Page 23 of Promising Little Poppy

CJ.

Not Daddy.

For the first time, her name on Poppy’s tongue sounded foreign and CJ hated it. There was no trace of her Little girl in that moment. Poppy was all woman despite the pigtails. Despite the sweet pink leggings and matching top with sparkly text that spelled out Daddy’s Girl.

No, CJ told herself. She would not cry right now. She would not show anything other than love and acceptance to this gentle, sweet woman in front of her who she was sure was about to cut their time short before CJ had a chance to do all the things she wanted to do with Poppy. Before she had the chance to properly kiss Poppy. Totasteher. To show her what it felt like to be cherished for the beautiful woman she was.

Finally, after schooling her features and taking several large, centering breaths, she responded. “Then what are you afraid of?”

Poppy stood, pacing back and forth in front of the bench before words exploded from her body like a dam that had finally burst under too much pressure from the other side. “I. I… I’m afraid of what happens when you leave, damnit!”

Though CJ had told herself she wouldn’t cry, Poppy’s overactive tear ducts evidently hadn’t received the same memo from Poppy. Her chest heaved as the tears started then continued to fall. “I’m afraid that when you leave, I’m never going to see you again! I’m afraid because in such a short time, you’ve somehow managed to capture this enormous part of my heart that I don’t think I ever truly gave to anyone before now, and now I’m going to be forced to give that up because you live across the country. I’m afraid that you’re going to leave the Ranch and everything I’ve learned about helping myself to do better is going to disappear from my head.”

Her voice was getting louder as she talked, the emotions she had been keeping bottled up for too long exploding from somewhere deep within. It was still about Poppy and CJ, but in that moment, CJ understood it was also aboutsomuch more. It was every person who ever made Poppy feel like she was somehow damaged. Every person who used her because of her overwhelming generosity. It was every single ounce of pain that had piled up on her since the day she left her home and came to Rawhide Ranch. “And I don’t want to go back to doing it all on my own, CJ. Ican’tgo back to doing it all on my own. I’m a mess, I’m still such a fucking mess. But I’m less messy with you and it’s a feeling I’ve needed. I think I’ve searched my entire life to find it and I’m terrified to let it go.”

CJ stood to wrap her arms around Poppy in a bone-crunching hug before she could say another word. She wanted Poppy to remember her Daddy was warm and strong and she was safe, yet it only made her Little sob harder.

“Poppy, my sweet, beautiful kitten. I’m not going to say that I have all the answers, because I certainly sure as shit don’t. But between the two of us, we can figure them out. I’m not going to force you to make all the scary decisions on your own. But I won’t make you false promises and tell you that it will always be easy either. Together, we’ll figure it out.”

“Okay,” Poppy responded. Though the deep crease from between her brow still hadn’t lessened.

“Something else bothering you?”

A small laugh left Poppy, but there was no mirth in the hollow sound. “How do you always know?”

CJ gave Poppy another squeeze, tickling her sides until she was screeching with laughter. “Because Daddies always know what’s wrong with their Little girls.”

Catching her breath, Poppy wiped a tear from her eye—this time a result of the laughter. Still, it seemed her Daddy was right. She was still worried about one other thing. “Why haven’t you kissed me yet?”

It was the first time Poppy had brought up the kiss since they had their heart-to-heart, agreeing that they both felt something special toward one another. Agreeing that they wantedmore.

“I-I guess I expected you to be just as excited as I was. Yet nothing has happened except a simple peck on the cheek and the good night kiss to my forehead you always give me when you tuck me into bed at night.”

CJ saw bright red spots appear on her Little’s face and wondered what Poppy wasnotwilling to share, pretty sure it was something quite personal. She wouldn’t pry, but she did need to know exactly what was bothering her.

“Trust me when I tell you, Poppy, that I have not stopped thinking of kissing you again since the second our lips stopped touching. Fuck, sweetheart, I thought you were stunning the first day I saw you in the lobby. And when you nearly coated mein more lettuce than a manatee eats in a day and I saw the look of pure terror on your face? Don’t even get me started. I wanted to run after you and punish you for leaving, I wanted to tickle you until you were squirming with laughter because I couldn’t stand the look of fear in your eyes. I wanted to push you against a wall, dressing and all, and kiss you absolutely fucking senseless.”

CJ’s hands were in Poppy’s hair as she tilted her Little’s face until their eyes were meeting.

Feeling as cherished as CJ made her feel was something Poppy had admitted she’d never experienced. CJ loved how close they were thanks to their relatively even height. Loved how she could slide her long, slim fingers into Poppy’s hair, tugging gently at her scalp offering her an instant and wonderfully needed massage. How Poppy’s heart beat against CJ’s own chest in a perfectthump…thump…thumpthat seemed to match time with her own. “The only reason I haven’t kissed you again is because I haven’t wanted to push you too far too fast.”

It was an admission of her own and sounded a bit raw and vulnerable, a pain in her own past allowing her to understand the pain and fear in her Little’s. But it didn’t really bother her, she knew they would share everything in time.

“CJ,” Poppy said, “Iwantyou to push me. I want you to push me in all the ways. I know that I am still discovering who I am as a Little as well as who I am within our dynamic—who I am with you. But I’m yours for as long as you’ll have me. Push me.Please.”

It wasn’t an ask but a simple demand that CJ delightfully obliged.

In a split second, CJ had Poppy’s back against a large column that worked to support the oversized greenhouse. And while it was below freezing outside, there was nothing but heat blazing inside the greenhouse as CJ stared at Poppy for as long as it tookher to utter her next two sentences. “It’s Daddy. You don’t call me CJ again until I give you permission. Is that understood?”

Poppy squeaked, nodding frantically.

“Words, kitten. Don’t make me take you over my knee right here in the greenhouse. Just imagine, anyone could walk in at any moment and see you getting punished, your rosy backside on display for their wandering eyes.”

Still nodding, Poppy managed a breathy, “Yes, Daddy.”

And then, CJ’s lips were on hers.

This was nothing like their first kiss.

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