9. Chase

That simple one-word answer meant so much to him. Even though she barely knew him, she trusted him enough to take a chance and he was going to do everything in his power not to fuck it up.

"Good. I'd like that too. So here's what we're going to do. We're going to go eat lunch at the Otter Café and then we'll go see the animals afterward. While we're at lunch, we'll go over your rules for the day and any limits you may have that I should immediately know about. After the aquarium, we'll go from there."

A soft smile spread across her lips, and he couldn't resist leaning over the middle console to press a gentle kiss to her mouth. She smelled sweet, like peach pie and bubble gum. He didn't linger as long as he would have liked, but they were pulled over on the side of the road and this trip wasn't about doing any of the depraved things he'd thought about since they'd first met. This was about getting to know each other, so he laced his fingers with hers and used his free hand to steer the SUV toward the aquarium.

He held her hand through the parking lot. Every time she noticed another concrete sea animal statue, there was a skip in her step, and he found it adorable.

When they got up to the ticket counter, she pulled off her small backpack and grabbed her wallet. He let out a low growl that made her look up at him with wide eyes as he handed the cashier his credit card.

"Little girls don't ever pay," he whispered in her ear.

Her mouth dropped open into an O and he was pleased when she quickly zipped up her backpack and took the hand he was holding out for her.

It had been years since he'd been to the aquarium. Hell, he couldn't even remember the last time he'd had a reason to go, but with as excited as Bella was about it, he would start going every week if it made her this happy.

"Can we see the otters first?"

He grinned and tugged her in the opposite direction. "After we get some food in your tummy."

She sighed dramatically, and he shot her a look with a raised brow that seemed to do the trick because she quickly righted her expression and smiled up at him.

"Good girl. I think you'll like the Otter Café. One of the walls is all glass and looks into the otter pool so you might get to see them while we eat."

"Ohhh! Okay!"

The café was busy, but he was able to grab a table close to the glass wall. Bella was practically grinning from ear to ear as she looked around the restaurant. The entire theme was otters and sea life.

"Any foods you don't like or are allergic to?"

"Ummm… I really hate mushrooms and green beans. Yuck. Oh, and cauliflower. Ew."

He chuckled when she scrunched up her nose as she spoke. She was definitely in a Little headspace, and he loved seeing her like that.

"Can I order for you?"

Bella nodded as she looked at the otter pool with wonder in her eyes. "‘Kay."

As soon as the server came to their table, he ordered food and drinks for both of them, then turned his attention to the sweet woman sitting across from him.

"I'd like to set some rules for today while we're here. Just a few things to keep you safe so I don't have to worry."

She eyed him and nibbled on her bottom lip. Without thinking, he reached out and tugged it free. Her pupils dilated at his touch and his cock thickened against the zipper of his jeans.

"First rule: I want you to hold my hand at all times unless I give you permission to step away. There are a ton of people here and I don't want you to get lost. Okay?"

"Okay."

He nodded, "Good. Second, if I do give you permission to step away, you must stay in sight of me at all times. If you wander off, you're going to be in trouble."

"Tr-trouble?"

The look in her eyes told him she was both intrigued and unsure about the possibility of being in trouble.

"Yes. If you break the rules today, you will be in trouble. Since we don't have a dynamic yet, I won't spank you or anything major but I will make you sit down for a timeout or write lines when we get back to your place. Or I won't allow you to get special treats. Fair?"

"Well, I don't know about fair, but I agree."

He grinned at her. "Good girl."

The server dropped off their meals and, without thinking, he reached over to her plate and touched one of her chicken strips to check the temperature. They were way too hot, so he started tearing the chicken apart so it would cool faster. She watched him with interest, a smile on her lips. It made him wonder if her ex had ever taken care of her in such a simple way.

"It's hot. Blow on it before you take a bite," he warned.

A blush spread over her face, and she ducked her head. "Thank you," she said softly.

"You're welcome, little one."

They ate in companionable silence, and he was pleased to see her healthy appetite. He'd always hated it when women were too nervous to eat in front of him, but Bella didn't suffer from that problem.

"Good girl eating all your lunch. I'm proud of you."

That blush rose on her cheeks again. "I eat too much."

What the fuck?

He reached over and grabbed hold of one of her hands. "No. You don't. You could never eat too much, and if your ex ever told you that, he was wrong. I love that you eat. I want a healthy Little girl. Understand?"

Her lips pulled back into a smile as she nodded. "Yes."

"Good. Now, let's go see some otters."

When she slid her hand into his without prompting, he gave her fingers a squeeze and murmured, "Good girl."

The otters weren't far from the café, and as soon as they got there, Bella was practically hopping up and down with excitement. When a space opened up right at the enclosure window, she tugged free of his hand and hurried over to it. Silently, he followed her. As she stood with her back to him, looking for the small animals, he leaned down so his mouth was close to her ear. "Did you get permission to let go of my hand?"

She shuddered as she turned and looked up at him, goosebumps rising on her skin. On the inside, he was pleased with her response. His cock liked it too, but on the outside, he raised a stern eyebrow at her.

"Sorry," she whispered.

He kissed the top of her head. "That's your one and only warning today, baby otter."

With a slow nod, she reached out and took the hand he held out for her. He gave her a smile of approval and wrapped his other arm around, pulling her back against his chest.

"There!" She pointed toward the enclosure where several small otters played with a ball.

"Yeah, baby. Good job finding them," he cooed.

When she relaxed against him, he pressed another kiss to the top of her head. They continued to watch the animals for nearly an hour until she started squirming against him, making his cock harden against her ass.

"Do you need to go potty, Bella?"

A light whimper escaped her lips. "I don't wanna leave the otters."

He chuckled and started tugging her away from the enclosure. "We can come back and see them in a bit. You don't want to have an accident, do you?"

Her cheeks turned bright pink and she shook her head. "No."

By the time they made it to the bathroom, she was doing the potty dance and he made a mental note to take potty breaks more frequently.

As soon as she returned, she tugged him toward another exhibit. He didn't mind it one bit. He loved that she was so deeply submersed in Little Space.

They walked around and looked at every animal in the aquarium. By the time they made it back to the otter enclosure one last time, he could tell she was getting tired and he wondered if she'd let him put her down for a nap when he took her back to her place.

She tugged free of his hand and darted toward the large glass windows. As soon as he caught up to her, he wrapped a hand around her wrist. "You didn't have permission to pull away."

Her wide eyes looked up at him and he almost faltered. Almost. But he'd been a Daddy a long time and he firmly believed one of the worst things a caregiver could do was to not follow up on a broken rule.

"Go sit on that bench over there facing the wall," he said pointing toward a concrete bench off to the side of the enclosure.

"I didn't mean to."

He nodded. "I'm sure you didn't, but we talked about the rules and you broke one so now you're going to sit in timeout for ten minutes. Start moving, Little girl, before I add on more time."

She glanced at the empty bench and dropped her shoulders as she started walking toward it. When she sat in the direction he'd instructed, he set his phone timer and stood near her with his arms crossed over his chest. To anyone else, it looked as though she were sitting down for a break from walking.

At the seven-minute mark, she looked up at him. "Is it over yet?"

"No talking, or I'll add more time. Three minutes left."

He almost smiled when she let out a long and dramatic sigh. Little did she know that having to wait ten minutes without touching her was a punishment for him too. It was difficult not to reach out and give her a reassuring pat. She needed this, though. He had a feeling her piss-poor excuse of a husband had never properly taken care of her. It was obvious that being Little was one of her needs, just as being a Daddy was one of his.

When his timer sounded, she glanced up at him but didn't stand until he nodded. "Come here."

She rose and was in his arms almost instantly. He held her close and kissed the top of her head. "Good girl. Thank you for accepting your punishment. You did very well. No more pulling away. I don't want you to get lost. You're too Little to wander around here by yourself."

A shiver shook her body and she nodded. "I'm sorry I was naughty."

He kissed the top of her head again. "You're forgiven. Now, let's finish up with the otters and then we'll get an ice cream cone before we go."

The way her face lit up made his whole damn day and he knew he was going to make her his one day.