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

and runs across the entire great room to throw her arms around her friend. Daisy’s frown lifts as soon as she hears Emily’s voice. Flipping back the waist-length, blue-tipped, blonde curls that are her trademark, Daisy opens her arms and crushes Emily to her enhanced bosom.

“I didn’t think you were coming in until Friday,” Emily gushes.

Daisy pinches Emily’s chin and sinks a hand into my little girl’s hair, holding her still for a kiss. I roll my eyes and growl when the kiss starts involving tongue. “Daisy, behave.”

Daisy breaks the kiss and shoots me a sly glance before she lets Emily step back. “Dolly, no way would I miss a chance to hang with you. As soon as Rick told me about your soiree today, I changed my flight.” She turns, hooks her arm through Emily’s and strolls towards the couches where everyone is gathered watching the game. “You gonna take time out of your busy sched to come shopping with me?”

I groan. The last time Daisy took Emily shopping, she came back with a dozen crotchless panties that were nearly the death of me. I’ve never been so fucking chapped.

Emily throws me a mischievous glance over Daisy’s shoulder. “There’s a sale on at Syren’s Secret.”

Cheeky monkey. She’ll pay for teasing me.

Before my boner gets the better of me, I turn to Rick. “How’re you doing, mate?”

He nods. His frown is slower to fade than Daisy’s, but he looks a little less tense than when he entered. “Not too bad. Could use one of those.”

He gestures at the beer in my hand.

Like I’m fucking waiting on him. Before I even tip my chin towards the counter where the beers are sitting in ice, Lucy glides over, offering Rick a Corona with a lime wedge tucked into the neck.

“Hey, sunshine.” He takes the bottle and slings his arm around her neck. “Now that’s the way I like to be greeted.”

She pecks him on the cheek, a curiously passionless gesture. “Hey, you. Everything okay?”

He nods and sinks his hand into her hair to hold her for a longer kiss. “Much better now.”

Lucy smiles, but there’s still no heat to it. Could it be that she’s just not attracted to him? Emily’s told me she doesn’t find him attractive, but most women must or he’d be out of a job.

I glance around to locate my little girl, since she’s been out of eyeshot for longer than a minute and that’s too long. Daisy’s got her snuggled down on the couch, with Emily’s face practically buried in Daisy’s over-ample bust while Daisy strokes Emily’s hair. Fuck, that woman.

“Daisy, let her up,” I growl.

Daisy laughs, which would be a nice sound if she wasn’t encroaching. “Go to your Daddy before he has a coronary,” she tells Emily. “We’ll have lots of alone-time when we go shopping.”

Fuck.

Emily takes the opportunity to extricate herself and rushes back to my side. I tuck her against me and nuzzle her temple. “I’m going to get you a tee-shirt to wear when Daisy’s around,” I tell her.

“Property of Daddy?” she asks.

Mischief. “Exactly.”

Emily giggles. “She mostly does it in front of you, you know. She doesn’t touch me when you’re not around except to hold hands.”

I’d like to growl that holding hands is too much, but Daisy actually offered to hold Emily’s hand, particularly while they’re crossing streets. That kind of thing helps Emily feel little, and since one of my goals in topping Emily is to create a safe space where she can be little all the time, I appreciated the offer. Daisy clearly gets a kick out of winding me up, but I can’t fault her as either a Domme or a friend.

We’re interrupted by Max joining the group. “This the Porn King?” He tips his chin at Rick.

Great, they’re off to a flying start.

Before Rick’s frown can return, I hold out my hand between them. “Rick, this is Max, my IT guy.” I’m careful with what I say, because I know Little Miss Curiosity at my side will be all ears. “Max, this is Rick Errol.”

“The guy paying your bill,” Rick says, without offering his hand to shake.

Well, that’s subtle. Thanks, Rick.

Max grins before he takes a long draw on his beer. I guess he decided not to mainline the tequila after all. “I hear you throw some wild parties,” Max says.

Rick flashes his teeth, but it’s not a smile. “If you’re angling for an invite, sorry, party’s full.”

“Nope, not my thing,” Max says. Only to be greeted with stone faces from Rick, Lucy, Emily, and Austin, who has walked over with a plate of eggplant chips.

Emily elbows Max in the ribs. “But you’re going to watch tonight, right? With an open mind? You promised.”

I hide my grin. Max is about to learn the second rule of being a daddy: break promises to your little at your peril.

“Em—” he begins.

I feel her draw herself up against my side. “Don’t ‘Em’ me, Max. You promised. Don’t be a Magneto.”

Max winces like he’s caught one in the solar plexus. “I’m not. I just can’t watch him hurt you.”

“I’m not going to—” I begin, but I don’t need to, because Max has just lit Emily’s fuse.

She shifts out from under my arm so she can plant her hands on her hips while she glares up at Max, who is nearly a foot taller than she is. He doesn’t look so big at the moment, though.

“Totally a Magneto, Max. He talks the talk but doesn’t walk the walk. Mystique always has to do all the dirty work while he stands in the background being disapproving and judgy. Don’t be like that. Before you judge, know what you’re judging.”

I rest my hand in the small of her back so she knows I have her, but let her take Max and his prejudice head-on. A glance around the silent group shows that everyone else has made the same choice, although Rick’s mouth is hanging open and Austin’s had to shove his knuckles in his