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“Good. Now lean back and close your eyes. I’m going to take you through a relaxation exercise.”
“Oh…okay.”
“Close your eyes, sweetheart. And I want you to take a deep breath. Very good. Now let it out slowly. Slower. Yep, just like that. And I want you to imagine you’re in a peaceful place. Can you tell me what that looks like?”
“Um…it’s a field full of flowers and green grass. The sun is shining.”
“That’s perfect. I want you to imagine you’re lying in the grass, the scent of the flowers everywhere, and the sun warm on your skin. Can you do that?”
She followed his instructions as he talked her through the breathing exercise, keeping an eye on the time so he didn’t take her away from work for too long.
“Better?” he asked when they were done.
“Yes. Definitely better. Calmer. Thank you so much, Daddy.”
“Now go focus on work. I’ll be here when you’re finished, okay? No matter how late.”
“But doesn’t the service shut down at ten? Because work is likely to go that late.”
“Ah, yeah, you’re right.” He took a long pause, then decided to go for it. “I’m going to give you my cell number. You can just call me directly.”
“Oh. Um, I didn’t think this could work like that,” she said.
“Sure, we do it sometimes,” he said, then immediately corrected himself. “Actually, the truth is, we don’t do that. But I want to be here for you, Frankie. Is that okay?”
He could hear her take a few breaths before she answered. “That’s…so nice of you. Really. And maybe later you’ll tell me why you’re breaking the rules for me?”
He shook his head. He was going to have to figure that out first. “Yes, sure. Now go get your work done. The sooner you finish, the sooner we can talk.”
“Thank you,” she said, emotion in her voice.
“You’re very welcome, honey. Now take my number.” He dictated it to her while she wrote it down. “Okay, talk later?”
“Yes, please!”
They hung up, leaving him feeling conflicted. On one hand, as a Daddy—even a Daddy for hire—he had a responsibility to look after a Little’s well-being. On the other hand, Frankie was right: contacting each other privately was totally against the rules. But he wasn’t going to leave her on her own after a rough day.
And I don’t want to go a whole day without spending quality time with her.
He ran a hand through his thick hair, blowing out a breath. He knew he was on dangerous ground. There was so much he didn’t know about her yet. It appeared that she was single, but what if she was one of those women who called the service when their husband was out of town? It was fairly common for people’s partners not to accept their Little side. And even though Frankie had said she was single, it was possible she wasn’t.
No. He didn’t think she was lying to him.
He stood up and paced his office, his work boots scuffing on the wood floor.
Even if she was single, there were a hundred other complications. Like the fact that he had to focus on getting the dog rescue going. He didn’t have time to give a Little what she needed in real life, did he? Getting to know someone took a lot of time and energy.
I know her already.
But the fact was, he didn’t. Not really. He didn’t even know what she looked like. Not that it mattered. It really didn’t. Shewas adorable because of who she was, the way she trusted him, the way she sassed him. He knew she was intelligent and kind-hearted. Vulnerable. That she needed someone to care for her, and that part called out to him big time. And all of that made him want her in a way he hadn’t desired any woman for a very long time.
He needed to get himself under control. What kind of Daddy was he if he couldn’t manage his own impulses?
But he was going to be the best damn Daddy to Frankie he could, given the circumstances. Maybe for now that was all he could do, and it would have to be enough.
Francesca finally closedher laptop at ten-thirty that night. She got up, stretched, and grabbed her phone. But before dialing, she set the phone down, went into the bathroom, and ran a brush through her hair. It felt a little silly, but she didn’t want to be a disheveled mess for her Daddy.
She’d worked in a t-shirt and sweatpants all day, but looking at her reflection in the mirror, that felt wrong, too. Stripping off her clothes, she put her hair up in a clip and hopped into the shower, getting clean as quickly as she could. Once she’d dried off, she pulled one of her white cotton babydoll nighties from the closet and slipped it over her head. Then she sat on her bed, grabbed her ladybug, and dialed his number.
