Page 36 of Melt For Us, Daddy
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“So… what was that all about?” Holden asked in a low murmur as they listened to Braden explain the cleaning process to Jacob.
Poor, innocent Jacob, who looked like he had about a million thoughts running through his head but who was keeping his mouth shut and hanging intently on Braden’s every word.
“I don’t know what you mean,” Cordelia responded in kind, deliberately playing obtuse.
“That deal with Ivy. You’ve never made her ask permission like that before.”
“Mmm. She’s never put me in a position where I felt the need to remind her, very firmly, of her role in our relationship.”
“Ahh, I see. So you two are better, I take it?”
“Much. We talked a lot of it out. There’s still more I need to tell her, but for now, we’re steady.”
“Good. Had me worried last night. Especially when I heard what happened upstairs. I was surprised you didn’t strip her down and whip her ass right there on the spot.”
“Believe me, I was tempted. But I needed to earn some of her trust back first, you know? So much of what happened yesterday was my fault. And Ivy is… delicate. A playful punishment at the club is one thing, but that would have broken her.”
“I get that. You know her limits better than anyone.”
Before she could respond, a slender arm slid around her waist, and then Ivy was there, the warm, soft weight of her pressing against Cordelia’s side. “What did I miss?” she whispered.
“Not much. Braden is just walking Jacob through how to clean the various surfaces. Leather vs wood, etc.”
“Poor kid. He looks like he’s about to pass out. Are we sure this is a good idea?”
The sympathy in her girl’s voice filled Cordelia with pride. “I’m not sure there’s another option for him right now. He doesn’t have a government ID and getting his birth certificate and other documents is going to be a nightmare. And, if he’s here, Braden and the others can keep an eye on him. This is the safest place for him.”
“I guess. He just looks so… lost. I kind of want to hug him.”
“I know what you mean.”
Tilting her head, Ivy looked up at her, an unreadable expression on her face. “You feel protective of him.”
“I do.” There was no point in denying it, and she’d promised her girl the truth so the truth she would have.
“And he responds to you.”
“What do you mean?”
“The way he looks at you. I know that look, because it’s exactly how I feel when you give me an order. Like my whole world hangs on whether or not I disappoint you. Did you not see his face when you scolded him about the donuts?”
She had, but she’d simply put it down to him being afraid to upset anyone. Which, she could admit, was unusual for a man in his position within The Prophets. “It’s probably just because he sees me as an authority figure. I’m basically his grandmother, as far as he’s concerned.”
“Maybe.”
“What are you getting at, blossom?” She deliberately put a hint of steel behind the question, and was rewarded with Ivy’s delicate blush.
“I don’t know, really. It was just something I noticed.”
Maybe Ivy was right. Maybe Jacob did have a sweet little submissive side tucked away somewhere, just waiting for the right Domme to bring it out of him.
But that Domme wouldn’t be her. While she and Ivy occasionally played with other partners together, Jacob was too innocent to be dragged into their world of filth and depravity just yet. Even if he hadn’t been, she was in no shape to be helping some sweet subbie boy navigate through his religious trauma when she was clearly still dealing with her own.
When the time was right, if he showed interest, she’d find a Domme she trusted to ease him into the lifestyle.
And if that thought made her stomach ache a bit, it was just because she worried. It was what she did, as a Domme, as a friend.
