Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 45946 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45946 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
“But you can’t walk in them.”
“That’s hardly the point.” Didn’t he get it? They were pretty.
“Uh, you need to be able to walk in your footwear. That’s the point of them. To support your feet.”
“That sounds a bit boring. Maybe my boots don’t want to be supportive. Perhaps they want to be… the star!” she sang the last two words while putting her hands up into the air.
“Footwear can be pretty and not twist your ankles,” he told her.
Hmm. Maybe.
“How did you know?” she whispered, circling back to what he’d said before. About her being a Little.
He stared down at her intently. “I am sorry if I upset you.”
“More like you caught me by surprise,” she told him. “Is it that obvious?”
“Well, I wouldn’t say obvious. Would you be less worried if I told you that I’ve just come from Rawhide Ranch?”
Relief filled her. That did make her feel better. “So, um, are you a Dom?”
“I’m a Daddy Dom,” he told her.
“And that’s how you knew I was a Little?”
“I suppose it is. Especially when you said you’re going to Rawhide Ranch. Are you going there to attend the University?”
“What? No. I’m just going for a holiday. I might stay a week, maybe two.”
“You don’t have a job to get back to?”
“I’m between jobs. So is it far?”
“It’s about an hour away.”
She sighed. “Bummer. Is there a town nearby where I could get Cherry fixed?”
“Yeah, there’s Porter’s Corner. I’m sure there’s a mechanic there. Did it make any funny noises? Did any lights come on?”
“Ah, yeah.”
“Yeah, what?” he asked, looking up from his phone.
“Yeah, to both of those things. A light came on the dashboard and then it made a strange noise, and I pulled it to the side of the road and turned it off. Then when I tried to turn it on again… it just wouldn’t.”
“That sounds odd.”
“Do you know anything about cars?” she asked.
“Not a lot, I’m afraid.”
“I get that. It’s all magic to me.”
“Magic?” he asked.
“Yep. I like to think there are fairies in the engine making it work. Magic.”
“I don’t think that’s quite how it works.”
Bummer.
She felt her lower lip slip out in a pout. It wasn’t like her to let her Little out this much around a stranger. But his aura was so pretty. All golden with sparkly bits. Plus, he was a Daddy. And a sexy one.
“Do you like to spank?” she asked as he brought his phone to his ear.
“I, uh… well… yes, hello.”
He turned away and her shoulders slumped. She smacked the palm of her hand against her forehead. What a dumbass! Who asked things like that? She did. That’s who. When was she ever going to learn to be cool?
CHAPTER 3
Did he like to spank?
Had she really asked him that? And what the hell had he done? Gotten all flustered and turned away from her? At forty-eight, he’d thought he was too old to get flustered and embarrassed. Turned out, he wasn’t.
Clearing his throat, he turned to find her sitting sideways in the driver’s side of her pickup with her legs out the door. She seemed to be muttering to herself while holding a stuffed horse in her arms.
He strode toward her, coming to an abrupt stop as she glanced up at him. There was such naked vulnerability in her face that it caught him by surprise. Barren cleared his throat as he crouched in front of her. “Phoebe, are you all right?”
Of course she’s not all right. Look at her. She looks like she’s close to tears.
“What’s your name?” she asked, surprising him.
Jesus. Where was his brain? “I’m so sorry. It’s Barren.”
“Barren?” She blinked, looking surprised. “That’s not what I expected you to say.”
“It isn’t?”
“Nope. That’s a really cool name.”
“Is it? Am I not cool enough to pull it off?” he asked, feeling amused.
“Oh no,” she said hastily. “I’m sure you’re very, uh, cool.”
He snorted. “No lying, little girl.” Fuck. What was he doing? “I’m sorry,” he said hastily.
“You don’t have to apologize,” she replied.
“Yes, I do. I shouldn’t have said that. Whether you’re a Little or not, it’s inappropriate.” He was really off his game at the moment.
“All right,” she whispered, looking more uncomfortable by the moment.
Fuck. What could he say to make this better? “Who is this?” He gestured at the horse in her hands.
To his surprise, she gasped and hid the horse behind her back. Then she shied back from him. As though… as though she was afraid of him?
Shit.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to have him out.”
“Hey, you don’t have to hide him,” he told her gently.
She eyed him suspiciously.
“I wasn’t going to take him from you.”
Hmm, she didn’t flinch or change expression so that didn’t seem to be her worry.
“Or make fun of you,” he added.
This time, she winced. That was it. Had someone made fun of her for needing a soft toy? There could be assholes out there. People who didn’t understand the Daddy/Little dynamic.