Page 24 of Lily
"Sweet," she replied automatically. "Do we have cake?"
"There's cake and plenty of it. I'll bring it and some milk for you. Do you like milk?"
"Yes, please!"
"Perfect. I'll see you then. There are blankets in the cedar chest in front of the couch. Go get comfy for me?"
Lily clapped in excitement. The heavy feeling she had been carrying with her for months was lessening, and the anxiety she had fought with earlier in the day vanished at the thought of a night with mindless movie watching by Sam's side. She sank down into the couch with a happy sigh and pulled open the cedar chest eagerly. Inside, there were what looked to be a dozen fluffy blankets, of all colors and varieties. She reached forward and fought back a squeal when her fingers touched the soft Sherpa material of a pale peach blanket. She pulled it free and then gasped, seeing a glittery white wool blanket beneath it.
"Which one?" she whispered, staring between the two blankets. Her Little was out to play and Lily couldn't be happier at the turn of events. She hadn't been able to feel like this in weeks, not even with her almost Dom. She'd been guarded, even then, not free like she was now.
Who knew all it would take was a plate of pasta and a pile of fluffy blankets to send her into such an open headspace. She kicked her feet happily and considered both blankets; this was a difficult decision after all.
"This one." She raised the peach Sherpa blanket in excitement and nodded in approval. She wrapped the blanket around herself and happily scooted back into the corner of the couch.
"I see you found the blankets. You picked the perfect one for you."
She looked toward the doorway and saw Sam walking in with a tray in hand. A plate of cake and two glasses of milk were on the tray and he set it down on the chest in front of her. He picked up the remote and sat next to her.
"What's your favorite movie, little girl?"
"The Little Mermaid."
"Perfect choice for a singer."
"You knew." She blushed and snuggled deeper into the blanket. Sam had hit the nail right on the head when it came to her movie choice.
Sam chuckled and tossed the blanket over her socked feet. "Of course, I knew. It's my job to know."
Lily glowed at that. He was right, if he was a Daddy Dom and her babysitter for the evening, then it was his job to make sense of her preferences. He would have an instinct about these things, and Lily was thrilled at the prospect of being taken care of by a Dom who had his own craft in hand. Being a Dom wasn't a role that just anyone could step into. A hair pull and penchant for rough sex did not make a Dom, especially when it came to a Daddy Dom.
There was a softer side to a Daddy. There was the urge to nurture, guide and protect. The need to see a Little reach their full potential, to provide a place for them to grow and relax, free from worry and self-doubt. There were punishments, yes, but Lily knew those were not given lightly, and more often than not, the Daddies Lily preferred used rewards and praise rather than punishments to motivate her.
She was a brat, yes, but she wasn't the type to crave a spanking or corner time. She also wanted nothing but cuddles when she let her Little out. Discipline was on her list of necessary requirements from a Daddy Dom, but it was, by far, at the bottom of her list. Lily wanted a soft Dom, one with gentleness and a light hand.
She eyed the cake slices, and Sam reached for a glass of milk. "You have to drink this first."
Lily made a face. She liked milk, but what she wanted was the chocolate cake in front of her. She sighed heavily and then held her hands out for the glass. "Fine."
"Both hands," Sam told her. Lily made a show of taking the glass of milk with two hands, and he grinned at her.
"Brat," he teased, and she rolled her eyes at him but stayed silent as she drank her milk. Sam picked up another smaller remote from the coffee table and lowered the lights to a dim glow, making the living room into a cozy space that Lily adored.
Sam looked back at her, tucking the blanket around her feet. "Comfy?" he asked.
Lily nodded and held out her now empty glass of milk to him. "Mmhmm, and I'm very happy." She held out her hands to him and made grabby hands. "And I'm also very hungry."
"I know you are." He took the empty glass from her and replaced it with cake. "You deserve this for drinking all your milk. Thank you for doing that."
She blushed and shoved a forkful of cake into her mouth. "You're welcome," she murmured shyly. Sam scooted back and put his arm behind Lily on the couch, and she snuggled closer to him until she was nearly leaning into his side. They watched the movie in silence, Sam taking Lily's plate when she finished her cake, and before long, she was curled close to him, her head resting against his chest as he wrapped an arm around her.
"This okay?" he asked when she looked over her shoulder at where his hand was resting on her side. She nodded and smiled up at him. She felt light, her heart was happy, and Lily couldn't remember feeling as carefree as she felt with Sam's arm around her.
"Yes," she told him. "I feel safe. Thank you for giving me tonight."
"Of course, Lily Bell." He began running his fingers through her hair, and Lily fought to keep her eyes from closing. The gentle repetitive touch of his fingers in her hair made her begin to drift off, and she jerked her head trying to keep her eyes open.
"Go ahead and sleep, sweet girl."
"But the movie…" she protested weakly, but her head was already dropping onto Sam's chest. The man cradled her closer and let her stretch out with her legs across his lap.
"Shhh, we can watch another movie. You can watch all the movies you want later, okay? Just sleep now."
Lily's eyes closed with the movie playing in the background, the perfect sounds for her to fall asleep. Before long, she was sound asleep, and there was no other place in the world that she would rather be than exactly where she was.
