Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 134598 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 673(@200wpm)___ 538(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 134598 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 673(@200wpm)___ 538(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
“You didn’t.”
He raised his eyebrows. Oh, that was definitely a stern look. She was starting to recognize the different emotions on his face.
“All right . . . perhaps you did. But I think that I scared you too?” Was she reading what he’d said right?
“You did. You cried out and I didn’t know if you’d slipped and fallen. When you didn’t answer me, I thought you might be lying unconscious in the bath, drowning.”
“Wow.” That was a lot and she didn’t know where to start. “I’m not drowning.”
His lips twitched, and he surprised her by kissing her forehead. “No, you’re not drowning. Thankfully.”
“Yes. Thankfully.”
“Now, tell me what happened.”
“I was trying to get out of the bath and the room spun for a few seconds and I slipped back into the water.”
“Baby, are you all right? Did you hurt yourself?”
For some reason, the tone of his voice combined with the words had her lower lip trembling. How odd. It was even sticking out slightly.
“Y-yes. I hurt myself.” There was something wrong with her voice. It was higher pitched.
What was going on?
“Poor Catie-Pie,” he said soothingly. “Perhaps you shouldn’t have stood up without me here to help you.”
Catie-Pie?
That was a new one. Right? Somehow, though, it stirred her memory. Had he called her that before? But normally she had a very good memory, so she didn’t think she would have forgotten that.
Unless he did it while you were in Little space.
That was . . . interesting. Why would he be calling her that now, though? She wasn’t in Little . . . oh, or was she close? That tone of her voice before had sounded so high-pitched.
“A Little girl like you shouldn’t get out of the bath on her own, should she?”
Should she say her safeword? Was she ready for this?
Somehow, it felt right, though. Because what she really wanted, deep down, was for Ethan to take control. To look after her. And perhaps it would be easier in Little headspace to let go and allow him to do that.
And perhaps it was something he needed as well.
“Would you be all right with me staying here with you?” he asked.
She nodded.
“You remember your safeword if you have to use it?”
Another nod.
“I know it’s hard sometimes to talk, but I really need a verbal response for this one. I need to know I’m not taking advantage of you while you’re vulnerable.”
“I have a safeword. I know what I’m doing.” She hoped he thought the flush on her face was due to the hot water.
But somehow, she thought he knew the truth.
“Do you want to be in Little headspace?” he asked.
“I . . .” What she wanted was to not make decisions. She understood why he was asking, but it felt irritating to have to talk this through.
She slapped her hand down on the water in frustration, sending an arc of water right into his face.
Oh, no. Oh, dear.
What had she just done?
She stilled, waiting for him to get angry.
He’d said he wouldn’t yell. That he wouldn’t call you names.
But she realized part of her didn’t quite believe that.
“Okay, so I’m guessing you’re feeling frustrated. And not particularly verbal.”
His lips were twitching. Why did he find this funny? This wasn’t funny.
“I’m so sorry,” she pushed the words out. “I didn’t mean to. Let me dry you off. I need to get a towel.” She tried to push herself up to stand, but he reached out and gently held her down.
“Uh-uh, Little girls don’t get out of baths on their own. Calm down, it’s just water. While I wouldn’t appreciate you deliberately splashing me, I know you didn’t mean to.”
“I . . . I shouldn’t have done that.”
“Sometimes it’s hard to express big emotions,” he replied calmly as he grabbed a towel to dry off. “I understand that. As long as you express yourself in a safe way, no harming yourself or putting yourself at risk.”
Oh God.
He could never find out what she’d once done.
“Understand?”
She nodded jerkily.
“Now, I’m going to make a guess and say you did that because you were feeling frustrated because . . . you want something and I don’t understand what it is.” He studied her for a long moment. “Am I close?”
Another nod.
“Is it that you want me to back off?”
Her eyes widened, and she reached for him before she thought better of it.
“Is it that you want to sink into Little headspace and let Daddy take over?” His voice was like velvet. It mesmerized her. Promised her safety and warmth.
How could he read her so easily? And put into words what she didn’t seem to be able to?
“I think I’d like to try. Will you be disappointed if it doesn’t happen?”
That was what she was most worried about.
“I’d never be disappointed, especially not when you’re trying. But I want to make something clear. I don’t want you doing this for me—or not just for me. I can wait. I want this to be about what you desire.”