Picking Poppy

by Pepper North

  Finally, when she was laughing so hard she couldn’t breathe, Tyler rolled her to lie over the top of him. He held her securely until she regained her ability to speak. “Whoever made you sad is gone from your life. You’re my little girl now. Do you agree?”

  Looking down, she nodded “yes” without hesitation. Then, tracing the outline of his full lips, she asked, “Daddy? Can we talk about what being a Little girl means to you? I’ve only read books. I’d like to know what you think being Little should be.”

  “How about if we talk together about being Little? I bet some aspects resonated most with you as you read age play books.” He paused and waited for her to nod. “I also have some things that are important to me. Being Little can take on different meanings for each person.”

  Squirming in happiness, Poppy smiled broadly. Her daddy understood. She knew he would. “Ummm. I have to get ready to open the shop now. Can we talk tonight when the shop closes?”

  “I thought I would stay with you today, blossom. I can write anywhere. I’d like to be close to you,” Tyler shared.

  As he spoke, a radiant smile spread over her face. Her daddy wanted to be with her. The thought of not being with him after their morning lovemaking had been negative for Poppy as well. She wanted to be close to him at all times. If she could have him with her and be able to run her shop, it would be the best option ever.

  Chapter 12

  The morning had flown by for Poppy. She had a tremendous amount of stock to replace, and most of the morning had involved placing orders. Peeking out the swinging doors that separated her cooler work and storage area, she smiled at the look of concentration on Tyler’s face as he sat back in his chair contemplating the words that he had added to his most recent mystery.

  She hadn’t known how involved writing could be. Tyler had recorded the plot line and the details of the story and characters on numerous pages that were all neatly stored in a blue, three-ring binder. Earlier in the day, she’d tried to look over his shoulder at the last page that held the solution to the mystery he was building so carefully only to receive a very stern, “No way, blossom!” She had giggled at the strict look on his face.

  “Go play with your flowers, brat,” he’d growled in response.

  Now watching those long fingers skillfully moving over the keyboard, Poppy’s thighs clenched together in arousal. She had never imagined that she could feel such pleasure. This captivating man had put her pleasure before his. No, she corrected himself. His pleasure had come from lavishing sensations on her body. Even today, while she was sore from accepting his thick shaft, Poppy could think of nothing more than feeling his touch once again.

  Her slight sound from the doorway attracted his attention. With a click, he closed the lid of his computer. “Come here, Poppy. I need to hold you,” he invited as he pushed his chair away from the desk in her office that he had commandeered.

  With a smile, she floated over to him on eager footsteps. Unsure of what she should do next once she stood in front of him, Poppy started talking quickly. “Hi, Daddy. I have a few small arrangements that I was able to complete before the new flowers come in this afternoon. I’m all done now except for delivering them to the hospital.” Hesitating, the Little looked at him as her hands twisted together nervously.

  “Come here, blossom,” Tyler said gently. He reached out and lifted her to sit on his lap. Wrapping her in his strong arms, the Daddy pulled her in for a light kiss. “Are you comfortable?” he asked softly. When she nodded, Tyler spoke softly, “Daddies always want to hold their Littles close. I’d like to hold you on my lap often so I can feel your sweetness next to me. Would you like that, too?”

  “Yes, Daddy,” she whispered with a smile.

  Sniffing deeply, Tyler smiled back at her. “I think my blossom must be the sweetest smelling little girl ever.”

  Happily giggling, Poppy snuggled against his warmth. “It’s all the flowers that I’ve been hanging with, silly.” Surreptitiously, she sniffed him back, enjoying the scent of pure male that surrounded her. How had she found this wonderful man?

  She fluffed her fingers through his beard, needing to touch him just to reassure herself that this wasn’t all a dream. Now sitting on his lap, she knew that this relationship was what she needed. Poppy laid her cheek against his chest and allowed herself to live in the minute. She pushed all her worries about finances and thoughts that she needed to work harder from her mind as she enjoyed her daddy’s embrace. Somehow, he just made everything better.

  Chapter 13

  Tyler closed his eyes in enjoyment. He had waited so long to find the perfect Little. While others might be amazed by the strength of his feelings this quickly, the Daddy knew in both his heart and mind that Poppy was meant to be his. She was his perfect Little.

  With his Little snuggled so tightly against him, Tyler could tell that Poppy felt the same connection that he did. After allowing he and his Little a few minutes of quiet closeness together, Tyler quietly shared, “Little girl, I’d like to tell you about my dream for the future.” When Poppy shifted to lie in the crook of his arm so she could see him better, he smiled and kissed her nose.

  “Thank you, blossom. I’ve looked for my Little for many years. I realized that I needed a special relationship with someone who could allow me to care for her completely a long time ago. When I met a group of men in college who had similar interests, I was very pleased to discover that they were already planning to create a community where Littles and their Daddies could live openly. After many years, SANCTUM is now open. How much do you know about SANCTUM?”

  A strange look passed over her face. After a short pause, she whispered, “I’m not supposed to know what it is. I know it’s a big secret. My friend Samantha told me just a hint about what it is. She made me promise not to tell anyone. I think she meant anyone who wasn’t a part of SANCTUM. I didn’t know for sure until you talked to me at the wedding. I’ve been very careful not to talk about it to outsiders.”

  “Perfect, blossom. There are people who don’t understand our lifestyle. It’s smart to let the Daddies worry about this.” He winked at her and was pleased to see the worry lines across her forehead ease into smoothness. “I’d like to take you to SANCTUM this afternoon. I’ve chosen a place to begin building my house, and I’d love to show it to you.”

  She nodded eagerly and bounced slightly on his lap in excitement. “I’d love to see it!”

  When she stilled on his lap, Tyler knew that his Little was thinking hard about him being at SANCTUM. Patiently, he waited for her to ask the questions floating around in her mind. It didn’t take long.

  “Will I get to see you if you’re living in SANCTUM?” she quietly probed.

  “I’m hoping that you will live in SANCTUM with me as my Little, blossom. First, we need to talk openly about what we need from an age play relationship. I know that you will wish to continue to work here. As your daddy, I think your hours are too long. You’re exhausted and need more sleep.” He held her eyes captive with his until she nodded slightly to agree with him. “Tell me about your schedule and let’s see if we can change it slightly.”

  In a rush of words, she shared, “I need to be here in the morning to get any orders that might come through from the floral services that I’ve joined and for the floral supplies to be delivered. Then, I usually create all the arrangements that morning. The afternoons are slow, so I make the deliveries and deal with finances. I have phone calls all day long, but I have an answering machine.”

  “And in the evening? You’re open until 8:00 pm. Do you have customers then?” he asked as he began to think of a plan to free up her time.

  “There’s a flurry of activity when people get off work, but it’s usually dead in here by seven. I could probably change my hours to leave an hour earlier. That would help,” she offered, looking hopeful.

  “Hmmm. Have you considered hiring someone to make deliveries for you?”

  “I used to have a young man working for me p
art-time, but Garrett has started working full-time for the nursery after he graduated from high school. He makes a lot more money there,” she said with a sad look. Tyler could tell she missed Garrett’s help.

  “What’s his phone number?” Tyler asked, reaching to the side to pick up his cell phone. Punching in the number that his Little recited automatically, Tyler waited for two rings until Garrett answered the phone.

  “Hi, Garrett. I’m calling for Poppy West. Now that you’re settled into your new job, do you see any time in your schedule where you could help Poppy with deliveries?”

  Watching his Little’s eyes open widely as she realized what he was doing, Tyler smiled at her. Silently, he blew her a kiss as he listened to Garrett’s answer. “You have a little brother who’s looking for a job for a couple of hours after he gets out of his high school classes? Do you recommend him?” Tyler tilted the phone, so Poppy could lean in to listen as well. He enjoyed the feel of her cheek pressed against his.

  Thanking Garrett before disconnecting the phone, he turned to kiss Poppy’s sweet lips. “Zach is coming this afternoon to meet you and interview for the job. Can you afford to play him for a couple of hours of work each day after school?”

  After carefully considering whether her slim budget would stretch to cover Zach’s wages, Poppy decided having more of her time freed from the hour or two of deliveries could allow her to fulfill more orders each day. “Yes!” Poppy began to bounce happily on Tyler’s lap as she answered, “I can pay him on Saturday as well if he can commit to coming in on the weekend.” If she could make this profitable, it might just solve her financial concerns.

  As he set the cellphone back on the desk, he grabbed a pad of paper and a pen. “Little girls need a nap in the afternoon. Especially, Littles who work very hard all morning. Here’s how I would like you to schedule your hours here at the shop.” He drew up a new time schedule that left the morning hours alone but created an extended lunch time. It reopened the store when school dismissed and closed again at the early hour of 7:00 pm.

  “What do you think, blossom? Would this work for your business?” he asked as she concentrated on the page.

  “Well… I think it would work. I’d have to try it,” she hesitantly answered.

  “What’s upstairs? Is that part of your shop?” Tyler asked. Her storefront was in a two-story building. If she had access to the second floor, he had an idea.

  “Yes, that’s included in my rent. Originally, I thought I could use the upstairs to store nonperishable supplies, but it’s too inconvenient to carry boxes up and down the stairs all day,” she said. Puzzled by his question, her eyebrows drew together, wrinkling her forehead.

  “Can you show me?” he asked with a smile.

  With a nod, she slid from his lap. Accepting his hand, she tugged him from the chair as she leaned way back to gain the leverage to move his heavier frame from the chair. Tyler laughed inside at the serious look on her face as she worked to help him stand. With a final pull, he rose from the chair and quickly steadied Poppy who’d leaned back so far that she became overbalanced.

  “Thank you, blossom,” he said before kissing her cheek. “Now, point me to the stairs. He wrapped one arm around her and lifted her into his arms. Holding her cradled against his chest with her legs straddling his torso, Tyler followed her pointing finger through the cooler area to a closed door. Opening it, he walked through and mounted the steps.

  There were two medium-sized rooms and a bathroom upstairs. From the state of cleanliness, it was obvious that the bathroom was the only space currently being used. The other rooms were dark and dusty. Flicking the shades open in one room, Tyler launched a shower of dust into the air. Poppy tucked her head under his chin to avoid most of the spray, sneezing as the dust tickled her nose. A bout of coughing seized Tyler.

  When they both recovered, Tyler announced, “A cleaning service will be needed.” He leaned forward to see that the front room looked over the main street through town. It was not noisy, but he could tell that during the busiest times someone inside would hear the commotion. The back room was quiet and serene. Tyler smiled. It was perfect.

  Chapter 14

  SANCTUM was located outside her small town. It was far enough to seem totally removed from her current home. As they approached the massive iron gate built into the substantial fence, Poppy had looked around apprehensively. The idea of living trapped inside a gate twice her height was intimidating. Once through the gate, that captive feeling dissipated immediately as the vast expanse of land appeared before her.

  “It’s beautiful. Look, there are horses and cattle. And a bunch of houses.” She pointed in each direction, cheerfully waving at a young brunette wearing big sunglasses and overalls who worked in a big garden. “There’s Shelby! Her house is right here by the entrance. Where do Lindy and Priscilla live?” she questioned eagerly. She had met all three ladies before the wedding, and of course, she already knew Samantha. Poppy had known the candy shop owner and her daddy, the sheriff.

  Immediately, Shelby waved back enthusiastically, calling, “Hi!”

  As they continued down the dirt trail through the community, Poppy tried to look in all directions at the same time so she wouldn’t miss anything. She’d always lived inside town except for brief summer visits to her grandparents’ farm when she was a child. She loved the fresh air and all the greenery around her.

  When Tyler stopped at a quiet clearing in the middle of a ring of trees, Poppy had immediately started trying to free herself from the seat belt. “It’s stuck, Daddy,” she complained.

  “It’s Poppy-proofed, blossom. Little girls wait for their daddies to come let them out of the car.” Tyler looked at her seriously before stepping out of the car.

  Poppy stealthily moved her hand to pull at the door release as he walked around the car, unable to see her actions. It didn’t budge. He’s got the child locks on she thought incredulously. When he opened her door and leaned in to unfasten her seatbelt, she haughtily informed him, “I can open my own door and seatbelt.”

  “Cut out the attitude, blossom. Daddies take care of their Littles. Your bottom won’t be happy if I have to spank the sass out of you.” His dark eyes held hers captive as he unbuckled her seatbelt and helped her out of the car.

  Without conscious thought, her hands tucked behind her to cover her small bottom. “You’d spank me?”

  “That’s part of a daddy’s job,” Tyler easily replied as he walked to the back of the car.

  She could read from his tone that he wasn’t joking or threatening. He was simply stating a fact. Her bottom tingled just at the thought of being punished. The descriptions of bare-bottomed corrections that she had read in the privacy of her bedroom had seemed thrilling. Now, the reality of having her own buttocks being turned red and stinging sounded both arousing and alarming. “I don’t think I want to be spanked,” she whispered to him.

  “I know that you will not like being spanked,” he agreed. “Little girls need guidance in making correct decisions. Some days, they also need reminders that they are little, and their daddy is in charge. Spankings and other punishments help Littles focus on being good.” Tyler pulled a blanket, a cooler that he had filled with snacks from the deli on their way out of town and a protective tube container from the car.

  Poppy allowed him to guide her into the clearing where she watched him spread out the blanket. Her mind still battled with the idea of allowing someone to be totally in charge of her. When Tyler helped her step onto the blanket and sit down on his lap, she curled in to lay against his warmth. She wasn’t cold. The new Little just needed the security of her daddy’s arms wrapped around her.

  “That’s kind of scary, Daddy,” she finally admitted.

  “I know. That’s why you have me. Shall we eat lunch first or talk?” Tyler asked. When her stomach growled breaking the tension, they both laughed. “Lunch,” he declared.

  When she started to move from his lap, Tyler wrapped a restraining arm aroun
d her waist, holding her in place. “Stay,” he growled. “I want to hold you.” She froze in place, thrilled that he wanted her close.

  He unpacked the lunch on the soft blanket. Popping a grape into her mouth, he said, “Eat, blossom. You’ve been flitting around flowers all morning. Maybe I should call you, honeybee.”

  “No,” she mumbled around the grape in her mouth. When he raised one dark eyebrow at her, she quickly chewed and swallowed so she could explain, “I like Blossom.”

  His lips widened into a satisfied smile. Poppy’s heart lurched slightly in response. She laid the fingers of one hand over his muscular forearm. Closing her eyes halfway, she precociously trailed her fingers over his flesh, ruffling the dusting of dark hair on his arm. “Daddy, can you tell me how you want to take care of me when I’m your Little?”

  “Bite,” he ordered as he offered her a half a sandwich. While she was chewing, he lifted it to his mouth and inhaled half of it. She giggled and stroked his beard to remove the breadcrumbs from the stiff, yet silky, hair.

  “Thank you, blossom. Shall I tell you about the house, I plan to build here? I think that will help you know how I plan to care for you.” He leaned back slightly to look at her thoroughly.

  “Please!” she urged, looking around.

  Tyler drew the tube closer to them and tugged off the tight cap from one end. He slid out a large paper diagram. Spreading it out for their view, he weighed it down on each side using the cooler and his enormous leather loafer. His arm tightened slightly around her to keep her from tumbling onto the diagram in her eagerness as she leaned forward.

  She pointed a finger toward the paper. “Is there just one floor?” she asked hesitantly trying to read the architectural plans. Poppy automatically took another bite of the sandwich that he held in front of her mouth.