“It’s not. You’ve been through hell several times over. If it comforts you, you should continue.” I looked at the pile of blankets and pillows Harley had put on the floor for me before looking back at the bed. She had given me the quilt and left herself with a thin blanket. I picked up the quilt. “You’re going to get cold,” I said as I put it on the bed. “Here.”
“But then you’ll be cold.”
“I’ll be fine.”
She huffed. “First you gave me your jacket and now you’re giving me back the blanket. Do you want to freeze to death?”
“I want to make sure you don’t freeze.” I moved closer to drape the quilt around her shoulders. She froze as my arms briefly surrounded her. I was careful not to touch her as I arranged the blanket around her, even though my fingers ached to stroke her hair. As soon as I was done, I pulled away and took a step back.
Harley hugged the blanket around her. “Why do you keep trying to take care of me?” she asked. “You must want something from me, right?”
I wanted to deny it, but that would be a lie. I wanted her. The more time I spent with her, the more I wanted her. But it didn’t matter. I would never act on my wants. “What I want is irrelevant,” I said. “I don’t expect anything from you. Just let me take care of you.”
“So you do want something from me.”
I looked away. “You’re a beautiful woman and an adorable Little. I would be crazy not to want you.”
“What’s a Little?”
I looked at her, surprised she hadn’t heard the term before. She looked genuinely curious, not at all nervous, which was good. I was worried my confession would scare her. “A Little is someone who acts like a kid– they color, play with stuffies, and dress like a kid. And sometimes they let a Daddy take care of them.”
“A Daddy?” Her brow furrowed. “Like a parent?”
“Not exactly.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “A lot of the time it’s a partner. Someone who will take care of the Little and protect them.”
She looked thoughtful as she tried to piece it together. “And you… want to be my Daddy?”
“Yes,” I said. “But I don’t expect it. You’re scared of me and a Little has to completely trust their Daddy.”
Harley bit her lip. “I think I need to sleep on it,” she said. “It’s a lot to process.”
She couldn’t actually be considering it, could she? I was a biker, and she hated bikers. I felt a pang of guilt. I didn’t deserve her, especially when I made her scared. She shouldn’t want anything to do with me. “I hope you sleep well,” I said. I turned to lie down on the thin sheet on the carpet. It wouldn’t be the most comfortable bed, but definitely not the worst place I had ever slept.
“Wait,” she said suddenly.
I looked at her to see her biting her lip. Her fingers were playing nervously with the quilt. “You can share the bed with me,” she said quickly.
I raised an eyebrow at her. “That’s not necessary,” I said. “I promise I’m okay on the floor.”
She shook her head. “It’s cold,” she said. “We’ll both be warmer if we share the bed.”
I walked slowly towards her. “If you change your mind at all, for whatever reason, just tell me and I’ll move to the floor,” I said. “I won’t be angry, even if you wake me up. Understand?”
She nodded and moved to give me space on the bed. I got on the bed next to her, careful to put space between us. After she draped the quilt over both of us, I turned off the light so both of us could get some sleep.