“You didn’t fail me!” I snapped. “Not at all. You’ve always been there for me. When you could be. Please don’t get in your head about this. It’s Mom and Dad’s fault. And their fault alone.”
“You’re going to tell Dane what you just told me. I wasn’t there for the two of you growing up, but I’m here now. Get in the car. Text him. We’re all going to lunch.”
“I’m sorry for not saying anything.” I returned to the passenger seat.
“I know, spitfire, but you don’t have to apologize. Life hasn’t always dealt you the best hand, but it’s changing for the better.”
Drew shut the door, leaving me alone with my thoughts for a minute. I never should have thought that he wouldn’t understand me and the struggles I’d been facing. Maybe he was right. A new chapter was beginning for me. That thought brought a smile to my face. The day already felt brighter. I had more people rooting for me than I originally thought.
Five
Reed
It had been about a week or so since I’d pulled over to help Eli with her car and today I was in a mood. Work sucked lately and though I was capable of handling my demanding career, it irritated me on a cellular level. I wanted more than to be tied to a corporate office, even with one that allowed remote flexibility in my life. More than that, I was upset about the way things had been left with Eloise, but I hadn’t attempted to sort through the issue or address the thoughts flying through my head about King. Though we hung out often, I hadn’t been my usual self. No, I’d been moody and closed off. He would notice soon. He always did. I checked my watch and signed off for the day hours past the time I should have. Eating dinner at my desk was more the norm than not.
The doorbell chimed, pulling me out of my thoughts. I frequently had deliveries, but I wasn’t expecting anything. At least not this late in the afternoon, it was almost five.
I answered through the intercom without looking at the camera. “This is Reed.”
“Hey, um, it’s Eli.”
My heart hammered in my chest at her casual greeting. I didn’t get nervous around women, usually, but something about her drove me absolutely wild and made me anxious. Striding to the door, I opened it, not sure what she wanted. I’d probably messed up any chance at a relationship with her before we even tried. She was wearing flared jeans with a cute sweater and her hair hung in waves down her back, and before I could say a word, she thrust a homemade bouquet at me. She’d cleverly crafted a bunch of candies to look like flowers. Lemondrops were the star of the gift, wrapped to fan out like petals around some sort of lollipop. I couldn’t name the other treats from sight alone but the heartfelt gesture left me speechless.
“It’s dumb. You think it’s dumb,” she lamented.
“No, not at all,” I said, quickly reassuring her. I wasn’t used to receiving homemade gifts. “It’s the most thoughtful thing anyone has ever given me.” I accepted her candy arrangement and stepped backward, allowing her to enter.
She stood in the doorway staring at me as if she’d lost her nerve. “I just wanted to show you my appreciation. For everything with my car…”
“Thank you, Eli. I’m touched. How’d you get here?”
“Uh, Dane dropped me off. But I can have someone pick me up if you’re busy.”
“No, it’s fine. Stay a while.”
I grabbed her around the waist and brought her inside, shutting the door behind us. I set the bouquet on the small table just inside the hallway knowing that I needed both hands.
Reckless used to be the way I lived in my twenties and though I sometimes acted impulsively it wasn’t my usual M.O. But with Eloise, I couldn’t help myself. Pushing her against the wall in the foyer, I lowered my lips to hers and kissed her. Kissed her like she was the damn air I needed to breathe. I wasn’t sure she wanted nothing to do with me on a romantic level, but I did itanyway. Her hands threaded into my hair and she moaned into my mouth. We made out while I pinned her body with mine, keeping one hand firmly on her hip. She bit down on my lower lip, sucking on it.
There were defining moments in my life. Ones that I knew would change the course of the rest of it, and this was one of them. I could feel it deep down in my bones.
“You taste so fucking good,” I growled.
“Is this a bad idea?”
“Maybe.” I raised her hair so I could lick across the soft curve of her neck, nibbling along her soft skin until she moaned.
“I don’t want something casual.”
“That’s not what I’m looking for.”
We found each other’s mouths again, our kisses filled with passion. I kept her in place, loving the way she hesitantly traced her hands along my body, exploring my arms, chest and wherever she could reach. We broke apart but neither of us made a move to increase the space between us.
“I need a Daddy,” she announced. Her honey-brown eyes widened as she stared at me, waiting for an answer to her statement.
I’d been fairly certain of that after our sleepover, but hearing her say it to me brought a lot of insecurities to the surface. I’d never had a Little before. Submissives? Sure. But there was something different in the dynamic where one partner was a Daddy Dom. More care. More discipline. Something else I hadn’t shared was that I was also Little. I doubted my ability to become her Daddy. Not when I so desperately needed one myself. “I am a Dom, which I thought I made clear, but I’ve never been a Daddy. I’m willing to discuss your needs, but I’m not sure I can fill that role.”
She bit on her lip, her eyes wide as she stared at me. It seemed like she thought my refusal was a rejection. That was so far away from the truth.
