Page 32 of His Little Garnet

“For one thing it will hurt,” I say defiantly.

He shakes his head. “Nope. Not a bit. Did it hurt when I set the bone in your arm?”

I frown. I’m getting good at frowning. “No.” A moment later, I shudder. “You mean you’re going to numb my nipples with your quill?”

“Yep.”

“I don’t like that idea.”

He lifts a brow as he slides both my hands to one of his and then eases the other hand up to cup my breast. “I pricked this gorgeous titty several times the day I met you, and if I recall, you liked it. A lot.”

He’s right. Why is he always right? It adds to my mad.

Papi scoots closer to me as he thumbs my nipple, making me fight hard not to squirm. “I miss you,” he whispers.

I nearly choke up at his sincerity. I feel kind of bad, but also, I’m still mad.

He continues, “My connection to you is so very strong, Baby girl. It happened fast, and it’s very powerful. I was so lonely during our trip while you slept, and I waited. But now you’re awake, and sometimes it’s like you’re not yet.”

I swallow hard. I hate that I’m hurting his feelings.

“Its customary for us to give our Little girls space when we arrive. It’s a huge transition. We know that. It’s scary. Everything is different. In addition, you need time to get your strength back. We don’t like to pressure Little girls while they’re assimilating.”

My chest tightens.

He licks his lips. “But I miss you,” he repeats. “I want you to be strong and waddling around. I want to see your pretty smile and scoop you off the floor and kiss you senseless. I want my lips on those pretty nipples again, suckling them, making you writhe with pleasure.”

My heart is beating rapidly.

His voice dips lower. “I want my mouth between your legs. I want to thrust my tongue into you. I want to make you scream with pleasure.”

A tear trails down my cheek, and Papi leans forward to lick it with his tongue. I love how close he is to me. He’s intoxicating. Sometimes when he’s near me, I hold my breath to avoid admitting how off-kilter he makes me feel.

I want all those things he’s talking about. How do I get over my mad?

“Are you going to force me to get my nipples pierced?” I wince as soon as the question leaves my mouth. Why must I be so defiant?

He sighs and leans back, releasing my breast, causing me to miss his touch immediately. “No, Little one. I won’t force you to get your titties pierced. I’ll leave that up to you. When you’re ready. I’ll choose some pretty stones for you to pick from though. I heard you say red is your favorite color. I’ll have the jeweler set aside some pretty rubies and garnets. We can go look at them together someday soon. Ekert—the jeweler—is a friend of mine. We were actually on Earth together, but he found his Little girl a few weeks before I found you, so he beat us back here. Maybe you’d like to meet her. You’re both recent arrivals. Her name is Sophie. I hear she’s very sweet.”

Papi is rambling. I’m making him nervous. I can understand why. I’m being a bitch. I can’t seem to stop myself, and I hate it. I want my mad to go away. The mention of garnets has made me sad too as I remember my grandmother’s garnet earrings. They were one of the few possessions I had with any sentimental value. Now, I’ll never see them again.

As he rises, I manage to grab his hand in my loose grip. He glances back down at me. I bring his hand to my cheek and rub it against me. I can’t find the words he needs to hear, but I want him to know I’m trying.

Papi bends over and kisses my forehead. “Don’t you worry, Little one. We’re going to figure everything out together.” He cups my cheek. “I have to see several patients today. I want you to be good and stay in your stroller. You can meet people when they come in. It’s up to you if you choose to be rude and alienate the Little girls who will be your closest friends.”

He lifts a brow.

I nod. “I’ll be good, Papi.”

He smiles. “That’s all I can ask, Baby girl. One day at a time.”

A few minutes after Papi walks away, Thabo comes out. He’s holding a brightly colored item I can’t identify. He smiles as he brings it to me and attaches it to the front of my stroller. “If you want to work on your fine motor skills and the strength in your arms, you can play with these toys.”

I stare at them. They’re very pretty. They’re also for a baby. I sigh. I am a baby. Even more so right now since I can’t control my fingers enough to pick up an object.

Thabo demonstrates each toy on the row. Some are meant to be squeezed, others spin around, a few are for pulling. I can see how I would benefit from playing with them.

After he leaves, I spend a few minutes contemplating my situation. I’m angled so that Jeikin can see me at all times. I’m not alone. I’m sure he will report my every move back to Papi.

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