Her eyes were the most expressive he’d ever seen. Right now, she looked as if he were holding something precious just out of her reach, and that if she tried to grab it, he’d snatch it away again.
Regret twisted through him. Her fear was on him, but moving forward with his plan was the only thing he could think of to fix the situation he’d caused. He had to show her that, even though he’d hurt her once already, he wouldn’t do it again.
Was he rushing her? He didn’t think so. He was a Daddy, and he wanted to be her Daddy. She needed him. Those girls needed him. Connor had made peace with that truth the moment he saw her without a seatbelt. Today was just more proof she was going to end up hurting herself if someone didn’t step in, and that someone was damn well going to be him.
She was incredible at caring for children, family, and friends. He had seen it and heard stories about even more times she’d done heroic things for others. But when it came to taking care of herself, she didn’t have a clue. And that, more than anything, scared the hell out of him.
She raised her hand again. Her bottom lip trembled, but at his nod, she asked, “I didn’t have the girls when we said all of that before. Can I still be a Little if I’m a mom?”
His heart melted at her question. His beautiful, wonderful little trouble. It was hard to live the life of a Little in freedom. Especially if there were no clear boundaries.
The worry of going too far or not far enough was a heavy burden to bear. Too heavy for his Little girl. He’d give her boundaries, but being a mother was not a boundary she needed to worry about. If anything, she deserved Little time even more.
“You absolutely can, babygirl. We will figure out what works and what doesn’t together.” His voice gentled, warmth threading through the command.He waited, knowing she needed time to process his words.
Should he work harder to convince her to say yes? Probably not. He didn’t want her agreement to be because of him. It had to be her choice. He just wished he could look into her mind and see what she was thinking.Uncertainty where Bliss was concerned drove him insane.
She began to nod her head before she spoke. “If you promise to stay, I still want to try, too.” The tentative smile she gifted him lit every corner and crevice of his heart.
Relief slammed into him so hard he nearly staggered.
He strode toward her then, needing to hold her. “I’m not going anywhere, babygirl. I promise. You’ll still have your safeword, for now at least, because there is still a lot we don’t know about each other. Your safeword is there, whatever we’re doing, in or out of the bedroom. I want to know when something upsets you. Do you understand? Yes or no.”
“Yes, I do. But I want to trust you. I don’t want a safeword.”
“I’m glad you want to trust me, babygirl, but until you can, you need a safeword. But it’s not just you. I need your safeword, too. My first job as your Daddy is to keep you safe. I wouldnever intentionally hurt you. The problem, as you now know firsthand, is that unintentional things hurt just as much. When we talk about everything that has happened since Vegas, and have more time to learn more about each other, then we can discuss safewords again. For now, they have to stay for me to feel safe being your Daddy.”
“But if I get to say yes or no, that puts me in control. I don’t want to be in control.”
Of course she didn’t. She was not just submissive, she was a Little submissive. As such, giving up control was one of her defining qualities of Littles.
“Wanting Daddy to be in charge is a big part of being Little. And Daddies want to take charge so their Littles can feel free to explore. Daddies are the boundary keepers. But they can’t enforce the boundaries their Littles need if they don’t know where their Little’s personal boundaries are. Having boundaries is not the same thing. And what if Daddy needs to use his safeword? Would you not want to know if you were doing something that hurt me?” The thought of hurting her twisted his gut.
Tears welled in her eyes. His girl was so tender. “Of course I want to know. I never, ever want to hurt you.”
“I feel the same way. This isn’t about who has control. It’s about keeping each other safe. The closer we grow, the fewer and fewer times we’ll need to use our safewords. We’ll start slow and learn together. Okay?”
Her nod came much faster this time. “Okay.”
And that was his cue to set his Little straight about a few things. Holding her hand, he led her to the couch. He sat down and pulled her between his thighs. Her small body fit perfectly in the space between his knees, like it had always belonged there.
“Eyes to me, little girl.” Her gaze lasered on him at his tone. “Did you know that riding without your seatbelt was wrong?”
Her breathing sped up. She opened her mouth to speak, changed her mind, and whispered, “Yes, Daddy.”
There it was. He’d never heard anything more beautiful than the word Daddy coming from her lips. He’d thank her properly later. Right now, he had a job to do.
“Did you know it was illegal?”
A sniffle preceded a wobbly, “Yes, Daddy.”
“Have you been driving around without wearing your seatbelt frequently?”
Her lips had a definite tremble now. His girl had a soft heart. “Y-Yes, Daddy.”
That confession cost her. He could see it. He hugged her and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
“I’m proud of you, babygirl. Thank you for being honest with Daddy. Now, let me show you what happens to Little girls who refuse to guard their safety.”
