The Daddy P.I. Casefiles: The First Collection by Frost, J (great novels .txt) 📕

That thought makes me smile down at the carpet.

Logan turns on the room air conditioner before he strips down and pulls on a pair of black pajama pants that are his Dom-at-home uniform. Definitely a good-girl spanking. Maybe even a good-girl belting. That thought gives me a different kind of shiver, which doesn’t have anything to do with the cool air swirling through the room.

Seeing him walk towards me and sit in the chair, spreading his knees so I can kneel between them, puts me right where I need to be. I scoot forward until I’m between his legs and can rest my head on his thigh. I take a deep breath, breathing in his warm, spicy, daddy scent, letting it fill my lungs, then let it out slowly, sinking into the space where I can tell my daddy anything, without fear.

Logan’s warm hand settles on the top of my head. He strokes my hair with his fingertips.

“Good thing first, little girl.”

“The branding, Daddy. I’m so excited about it, and so happy that you think we’ve built enough trust that you’d consider doing it now rather than waiting until next month.”

“Good, sweetie. And the thing that’s worrying you?”

I’m still not quite sure how to say it, but I take a stab. “The company that’s been sending you letters and calling you, EverCollect?” I feel his thigh muscle bunch under my cheek, but part of Knee Time is that we don’t interrupt each other, so I push on. “I’m a little worried about them. Are your medical bills a lot of money?”

“Yes, little girl,” he says. “My turn.”

Damn. That didn’t go the way I wanted at all. He didn’t tell me anything I hadn’t already guessed, and he slammed the door on the topic without any discussion.

“My good thing is the party this weekend. I’m looking forward to spending time with everyone and then doing a scene to show Max what topping’s all about. I was thinking I’d break out the violet wand and we’d have some fun with electricity. Does that sound good, little girl?”

I nod against his leg but am careful not to interrupt him.

“The thing I’m worried about.” He lets out a slow breath. Is he going to tell me about his medical bills? About selling this house? “I’m not sure how to bring this up with you, sweetie.”

Oh, please, please, Daddy, tell me about the medical bills.

“Lucy’s asked me to top her. Outside of the club. That’s what her call was about before dinner.”

What?

I don’t interrupt, but he must feel me tense. He strokes his hand down over my hair, across my shoulders and along my spine. “I know our contract allows for it, Emmy. I know you trust me, and you know that I’d never do anything to undermine that trust. I just don’t know if this is a door I want to open.”

I’m not sure if it’s a door I want him to open, either. In fact, I’m pretty sure it’s a door I don’t want him to open. Our contract does allow for him to top other people, so long as he doesn’t have sex with them, but I figured it would be part of scenes with me. Not him topping another subbie one-on-one.

“I want to help Lucy,” he continues. “She’s not getting what she needs at Blunts. I have a pretty good idea of why, and I think I can help her. But I don’t like taking time away from you. And I don’t want to do anything that might make you throw a wobbler.” He’s silent for a moment, stroking my back. “I’m not going to break Knee Time by asking you how you feel about it yet. I want you to think about it tonight and we’ll talk about it tomorrow. But it’s on my mind, baby doll. I want to do it, but I’m unsettled about it.”

I’m unsettled about it, too. Even more so when the music changes to the “Principles of Lust.” If that’s not the universe talking to me, I don’t know what is.

I’m glad he doesn’t want to talk about it yet—my wise Daddy—because I need to think it through. I’m not sure what I’ll say. Or how to feel. Lucy’s Daddy’s friend, and of all the Blunt’s house subs, I feel closest to her. Unlike Rachel and her coven, Lucy’s never made me feel anything but welcome. And I know that Daddy’s topped all the house subs before we met, and had sex with them, too. Until this moment, that didn’t bother me.

Now, I’m not so sure.

“Okay, little girl. We’ve told each other what’s on our minds and we’ll talk more about those things tomorrow. For the rest of our Knee Time, I want to talk about your mother.”

I nod hesitantly, not sure where he’s going with this.

“You told me you were too irresponsible to have a kitty. Who told you that, Emmy?”

Oh, now I see.

“Maman, but you have to understand. I was really clumsy and careless when I was younger. I broke things. Nice things.” I hunch my shoulders, curling against his leg, remembering when I broke Maman’s priceless china ballerina. I’m not sure she ever actually forgave me for that. “And I forgot things. I’d get my head in a book and I’d forget about dinner. Babysitting. Everything. Maman had to remind me all the time.”

“Uh-huh. When was the last time you dropped a plate or broke a glass, little love?”

I try to think of the last time. “I’m not sure.”

“Has it been a while? Years?”

I nod against his leg. “I think so. I can’t remember breaking anything recently.”

“That’s because you’re not clumsy or careless anymore, sweetheart. You’re graceful. I’ve never seen you break anything, and you’re wonderful about keeping to my schedule. You make me proud every day.” He takes a deep breath. “I want you to let go of the negative things your mother said about you. I want you to see yourself the way I see you. Beautiful. Graceful.”