Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

“Daddy? Someone just knocked on the door.”

“Let me go see what’s happening,” Caesar mumbled as he pulled himself from sleep.

She watched him roll onto his feet. He rubbed a hand over his face and seemed to magically erase his grogginess. As he walked out of the bedroom, Isla kind of missed the sleepy look that had softened the hard lines of his face. This side that he didn’t show the rest of the world made her feel more connected to him. He let her in closer than anyone else. When she heard Sadie’s voice, Isla rushed to join him at the door, tugging his oversized T-shirt down to cover her body.

“Hi!” she said, peeking around his massive form.

“Hi, Isla.” Sadie returned the greeting with a smile. “We’re going down to dinner. Want to ride with us?”

“I’m starving,” Isla admitted.

“Give us a minute to put on a few things, and we’ll join you,” Caesar said.

“Okay! Yay!” Sadie said and turned to rejoin her Daddy, who stood a short distance from their door.

Not wanting her friend to wait, Isla ran down the hall to grab her shoes and something to wear beside his large shirt.

“No running, Little girl.”

His strict tone immediately made her slow down. “Sorry.”

“I don’t want you to get hurt, Isla. Let me help you with your clothes and shoes,” he said as he followed. His long legs ate up the distance in a few steps.

“I can do it.”

“I know you can, but it’s more fun for Daddy to help.”

“More fun for me or you?” she asked, pushing back.

“Both of us, I hope.”

“I want to put my own shoes on,” she protested crankily. She didn’t know why she was being so obstinate.

“That’s one, Little girl. Don’t talk to your Daddy like that. You can definitely put on your own shoes. However, if you’re rude or speak in a mean tone two more times, I will spank your bottom, and it will be vastly different from a good-girl spanking.”

“Sure. Like you’ll ever spank me. I think that’s just part of the Daddy vocabulary.”

“That’s two. Want to go for three?” he said, looking at her with a steely gaze.

“Why not? I don’t think you’ll do it.”

“Excuse me, Isla. I’ll be right back.”

Caesar walked to the door and called to Rocco. “I need to take care of something. You two go on. We’ll be there in a few minutes.”

Returning to the room, Caesar took her hand and led her to the bed. He sat on the mattress and looked at her. “What’s going on, Isla? Have you decided you don’t want a Daddy, or are you pushing me to see how far you can push my limits?”

“I’m a grown woman. I get to choose what I do and what I don’t do,” Isla told him, trying not to be swayed by the solemn look on his face.

“You are very definitely an adult, Isla. I think there’s also someone very special inside you.”

“A Little girl?” she asked flippantly.

“Never make fun of your inner desires or anyone else’s. Little girls are brave and fierce. They have admitted to themselves that they need more than just a boyfriend or a husband. They need something special and rare.”

He lifted one hand and smoothed her hair from her cheek, tucking it behind her ear. “They need someone who cares about them so much they love their adult side and their inner needs.”

“You love me?” she asked, feeling her eyes widen in disbelief. Isla knew he cared about her, but…

“I love you, Little Fish. I understand that you’re struggling to adjust. Let’s put a pause on any talk about spanking. We haven’t talked about rules and consequences. Nor have we discussed any special circumstances you might have which are important for me to know.”

“Like what?”

“If you need alternatives to spanking or standing in the corner.”

“I don’t like those.”

“Consequences are not things you’re supposed to like. They’re deterrents to behaviors continuing. If used correctly, they make you think about and make safer choices,” he explained.

“What do you get out of them?” she challenged.

“Daddies care for their Littles. If they put themselves at risk or need their attitude changed, Daddies are there to help them make wiser decisions. Do you ever feel like your mind is going so fast you can’t even think?”

“Yes,” she admitted slowly.

“Sometimes, a Daddy can help you work through a challenge. Sometimes, you just need to stop thinking.” He paused and let her consider that.

Overwhelmed and unsure of what to do, Isla felt a tear course down her cheek. She looked down at her bare feet, trying to pull in her emotions. When Caesar drew her closer to stand between his legs, she walked forward in tiny baby steps to give him time to decide she wasn’t worth it.

He wrapped his arms around her and guided Isla to take a seat on one of his thighs. She leaned against him and hid her face in the nook of his shoulder.

“What’s going on, Isla? You can tell me anything,” Caesar said.

She took three big breaths and whispered, “I don’t want to be hurt.”

“From a spanking?”

“No, not physically, like in a spanking. I don’t want to let my guard down completely and have you show me how wonderful being your Little is. If you walked away now, I’d be devastated. If I let you be my Daddy completely and you decided I wasn’t the one you wanted, I’m scared I’d never recover.” A sob broke through her control as soon as she forced her confession out.

“Leaving you would tear my heart out, Isla. It’s not going to happen. You’re my Little girl. I love you today, tomorrow, and for as long as my heart beats,” he reassured her as he stroked her hair and shoulders.

“That’s hard to believe.”

“Why, Isla? What has made you not believe I’m telling you the truth?”

“Other people wouldn’t understand…”

“To hell with other people,” he interrupted, speaking firmly.

He gripped her shoulders to angle Isla away from his body. He tenderly wiped away her tears with the bottom of his shirt before meeting her gaze. Caesar said, “What goes on in our private life is only important to us. Don’t bring anyone else into our bedroom.”

She blinked at him as she digested that answer. He was right. No one needed to know what happened between the two of them. She’d never even considered what happened between the couples she knew back home.

Isla nodded. “I feel foolish.”

“You shouldn’t. We needed to talk. I never want you to panic like that. We need to discuss what’s bothering you when something starts—not when it festers.”

“You love me,” she repeated.

“I do.”

“I…”

“Tell me later when you’ve had time to think about everything. Saying I love you is too important to just use it as a response.”

“Okay.” She paused for a minute, then rushed to tell him, “I don’t have any kind of trauma in my life that makes spanking bad.”

“Good. Is there anything else we need to discuss before going to dinner?”

“Oh! They’re all waiting for me,” she said, appalled.

“They’ll eat without us if they need to,” he assured her.

“Are they going to think you spanked me?”

“Probably. Remember that there are five other Littles at the table. At least one of them is sitting on a hot bottom. They’re not going to judge you. If you don’t have consequences and are out of control, they’ll consider it my failing as a Daddy,” he shared.

“Oh! I don’t want them to think you’re a bad Daddy.”

“Are you planning on being out of control?” he asked.

“No.”

“Then they won’t worry about me. Or you. Come on, let’s wash your face and hands.”

He lifted her to stand next to him before rising from the mattress. Taking her hand, Caesar led Isla to the bathroom. There, he turned on the water to warm as he retrieved two washcloths. After wetting one, he smoothed the soft fabric over her face to erase the tear marks before drying it with the other one.

Caesar leaned in to press a soft kiss to her lips. “Remember, Little girl, you can tell me anything—anytime.”

“I’ll remember.”

“Good girl. Let’s get you dressed and go eat dinner.”

“Will you help me?” she asked, studying his face. Would he step back into his Daddy role, or had she ruined everything?

“Of course. Let’s go pick out something from the playroom.”

A few minutes later, they stepped out of the elevator to find everyone just settling in at the table. Caesar guided her to two empty chairs. Everyone called their hellos and smiled at her. To Isla’s relief, no one looked at her funny. They just looked happy to see her.

“Sushi tonight, Isla. Do you like it?” Sadie asked.

“I like the kind without raw fish,” Isla answered hesitantly.

“Me, too. Wait until you see how pretty it will be. The restaurant brings in a sushi team for a special treat every once in a while,” Zara said as Kestrel pushed the cart close to the table. “Watch!”

With a flourish, Kestrel lifted the cover off the first platter. While everyone oohed and aahed over the beautiful arrangement of the delicacies, he handed the large dish to Rocco to place in the center of the table. Soon, all the empty space on the table was filled with gorgeous displays.

“It’s so pretty I don’t even want to touch anything,” Juniper said, clicking her chopsticks together.

“I have the talking spoon here. Who wants to start tonight?” Celeste asked, picking up the fancy utensil and waving it.

“I’ll start,” Phoenix volunteered when no one else spoke up.

“Perfect!” Lyra said, clicking her chopsticks in the air as if applauding.

The other women joined Lyra’s celebration. Tentatively, Isla picked hers up and quickly fit them into place in her hand. She clicked with the other women. Their grins, when she took part in their fun, made her lips curve upward in response.

As everyone helped themselves to a variety of sushi, Caesar filled Isla’s plate with her favorites—California, cucumber, and avocado rolls. Several people popped bites into their mouths to enjoy when Phoenix started talking. Isla noticed he held the spoon in his hand.

“What’s going on?” Isla whispered.

“This is our tradition. Whoever is holding the talking spoon talks about their day and alerts everyone to any problems,” Caesar answered quietly.

“Do I have to talk?” she whispered, alarmed.

“If it makes you uncomfortable, no. But it’s fun being part of the group.”

Tuning back to the conversation, she heard Phoenix finish.

“So, we need to consider adding an additional parking lot and boat docks.” Phoenix passed the spoon to Lyra.

“I’ve got it on the list,” Magnus said.

Lyra cleared her throat before announcing, “I have a new piece of music I’m working on. Remember, if the screeching of wrong notes causes you pain, I can go elsewhere to practice.” She looked meaningfully at Isla.

“That was you I heard playing last night?” Isla asked in awe as she connected the dots between the soothing music she’d heard upstairs. “You’re amazing.”

“The cello has something to do with it, but yes, that was me. Please, let me know if it disturbs you,” Lyra requested with a gentle smile. “Sadie, it’s your turn.”

Isla loved how Lyra handled the end of the conversation. That made her role so much easier. She didn’t have to respond. If she’d had a chance to pick more interesting women to connect with through this team of men, Isla knew she would never have chosen so well.

After a few more people talked briefly, Magnus handed her the spoon. She felt nervous and didn’t understand why this felt important.

“Hi! Thank you for welcoming me. I could have never imagined that I would travel across the globe to get to New Zealand on a quest and find more than I ever dreamed. I’m super discombobulated by finding Caesar…” She cleared her throat and corrected herself, “Daddy. Thanks for all your support.”

Sadie stood and rushed over to hug Isla. The other Littles followed right behind her. Awkwardly, Isla stood to hug each one back. By the time she sat back down, she felt so much better. “Thank you for your friendship,” she whispered before passing the spoon on to Caesar.

He poured soy sauce into the small dish in front of her. Somehow, she’d forgotten to take care of that herself.

“Thanks,” she said.

“I’ve got you. Can I tell them?” he asked softly.

“Please.”

Turning to the group, Caesar announced, “We had our first diving exploration today and drew an observer. That boat’s actions concerned Jack to the extent that he recalled Isla and me to the surface early. It was definitely not idle interest in people diving. With that in mind, I spoke to Kingsley today. According to our leader, who seems to know everything, there’s a buzz about a map Isla inherited from her grandfather. She consulted a few divers back home, and one decided to post the information on a treasure hunters’ site. He suggested someone has been watching her ever since.”

“And that someone followed her here to Danger Bluff?” Sadie asked.

“At this point, we don’t think anyone from the resort is involved, but everyone should keep their eyes open,” Caesar suggested.

“Do you have a backup copy of the map?” Magnus asked.

“I didn’t let anyone take a picture of it and kept it shielded when I showed it to others,” Isla reported.

“Sounds like you thought ahead of time. I might suggest that you let me scan it. My computer system is secure,” the computer expert stated.

“Do you think it would give us some more information?” Isla asked, leaning forward eagerly.

“I do. I can chart the current to see where it might have swept something over time. Are you thinking it’s a chest?” Magnus asked.

Shaking her head, Isla admitted, “I have no idea.”

“Then, I’ll search for different weights, and we’ll see what comes up,” Magnus suggested.

“Thank you. You’ve all been wonderful,” Isla said, looking at the faces around the table.

“Help yourself to seconds and thirds, everyone,” Caesar encouraged. “There’s plenty still on the platters.”

Conversation flowed easily around the table as everyone discussed the topics of the day. Obviously, most revolved around the treasure map. That topic was too fascinating to ignore.

“Where did your grandfather get the map?” Juniper asked.

“He had a wild story in his log about finding it in the bathroom and then knowing who was really supposed to find it from the reaction of the next guy who walked out,” Isla said. “It was so obvious that that guy was dangerous that my grandpa just blended in with a random group meeting in the library.”

“That was so smart. That’s why no one was looking earlier. The map disappeared,” Celeste chimed in.

“Are there any clues about what the treasure could be?” Kestrel asked.

“None. It’s just a map. The initials NZ are on it, but in a strange, scripty font. I didn’t know which way was up for a while.”

“That sends shivers down my spine. What a mystery!” Sadie chimed in as she shifted onto her Daddy’s lap.

Isla glanced up at Caesar when she felt his hand wrap around her thigh. She leaned over to bump her shoulder against his. It was such a strange feeling. She hadn’t known him for that long, but already Isla felt more connected to him than anyone else she’d ever known. Whatever happened, she’d remember this moment in time when she’d found her Daddy.