Page 53 of Guardian Daddy

“I’m only telling you all this because you saw her last night. And so you know why . . . why it’s really important you don’t say anything to her.”

“Rhodes, man, I don’t know. I don’t want to lie to her.”

“It’s not lying to her. She won’t remember. She only knows that she does this because I’ve told her. If she thought you had seen her, she’d be mortified. Cate is delicate. She can’t cope with the thought of embarrassing herself. She needs handling with care.”

He’d seen her fragility and vulnerability, which he could now understood better. But someone who’d been through what she had also had strength. Every day, she got up and faced life, no matter how tough she found things.

And that was something he admired.

But he also didn’t want her retreating further. “I won’t say anything. However, I also won’t lie if she asks me.”

“Yeah, all right,” Rhodes agreed.

“Why does her therapist think she goes into Little headspace after the night terrors?” That part, he didn’t understand.

“We aren’t completely sure. It took me a while to find a therapist who was kink-friendly. Her therapist thinks that she likely feels safest when she’s Little. She’s so different when she’s Little. So happy. Sometimes, I wish she could stay that way all the time.”

“Does she ever slip into Little headspace other times?” he asked. “When she’s more aware?”

“Not exactly,” Rhodes said.

Ethan wanted to push him, but he could tell Rhodes was near the end of what he was willing to discuss with him about Cate.

“If I’d realized there was any possibility that she’d have a night terror last night, I wouldn’t have left her. But I’m grateful you were there.”

“So am I. I just want you to know that I’d never do anything to harm her or make her feel bad.”

Rhodes shot a look at Ethan. “Just as long as your interest in Cate is purely professional. I won’t have my sister upset.”

“That’s the last thing I want to do.”

However, he didn’t say anything about his interest not being purely professional. Because it wasn’t.

And that could become a problem.

Not just because it was his job to protect Rhodes and his sister.

Ethan hadn’t had a relationship in a long time. The last one ended a year ago.

Ethan had friends. He had work colleagues. He spent a lot of time at the club taking care of Littles.

However, no one got really close to him. No one delved deep into the real Ethan because he didn’t let them. In a way, he had his own barriers. They were just less obvious.

He could tell himself that he only cared about Cate because she needed some care. That he didn’t want to upset her. And that he was in charge of keeping her safe.

But the fact was . . . his interest in Cate was becoming more than that.

Which was alarming.

14

“What are we going to do? Rhodes! This is serious! It was clearly a threat against me!”

Great.

Samantha was here.

Just what her headache needed.

---