“Baby girl, I’m sorry you had to go through that. What about your Lupus? Have you always had that?”
“No, I didn’t discover I had Lupus until about eighteen months ago. That. . .that’s actually how I met your grandmother. We have the same specialist. She goes to Dr. Zurich for her arthritis.”
“So, you met there?”
“In the waiting room. My. . .my stomach growled. It was so embarrassing. It was the loudest rumble you’ve ever heard. But instead of laughing at me, Penny just struck up a conversation with me. My appointment was first. When she came out of hers, she saw me sitting at the bus stop and offered me a ride home. On the way to my place, she pulled into a McDonald’s drive through.”
“My grandmother? Penelope Isabella McKenzie, went to a McDonald’s?”
She giggled at his dumbfounded look. “Yep.”
“She always refused to take me when I was a kid.” He sounded appalled.
“Guess I must be the favorite then.” Her grin faded as she realized what she said. “I’m sorry, I know I’m not her grandchild. I didn’t mean it like that. I—”
“Hush, Gigi,” he told her, placing a finger on her lips. “It’s clear Nan cares about you a great deal. I’m sure she would love it if you thought of yourself as an adopted granddaughter. She always wanted a big family, but she was so ill when she had my dad that my granddad put his foot down and said he wasn’t risking her health with any more kids. I’m not sure why they didn’t adopt.”
“Hm, he sounds familiar. I wonder why.”
He tickled her side until she giggled, wiggling around on his lap. She froze as she felt his hard erection pressing into her bottom.
He adjusted her so she wasn’t so tight against him. But the damage was done. Now all she could think about was how much she wanted to touch him, to taste him.
“What happened after that?”
“Well, first your grandma had no idea what to order so I taught her about sticking your fries into your McChicken burger. Yummo.”
“That sounds disgusting.”
She placed her hand on her chest with a mock-gasp. “How dare you! A McChicChip burger is the greatest invention ever.”
He grinned at her. “All right, I’ll take your word for it.”
“Or we could have McDonald’s for dinner tonight and I can show you,” she suggested slyly.
“Nice try, but that’s not happening. Your doctor wants you eating healthy.”
She pouted. “But that’s so boring.”
“You’ll be doing what the doctor ordered, little one. Or you’ll find yourself in trouble.”
A shiver raced up her spine. She wanted to be dominated by him. Cherished. Cared for. Even disciplined. She hated feeling bad, hated that slimy feeling of guilt in the bottom of her tummy. She wanted it gone.
Her heart raced. Her skin went clammy. “I want to do it.”
“What?”
She blinked, barely believing those words had come from her mouth. She hadn’t quite meant to let them pop out that way.
“I want to know what it’s like to be a Little.”
Your little.
“I want to give up control. At least, while I’m Little.” Not like his old girlfriend had.
“Are you certain?” He studied her closely.
She let out a breath, releasing the tension. “I’m certain.”
“I don’t want to do anything to frighten you, baby.”
“You don’t frighten me. I know you’re not like either of our fathers. I don’t think all men are violent. I still have some. . .problems. My father didn’t hit me that often. But he yelled at me a lot. He’d call me names. He was really mean when he was drunk.”
“I already promised I would never yell at you. I would certainly never call you names.” His face had grown dark, but she knew he wasn’t angry at her.
“I know. I wouldn’t be thinking about any of this if I didn’t already trust you. You’ve done everything you said you would. You haven’t once let me down. The only other person who had ever been like that in my life is your grandmother. I think you take after her.”
He leaned in and kissed her lips. “I think that’s the nicest compliment anyone has ever given me.”
Her cheeks blushed red. She wished he would deepen the kiss, press his tongue inside her mouth, and claim her. But he simply moved back to look down at her. “I think the best idea is for me to get you into bed, you look exhausted.”
“Are you going to visit Penny today?” she asked.
“No. I don’t want to leave you when you’ve just gotten out of hospital.”
“I’ll be all right,” she protested.
He shook his head. “Nope. Anything could happen while I’m not here. You might faint again.”
“I won’t get out of bed. Please, Macca, I will feel terrible knowing I’m the reason you’re not going in to see her.”
He eyed her. “Maybe I could get someone to come sit with you.”
“I don’t need a babysitter,” she muttered.
“Little girl, that’s exactly what you need. I’ll call my cousin and see if she can come over.”
“But what about my. . .” She couldn’t say the word. She didn’t have to since he accurately picked up what she’d been trying to say.
“Your spanking?”
She blushed bright red.
He cupped her cheek with his hand. “I’ve already said you are forgiven, but since you still feel guilty then I think you’re right, a spanking will help you feel better inside. However, I’m not spanking you the same day you got out of the hospital. When you’re feeling better, if you still feel guilty then I will certainly take care of that for you.”
He spoke like he was doing her a favor. But then, wasn’t he? He said she was forgiven. She was the one with this lingering ick feeling in her tummy. And even though she would have let him spank her right here and now, he wanted to make her wait until she was feeling better.
He was, without a doubt, like no man she had ever met before.
“Right, let’s get you ready for bed. Do you want a nightgown to sleep in, baby girl?”
“Um, yes. Over in the top drawer.” She pointed at the dresser across the room.
He set her down on the bed and stood, walking over to pick one out.
“Okay, let’s get you changed. Do you want to take your bra off?”
“I’m not wearing one. It was too much effort.” Especially as she had little to support.
“Stay where you are and let me help,” he warned her. He quickly tugged off her t-shirt. She blushed, expecting him to stare, but he kept things matter-of-fact as he drew her nightgown over her head. Then he helped her stand and knelt to tug down her shorts. It was all done quickly and efficiently.
And for some stupid reason, she was a little disappointed.
“Do you need to go potty?”
She felt herself blushing bright red as she nodded. He picked her up again and carried her into the bathroom. “I’ll just go put all your clothes away while you use the potty. Leave the door open so I can hear you.”
She walked into the bathroom, but couldn’t leave the door open. She wouldn’t need help. She used the toilet, startling as she heard a knock at the door.
“Little one, you’ve been in there long enough. Out you come.”
She opened the door and he gave her a firm look. “I thought I said to leave that open. No closed doors, understand?”
“O-okay.”
“I need to hear if you get into trouble. Don’t worry, I won’t stand directly outside listening to you pee.” He winked at her. “But any more fainting spells and I’m going to seriously consider diapers.”
She gave a small gasp as he took her hand and led her to the bedroom. “I don’t need a diaper.”
“No? Hm, we’ll see when your Little appears what you need.”
“How will she appear?” she asked hesitantly as he took hold of her hand and led her slowly back to the bedroom.
“I’ll help you. That’s what I’m here for.” He smiled at her. “You just need to trust me a bit, all right?”
“All right.”
“All right, Daddy,” he said firmly.
“A-all right, Daddy.” That was surprisingly easier than she’d thought. And the warm smile he gave her filled her with happiness.
“Thank you, baby girl,” he said as he walked into her bedroom and sat on the bed, pulling her onto his lap. She adored how he wasn’t afraid to show affection.
“For what?”
“For giving me the gift of you. I promise I’ll take good care of you.”
Tears welled. To her way of thinking, he’d been the one to give and all she’d done was take. Giving him this, it was still selfish of her. But she was starting to see this was something he really wanted too. And maybe, in a small way, she was paying him back for everything he’d done for her.
“I’ll take good care of you too, Daddy,” she told him, surprised by the childish note to her voice. Where had that come from?
“I know you will, baby girl. Now, let’s have a little chat about rules. Obviously, you’re to follow all of your doctor’s orders. Break any of those and there will be consequences, okay?”
“Yes, Daddy.” She expected that.
“Daddy will help you. I’m going to sit down with you when I get home and go through your medication. I also need to get a naughty girl book to take note of everything.”
Oh crap.
“I’m also going to make certain that you rest lots and eat well. But just so you know, all junk food will be hidden away. Don’t want to tempt any naughtiness while Daddy isn’t here.”
Oh. Drat.
“When I’m not here, I expect you to have your cell phone with you at all times. You must answer all of my calls and texts unless you are sleeping. But as soon as you wake, you must call me back, understood?”
“Yes, Daddy.” That still felt a little odd, but also right at the same time.
“While you were in the bathroom, I called my cousin. Well, distant cousin. She’s going to come and stay in the house with you while you rest.”
She scowled. “I don’t need a babysitter, Daddy.”
He raised both his eyebrows. “She’s not a babysitter. If I knew anyone in the scene here, I could have gotten you a proper babysitter. Believe me, you’ll be glad to have Everly. She’ll probably bring her son and they’ll leave you in peace unless you need them. A proper babysitter would watch you like a hawk and report back to Daddy if you were naughty. If I knew them well, I might even give them permission to put you over their knee.”
Was he serious? Surely not. But the threat of a stranger spanking her was enough to have her nodding without further argument.
“She’ll be here in case of an emergency. Call out to her if you get up to go to the toilet, but otherwise I expect you to stay in bed otherwise, all right? I’ll see what other days she’s free too.”
“I’ll be going with you to see Penny tomorrow, anyway, Daddy.”
“I’ll play that by ear. There might be some days when you’re more tired than others.”
From experience, she knew that was more than likely to be the case.
“Promise not to leave the bed unless you have to go to the bathroom?”
“Yes, Daddy. I promise.”
“Sure, you won’t rethink your decision on diapers? Then I wouldn’t have to worry about you using the bathroom on your own and falling and hitting your head.”
She blushed bright red. “Daddy!”
“Maybe later,” he said with a wink.
“Daddy will leave you a healthy snack on the bedside table in case you get hungry.”
“Okay, Daddy.”
“Other rules. Any time you feel ill or in pain you are to tell Daddy immediately. I don’t care if it’s just a papercut, you need to let me know.”
“Papercuts are owie,” she said seriously. Wow, it hadn’t taken her long to fall into this role. It really surprised her how easily she’d let go of her adult self.
“They are. I also want you to talk to me. Tell me if anything worries you or scares you or makes you feel uncertain, all right? Daddy is here to help you. In fact, that’s my main job. Making sure my girl has everything she needs. Communication is very important.”
“I’m not very good at communicating,” she revealed.
“That’s okay. I’ll help you by asking lots of questions. You just have to be honest with me. There’s nothing you can’t tell me, sweet pea.”
“Yes, Daddy.” She wasn’t so sure of that. But she didn’t need to tell him everything. This was just a short-term arrangement.
“Right, I’ll get you a snack and a bottle of water. You need to keep up your fluid intake, so I’ll expect the water to be all gone by the time I get back, all right?”
She sighed. “Yes, Daddy.
“Is there anything else you need?”
“Do I really have to stay in my bed, Daddy? It’s kind of boring in here.”
“You have your eReader. There’s no television in here.” He looked around. “I have an idea.” He set her gently on her feet and then reached out and grabbed her two soft toys. “Do you have a name for your bunny?”
“N-not yet.”
“You’ll figure out what his name is.”
“Daddy!” she said, offended. “He is a she!”
“Oh, I do beg your pardon.”
“Silly Daddy, thinking you were a boy, Bunnykins,” she said, clasping the bunny tight. “Oh, I guess she does have a name.”
“Bunnykins is perfect,” he told her.
He led her to a different door down the passage. She knew what this room was. It was his bedroom. A flush of arousal and pleasure moved through her as he led her inside. The room was neat and tidy, which was a surprise. She’d expected the bed to at least be unmade. But he was tidier than she was.
His bed was large and had a gorgeous wrought iron headboard. His bedding was dark gray. “I have a television in here you can watch. Nothing scary,” he told her sternly. “You’re to stick to cartoons. And you’re only to watch television for one hour. Too much TV can affect little minds.”
She gaped at him. He wasn’t serious, right?
But from the look on his face, he was. One hour. That sucked. Oh well, at least she had her eReader and truth be told, she’d rather read than watch TV anyway.
He slid back the covers and she settled in. He tucked her in then sat next to her. “Rest up, baby girl. I’ll be back before you know it. I’ll check in with Everly. And drink your water. I’m going to bring back a notebook and I will be noting down any naughty behavior.”
That threat sent a little shiver up her spine.
Oh, she was in so much trouble.
* * *
Macca stepped into his nan’s room. A nurse turned away from the bed to smile at him.
“Mr. McKenzie, how are you?” she asked.
“All right. How is Nan doing today?”
Her smile grew sad. “As well as can be expected. Her lucid times are few and far between. I know she must enjoy having you visit.”
“Has my father been in today?” Or any other day. . .
The nurse’s face turned strictly professional. “Ah, no. I’ll go and give you some time alone with your grandmother.”
“Hey, Nan, how are you today?” Macca moved closer to the bed. He felt a stab of guilt for not spending all of his time with her. She looked so frail lying there. He didn’t want her to be on her own. But he also knew she wouldn’t want him to just sit around all day, staring at her.
She’d want to know you were looking after Gigi.
“Gigi got out of the hospital today. Don’t worry, I didn’t leave her at home alone.” He sat in a chair next to the bed and took her frail hand in his. “Everly and Nico are at your place with her. She’s special, Nan. I can see why you were drawn to her. I wish you’d told me about her.”
He guessed he’d never know why she hadn�
�t.
“I really like her. I promise I’ll take good care of her for you.”
There was no response. He stood and leaned over, lightly brushing his lips across her cool forehead. “I love you, Nan. Always. You were always there for me. No matter what.”
I’ll miss you when you’re gone.
He didn’t say the words. Wasn’t ready yet to say goodbye. Didn’t know how he ever would be.
An hour later, as he was walking out to the car, his phone rang. He sighed as he saw it was his father. He’d ignore the call, but he knew he’d keep calling until Macca answered.
Or worse, he’d come looking for him.
He sighed. “Yes, father?”
“Alexander, where are you?”
“Visiting Nan. Why?”
“We need to talk about some things. About packing up your grandmother’s stuff. Have you been through her study?”
That seemed a weird question. He shook his head. “No. I haven’t had any time to go through her stuff. Can’t that wait until. . .”
She was gone. He swallowed heavily.
“I want you to make sure that girl she had living with her didn’t take anything.”
He ground his teeth together. “Gigi isn’t a thief.”
There was a pause. Shit.
“You did kick her out, right?” his father asked suspiciously.
“No. I didn’t. She’s been ill and that is her home. She’s staying there with me.”
His father swore. “Another bleeding heart just like your grandmother. She’s probably faking her illness just to get your sympathy. How can you be so stupid? How—”
“I’m hanging up now. Bye.”
Macca ended the call with a grimace. Good riddance.
Asshole.
10
“How are you feeling, baby?” Macca sat next to her on the outdoor swinging seat as day turned into dusk. It felt good to be outside, even if he’d been watching her like a hawk to make certain she didn’t overdo things or move out from under the shade of the porch into the sunshine.
“Lots better.” She’d been out of the hospital for two days now. She’d spent all of yesterday resting and eating and drinking while he’d visited his nan.
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