Page 20 of Sawyer
It didn’t matter how often she volunteered around town, brought a meal to someone in need, or tried to be friendly and start a conversation in the grocery store. No one wanted to talk to her. They only whispered behind her back.
Thankfully, they didn’t treat Hector that way. Everyone loved Hector. She’d never been prouder than the day he was elected mayor. Even though it meant he couldn’t be with her during her trial. Or come to visit her while she was in prison. And although it hurt, she even understood when he explained that he couldn’t be seen picking her up from a prison when she got out. What he was doing for the people of Elk Jaw was important, and he couldn’t have his name linked to someone found guilty of dealing drugs.
But none of that mattered now. There was no way anyone else was knocking on her door on a Sunday morning. Hector never knocked. The only other person who knocked on her door was the mailman. He didn’t count because he left her packages on the step and was gone before she could open the door.
Still, a promise was a promise, and after all his kindness, she at least owed Saul the truth. Fixing her smile in place, she opened the door. Sure enough, there he stood, looking devilishly lickable as always. This time, he wore faded jeans and a dark gray T-shirt that stretched tight across his huge chest and arms.
“Is this a good time?” he asked.
It took all she had not to shout out, “Anytime is a good time.” Instead, she gave a smile, nodded, and stepped back to let him in.
“Are you okay? You’ve been avoiding me this week. Was it the kiss?”
“No,” she assured him. God, the kiss had been incredible. Therewas no way for him to know it was the first real kiss she’d ever had. “Let’s sit on the couch so we can talk.”
She sat down at the far end and pulled a pillow into her lap. Wrapping her arms around it to hug it close, she wished she were hugging Lucky instead. But no way was she going to sit there, holding her stuffed animal if he wasn’t a Daddy. Sure, he acted like the ones in all the books she’d read, but she’d already embarrassed herself enough in front of this guy. She wasn’t doing it again.
He sat on the middle cushion, a polite distance from the most gorgeous man she’d ever met. Frowning, he leaned forward and lifted the lid of her storage ottoman. With a nod, he pulled out Lucky and the blanket Lele had placed her on to keep her comfortable.
“I think your friend would be better than a pillow, don’t you?”
Without a thought, she took Lucky from him and hugged her tight. She almost had a spontaneous orgasm when he wrapped the blanket around her and tucked it around her.
Her heart warmed. He’d only known her for two weeks, but he took such good care of her. “Thank you, I wanted—.” She replayed the last time he’d been in her house and all their conversations. Something wasn’t right. “Um, how did you know Lucky was in the ottoman?”
He blinked. Twice, then said, “Well, I know how important Lucky is to you, so I figured you had her close. It was obvious. This was for storage, so I made a guess.” He chuckled. “How did you think I knew?”
The heat flooding her face told her she must be scarlet with embarrassment. She had been watching too many true crime shows. It was making her suspect everyone of everything. Of course, in prison, it had been a way of life.
She shook her head. “Sorry, I guess it's just been a crazy few days.” After a pause, she decided to bite the bullet. "Can I ask you a personal question?"
He sat back and crossed his legs, resting his ankle on his knee. “You can ask me anything, Half-Pint. I am an open book."
Did she dare? If he said no, or worse, if he had no idea what she was talking about, she would be mortified. And a little heartbroken. But still, it was important. If they were going to move forward in any meaningful way, she needed to know.
So, for once, she pulled on her big girl panties and asked, "Are you a Daddy?"
He jerked back slightly, and his eyes widened. "Are you asking me if I have children? Or are you asking if I’m the kind of man who, when he sees a beautiful babygirl, with curves for days and a heart of gold, I would like nothing more than to take care of her in every way she'd let me?”
A little blush appeared on Lele’s cheeks, and she dropped her gaze. “Uhh… the second one.”
"Then, yes. In a DDlg dynamic, I am a Daddy."
Relief flooded her body so quickly she almost felt dizzy. Unable to stop herself, she said, "Oh, good."
His lips twitched, but he didn't laugh. “Do I need to ask if you are a Little? Or can I tell you that every Daddy instinct I have tells me you are and that you are exactly the kind of Little I love taking care of?” Her heart wanted to do a happy dance, but she wouldn't let it. Not yet. Not when he didn't know anything about her.
She wouldn't get her hopes up until he'd heard her story. Until he knew the dirty secrets of who she really was. Because despite what her heart might want, there was no way he would want her once he knew who she really was.
“There are things I need to tell you before you say something like that. You need to hear my story. It's really long, and if you decide I'm not worth it at any point, you don't have to listen to the whole thing. I'll understand if you want to leave. It's okay. I am used to it.”
He reached out and placed a hand on her knee, giving her agentle shake. “Half-Pint, there's nothing you can tell me about who you are that would make me want to walk away from you.”
She hugged Lucky tighter to her chest. Feint heart never won, fair Daddy. If she wanted to be with him, she needed to know he loved her for who she really was. And he needed to know who she was before he made that choice.
She sank back into the corner of the sofa. "All right, but you may want to get comfortable."
He smiled. “I'm already comfortable, Half-Pint, and I really want to hear your story."
