Page 24 of Keeping Katie

“What’s wrong, baby?” I finally ask, furrowing my eyebrows.

She runs the back of her hand over her cheek and leaves a trail of flour on her skin. Unable to resist, I reach out and brush it away.

“What? Nothing’s wrong. I’m fine. Why would anything be wrong?” she laughs nervously, then spins around and goes back to the small kitchen.

I guess we’re going to have to make no lying a clear rule between us because my naughty girl just fibbed, and I don’t like it. If something is bothering her, I want to know. I want her to tell me every single emotion she’s feeling all the time. Because if she’s sad or anything other than happy, I will fix it.

“Katie,” I say in a hushed voice as I follow her.

“Everything’s fine. Just great. I had dinner at a mobster’s house, and I’m pretty sure my friend is trying to hook me up with one of her mobster friends, and I’ve never even broken a single rule in my life, yet I’m pretty sure they kill people for fun, and then I go and blab about my dad and bunny pancakes, and that was something special between us, and I’ve never even had a boyfriend.” She flings a spatula around as she speaks, sending batter everywhere. “And I don’t even know if you like me, that’s how inexperienced I am. I also don’t know anything about being Little or having a Daddy, and they told me you’re a Daddy, and I don’t know what that means. And I have to sell my parents’ house, and the realtor wants me to do a bunch of crazy things before putting it up for sale, and all I want to do is sell it and be done with it so I can move on and maybe start having a life, but I’m also afraid to move on because I can’t remember the last time I didn’t have someone or something to take care of, and I’m freaking out here.”

Before she covers her entire kitchen in batter, I stride over to her and take the spatula. After I toss it in the sink, I grab a towel and turn back to her to take one of her hands in mine. She stares up at me, glass-eyed and sad, and it breaks my fucking heart. I start cleaning her up while I keep my gaze on her.

“Princess, breathe. In and out.” She does while we stare at each other. “Good girl. That’s it. Good.”

I keep wiping flour and batter from her skin. “First, let’s get one thing straight. I am interested in you. I’m trying to move slow, and it’s fucking torture. But I also know it’s what you need, and you come first. Always. Just so we’re clear, though, I’m only going to go at this pace for a limited time before I lose my patience and we start moving at my speed.”

Her mouth drops open. It nearly kills me not to take advantage of that and start kissing her. It’s not the right time, though. If she’s been up panic baking all morning, she’s not in any frame of mind for me to be kissing her. She needs me to take control and take care of her.

“Secondly,” I say, using the towel to wipe her chin, “we don’t kill people for fun. We don’t kill people unless it’s necessary. And you will never be around that. You will never be involved with that side of my life. For the most part, the mafia is just another business. I’m not going to sugarcoat it and tell you I’m a law-abiding citizen because I’m not. I have pools of blood on my hands, but it will never be your blood. You will continue being my rule-following girl because that’s one of the reasons I like you. You’re pure and sweet and a good girl. I need some good in my life, princess.”

She bites her lip and stares at my chest. I think I’m getting through to her. I just admitted to killing people. It’s possible she might decide to call the police on me here in a second.

“You don’t have to be any certain type of Little. You just be you. As far as being a Daddy Dom, yes, I am. I thrive on control.I want to be the one in control of a relationship. I make the rules. I would expect you to follow them. Mostly because the rules are meant to keep you safe, healthy, and happy. I will take care of you, make sure you’re eating, sleeping, not working too much, things like that. The kind of relationship I want isn’t always easy. There will be times when you don’t like my decisions or when you have to face the consequences of being naughty, but that’s just how it is. I’m not easy, princess.”

When I’m finally satisfied with my clean-up job, I toss the towel aside and hook my finger under her chin. “Lastly, I will never intrude on your Saturday morning tradition unless you want me to. I understand that’s something special you had with your dad. I would never do anything to tarnish that. If you want to eat bunny pancakes and watch cartoons by yourself every Saturday, I’ll find something to do elsewhere. Understand?”

Tears fill her eyes, wetting her long lashes. I tug her into me, wrapping my arms around her softness. When she slides her hands around my waist and hugs me back, the only thing that exists is her.

“I’m scared,” she whispers.

“I know, baby. I got you, though.”

“You don’t even know me. Do you really want to get involved with this?” she asks, stepping back and motioning to herself.

I look her up and down, a grin curving my lips. “Yeah, baby. I sure the fuck do. And if you question me again about wanting you, we’ll talk about it with you over my knee.”

Her mouth drops open, and I chuckle. Then she yawns, and all my laughter disappears.

“Have you been baking since I dropped you off?”

“Um, yes. I stress bake, and well, do you want a muffin? Or a strudel? I also made banana bread, a lemon loaf, two different kinds of cookies, and a coffee cake.”

Jesus Christ.

She turns toward the counter. “I could pack some up to send home with you to share with Bash and the rest of the guys.”

Grabbing the edge of the counter on either side of her, I pin her in place, her back to my front and lean down so my mouth is close to her ear. “If you ever try to share your sweets with my friends, you won’t like the consequences, Little one.”

Pleasure rips through me when she shudders and pushes back against me. “It’s just food,” she murmurs.

I nuzzle her neck, scraping my short beard against her skin. “I don’t care. I don’t share.Ever.”

She sucks in a breath, and when she finally nods, I take a step back. “Come on, princess. Time to get into bed.”

“What? No, I can’t. I have to go to work.”

“No, you need to go to bed. You only slept for two hours at Declan’s last night. You’re not working on a couple hours of sleep.”

---