Not all thoughts are facts.
The mantra I’d heard Bobbi whispering to herself a few weeks ago filled my mind and I clung to it. I said it to myself again before I examined what the facts were. Eric hadn’t beenangry or embarrassed when he’d come and taken me from class. He’d been worried, concerned about what had set me off. It had been Eric who’d organized the meeting with Professor Easton, and while talking with him, Eric had asked about what he could do to help me. Then this morning when Professor Easton had referred to him as my Daddy, he hadn’t denied it. And he’d held my hand back to my room, guiding me safely while I was lost inside my head.
None of that gave any indication he was getting ready to hand me off to someone else. I needed to remember that surprises could be good. In my past they hadn’t been, but my past wasn’t normal. I didn’t think many kids had the surprise of police finding them when they raided your house looking for your dad who was hiding from them. Although, the cops had probably been more surprised than me considering no one had known I’d existed.
Pushing my past away, I focused back on thinking of what Eric’s surprise might be, but my thoughts started to get tangled with negativity again. A rush of fresh air brushed over my face a moment before my seatbelt was unclipped and I was being lifted by familiar strong arms. Then I was being held firmly against a broad, muscular chest that had become my home. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I buried my face in against his throat, taking deep breaths of his scent as my tears soaked into his collar.
“I am so sorry, my sweet girl. In my excitement for today, I didn’t even stop to consider how you’d react to a surprise, and I should have.”
His voice was so sad, I hated I’d ruined his excitement. Tightening my grip, more tears leaked free as he turned and started walking.
“Just hold on for another minute, sweetheart, let me get us inside.”
I didn’t lift my face or open my eyes. I didn’t care where we were going, so long as he kept holding me, didn’t bring my fears to life by rejecting me, or send me away.
He stopped and after shifting his hold, the jangle of keys sounded. Rubbing my face against his neck, his beard soft against my cheek, my racing thoughts started to settle as we began moving again. Even with my eyes closed, I knew we’d entered a darkened room just before he began to lower me. Afraid he was about to put me down, I tensed, tightening my hold again.
“It’s okay, my sweet girl, you’re safe. I’m not going anywhere, we’re just going to sit in this rocking chair and relax for a bit, okay?”
I nodded against his chest and once he’d sat down, reclining back in the rocking chair, I loosened my hold so he could help me move until I was laying over the top of him, curled up with my cheek against his warm chest, right over his heart.
“Here’s Kimori, sweetheart.”
That had me lifting my head, shock making me gasp as he set my dragon in my arms. Silently apologizing to my dragon, I cuddled her close and snuggled back down against Eric. I’d forgotten I’d been holding her when I’d freaked out and clung to Eric like a baby monkey after he’d taken me out of the car.
My thumb slipped up into my mouth as a wave of tiredness rose up, making me yawn around my thumb. Eric’s large palm rubbed firm circles over my back as he started rocking us gently and I slipped into sleep.
With a happy sigh, I woke surrounded by Eric’s citrusy scent and his warmth. Soft music was playing and, with a yawn, Iarched my back before I wriggled against him, setting my cheek back over his heart, only stilling when his low chuckle vibrated through his chest under my ear.
“Are you done with your nap, sweet girl? Or would you like to sleep a little longer? As much as I love holding you like this, I’d much rather show you around our new house.”
I hummed around my thumb, still waking up when I froze as what he’d just said finally penetrated the sleep fog in my mind. Opening my eyes, I discovered we were in a dimly lit room very similar to the sensory room at Rawhide, I pressed my palms against his shoulders before I pushed myself up, shifting my legs until I was straddling his lap so I could get a good look at his face. Had I heard him correctly?
He reached up and brushed my hair away from my face, tucking the loose strands behind each of my ears before lowering his palms to rest on either side of my waist.
“You heard me right, Calla. Before you arrived at Rawhide, I’d already bought the land and the construction of the house was well on its way. It wasn’t long after your arrival that I contacted the builder to make some changes. I had them add a sensory room and a craft/play room, complete with a replica of the princess bed from the resort, but you’ll only use that for daytime naps. Nights you’ll be in the master bedroom, where a Little girl should be, sleeping beside her Daddy. The moment I first saw you in the back of that car, you became the center of my world, Calla. I tried to fight it, told myself you were my patient, that I was too old, too broken.”
His voice caught, emotion stopping him from speaking and I shook my head. He wasn’t broken and age was just a number. My soul was so much older than my twenty-three years. I reached down and wrapped my fingers around his left forearm, lifting it until his scarred wrist was between us. Raising my gaze to lock with his, I leaned in and pressed featherlight kisses alongthe scarred flesh on the inside of his wrist. It was the strongest way I could think of to let him know he wasn’t broken. Tears glossed over his dark irises as he exhaled a long breath.
“I don’t?—”
Pressing my free hand over his mouth, I glared at him. How could he not see he was everything I could want or need in a partner? Releasing his wrist, I moved my hand to his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around my waist, his big, warm palms splayed over my lower back, sending those tingles I’d become addicted to up my spine. Leaning in, I rose up until my face was level with his. Holding his gaze again, I licked my lips, shored up my courage then cleared my throat.
“You are perfect, Daddy.”
His eyes widened, clearly shocked at hearing me speak for the first time but I didn’t give him time to respond before I lowered my palm away from his mouth and pressed my lips to his, initiating our first kiss. His lips were as soft as they looked and I wanted more, but I wasn’t sure what I was doing. When I realized he was still beneath me, I jerked back, his rejection cutting me to my core even as I worried I’d over stepped, ruined what had been about to take flight between us. With tears stinging my eyes, I’d begun to shuffle off his lap when he snapped out of the daze he’d apparently been in and tightened his hold on me.
“Babygirl, your voice is the sweetest sound I have ever heard. To hear you call me Daddy…”
He slid a hand up into my hair, his fingers tangling in the strands before he gently gripped a handful to hold my head steady while he leaned forward and slammed his mouth over mine. This kiss was edged with desperation, and with a moan, I melted against him. He wasn’t rejecting me. I’d just shocked him.
When his tongue traced over my lower lip, I opened, and he accepted the invitation and delved in, his tongue rubbing against mine, starting a dance I instinctively knew the moves to. Heat raced through me, like it often did when Eric was near and I finally understood what it was. Delicious arousal that tightened my nipples, making them ache to be touched, while between my legs grew slick and wet. Whimpering, I tilted my pelvis forward, grinding against the growing bulge in his lap.
Panting, he broke the kiss. I ran my gaze over his face, lifting my hand and trailing my fingers over his skin, memorizing every dip and rise on his face, as he watched me. Scraping my nails through his beard, I smiled when he shuddered under me. With a groan, his hands tightened on my waist and held me down as he twisted his hips and rubbed his erection against my core. The layers of clothing between us only added to the exquisite friction.
“Calla… my sweet little Calla Lily. You’ve held me completely captivated from the moment I saw you. You own me heart and soul, my sweet girl. Make all my dreams come true and tell me you’ll be mine. Say yes to moving in here with me, to being my Little girl, to letting me spoil you rotten for the rest of your life.”
My body was on fire, but he was now holding my hips still, stopping me from grinding down against him. My frustration grew, couldn’t he tell I felt the same way as he did? He’d owned me heart and soul since he’d carried me so gently from my stepfather’s car into a world that understood me, accepted me just as I was.
