Chapter 12

CHAPTER TWELVE

Y oanni tucked the signed document into a file folder, scribbled the title on the tab, and scowled at the clock on her desk. Would this day ever end?

She sighed.

On the upside and despite the many interruptions, including Betty’s on-and-off drama, Yoanni had reduced the pile of documents to a few sheets. After Officer Durbin’s thorough examination—under the careful supervision of Captain Weaver—no poisons or other harmful substances were found in the bag the mysterious boy had delivered. The sender’s intentional mind fuck, though, had succeeded beautifully. When her old things were returned to her, she dropped the entire cut-up bag and belongings into her side drawer and slammed it shut. She didn’t want to think about this anymore.

Throughout the day, Betty peppered Yoanni with questions about the home invasion and who Barron was. Yoanni gave her the thinnest explanation, but when she said her boyfriend wanted her to order in and have lunch in the office, the announcement elicited a drama attack in Betty. “What a domineering jerk. If you want to go out for lunch, he can’t stop you. He’s not your father or your husband. How dare he?”

On and on it went. Yoanni did her best to ignore Betty’s nonsense as she munched on her delivered fried chicken and labored to finish the pile of documents.

Yoanni glared as the digital clock flipped to four thirty. She picked up her dictation pad and pencil and marched toward the captain’s office. She knocked on the open door. “Excuse me, Captain.”

He stopped writing and lifted his gaze. “Yes, Miss Sanz?”

“If you have any work for me, I’d prefer you give it to me now. I’d like to go home by five.”

“You’re free to go. I’ve got nothing for you.”

“One more thing, sir?”

“Go ahead.”

“I’m staying at Barron’s, and I’m running out of clothes. I need to pick up a few things from my place. Is the investigation finished? Are we allowed to go inside the house?”

“The investigation is ongoing, but forensics is done. You have permission to go inside, take whatever you need, and return to Barron’s.”

“That’s the plan, sir.”

“Good night, Miss Sanz.” He waved a dismissive hand.

“Good night, sir.”

Now she had wings on her feet. As she hurried to her desk, she took out her phone and called Barron.

He answered right away. “Hey, Nugget.”

“Hi…” She almost said Daddy, then stopped herself. She wasn’t ready to reveal her special relationship with Barron to everyone around. “I’m ready to go home.”

“Guess what? I just checked the time and thought you’d be close to leaving. I’m on my way over to you. Be there in about five. ”

“Awesome. Great minds think alike. I can’t wait to get out of here.”

“What’s going on?”

“Betty, the new assistant, has been a pain in my behind. I think she’s jealous I have a…um…boyfriend.”

Barron laughed. “You were going to say Daddy, right?”

“I was.”

“Get your stuff ready and come out. I’m four blocks away.”

“Okay. Meet you outside.”

Back at her desk, Yoanni locked the documents and folders marked confidential in the security drawer, dropped the key in her purse, and gathered the rest of her things.

“I don’t believe it. Are you going home?” Betty shot her an angry glance. “Already? It’s not five yet.”

“Why are you so surprised, Betty?” Yoanni took a deep breath to control her response. “You know I’m not on the clock. My schedule fits the captain’s needs. At times, I come to work before anyone else does, or I stay well after everyone’s gone home. On occasion, I even work on weekends. Understood? If you have any complaints, I suggest you bring them to the captain.” She swung the strap of her purse onto her shoulder and grinned. “I’m going home. See you ma?ana.”

As she strode down the hallway, heels clicking with her steps, Betty called out to her. “Wait, Yoanni. Don’t leave angry. Please.”

Without turning, she lifted a hand and waved. “I’m not angry. Good night, Betty.”

She exited past the front desk. Durbin was long gone. A different officer sat on duty.

“Please, Yoanni. I know you’re angry.” Betty called out to her. “I want to talk to you.”

Stopping, Yoanni turned. “Why are you chasing me? What’s going on? I told you, I’m not angry. ”

Betty, her face contorted, grabbed her arms. “I know you are. I can see it all over you.”

“Hey! Get your hands off me.” Yoanni shook her arms loose and pushed the other woman away, just as Barron pulled the truck in front of the door “I’m going home.”

“Not with him,” Betty hissed urgently. “He’s a bad man. He’ll hurt you.”

Yoanni rushed to the truck, opened the door, and jumped into the passenger seat.

“Is that your coworker Betty?” Barron asked. “She seems demented.”

“She’s acting like it.”

But instead of driving off, Barron took out his phone.

“What are you doing? Let’s go,” she urged him.

“Wait a minute,” he said, snapping a photo of Betty, who stared at them as they pulled away. Barron dropped his phone into the side compartment.

“I don’t understand. Why did you take her photo?”

He grasped her fingers. “Do you trust me, Nugget?”

“You know I do.”

“I’m following a hunch. I’ll explain when we get home. If I’m right, we’ll know soon enough.”

“A hunch.” She exhaled. “God, I have so much to tell you.”

He glanced at her. “Do I have to act on it now?”

“No. It’s over.”

“Then tell me all about it tonight.”

“Sounds good to me.” She dropped her head against the headrest and closed her eyes. “I’m just glad this day is over.”

“That bad?”

“You’ve no idea.”

Holding Yoanni’s hand, Barron opened the garage door to the laundry room. Caesar, tail wagging, waited for them on the other side. Yoanni smiled; the dog’s happiness cheered some of the gloominess she couldn’t let go. The hideous spectacle of her pretty home and her few precious belongings vandalized and torn up had shocked her to the core. She didn’t really know what to expect because the evening of the invasion, Barron, ignoring the blow to his head, had prevented her from seeing the mess and insults painted red on her walls.

Today, she did.

Her heart broke.

She felt violated.

Caesar, in tune with her sadness, sniffed and bumped her hand, asking for her touch, and she laid her hand on his head. “Thank you,” she murmured, scratching the spot between his ears.

“He senses my moods right away. Caesar’s a remarkable pup,” Barron said.

“Pup?” She laughed as she came into the kitchen. “He’s a big boy.”

“Yeah, he’s all muscle.” Barron dropped her bag on the floor. “My guess is he’s going to top out at around seventy pounds.” He pulled the pantry door open and took out the treat jar. He tossed one, and Caesar picked it up on the jump. Securing the treat within his jaws, he left the kitchen.

“You see? One treat, and we don’t exist.”

“That’s all right. He’ll be back when it’s finished.”

“Guaranteed. Let’s get you situated.” He picked up the bag and walked to the hallway.

She didn’t move. “Daddy?”

“Yes, babe.”

“I… ”

He nodded. “I think I know. The sleeping situation is on your mind. Am I wrong?”

“You’re not wrong.”

“FYI, you’re sleeping with me, in my bed, Nugget. Unless we’re in age play and your Little needs a crib.” He closed the distance between them. “I can have one in here by tomorrow.” He caressed her cheek. “Would you like a crib, baby girl?”

She tilted her face into the caress. The touch of his firm fingers elicited the strongest sensations and desires in her. “I’ve thought about this a lot. Cribs and diapers don’t work for me. I’m not an adult baby.”

“I see. You’re closer to a Middle.”

Heat rushed to her face. “I suppose so.” She dropped her gaze. “A young Middle.”

Barron lifted her chin. His blue eyes devoured her. “It’s going to be my pleasure to explore your age and every need. I’ll probe and test, and you’ll respond with the truth. You’re my precious girl. My job is to show you the way and give you my heart. Yours is to follow Daddy’s rules. No more stunts or dangerous antics. Yes?”

“Yes, Daddy.”

“Good.” He kissed her forehead. “Until we get better organized, we’re putting your clothes in the guest room.” Barron led her to the guest room. “I know it’s a little inconvenient. You’ll have to come here to choose your work outfit.” Sliding the closet doors open, he took out several empty hangers, dropped them on the bed, then emptied her bag.

“I’ll open a couple of drawers in my dresser for your underwear.” He winked at her. “I’m not missing the view of Yoanni María Sanz, soon-to-be Priestly, walking around in her panties and bra.”

Her heart jumped so hard, it hurt. Eyes wide, she gave a little squeal. “Daddy?”

“You heard me,” Barron said softly .

It was all too surreal and fantastic. She stared as Barron addressed the most significant topic in the world while hanging her blouses and dresses on hangers.

He hung the first batch of garments in the closet, then faced her. “I remember that wild day at the Dirt Road Saloon like it was yesterday.” He blew out a breath. “I’m in my thirties, old enough to know you’re the love of my life and the dream that rarely comes true. Here you are. Wow. I don’t want to waste another minute without you. I want to marry you and have a family together. I have to go back to the main question: do you want me? As I am. A Daddy Dominant, with all my quirks, rules, and strict demands.”

Yoanni looked her fill as he stepped closer. He was handsome and unassuming, gentle and powerful, yet worry shadowed his beautiful face. Barron honestly didn’t understand the depth of her feelings for him. She’d returned to Garden City for him alone. She’d left her family, her Miami Cuban tribe, and all the comforts and reassurances of a lifetime to seek the man she adored.

“I want you, exactly as you are. Quirky, domineering, and demanding. I dream of submitting to you. Does that answer your question?”

“This is important.” His chest rose and fell. “Are you in adult mode?”

“One hundred percent.”

He gave a small smile. “Thank you. I appreciate the honesty.”

“What happens now?”

“Now we finish putting your clothes away, then we have dinner. I picked up a couple of things for you. You can check them out while I cook.”

“Don’t you want my help? What should I do?”

“You’re my baby girl, and I take care of you. Maybe one day I’ll allow you to help me. Not tonight. I want to hear about your day. I can tell it was stressful.” He folded the last pieces on the bed, then held out his hand to her. “Come. I want to feel you close. ”

Yoanni held on to his hand as he headed toward his bedroom, hers now. He left the remaining bundle of undergarments on his bed and walked out with her in tow. Once in the kitchen, Barron opened a cabinet door for her. On the bottom shelf, she found two sippy cups, several small-sized eating utensils, and a pink pacifier.

“After our conversation, I realize the paci isn’t your thing.”

She touched his hand. “I like the paci. Can I keep it?”

“Nugget, you can keep anything that makes you happy. Do the other items work?”

“They do. Thank you.”

“Great.” He dragged a chair from his dining set and put it next to the dishwasher. Guiding her by the shoulders, he sat her down.

“Now take a peek at this.” Turning on his phone, he showed her the photo of Betty in the midst of her outburst.

“Not a flattering photo.”

“I sent it to Shifter. He’s running it through a facial recognition program.”

“Why?”

He shrugged. “The hunch I told you about. Can’t put my finger on it. I just want to verify her identity.”

“But the Garden City police investigates the background information of every applicant.” She paused a moment. “On second thought, the department’s budget is limited. I don’t see HR exhausting their precious pennies on a civilian junior secretary.”

“I figured as much. My photo picks up the slack.” He pulled out a chopping board, set a couple of knives on the counter, and opened the fridge, searching in the vegetable bin. “Most likely, it’s going to confirm her identity. But these days, it’s easy to forge documents and fingerprints. Some people are real geniuses. They produce fake documents of such good quality that it’s difficult to tell the difference. A face is another matter.” He took out a head of Chinese cabbage, mushrooms, and other veggies she couldn’t see.

“Chicken stir-fry, okay? ”

Barron said stir-fry, and Caesar appeared out of the shadows. He settled next to the fridge, and she laughed.

“He’s amazing.”

“The sounds of cooking bring Caesar out of hiding. I don’t know why, because I don’t feed him from the table.”

Staring at Caesar as he licked his paws, she half listened to Barron. Her mind was still on Betty’s questionable identity. She recalled their first visit to the diner. Yoanni had opened up about her family and personal information, but her coworker not so much.

“When will you find out, about Betty, I mean?”

“Hard to say. Shifter is doing the search. It could be tonight or tomorrow. You were going to tell me about your day. Kind of a big deal.”

“My stalker struck again.” She winced. “This time, his mind fuck affected several heads at the department, not just mine.” She told him about the paper bag, Durbin’s concern, and the careful search through the contents.

“Damn, what an ordeal. Officer Durbin’s a good man. I owe him for taking care of my baby.”

“Add psychotic Betty to the day, and it was a doozy.”

“You have to inform the captain first thing in the morning.” Barron started chopping veggies. “You can’t have an obsessed woman in a police station.”

“Obsessed?”

“Babe, I saw her. She was in quite a state.” He wiped his forehead with his forearm. “All that screaming and yelling…except, something doesn’t track. When she stared at me, it was a fraction of a second. I had a feeling… Like she knew me.”

“Really?”

“Weird, I know.”

“Have you seen her before?”

“I would remember if I had. ”

“Speaking of things not tracking. I have one more for you.” She stood and walked to his side. Leaning her elbows on the counter, she watched him work. “I was kind of focused on how Durbin, the captain, and the other officer handled the bag, until I realized it was getting late. I’d just entered the combination to open the door when Betty arrived. She bombarded me with questions. Was I okay? Did I get hurt? What was the deal with the bag?”

“So?”

“Yes, but her assigned parking is way on the opposite side of the lot. It would have been impossible for Betty to see what was going on with all the cars parked between us. Not only that, she arrived thirty minutes after I did. She wasn’t around when Durbin told me the delivery of the bag didn’t feel right to him and took it outside. Actually, she didn’t see the captain get involved either.”

He shook his head. “She shouldn’t have known a damned thing about it.”

“Exactly. I tried to push the niggling thought aside, but it’s been bothering me for hours. How did she find out?”

“I don’t have an answer for you, Nugget. But my instincts are raging. I’m glad I sent Shifter the photo. He’ll get to the bottom of this.”

“What should I do?”

“Nothing you or I can do now. But tomorrow, you’re going to bring the captain up-to-date with everything, including Betty’s outburst.”

“All right.”

He smiled. “Hungry? Dinner will be ready soon. Chopping takes the longest. Once that’s out of the way, the meat and veggies cook in minutes. Why don’t you change and get comfy? You have a cute set with little pink roses. I saw it yesterday. It’s real pretty. Why don’t you wear it for Daddy? While you change, check out what I left for you in the bathroom. ”

Feeling wicked and terribly naughty, she grinned. “I’d love to wear my two piece for Daddy. But will Daddy let me play with him later?”

“Big or little girl?”

She bit the edge of her thumb. “Big girl.”

“Change. Now.”

Hell, yeah, this was exciting. Barron had growled at her. He was hot and ready to do all kinds of fun and naughty stuff with her.

With her mind full of ideas for after-dinner fun, she took out the matching shorts and top Barron wanted to see on her. With its spaghetti straps and lace trim, the pretty set was one of her favorites, and she quickly changed her clothes. She walked to the bathroom to check her appearance as best she could in his half mirror and combed her hair. Sitting on the counter were two rubber duckies she could use for her next bath and a small collection of barrettes still wrapped in the store packaging.

Daddy had thought of everything she could want, down to the cute pink clips to match her camisole and shorts. A warm sensation like no other spread through her, erasing the tiniest trace of doubt. Could she be any happier? Smiling, she brushed her hair, then clipped the front tresses away from her face with the barrettes. Yoanni didn’t show her age, but the hairdo gave her an even younger appearance.

Satisfied, she returned to the kitchen, ready to tempt her Daddy. She paused at the entrance and cleared her throat. Bending one knee, she tilted her hips in a seductive pose, then dropped her hands to her waist.

“Do you like what you see?”

Barron put the knife down, wiped his hands with a dish towel, and walked to her. His blue gaze probed and burned. She trembled under it with need. Images of doing wild things with him rushed to her mind. How did he do this? How did he inspire such intense desires in her?

Slowly, he pulled down one strap and dropped a soft kiss between her shoulder and the base of her neck. Every tiny hair on her body stood with pleasure.

“Breathtaking,” he murmured, and she arched forward, seeking close contact with his muscular chest and starved for his warmth. He pulled down the other strap, then kissed the opposite shoulder. She shivered. Miraculously, her romper remained in place.

“We begin now.” He lifted her chin. “Honesty is our first rule. It applies to you and me. Understand?”

She nodded.

“I love you in Little space, and I’ll never force or push you out of it. It’s important to know which space you’re in at all times. If I’m unsure, I’ll ask. You’ll answer with the truth. Good so far?”

“Yes, Daddy.”

“Tell me, Nugget. Are you in Little space or adult?”

Yoanni swallowed. He wanted to know. Should she tell him, open her heart?

She took a deep breath. “The woman in me wants you so much, she’s trembling with need. Love me, Daddy. Love me hard.”

“Hmmm.” He caressed her cheek. “When we go to Nightshade on Thursday, I’ll show you different levels of hard. I’ll even test your boundaries. Can you wait until then?”

The corners of her mouth drooped. “Won’t you love me now?”

He wrapped an arm around her waist as his mouth crushed hers in a long, full kiss. “I love you now and always,” he whispered when he pulled back. “Take the shorts off.”

She tried to roll her shorts down, but couldn’t. The spaghetti straps bound her arms. “I can’t.”

“But I can.” In a moment, her shorts were down to her ankles. “Step out of them. When I lift, hook your legs around my waist.” Putting his arm under her butt, he lifted her while his other arm secured her back. Once he had her secured, he walked to the bedroom, then slowly released her onto the bed.

“I like your arms restrained. It’s a preview of what’s coming,” he said as he removed his clothes, displaying once more a sight she’d never get tired of seeing. Barron’s masculine beauty and perfect muscles, enhanced by the amazing tattoos, stopped her breathing. When he knelt before her, hungry eyes devouring all of her, and separated her legs, Yoanni’s heart nearly stampeded out of her chest.

Gently spreading her labia, he buried his face in her pussy. He loved her with slow-tasting caresses of his tongue and soft pulls on her thrumming clit. He kissed the bundle of excited nerves and pressed it with his lips and nose. His entire face was an instrument of loving arousal. And Yoanni couldn’t stop the oncoming climax.

“Oh, Daddy, I can’t hold on.”

“Is my little girl ready for her Daddy’s cock?”

“Yes, yes, yes.”

He didn’t make her wait. Crawling over her, he settled a pillow under her hips, then caged her between his arms. Snapping his hips, he impaled her in a single move. Elation and unspeakable delight surged in her.

She gasped as he rocked in and out of her in a maddeningly slow motion.

“Feel me, baby?”

“God, yes.”

“We’re going nice and slow. I’m enjoying this sweet pussy wrapped around my cock. You’re so hot and wet.”

He was in no hurry, except when he reached the top, he writhed his hips, going even deeper, then pulled to the edge again. On his next drive, her spasms exploded. Her orgasm was unstoppable .

“That’s it, babe. Give it to Daddy.”

This final urging did it. Yoanni let go, and she climaxed in a glorious storm until her last contraction was spent.

As her heartbeat slowed, Barron showered her face, head, and neck with tiny kisses. “Are you ready to eat now?”

She giggled. “I’m starved.”

More than hunger, a sense of utter completion and happiness, of belonging to Barron without reservation, took her soul.

An old conversation with Emily came to mind.

“No man loves like a Daddy. Their affection is three-dimensional.”

Yoanni finally understood what she meant.