Page 30 of Shattered Dreams
A giggle escaped her. “That’s not a word, Daddy.” She froze, her hand covering her mouth in horror. She didn’t just call him Daddy. She hadn’t. Oh, dear Lord, she had. She prayed for the bed to open up and swallow her whole. “I mean…”
“Daddy is fine.” Elliot reassured her. “In fact, Master Storm assures me I’m the epitome of a Daddy Dom.”
“But Master…” her eyes flew to the phone in his hand.
“Master is fine with it.” Max assured her. “In fact, when I get home in the morning, all three of us are going to sit down and talk.”
“We are?” The words came out as a squeak.
“Yes, we are. Are you still scared?”
She shook her head. “No, Master. Now that I’m a little more awake and have talked to you, I’m good.”
“Then I know a little subbie of mine who needs to get some more sleep. Elliot will watch over you ‘til I get home.”
“But I’m not tired…” She protested. “And I haven’t talked to you since yesterday morning and…”
“Enough!” Master snapped. “I’ll hear no more protests out of you, Elizabeth. You need sleep. I watched Elliot discipline you. It took a lot out of you. You need rest now.”
“Okay, Master.” She sank back against the mound of pillows. She knew better than to push him when he spoke like that.
“Good girl. Get some sleep…and we’ll talk in the morning.” Max told her around a yawn.
“Yes, Master.” She rolled onto her side. “I’ll sleep. Love you.”
“Love you too. Sleep.”
She nodded, burying her cheek in the pillow as the dial tone filled the room. She sighed, her hand edging out to Elliot. As her fingers encountered bare skin, she let her eyes drift shut.
“It’s okay.” Elliot covered her fingers with his. “Sleep, sweetheart. I’ll still be here in the morning.”
“M’kay, Daddy.” She yawned one more time before sleep overcame her.
* * *
Elliot scrubbed his hands over his face as he stood at the kitchen counter. Last night had been a test of his self-control. He’d slept in the same bed with a woman for the first time since Deborah had passed, and his dick hadn’t gotten the message that there would be no ‘hanky panky’. But somehow between settling her after her nightmare then soothing her a few other times, he’d managed to get a few hours of sleep. It was only the fact that his internal alarm woke him at six that had him up and staring morosely at the coffee pot as it took its sweet ass time brewing his coffee. He could only hope that Max didn’t mind him taking liberties with his coffee pot.
He didn’t mind the ones you took with his wife, dumbass. I’m pretty sure he’s not going to blow a gasket because you made coffee.
“Damn,” he muttered eyeing the pot. It needed to brew faster.
On the counter, his phone rang. He answered it. “Yeah?”
“Hey.” Max’s voice was husky from sleep. “How did I know that you’d be up?”
“Too many years in the service. Six is sleeping in.”
“Old man.” Max joked.
“I’ll show you old,” Elliot retorted as he searched through the cabinets for a coffee cup. Unlike the canister of coffee and filters that had been in plain sight, the cups were hidden. “Where’s your cups at? I need caffeine.”
“Second cupboard from left of the sink.” There was a rustle of blankets. “I’m assuming she’s still sleeping.”
“Yeah. All snuggled up like a bug in a rug. I’m surprised I was able to slip out of bed without waking her.”
“How did she do the rest of the night?”
“She was restless, but never truly woke up again. I soothed her a few times. I swear she tried to crawl under me and sometimes on top of me.” He opened the cabinet and pulled out a black and white coffee mug.
