Page 9 of Poppy's Place

I unlocked the front door and left it open a crack so he knew to come in, then I ran into the bathroom for a quick shower. I’d done all the important grooming earlier, but I’d also gotten sweaty from unpacking, so I just needed a quick rinse and once-over with my favorite snickerdoodle body wash.

I didn’t have time to blow-dry my hair, so when I jumped out of the shower, I quickly towel-dried it and put it up in a French braid with some strands hanging down on both sides then slipped into the dress that was short enough to be girly, but nice enough for a restaurant. It was a pretty emerald that looked nice with my eyes. Even though it was one of my favorite dresses, I rarely had an excuse to wear it.

When I finally walked out into the living room twenty minutes later, Carter was breaking down the new empty boxes I’d thrown in the corner and had them neatly stacked by the front door.

“Oh, you didn’t have to do that.”

He looked back and then did a double take when he saw me. “Poppy, you look gorgeous.” He walked over to me and held open his arms.

“Thanks!” I immediately stepped up to his chest and wrapped my arms around his neck, just holding on for a moment as I looked up at him. “You look nice too.”

His fingers circled my neck and curled around the back of my head as he looked down at me. “I’ve been thinking about you all day.”

I swallowed hard and nodded. “Me too. I hope this is okay for our date.” I took two steps back and then twirled so the skirt of my dress fanned out.

“It’s perfect for the restaurant. And maybe afterward, you can show me around Poppy’s Place.”

I bit my lip and could feel my eyes go wide. “Okay. If you’re sure.”

He reached for the side of my cheek again, his thumb brushing along my jaw. “I’m very sure, sweet girl. I want to get to know all of you.”

“Do you mean…as a Daddy? Like, when I’m…Little?”

His eyes sparkled as he smiled. “That would make me very happy. When you’re comfortable, I’d love to meet your Little side.”

My mind was spinning at the turn of events, but I had to keep focused. Dinner first. Big-girl dinner first. And then maybe some Little girl time with a Daddy. A Daddy who wanted to play with me in my playroom.

I took a deep breath and grabbed my purse. “We should go before I fully regress.” I chuckled as I hit the door. “You seem to bring that out of me.”

Chapter 8

Carter

Fuck, did I want to see her regress. The little glimpses I’d caught of her Little side coming out got me hard. I wouldn’t be able to stand straight when she was fully in that mindset.

So playful and carefree. Dancing around her apartment and giggling with her friends. If she allowed me to share that with her, I’d never let her go.

But first, we had dinner reservations.

We walked out to the car, and I opened the door for her, gently guiding her into the passenger seat with my hand on her back and then her elbow. Poppy was fully capable of climbing in on her own, but I wanted to touch her. And since she seemed to lean in to my touch, I took that as a good sign that she was comfortable with me.

I pulled the seatbelt strap forward and held it out in front of her. “Would you like some help with this?”

She sucked her lower lip between her teeth and nodded. “Yes, please.

I wanted to lick that lip and taste where she had bitten, but I settled for brushing the side of her cheek with my nose and whispering in her ear, “You smell delicious, sweet girl. Like cookies.”

A shiver ran through her, and she shook out her shoulders as she breathed against me. “Good nose, Daddy.” She caught herself and then cringed. “Sorry, that just keeps slipping out.”

“Please, don’t apologize. I love hearing it slip off your tongue so easily.” I pulled back just enough to give her some space and looked into her eyes. “I have a feeling I could get used to hearing that for the rest of my life.” I winked to lighten the moment, even though I was completely serious.

Her lip curled up in a soft grin. “That sounds nice to me too.” And then her tummy rumbled, and her eyes went wide as her hand flattened over her soft belly. “Whoops. Um, excuse me. I haven’t really eaten today, so I guess I’m starting to get hungry.”

I frowned as I backed away and closed the door. As soon as I was in my seat, I started the engine and glanced at Poppy. “Why haven’t you eaten?”

She shrugged and let out a dramatic sigh. “Too busy. Had lots of unpacking to do and… Well, I was excited for tonight.”

I reached over and rested my hand on her thigh. “Excitement is not an excuse for skipping meals, beautiful. If you don’t eat, you could get lightheaded or worse.” My hand involuntarily gave her a squeeze. “Promise that you’ll work hard to eat something healthy for breakfast and lunch, even when you’re busy?”

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