Page 13 of Snowbound Princess

Chapter 5

Questions flitted around in Kayleigh's brain, though she tried to quiet her thoughts. She trailed her fingers over Bastian's stomach as she curled against him, but even his body couldn't distract her from the endless internal commentary. Where would this lead to? Could they have a regular relationship without the dominant stuff? No, to be honest with herself, she didn't want a normal everyday relationship with him anyhow. Would she move in with him? He'd said no expectations, but for fuck's sake, she needed some sort of verification. After several more long minutes of silence, she opened her mouth.

"Bastian?"

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"I have more questions."

"Don't overanalyze."

"But—"

"Relax. I said to relax. I wasn't even kidding about the ball gag. You are getting worked up again when the whole point of this is to turn off the worry for a few days."

"I've got too much going on in my head." She stood up and stretched her arms out. "I'm trying to relax, but it's like a typhoon in there."

"Let's see what I can do about that." He got up and walked out of the living room.

"What do you mean?" Kayleigh trailed after him and heard the sound of running water upstairs in the bathroom. She worried her lip, but he poked his head out into the hallway and grinned. It didn't ease her anxiety at all. "Tell me."

"It's more of a show thing." Bastian took her hand and led her inside. The sweet scent of vanilla and gingerbread wafted through the room as the bathtub filled with bubbles. He furrowed his eyebrows as he tugged her hair up into a bun and then secured it with several hair ties. She giggled. "Your hair won't win any awards, but it's out of the way."

"Thank you." She giggled again when he picked her up around the waist and lowered her into the tub. The water was the perfect temperature, warm and inviting. She sank down with a sigh. "Thank you so much. This is just what I needed."

He perched on the edge of the tub while the water level increased, and then reached over to turn it off. "I'm going to go make us something to eat. Call for me when you're ready to get out."

"I can get out by myself."

"Call for me." Bastian leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Okay?"

"Yes, Daddy." The title slipped out before she even knew what she was saying. "I will."

Kayleigh sank deeper into the tub and let the bubbles rise to her neck. He smiled warmly and then left the bathroom, leaving the door open. It felt so natural to address him as Daddy. She’d been silly not to see it all those years ago. No that wasn’t it. Part of her saw it, but she had refused to acknowledge it. She wouldn’t make that mistake again.

* * *

Sebastian ransacked the Cavetts' pantry and fridge. There were plenty of food options for dinner but not many choices for lunch. He tugged a ham steak out of the fridge and then grabbed several potatoes, two cans of green beans, fried onions, cream of mushroom soup, and a bag of cranberries. He found a roll of biscuits, not quite as good as homemade, but he could improvise with them. They would have a feast.

He thought about Kay and everything she had told him. She'd looked so happy when he set her down in the tub. He wanted her to look up at him like that every day. Of course, he loved doing sexy, intimate things to her body, but he wanted more. Sebastian thought about the contents of his toy bag while he prepared green bean casserole and set the oven to preheat. Wheels turning, Sebastian mentally went through his inventory of toys. He had enough objects with him to recreate several of Kay's photos. A wide grin broke out across his face. That's it! He was going to convince Kay to pick her career back up as a fetish model. She already had a following, even if she wasn't aware, and he could show her there was nothing to be embarrassed about. His buddy Brian had recently lost his top name model when she'd left due to her pregnancy. She would most likely not come back for at least a year, if at all. Kay would be the perfect choice to step up, if she could let go of her reservations. He turned his focus back to dinner preparations. Everything needed to be timed perfectly, and his little girl could call for him at any minute. The thought warmed him up quicker than the heat from the oven, and he smiled. This holiday was shaping up to be the best one yet.

* * *

Kayleigh imagined what Bastian's beard would look like with her new hair bows in it, and she giggled. She clamped a hand over her mouth at the unexpected sound. The thought of him with green and red sparkly ribbons on his face caused another giggle and then another. Her stomach hurt from laughing so hard, and she snorted at the mental image. Bastian hurried into the bathroom, presumably thinking she was crying, but stopped when he got to the tub. Kayleigh waved her hands but snorted again. He lifted her out of the tub and wrapped her in a fluffy green towel.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh my god." She took several big gasps of air. "If you let me braid your beard and put ribbons in it, then you would be so pretty!"

"Did you sneak a bottle of tequila in here?"

"No, Daddy." She sobered suddenly and her mood deflated. Twice she’d thrown a title which firmly planted her in a younger mindset, but he talked about an adult beverage which mixed up her state of reference. "I wouldn't do something like that."

"No, of course you wouldn't." He reached around her to drain the tub. "Little girls don't drink alcohol. I'm sorry I said it. Come here." Bastian took her hand in his. "Let's get you dressed. Then you can play with your new gifts while I finish making dinner. Does that sound like fun?"

"Yes." She nodded, too lost in the perfect moment to say anything else. "I think so." She followed him down the hall and into her room. Even though she knew he’d been there before, it felt different this time.

"Do you have a pretty dress in mind to wear today?"

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