Her eyes widened. Her lips parted. She looked at him like he’d just grown another head.
“Apologize to Daddy like a good little girl would.”
Her breathing grew fast. Something filled him. Something that felt right, but she lived here in Australia; his home was on a ranch in Montana. It wasn’t fair of him to start anything with her. At the same time, maybe if she knew what she needed it would help her to find someone who would treat her right. Guide, protect and love her.
Maybe he could do that for her while he was taking care of her for his grandmother.
Right, like this is all for Nan.
“I. . .I. . .”
“It goes like this,” he said in a low voice. “Sorry Daddy, for interrupting you.”
She still stared at him.
“You know you were naughty, little girl. Apologize and all will be forgiven.”
“It. . .it will?”
He gave her a nod. “It will.”
She stared at him as though the idea of forgiveness was a foreign one. That made him wonder about her life up until the time she moved in with his grandmother. He knew her father was abusive, that yelling was a trigger for her.
“S-sorry for interrupting you.”
“Daddy,” he said firmly. Oh, he knew he should back off. But he felt this inexplicable tie to her that kept pushing him to push her.
“Daddy.” She gulped heavily.
“Good girl. Try not to do it again. Daddy doesn’t like having to scold his little one.”
“I-I’m not yours.”
No, she wasn’t. And that didn’t feel right.
“You could be while I’m here,” he offered. He gently closed her mouth, using his finger under her chin. “Careful, you’ll catch flies.”
“I. . .you. . .we can’t.”
“Think about it,” he told her. “I’m laying a lot on you and it’s not really fair when you’re sick and vulnerable so I’m going to back off now. But I do believe you’re a Little, sweet pea. And I could show you what you need. I could be your guide into this world while I’m looking after you.”
“I haven’t agreed to that.”
“But you’re going to, aren’t you? Truth is, you’d be helping me out too.”
“I would?”
“Yeah, baby. Taking care of you would be a distraction and I really need one of those right now.”
“But you should spend all your time with your nan.”
“Watching her lying in that bed, slowly dying, it’s not what she would want. I’m a man of action. I want to do something. To fix her. I feel helpless. It’s not a good feeling for me. Taking care of you would give me something else to focus on. To feel like I’m doing something. You would be helping me.”
Shoot. When he put it like that, how could she refuse him?
She couldn’t. And truth was, she could use some help. That was more than obvious. This other Daddy Dom stuff though. . .
“All right,” she whispered. “I guess I will need some help when I’m discharged, if you really want to help me. . .”