He’s waiting for me, and I don’t know what I want. Not exactly.
After a long beat, he pats my bum. “Sit up.”
I scramble up with his help, and he cradles me in his arms. “I have a theory,” he murmurs. “And it’s the first time I’ve ever asked someone this, so if I’m off base, feel free to punch me and we’ll just move on.”
I must give him an alarmed look, because he gives me a lopsided smile. “It’s not that much weirder than me knowing you need your ass paddled.”
“Oh.” I drag in a deep breath. “Okay.”
His gaze softens as his grip tightens, holding me tight. “How old were you when you lost your parents?”
I tense, wanting to flee, but he’s holding me too firmly. I have to breathe through it, and then relax. “Fifteen,” I finally say.
He strokes my cheek. “Is there a part of you who wishes someone loving had picked up the pieces, then?”
Hot, sharp tears spring to my eyes. “Is that why you called me a little girl?”
“Maybe. Did you mind? It just seemed to fit.”
I shake my head. “I liked it.”
“I’ve never done this before.”
“Done what?”
“Wanted to take care of someone.”
“You don’t even know me.”
“Apparently, that’s not required.” He sounds surprised.
“Have you ever…” I try to find the right words. “Taken care of someone else like this? Spanked them, fixed them up, called them…”
His whole body tenses beneath me. “Little girl? No. You’re the only one.”
“Why me?”
“Maybe because you need this. Right place, right time.”
“Do you need it, too?”
“I think so. Do you want to bemylittle girl? And…” He pauses, his voice thick. “I’ll be the Daddy you maybe need. And we won’t forget that you’re my grown-up girl, too. So I can be the Daddy you want as well.”
“What…” A wild wonder blooms in my mind. “What does that mean? The Daddy I want?”
His hand strokes up my thigh. “That’s up to you.”
I want to spread my legs wide and ask him to pet me where nobody has ever touched me before. And I think that’s exactly what he means, but we haven’t even kissed yet.
Kiss him.
My heart races, and I bury my face in his neck instead.
He drags his hand up from my bare leg to my back, and then my hair, soothing touches all of them. Sweet and caring, and not at all what I want.
Except theydofeel good.
And when he brushes his lips against my temple and asks me to tell him more about my hiking plans, what gave me the wild idea to go on this solo adventure, that feels good, too.