Page 57 of Jasper

“Exactly. And rule four—no lying. Not about how you feel, what you need, or what’s going on in that busy little head of yours.”

Her playful expression wavers slightly, but she nods again. “That one might take some practice.”

“We’ll work on it.”

“Okay,” she replies quietly.

“Last thing—boundaries.” I glance at her, giving her a moment. “You tell me what feels good. What doesn’t. What you’re okay with and what you’re not. This isn’t just about obedience. It’s about trust. You will have a safeword. It’s red unless you prefer something else. You ultimately have the control in this dynamic, rainbow, but unless you say red or tell me what your boundaries are, I won’t know if I’ve crossed a line. We’ll talk about it in detail, and we can even have a written list of your limits so we don’t forget.”

She goes quiet for a second, then says, “I’m not sure what my limits are yet. I mean, I know I don’t want to be yelled at or called bad names. I don’t think I’d like being sent away to another room or something if I do something wrong.”

I nod, reaching over to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “That’s good to know. I’ll remember both of those.”

We sit in silence for a beat before I stand and head to the side table. I pull out a small book and hand it to her.

“What’s this?” she asks, turning it over in her hands.

“Your journal. You can write in it any time you want. It can be every day, once a week, or never. Just thoughts, feelings, dreams. Anything you want. If you write something in it you want me to know but are too afraid to tell me face to face, you can hand it to me and I’ll read it. Rowie and Ember have the same.”

Her fingers trace the stitching on the spine. “Will anyone else read it?”

“Just me,” I say. “Only if you want me to.”

She swallows hard, her voice soft. “Okay.”

“I’ll be making you a rule board. You’ll get points for following your care rules. Good Girl Points, rainbow. Earn enough of them, and you’ll earn rewards.”

She lifts a brow. “Like what? Glittery stickers and gold stars?”

“I was thinking more along the lines of a toy or a special treat. But sure, glittery stickers if that’s what you want. You’re an easy one to please.”

She laughs and leans her head on my shoulder, snuggling against me.

I wrap an arm around her and press a kiss to the crown of her head.

“Any questions about your rules? Anything you want to add or adjust?”

“No. Those all seem fair and easy to follow. And all this time, I thought you would be some super-bossy Daddy giving me a million rules.”

My mouth twists into a smirk. “Oh, baby, these are just the basics. There will be many more rules to come as we get to know each other. You have no idea how bossy I can be.”

22

ARIANA

The sun hangs high overhead, casting a golden warmth across the gardens and bathing everything in light, which makes the world feel softer, sweeter. I’m on my knees in the soil, hands deep in the beautiful earth, fingers working as I plant delicate rows of lettuce and carrots. The scent of sun-warmed dirt fills my lungs, grounding me. I love it here. This place.

Nearby, Rowie and Ember run barefoot through the grass, shrieking with laughter as they chase each other around the playground. Every so often, they come to visit with me, but they want nothing to do with gardening because they don’t want to get dirty or touch bugs. That’s okay, though. More dirt for me.

It’s the kind of life I used to dream about. When the only sounds were the growl of my stomach and the hum of an engine somewhere far off. Now, I’m here. And for the first time in what feels like forever, I feel… blissfully happy. Like I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.

I pause, swiping the back of my hand across my forehead, smearing dirt across my temple. I glance up to admire all the natural beauty when my eyes catch movement on the path. Theo.

He walks toward me slowly, shoulders relaxed, but his expression unreadable. I blink in surprise and straighten, watching as he lowers himself onto the wooden bench Jasper built so he could sit close while I played in the dirt.

Theo stretches his legs out and offers me a soft, genuine smile. “Hey, Ariana.”

“Hey,” I reply, brushing my palms against my thighs. I glance at the girls, still tumbling across the grass, safe and laughing, then look back at him.

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