The foxy stuffie mesmerized her. When he placed it in her arms, it was as if he’d given her the Hope Diamond. She looked into his eyes, and he could swear she saw all the way to his soul. Then, even though she still trembled, she gave him the words he needed.
She closed her eyes. “Yes, Daddy.”
He stepped outside the cabin and stared into the oncoming dark. Breathing deep, his mind began to clear. Now was the time to be calm, to be collected, to get it together, for her sake.
CHAPTER 12
Trace made it into the cabin’s bedroom and slammed open the window. He sucked in a deep but it wasn’t enough. He had to get out to breathe, to think. Luckily, the bedroom also had a door, which he tore open before walking out into the softly falling snow.
Had he ever felt like this much of a failure? Turning his face to the sky, he tried to think. But no matter how hard he tried, his mind cycled back to thoughts of what could have happened to Kip. She seemed to be getting over it, but could she ever trust him again in a crisis? He loved her, but did he owe it to her to let her find someone else? Someone better? The thought made him physically ill, but it wasn’t about him. It was about her.
“Daddy?”
He spun around to see Kip standing there, way too close. She must have followed him out the door. Fat snowflakes drifted onto her hair and shoulders. Her eyes were soft and gentle. And despite his inner chaos, they captured his thoughts. The chaos raging in his mind began to slow.
Still, he wasn’t in control yet. He raised a hand to prevent herfrom moving closer. “Not yet, babygirl. Go back inside and wait for me.”
Ignoring him, she approached, wrapping her arms around his waist and hugging him close. Arching back, she looked up at him. The concern in her eyes almost dropped him to his knees. How could she still look at him that way?
“I was worried about you.” She tiptoed up and kissed his chin. “I knew you would protect me, but I also know how it is to feel out of control. And I know how a person can have thoughts that make them feel like they’re not good enough. Even Daddies who are so, so good.”
She was his everything. Now he needed to be everything for her.
Placing his hands on her hips, he smiled. “You do, huh? Well, what about little foxes who just went through something scarier than scary?”
She took his hand and led him back to the cabin as she spoke. And he let her. “I knew you wouldn’t let anything bad happen, Daddy. I wasn’t worried until now… but then I was worried aboutyou. Daddy, you should take a deep breath.”
He didn’t want a deep breath. He wanted to get his girl back into the cabin and fuck all the worries out of both of them. “Deep breathing is good, babygirl. You were worried about me?”
She reached up to brush the melted snow from his face, eyes tender, and nodded. “Of course, I was, Daddy. You saved me. But instead of feeling like the brave hero you are, you felt like you failed. I could tell. Now it’s my turn to save you.”
Now that could be interesting. Looking down, he realized for the first time that she wasn’t wearing her coat or snowshoes. “You’re starting to shiver, Foxy. What have I told you about dressing to come outside in the cold?”
The cold had also pebbled her nipples hard. And just thatquickly, his body went from frazzled to ravening. How the hell could she affect him this way after what had just happened?
He grew taut and hard while his mind tried to hold him… hmm, it seemed his mind was telling him to go for it. God, he wanted to hold her. “Let’s go back inside, Foxy.” Could she hear the strain in his voice as he struggled to control his need?
A gentle look filled her eyes. “No.” Then she rose to her toes again, this time pressing a kiss to his lips.
With her kiss, every semblance of control he had shattered.
Kip didn’t allowherself to think about what she was doing. The time for thinking ended when she saw her Daddy alone in the freezing snow, clearly upset by everything that had happened.
What did a Daddy do with feelings like that? When she’d been scared, he’d comforted her. But who comforted the Daddies? Sometimes, they needed someone to help them. Her Daddy needed, not just someone… he needed her. And even though she was Little, she could help him overcome the things torturing him in a way no one else could. So that’s what she was going to do. It wasn’t like she needed her arm twisted. She’d wanted him in a way she’d never wanted any other man. Not even Lonzo. Trace understood her and connected with her in a way Lonzo never had. That didn’t mean she hadn’t loved him. She’d loved her husband. But not in the same way she loved Trace.
And now her Daddy was trapped in a cage of guilt, something she knew about all too well. He was telling himself he had failed her. She had to make him see himself the way she did. Something about him drew her. She’d been fooling herself into thinking she could ever leave him or Wild River Ranch.
This was her home now. He was her home. She would never run again, as long as he wanted her to stay. But if she was staying,it would be as the Little who loved him enough to give him what he needed. So she kissed him again.
He hesitated for a moment, then whatever was holding him back erupted into passion. Pressed against her as he was, she felt the change instantly. He grabbed her hips and lifted her off her feet. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her through the door and into the bedroom.
It was better than any romance she’d ever read.
She curled her arms around his neck, her sex pressed against him. She squeezed her thighs tighter, pulling herself closer. He cupped one hand beneath her bottom and reached behind with the other to close the door.
She might have initiated their kiss, but it didn't take him long to take full control. His wicked tongue flicked through her, igniting every nerve. He took charge—strong, confident, male—and she was helpless but to kiss him back. Desire surged through her in relentless waves, flooding her. Neither of them doubted who held the power.
Her body reacted to his dominance on a visceral level. Her nipples and clit swelled, throbbing to the point of aching. She pressed her breasts against his chest and rocked her hips to put pressure between her thighs. She needed relief from the unsated longing sweeping through her.
