“Was there something you wanted?”
“Let me see your fingers. I haven’t checked the burn.”
“It’s fine.” But she held out her fingers. His touch sent waves of heat through her, shocking her. He must have been satisfied because he let it go without a word.
Then he moved his gaze to her face. “I’m not real good at reading people. Apparently, I have the worst bedside manner, but even I can tell I’ve done something to piss you off in the forty-five seconds since I entered the room. Now, I’d like to say that’s a new record, but I don’t like to lie.”
She took a deep breath, let it out slowly. This was her house. She didn’t have to put up with people looking down on her.
“I know I’m weird. I know my brain doesn’t always work the way other people’s do. I have an overactive imagination.”
“Guess that comes in handy for your job.”
“Yes, except I tend to go to the worst possible scenario in my head. Which can freak me the hell out. Especially when I’m here on my own.”
The house creaked as the wind picked up outside.
“Storm’s coming in,” Doc commented, walking closer and perching on her desk.
Okay, that was a bit too close. But she didn’t move back. She forced herself to look up at him. “I moved here to get away from people looking at me like I’m weird or wrong.”
Understanding filled his face. “And that’s what you think I just did? That I think you’re weird?”
“Don’t you?”
He snorted. “I have a phobia about eating other people’s cooking. And I have a slight issue with germs and cleanliness. There is nothing normal about me. I can also be extremely blunt, which is why I’m just gonna come out with this. Have you ever heard of age play?”
She felt her lips go a bit numb. Was he… “You’re a Daddy Dom?”
“Yep. You’ve had a Dom before? A relationship with one?”
“My…my husband was my Daddy.”
He studied her, his eyes surprisingly kind and gentle. That wasn’t something she was used to from Doc.
But then, you hardly know him, do you? And you just told him what is essentially your biggest secret.
“I…I need to finish this book. I have things to do. I’m sorry if I’m being rude but I—”
“Whoa, okay, stop,” he told her in a commanding voice, taking hold of her hands which had been flying through the air. “Calm down. Just breathe. In. Out. Nice and slow. That’s it. Settle down, girl.”
“I’m…not…a…girl.”
Okay, that probably wasn’t the thing she needed to focus on right now.
“Is that so? Seems you are to me.”
“I’m thirty-one years old.”
“When you’re adulting. When you’re Little how old are you?”
There went her ability to breathe properly again. Shit. What had she done? What was she thinking? What if he told people? She’d need to move again. She couldn’t move. She had nowhere to go.
“Caley! Caley, listen to me. I need you to settle down now. Just breathe. Little girl, listen to me.”
The deep command caught her attention.
“Look at me.”