Page 11 of XOXO, Daddy
“Bunny, are you okay?” he asked softly, his voice softening.
“I…” but that’s all I could get out before the tears began to run down my cheeks.
His arm wrapped around my back, leading me away from the main room with a scowl plastered across his normally handsome face. Within only a few minutes, we were in one of the private aftercare rooms.
“I don’t want to make you feel more uncomfortable. Can I comfort you? Please?” The angry man I had seen moments ago was gone. In his place stood my knight in shining armor.
My Daddy in shining armor.
Except.. he wasn’t my daddy.
Still, I nodded my head yes. His hands ran up and down my arms, his voice gently shushing me as I cried.
“I wasn’t trying to get him in trouble. I was just trying to be good. There was a party in the Littles Room and I didn’t sign up, so I thought instead of going home I would just go try to meet people. And then there were these girls, and they were doing rope and asked me to watch. So I did. And then that guy was there. He was nice. And then he wasn’t. And I asked him to stop, but he wouldn’t stop, and then he said mean things, and I couldn’t think straight, and I tried to find someone to help, but I —” My voice broke. Adam’s strong arms wrapped around me, pulling me close.
His hand ran soothing circles over my back, his cheek pressed to the top of my head while my tears soaked his shirt.
“Oh, you sweet thing. You need a Daddy so badly, don’t you?” Calm and gentle, his voice only made me break down further. I nodded. It was all I could do.
“I’m not coming on to you. I promise,” he explained, and my heart sunk. That was the problem. I wanted him to come on to me.
“Oh, Bunny,” he sighed heavily. With a groan, he pulled away. I could feel his eyes looking down at me. Not in judgment, but in a way that made me feel safe and warm.
“I don’t want to assume or pressure here, but I have to ask. Are you looking?”
“For what?” I asked, sniffling like an idiot. My brain struggled to not succumb to the call of his dominance. My little side desperately wanted to answer that call.
“For a Daddy, sweet thing,” he chuckled lightly. His smiling face made me want to put my thumb in my mouth and curl up into the warmth of his chest again.
Yes, please God, yes.
That’s all I wanted to say. But I couldn’t.
He was … well, him. And I was … me. Just little old me. Or pudgy princess me, if Jerkface was to be believed.
“What’s holding you back?” His fingers brushed a lock of hair back behind my ear.
I wanted to answer.
But the only answer I could think of was yes. So I did the next best thing.
“I… I should go.” Without waiting for his response, I turned away, bolting down the hall and out of the building towards my car. As soon as I was a block away, the tears came again.
Chapter Six
“So,if I’m hearing you correctly, the only reason you aren’t jumping on that handsome Daddy — literally — is because he’s Alyssa’s father? I don’t understand,” Layla huffed.
“That’s exactly the problem, Lay. He is Alyssa’s dad. There’s no way I could ever do that.” Laying back against my pillows, I pulled a few of my stuffed animals closer, needing comfort, even if it wasn’t from the source I wanted it to be from.
“I don’t see that as a problem, dear.”
“Well, it’s a big problem. How can I have her dad be myDaddy? It would ruin our friendship!”
“What friendship? You two have barely spoken over the past few years. You are both going on thirty years old and neither of you are children. Well — you know what I mean. As far as I see it, you and Adam are consenting adults, and if Alyssa has a problem with it, that’s for Adam to figure out with his daughter. Not for you to worry about as her friend. I see only one issue.”
“And that is?” I pouted.
“The fact that you won’t get over yourself long enough to be honest with the man. I mean, you said he’s incredible, right?”
