Page 39 of Daddy's Christmas Rescue
“Holly—”
“No,” I said quickly, shaking my head. “You don’t have to lie. You don’t have to make me feel better. I know what I look like. What I am. You save things. You fix them. You don’t need to keep them.”
He stared at me, and I could see the war in his eyes, the guilt, anger, hurt, everything at once.
I covered my face with my hands and sobbed harder. “I don’t want to be your project, Blake. I don’t want to be this scared, weak girl who needs toys and rules. I just want you to see me.”
He reached for me then, slow and deliberate, and gently pulled my hands away from my face. “Look at me,” he said, his voice low, rough with something I couldn’t name.
When I finally did, his eyes were dark, steady, and far too kind.
“You think I don’t see you?” he said. “I see everything, Holly. Every scar, every fight you’ve had with yourself just to keep standing. You think that makes you small? It doesn’t. It makes you the bravest damn person I’ve ever met.”
My lip trembled, but I couldn’t speak.
He cupped my face with both hands, thumb brushing away tears I hadn’t realized were still falling. “Amanda was easy,” he said finally. “She didn’t need me for anything real. You—” he swallowed, hard “—you scare me, because you make mewantagain. And I haven’t wanted in a long time.”
My breath caught.
He sighed, thumb tracing the edge of my jaw. “But I can’t rush you. You’ve been hurt too much to know what you’re ready for. So yeah, I’ll take care of you. Not because I see you as a child, but because I can’t stand to see you hurt. You get that?”
I nodded, trembling.
“Good,” he murmured. “Because when you tell me you’re ready—really ready—I won’t treat you like a project, Holly. I’ll treat you like the woman who walked into my life and turned it upside down.”
And even though I was so confused, something deep inside me unclenched, maybe a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding since the night he’d found me.
Chapter thirteen
Blake
I was desperate. Holly hadn’t even unpacked the rest of the toys and I had a ton more presents hidden for her to open tomorrow. I didn’t know what to do. She’d gone back to being a mouse. As soon as we were through Christmas, I was going to get her someone to talk to. In fact my hand hovered over my phone and I nearly slapped myself.Duke.Duke Cartwright had served with me, followed me out two years after I had to leave and turned up looking for a job. I’d hired him on the spot.
Duke was a dominant, but the important thing was I’d met Gemma his wife, and I knew she was a Little. I only knew because I’d gone round to their house to drop off some plans about six months after I’d split with Amanda and she’d answered the door because he was in the bathroom.
She’d been holding a bear and sucking her thumb. Duke came out and scolded her for answering the door, but she’d said she knew it was safe because it was Daddy Blake.
Which hit me straight in the heart.
Gemma was a lawyer, but on a night and weekends she took off her power suit and put on a onesie. Duke was very protective of her, but when I remained gentle with her, he invited me in and we talked. It took me about three minutes to realize I wanted the same. I didn’t want to go to a club, but the thought of a woman calling me Daddy and letting me care for her was what I wanted with a passion that scared me.
I called Duke and explained what was happening, and we were invited around for coffee.
I barely had time to worry about how Holly would handle it before we pulled up outside Duke’s place. I’d told her we were going out, and she hadn’t asked questions. She just curled in on herself in the passenger seat, blanket over her knees like armor. Banjo had been relegated to the room she’d slept in, and Holly hadn’t been near him since yesterday.
Which if that didn't ring alarm bells I didn't know what did.
The drive was silent. Not tense, just quiet. She stared at the window, hands twisting in her lap, and I could see the way her foot bounced, heel tapping the floor like she was counting down the minutes until she could disappear again.
I reached over, slow, and squeezed her hand but eyes fixed on the mailbox as we parked. Her voice was so small I almost missed it. “I’m not good with new people.”
I killed the engine and got out first, letting Biscuit hop down before coming around to her side. She hesitated, then let me help her out, and at the last minute leaving the blanket in the truck.
Duke’s house was warm even from the outside. Light in every window, wreath on the door, smoke curling up from the chimney. I knocked once, and the door swung open.
Gemma answered, barefoot in a pink onesie covered in cartoon sheep. Her hair was in two plaits, face scrubbed clean,and the only makeup was a dusting of glitter on her cheeks. She smiled wide, and her eyes softened instantly.
“Hi!” Gemma’s voice was bright, but not too much. She glanced at me, then at Holly, and just waited.
