AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I don’t care if it’s a half-second walk. It’s not even twenty degrees outside. Put it on.”
Bossy Dane is hot. I won’t ever admit that out loud, but damn. Dane getting all demanding and telling me what to do? It does a lot to me.
Of course, I don’t want to give in to him without somewhat of a fight, so I roll my eyes and let out a huff as I slide my arms into his jacket. It’s enormous on me. I look like a small child in her daddy’s clothes.
I smile at the thought. I’d like to wear a lot more of Dane’s clothes. Or better yet, I’d like to call him Daddy.
Shit. What the heck am I thinking? This is why I need to keep my distance from this man. Even though I’m a grown-up, part of me is still the wistful teenager who has a crush on my best friend’s brother.
When he kneels in front of me and zips the jacket up for me, all rational thoughts fly out the window. Then, he stands and scoops me up into his arms like I weigh nothing. I might have been too out of it to worry about him picking me up to bring me over here, but I’m with it enough now to know he’s got to be straining his back. I’m not skinny. Not even close.
“Dane, put me down.”
“No.”
I start to struggle against his hold. He tightens his grip on me, and when I don’t stop wiggling, he swats me hard on the bottom, catching me completely off guard.
“Ow!” I yelp.
He glares at me. “I said no. Stay still.”
“You spanked me!” I scowl back at him, and it’s like we’re in a standoff with each other.
“Oh, baby, that wasn’t a spanking. You’d know if I were spanking you. Your bottom would be bare, and you would be bent over my lap. And I wouldn’t stop until you were a very regretful Little girl.”
A shiver runs through me at the thought. I’ve been spanked before. Many times. I’ve been to a couple of different clubs in Seattle where I’ve scened with experienced Daddies. Not one of them made me feel remotely as turned on as what Dane just described. Maybe it’s because my body responds to him in ways it’s never responded to anyone else. Which is why, during every single one of the scenes at the clubs, I pretended it was Dane who was with me.
He carries me to my house and, when we’re at the front door, pushes it open and sets me on my feet in the entryway.
“No more going outside without a coat or shoes. Are we clear?”
I nod. “Yeah. I just…I needed to get out quick.”
Using the pad of his thumb, he strokes down my cheek. “I know. I don’t want you getting sick, though.”
My chest tightens. He cares, and I’m choking up. We’ve ignored each other since I’ve been back home. Then again, we’ve always been around other friends. So, it was easy to pretend the other person didn’t exist.
Feeling a bit of courage, I reach out to rest my palms against his warm chest and look up at him. “Thank you, Dane. For being there for me tonight. I know it’s probably the last thing you wanted to deal with.”
His gray eyes narrow, but he doesn’t say anything. Instead, he leans forward and kisses my forehead.
“Go take a bubble bath and watch an animated movie. Let yourself go into your smaller headspace, even if it’s only for a bit. Everything is going to be okay, Summer.”
He sounds so confident that I just nod. “Thank you. I’ll see you later.”
“Night, Little one.”
I smile and watch as he heads toward his house. “Night, Daddy,” I whisper so quietly, he can’t hear me.
4
DANE
Ispent last night tossing and turning, trying to come up with something I could do to help Summer with her mom. I feel like an asshole for not knowing that Mrs. Pierce had declined so much. I’m her neighbor. I’ve known the woman practically my entire life. I should have noticed.
When I finally roll out of bed and look outside, I let out a sigh of relief. It’s stopped snowing and someone came by with a plow. Probably a couple of farmers with the right equipment. Pine Hollow certainly doesn’t have a supply of snowplows. Hopefully, the clear roads mean I won’t be towing anyone today.
After I start a pot of coffee, I grab my phone and call my sister. She picks up on the second ring.
