me start slow. The other women taught me to dance. They said I was a natural. I assume I’m good enough because the customers always whistle at me.”
The flush on her cheeks would be adorable if the subject matter weren’t making me want to punch someone. Lazinski to start with.
“You really want to hear all this?”
“Yes, sweetie. I want to know everything about what makes you tick. It’s interesting. Really.”
“Okay, then.” She draws in another breath. “Anyway, I disassociated. It’s like I became two people. The Britney who isn’t at work is still quiet and shy and reserved and hiding from attention. When I get to the club, I change into my costumes and pretend I’m another woman. I even wear makeup and heels. I do it because it pays the bills. Over time, my boss has encouraged me to come out of my shell. At first, I couldn’t imagine why he kept me on since I wasn’t willing to get completely naked, but eventually, I realized some men found that attractive too. Innocence or something. The forbidden.”
“I understand. I’m sure a lot of women separate themselves from the job.”
She shrugs. “It pays the rent, but I’m betting it backfired on me. My innocent routine, I mean.” She bites her lip.
I frown. “What?” There’s something she’s holding back.
“There’s something I haven’t told you.”
I give her an encouraging squeeze, realizing my hands have drifted down so that I’m partially gripping her bottom now. She doesn’t seem to notice. “I’m not going to judge you, sweetie. You did what you needed to do to pay the bills. You’re a strong woman. I’m proud of you.”
Redness creeps up her cheeks. “I’m a bit of a freak actually. I suspect my boss wasn’t just selling my looks to a willing buyer. I mean, I know he wasn’t.”
“What was he selling, Britney?” I know the answer, but I want her to tell me, and I don’t want her to know I went to the club yet.
“My virginity,” she murmurs.
I shouldn’t be shocked, and I’m not, but the way she says the word makes me swallow anyway. It packs a punch when she says it out loud. I slide my hands up to her shoulder blades and wait for her to look at me. When she does, her blue eyes are bluer and her cheeks are redder. “You’re safe here,” I remind her.
Her next move shocks me. She leans in and kisses me on the lips. It’s a gentle swipe of her mouth, but it’s heaven to me. It’s also over in a second, and she jerks her gaze away. “Shit. Sorry.”
I’m reeling from the effect she’s had on me and give her a little shake again. “What are you sorry for?” My God, she’s precious. Every inch of her. Now that I’ve tasted her sweet lips, I’m going to have a hard time controlling myself.
She shrugs. “I’m being ridiculous. You’re trying to help me out, and I’m hitting on you. You must think I’m just some young girl who got herself into a heap of trouble. I didn’t mean to…be so bold.”
I slide one hand up to the back of her neck and turn her face toward me. “Look at me, sweetie.”
She finally lifts her gaze.
“You are precious, and I’m humbled that you feel that way about me. I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you I’m attracted to you too. A lot, sweetie. But I’m not going to take advantage of you. You’ve only known me a day. You’re hurting, and you’ve had a rough life. Naturally, you’d think you’re attracted to me. Don’t be embarrassed. It’s flattering, and I’d be delighted if you still feel this way in a week or a month or a year.”
She scrunches up her face. “You’re just being nice.”
If she had any idea how hard I’m working to keep from lowering her onto her back and taking that small, sweet kiss to a stratospheric level… “Not at all. I mean every word. But there’s a lot you don’t know about me yet, and you’re not ready to hear most of it. You’re also stuck here for a while, so we’ll get to know each other and see what happens.” To reassure her I mean what I’m saying, I lean forward and kiss her back, my lips lingering longer on hers than the first kiss. I even let my tongue flick over the seam of her mouth before I pull back.
Sweet Jesus.
She whimpers, which makes my cock jump to full attention. It’s pressing against her hip, and she has to know this. It’s been growing larger by the moment since she first sat on my lap.
“Thank you,” she whispers before sucking in a breath.
“That’s another swear w
ord and another thank you. Your tally is up to four now,” I tease.
“And you still haven’t told me what the repercussions are.”
“Yep,” I agree, pursing my lips.
She groans, her hands coming to my shoulders. “Come on. Tell me. You say there are things I don’t know about you. Give me this one.”
“Nope. Not today. But I will warn you, it would be best not to let the tally continue to grow.” I lift a brow.
She giggles, that sweet, sweet sound I love so much. When she finally stops, her expression sobers. “Will you kiss me again?”
“Let me ask you a question first.”
“Okay…”
“How many times have you been kissed?”
“Twice,” she answers without hesitation. “Well, once. I kissed you the first time.” She cocks her head to one side. “Told you I’m pitiful.”
“You’re not pitiful. You’re precious. And to answer your question, yes, I’ll kiss you again.” I draw her head down to meet my lips, knowing I’m killing myself by allowing this but unable to stop. Our lips meet and then I angle her head to one side. For a few moments, I nibble on her mouth, but then I drag my tongue along her bottom lip. “Open for me, sweetie.”
She parts her lips, and I slide my tongue inside, teasing hers. She tastes of syrup and orange juice. She tastes of Britney and heaven. She tastes like my future. Assuming there is a God and he has me on his radar this week.
Chapter 11
Britney
The moment Davis breaks our kiss, I feel his loss. I want him to do it again. I want more. So much more. My body is alive with a tingling I’ve never felt before. Arousal.
Well, that’s not entirely true. I’ve experienced it when I’m alone at night under the covers, but not with another human. I’ve dreamed about a kiss like that. I’ve dreamed about other things too. I wish he would slide his hands around to my breasts and squeeze them. For the first time in my life, I’d like a man to touch me between my legs. I’m trembling with need.
Nurturing Britney (Surrender Book 7) Page 7
