Page 5 of Heaven Leigh’s Little Halloween

He knew everything about her, so despite it being phrased as a question, she knew it really wasn’t one. He was very aware of her career and where her money came from. She gave him a slow nod. “Yes, Sir. Cakes and other stuff.”

“I’ve seen some examples of your work and… it’s impressive. Seems like we might as well use those skills while keeping you busy and out of trouble. We do have a couple of Littles who are able to hold jobs when in adult headspace, so I’ve arranged for you to work with Angel, our chocolatier, in the kitchen. He has his own work area, out of the flow of traffic and he’s agreed to supervise you for a few hours every morning.”

Heaven’s eyes rounded and her brows went up. “Really? I… I have missed baking a lot and I often use modelling chocolate for my creations, so it would be great to work with an expert.” Littles at the Ranch definitely didn’t get to use the kitchen.

They weren’t even supposed to go in there—well, except for Hayleigh but she was a special case. Her Daddy was the chef after all. She liked Hayleigh a lot and they’d spent a decent amount of time together since Heaven had arrived.

Heaven didn’t bond with people easily and she tended to be distant at first in any new situation, but there were a few Littles who had broken down her walls almost immediately. Hayleigh was one. Sadie, Master Derek’s wife, was another. She considered both of them friends now.

“I had a feeling that was what you needed. Do you think this will help while we try to find a more permanent fix for this issue?”

Heaven nodded quickly. Getting to spend time in a kitchen again, working with chocolate, and best of all getting a break from the structure the Littles lived under, all sounded great. She hadn’t realized just how much she needed that, until he offered her the opportunity.

“Use your words please, Heaven Leigh.”

“Yes, Sir. I think it will help a lot,” she assured him. She hesitated and then added, “Master Derek? How did you know?”

One eyebrow went up. “How did I know what, Heaven? Know that you were struggling? Know that you needed something to keep you busy? Know that you were ready to take on some real work?”

“Um, yeah… all of that.” She’d known she was on his radar. Ending up in his office every week ensured that, but she hadn’t realized he’d looked beyond normal Little naughtiness to see that there was a real problem.

Master Derek chuckled. “It’s my job to know, Heaven Leigh. We take the care of our Littles very seriously here. If you aren’t happy, then we have to know why so we can fix it. Right?”

Heaven bit her lip and then nodded slowly. That did make sense. She just wasn’t used to people seeing the real her. Master Derek somehow saw past the masking, and she wasn’t entirely sure she was comfortable with that.

“Good girl. Now, you understand this is a bit of a special situation, so I’m going to have to give you some additional rules to make sure there aren’t any issues.”

She groaned. More rules? That was what she was trying to get away from.

He seemed to read her mind and she could see the corner of his mouth twitch. “Yes, I’m afraid so.”

She sighed. It was still better than nothing.

“This is not a free pass to go anywhere you like. You are allowed to go to the kitchen to work, but otherwise the rules still apply. If you’re caught anywhere but the kitchen… I may have to rethink this plan. Am I clear?”

“Yes—yes, Sir.”

“Good. Now, you understand I’m trusting you, not just to follow the rules, but to keep yourself safe. I understand you’re a professional in the kitchen with a lot of experience baking. But—”

She waited, saying nothing as he drew out the pause.

“There’s a reason we don’t let Littles in the kitchen unsupervised and you do have a strong Little side, so I’m going to need you to promise that if you notice your headspace shifting younger, you’ll let Angel know. Is that fair?”

Her first instinct was to tell him he didn’t need to worry about that, but she stopped and considered it for a second. It had never been a problem before, but until she’d come to the Ranch, she’d never really given her Little feelings an outlet. That side had been locked down tight along with all the other things she thought were weird or wrong.

Since arriving… that was different. The open acceptance that surrounded her, and the environment created specifically for people like her, had given her permission to unlock all those urges and desires. And she did find her headspace shifting on a sliding scale from adult to Little without a lot of warning.

Maybe it made sense that he was concerned. “I promise, Sir. If I’m not feeling very Big, I’ll tell him.”

“Good girl, that’s all I needed to hear. Now, your new schedule will start tomorrow. I already let Nanny know about the change. You will check in with her in the morning when you leave, and then go straight to Angel. Clear?”

“Yes, Master Derek. And… um, thank you for… just thank you,” she said, as she slid out of his lap, tugging her clothing back into place.

He smiled. “No one wants you to be unhappy, Heaven. This whole place is designed to unlock your dreams and give them voice. That can’t happen if you’re miserable.”

Master Derek had given her a lot to think about and her mind was whirling all the way back to the dorm. She was equal parts excited and nervous. What if Angel was mean? She’d met him a couple of times, just in passing and he’d seemed okay, but working with someone was very different.

Hayleigh would probably be someone to ask about that since she was in the kitchen more than any of them.

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