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“I’m not,” Sutter responded, patting from the small of her back to the tops of her thighs. “It’s adorable.”
“It’s… wanton.”
Sutter barked a laugh. “Utterly wanton. Gimme all that wanton, darlin’.”
Saoirse giggled. “I’m just not like that.”
“I’m not either. You probably figured that already when I didn’t push for a kiss tonight.”
“I did.” Saoirse sighed. “I liked it. I appreciate you going slow.”
“Good. But don’t feel like you have to hold back. You can be wanton if you want. You can be anything you want here with me.”
Saoirse turned her head and looked at him over her shoulder. “Why?”
Sutter’s smile lit up the dim room. “Because we can be anything to each other. If you want to be wanton, you can be. If you want to go slow, we can. I’m never going to judge you. This is a safe place where you can be whatever you want to be.”
“What do you want to be in this space?” Saoirse asked hesitantly.
“I’d like to explore. This summer was supposed to be a chance for me to explore things I’ve been putting off for years. Instead, I spent it working and alone. I have… things waiting for me once the summer ends. Family obligations. I don’t want to miss this opportunity with you.”
Saoirse’s chest tightened. She didn’t want to miss the opportunity, either.
“What would you like to explore?”
“I’d like to explore being a Daddy, and I’d like to explore your Littleness.”
That door inside her swung open wide.
“Saoirse, I know something drew you to the Ranch. Something more than a job. You could work anywhere. Have you put a name to those feelings?”
She nodded into the frame of her arms.
“Would you be willing to explore those feelings with me?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
“Good. Slide up now and let me give you a kiss so you can get to sleep.”
Completely relaxed, perfectly at peace, Saoirse climbed off his lap. She knelt next to him on the couch. Sutter cupped the nape of her neck in his warm hand. He drew her forward and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.
“It’s time for good girls to go to sleep. Will you be my good girl now, darlin’?”
“Yes,” she said, smiling. When he released her, she shifted around until she could slide her legs into the sleeping bag. With a rustle, Sutter lay down in his.
“Once there was a mermaid,” he began. “Who lived in a deep green grotto with her best friend, the dolphin.”
“What’s the dolphin’s name?” Saoirse asked dreamily.
“Allan. Allan the dolphin.”
“Mmm, Donald. Donald the dolphin.”
“That’s much better. The mermaid lived in a deep green grotto with Donald the dolphin. The mermaid had a very important job. Every day, she opened the gates to the fish nursery to let the baby fish out to play in the wide ocean. While they were playing, the mermaid and Donald patrolled the playground to keep sharks away. At the end of the day, the mermaid and Donald rounded up the baby fish so they could sleep safe and sound in the nursery all night.”
Saoirse rolled onto her side, plumped the pillow under her head, wriggled against the dull, warm ache in her behind, and closed her eyes. “The mermaid loved the baby fish.”
“She did. And she was very good at taking care of them. But one day, when she rounded up the baby fish for the night, she found one was missing. Her friend Allan the baby pufferfish—”
