She nodded. Although, she rather liked his overprotectiveness. It was something she’d never had and always secretly craved. She’d had those silly dreams of a white knight appearing at her school to rescue her from all the tormenting bullies. Of her dad turning up to claim her, saying that he’d never meant to leave her, taking her away from Rosalind. But it had never happened, of course.
Until Linc.
“Although I’m not sure how I’d stop myself from being quite so protective and possessive of you. Not when I could have lost you. I still cannot believe that jerk had his hands on you, choking you. Harming what belongs to me.”
Oh God. Maybe the words should have scared her. After all, how long had they known each other? Instead, she found herself leaning into his touch as he cupped her cheek. She turned her head and kissed the palm of his hand. His eyes darkened with arousal.
“Maybe you’ll be as possessive of me as I am of you?” he asked her.
“Yes.”
He grinned. “Good. Looking after you makes me feel complete, Mari-girl. I feel this deep contentment knowing that you’re in my house, sleeping in my bed, being pleasured under my hands and tongue. But I also want more than that. Like I said, earlier. I want to be your safe place.”
She was pretty certain he already was.
“And believe me, I’ll get a lot of pleasure from bathing you, dressing you, doing your hair. From watching you play with things that I bought you. Eat things I made for you. Wear the marks on your bottom that I will give you when you break the rules.”
“I’m not going to break the rules, Daddy. I is a good girl.” Okay. Whoa. Where did that come from? It seemed that browsing things for baby girls while Daddy spoke of rules and punishment was bringing out her Little.
He smiled wide then kissed the top of her nose. “And there she is, my own sweet little baby girl. Of course you’re a good girl. But even good girls break the rules sometimes. And I think you have a bit of a rebellious streak in you.”
Her? She did not. “I always obey the rules.” She was in no way rebellious. She was too shy and quiet to break the rules. Growing up as she had, she’d learned to do exactly as her aunt required. The consequences if she didn’t were too harsh.
“Really? So that wasn’t you that got pulled over by Ed the other night for speeding?” he asked sternly.
“I didn’t notice I was speeding. I was thinking of something else. It doesn’t happen that often.”
“Is that so?” he drawled.
“Well, I guess it depends on what you classify as often,” she muttered, shifting around uncomfortably.
“That won’t be happening again. That’s one of your rules.”
“I really need that list,” she muttered.
“We’ll get to that soon. We haven’t ordered nearly enough stuff.” He went through the site, adding so many outfits it made her mind whirl. There was the sweetest little onesie that was white with lacy sleeves. Then it had an attached skirt of see-through lace so the onesie was visible underneath. Written on the front was Daddy’s Little Princess. It had a snap crotch and more cute snaps at the shoulder to help get it more easily over her head.
“Daddy, I can’t wear that!”
“Why not? It’s adorable.”
She chewed at her lip. It was. And she really wanted it. But wouldn’t she look silly? She had boobs and hips and dimply thighs.
“You don’t think I’ll look silly?”
He placed the tablet aside and she tensed. Uh-oh. Was she in trouble? Her bottom was still sore from this morning. But he just gave her a calm, tender look. Then leaning down, he lightly kissed her lips. His thumb ran along her jaw.
“I know that letting go of your adult worries and insecurities is hard. Especially when your aunt has drummed into your head all these lies, so that you don’t even know who you are. But I can tell you this, you would never look anything other than gorgeous and adorable in my eyes. I won’t make you dress in things that make you feel awkward or uncomfortable. That defeats the point of everything. Little space is supposed to be fun, you’re meant to be able to relax and be who you want to be. I want you free of cares and worries. Not stressing about what you look like. Do you want me to take it back out?”
“You’d like to see me wearing it?”
“You’d look adorable. But this isn’t about me. Or not just about me.” He winked at her. “I’m getting plenty out of having you here. You didn’t think I brought you home with me out of the goodness of my heart, did you?” He gave her a look of mock-shock, placing his hand on his chest.
She giggled and shook her head. “Add it, Daddy.”
“You’re sure, baby girl?”
“I like it. I want to be your princess.”
“You already are.” He kissed the top of her head. “But a princess needs lots of outfits. I want you in skirts, I think. We’ll keep it nice and warm in here. What do you think of these skirts with long socks?”
She gasped in shocked delight at the over-the-knee striped pink and white socks. They were awesome.
“Yes, please, Daddy!” She clapped her hands, bouncing up and down. She was going to look so super cute. She could picture it now. Her hair in pigtails, she’d need pretty hair ties. A pretty T-shirt, puffy skirt and those socks.
He chuckled. “Thought you might like them. We’ll get those in several colors as well these pleated skirts and some tutus. Some of these shorts and overalls. You’ll also need some jeans. Oh, and look at these T-shirts. This one even has a crown on it.”
“Eek! It’s too much! I’m dying!” She slid back against the sofa dramatically.
Linc shook his head. “No dying allowed. I didn’t find you just to lose you over some socks and T-shirts.”
She sat up with a gasp. “Not just any socks and T-shirts, Daddy. The best socks and T-shirts in the wooorrlldd.” She threw her arms into the air as she sang the last word.
Leaning in, he kissed her gently. “You’re adorable.”
After going through the clothing then the accessories like hair ties and headbands and even some cute pink and blue shoes, he moved to the childish panties buying her some that were more like diaper covers. They were so ruffly at the back that she knew it would be easily seen if she bent over in the short skirts.
But instead of being embarrassed, she just felt excited. A little nervous, sure. But she knew that this was what Linc wanted. And she wanted to give him that. Because pleasing him made her feel happy. Light. And she knew if there was something she didn’t want, she only had to say.
She’d never had that. Had someone listen to her.
“You want some diapers or pull-ups?” he asked casually.
Umm. “I don’t want to . . . to . . .”
“Use them?” he supplied helpfully.
“No,” she said in a strangled voice. She knew her cheeks were bright red. “I don’t regress that far.”
He stared at her thoughtfully. “This is all new, but nothing is set in stone. You want to revisit that at a later date, you can. But I am ordering you a booster seat for my truck, that’s non-negotiable. It’s a safety issue and Daddy is in charge of safety and health. Those rules will be your strictest and will apply for big and Little Mari.”
She nodded, wide-eyed at his stern tone. “Yes, Daddy.”
“Hmm, what about a crib for nap-time or would you rather have a cute princess bed?”
“I . . . I don’t need naps, Daddy. I is a big girl.” Okay, this was really bringing out her Little.
“Not that big, baby girl. And you will definitely be having naps. At night you’ll sleep in our bed, of course. But we can set the spare room up as your Little room, once we take that other bed out. So let’s get you a cute princess bed with a canopy. Look this one has stars all around the top and fairy lights. We’ll see how you do in a big girl bed. If you’re naughty and don’t sleep, then we might need a crib. And we’ll get you a pacifier to try. What do you like? Ahh, here’s a princess one.”
; She had to admit, it was really cute. It was purple with a crown on the front. But she wasn’t sure about it.
“You’re frowning, teeny. Don’t want a pacifier?”
“I like my thumb.”
“I know you do. But you might like a pacifier too. Let’s get a bottle to try as well. Princess baby’s bottle. Perfect. And princess cutlery and a bamboo plate.”
Dear Lord.
“Ooh a princess ball pit. Would you like that?”
“Really?” She grasped hold of the tablet, making him laugh. “Oh wow. They make ball pits for my size!”
“You’re just a tiny thing.” He took the tablet back and added princess ball pit to the cart. That was going to be so fun.
“Coloring books? Pens?” he asked.
“Yes. And I love crafting!” she said enthusiastically.
“All right. So we’ll add crafting things. Hm, not sure about you using scissors. We might need some of those safety ones. Glue. Glitter. We’ll need a mat to put down so you don’t make a mess. Colored card stock. Stickers.”
“Lots of stickers! And look at that pretty paper! Ooh.”
Finally there was a cart filled with everything she could possibly dream of having. Not just a ball pit and crafting materials, but also some building blocks and a doll’s crib for Princess Nana. A pale pink and white striped beanbag chair for her to read on. A white fluffy rug for the floor. A pretty white bookcase and a matching desk that Linc told her would be perfect for sitting at and writing lines. She didn’t like the idea of that at all.
“Now, we need some naughty girl supplies. Ahh, here we go, a heart-shaped spanker. Perfect.” It was a long black wand with a heart-shaped leather pad at the end. She couldn’t even imagine being spanked with it.
“This is ingenious.” He showed her another spanking implement. This one had a thicker handle and was round at the end. It was pink and had a picture of a princess on one side. The handle had a hole at the end and a chain was threaded through. What was it though? As she was trying to work it out, Linc showed her an image on the website of a woman walking around with it hanging from her handbag.
She gaped. “I’m not walking around with that!”
“Nobody will know. They’ll think it’s some cute attachment. But if you’re naughty, I can slip away with you to somewhere private, take it off your bag and turn your bottom nice and red. Let’s get two.”
The man was an evil genius.
And she thought she might well be falling in love with him.
“I’m never gonna be naughty when we’re out.”
“Oh, I’ll hold you to that,” he told her with a grin. Lastly, he ordered a time-out stool that was white with the word, ‘time-out’ painted along the top. And a booster seat that could attach to the dining chair or be used in his truck.
“I thought I only had to use a booster seat in your truck if I couldn’t drive it?”
“I changed my mind. It will be safer for you with the seat, so you’re going to have the seat. I might get a custom-made one with straps yet.”
Yikes.
“Now, that’s all ordered. Let’s get your rules sorted and go through any limits before we visit Doc.”
“I feel like it’s Christmas,” she said with wonder.
“You always get paddles for Christmas? Goodness, you must be on Santa’s naughty list. Tut-tut. It’s a wonder the big man hasn’t taken you over his knee if that’s the case. Now, wouldn’t that make a good Christmas photo?”
“Daddy! I am not on Santa’s naughty list.”
He sighed, shaking his head. “We’ll see.”
“It’s just that other than when we lived with Harry, I’ve never been spoiled like this.”
She didn’t even know how long she was staying for. Although now that she was here, she couldn’t imagine ever leaving. The idea filled her with fear.
His sexy control, his careful attention and overprotectiveness, the indulgence and tenderness. And the laughter. She never would have imagined after what happened with Tiger that she’d feel like laughing.
When was the last time she’d even thought about Tiger and her aunt? She guessed that was his intention. To keep her mind off everything.
Linc drew her onto his lap. Then he tilted her face and kissed her gently, sliding his tongue in to dance with hers. When he drew back, he kissed the top of her nose. “You deserve to be spoiled. And that’s just what I’m going to do.”
He set her back on the sofa. “Now wait here while I go get something to help you with remembering the rules.”
Damn it. How could he go from talking of spoiling her to speaking of rules? That was just wrong. He returned with a whiteboard and pen.
She gave him a suspicious look. “You just happened to have those on hand?”
He grinned. “I might have gotten Bear to grab them for me yesterday.”
Marisol groaned. “Daddy! You didn’t tell him what you wanted them for, did you?”
“Of course I did.”
“Daddy!”
“What?” He gave her an innocent look. He wrote Mari’s Rules on the top in surprisingly neat handwriting.
Yeah. Right. Innocent, her butt. The man knew exactly what he was doing.
“Before I do this, do you have any hard limits?”
“Um, like you mean things like blood play.” She shuddered. She’d had enough of needles. It just didn’t seem sexy to her at all.
“Yep. Exactly like that. Although I should tell you that while I will always try to give you whatever you want or need, blood play is definitely not my thing. I also don’t go to BDSM clubs, not anymore. Not since I was younger.” He appeared thoughtful. “They don’t hold good memories for me.”
“Why not?”
“Ahh, because that was where I met my ex. And also where she met her current husband, while still dating me.”
“You mean she cheated on you?”
“Yes, exactly that.”
“What an idiot.”
He blinked then a wide smile crossed his face. “You think so, do you?”
“I know so. She obviously wasn’t good enough for you, Daddy. Because she didn’t realize what a catch you are.”
“So you think I’m a catch, do you?” He put the whiteboard pen and board down and lunged for her, tickling her mercilessly.
She screamed, trying to get away, his fingers seeming to find every ticklish part of her. Finally, she cried mercy.
“Daddy, I’m gonna pee! I’m gonna pee!”
He drew back and lightly kissed her lips. “We can’t have that.”
“I think tickling is going to be one of my hard limits,” she sulked as he stood.
He held out his hands to her. “Ah, now that one I don’t think I can agree to. You’re just too fun to tickle.” Turning her, he landed a sharp slap on her ass.
She rubbed her cheek, frowning at him. “What was that for?”
“Distracting me.”
“Daddy!” Distracting him? Really?
He grinned. “We’re having a very serious conversation about rules and limits and then you made me tickle you.”
“Made you tickle me? Daddy!” She stomped her foot on the floor in outrage. Then she looked down at her foot in shock. She didn’t think she’d ever done that before.
“Did you just stomp your foot?”
“I think it acted on its own. I didn’t tell it to do that.” She put her hands behind to cover her bottom as though she expected him to start walloping her. Seemed her Little side was coming out more and more around him.
“A foot with a mind of its own. That sounds terrible.”
“Oh. It is.” She nodded solemnly.
“I’ll have Doc look at it. Tell him it stomped all on its own.”
“Daddy!” she complained. He wouldn’t! Right?
“Well, I can’t have it going around stomping on its own. The next time you stomp your foot I might think you’re about to throw a temper tantrum and put you in timeout to cool down. You don�
�t want to be punished for something your foot is doing all on its own.”
“You’re so silly, Daddy. But I really didn’t mean to do it. I don’t think I’ve ever stomped my foot before.”
“Then maybe it’s a good sign.”
“It is?”
“Yeah, teeny. It means you’re feeling more at ease with me. That you can be yourself. Now, go pee. Or do you need help?”
“No!” she squeaked. Shoot, she’d forgotten she needed to pee and now she really had to go.
After she’d taken care of her bladder’s needs, she stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom. She looked different. She couldn’t put her finger on it exactly. Her eyes were shining, her cheeks slightly flushed and she was smiling.
You’re happy.
She pressed her fingers against her cheeks. Happy. Imagine that. It seemed like such a foreign concept and she realized just how downtrodden and miserable she had become. Yet, she’d been here with Linc for two nights and she felt lighter. So light, she wondered if she might float away.
Silly Mari-girl.
She grinned wider.
She flew out of the bathroom and plonked herself directly in his lap where he sat on the sofa. Even though she’d surprised him, he immediately wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight.
“Hello, there. What’s this about?”
“Nothing. I’m just happy. You make me happy.” She buried her face in his neck. “Thank you for taking care of me, for letting me stay here, for wanting me.”
“You don’t ever have to thank me for that. For any of it. But I do appreciate it.”
“Your ex, was she your Little too?” she dared to ask.
“She was. And the man who she cheated on me with was a very close friend.”
“Oh, Linc.” She slipped her hands around his neck. “I’m so sorry.”
“That’s why I can’t stand lies. They lied to me for so long. I felt stupid, duped. If Jessica had just told me that she no longer wanted to be with me, then I could have walked away without feeling like a fool. Instead it went on for months behind my back. I finally caught them. In our bed. I’d gone out to meet a business associate for dinner but forgot my wallet. Couldn’t believe it when I walked into the house and found them . . . well, you don’t need to know the details.”
Daddy in Cowboy Boots (Montana Daddies Book 9) Page 21
