Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Whatever Heaven’s hopes and fantasies had been… the events of the evening had exceeded them beyond her wildest dreams. She’d only hoped for Angel to come to a realization that he wanted to be her Daddy. Everything else was frosting on an amazingly decadent cake.

The sex had been hot. Amazingly, over-the-top hot. She could say, without a doubt, that it was the best sex she’d ever had. Which really wasn’t a shock because she could count how many times she’d had sex on one hand—with one finger left over.

Curled up in his arms afterward, she had a lot to think about. They talked a little, dozed on and off, and mostly just enjoyed each other. At some point they’d taken turns in the bathroom to clean up, before returning to bed.

Eventually she slipped into a real sleep and woke up to learn one of the best parts of being in a relationship… morning, sleepy sex. Well, she was sleepy. Her new Daddy was apparently very well-rested and had lots of energy.

The second engagement went quite a bit differently too. For one thing there was more kink in it, right from the start when she woke up to find him wrapping fur-lined leather cuffs around her ankles. “Um…”

He looked up, tossing his messy hair out of his eyes, and grinned. “Morning, Heaven. I hope you don’t have any plans for a couple of hours, because I like breakfast in bed.”

“Breakfast?” She frowned and then the expression smoothed as she realized what he meant. “Oh,” she said as her cheeks heated. “Me?”

“Yes… and you know, you have two more holes to claim. I wouldn’t want to leave you feeling like this wasn’t entirely real.”

“Daddy!” She was pretty sure he was teasing, but not… entirely.

Angel laughed. There was a wicked sparkle in his eyes, and despite the shock of what he’d said, there was a rush of excitement that made her wet. There was also a surge of nervousness. They’d already used up most of her prior experience.

He tightened the cuff on her left ankle. “But at least one of those is going to need some prep work, so we’ll save that for another day. We’re going to have lots of days together, you and I.”

“That sounds… perfect,” she admitted.

“Good. Now…” He moved quickly and flipped her over on her belly. “Let’s have you on your hands and knees.”

She thought he was going to use the cuffs to tie her legs down. Instead he connected a bar between her ankles so she couldn’t close them… and then he teased and tormented her for an eternity. It was her first real experience with edging.

And also her first experience at sensual spanking, which she quickly realized was a lot more fun than the punishment kind. The steady slapping of his palm across her bottom kept the sting just on the edge of being too much and she began to rock back, looking for more of it, especially when he’d stop and let his fingers play between her thighs.

When he switched from using his palm to the leather belt, she thought she’d explode into a million pieces. There was something incredibly sensual and sharp about the burning swatches the leather left across her skin. The intensity took her breath away, but every time it got close to being too much… his fingers would return to her greedy soaked sex to tease her back from one kind of overload, by urging her toward another.

By the time he finally let her come, she was a needy mess, begging him to take her. When he slid his hard length into her, it felt like the most perfect connection. They fit together just right, and when he was inside her body it was like they were one person.

It was an amazing morning, and she would have been happy to stay in bed all day, but that wasn’t possible.

“Nope. It’s Halloween, Heaven. I probably should have been setting up already, but you… were too enticing.” He laughed as he rolled off the bed and headed for the bathroom.

“Ugh. Well, I can wait here until you get back then.” It would give her an excuse to miss the party.

She’d made an effort to come around on the holiday. And so far it had been the best Halloween of her life, but she was still reluctant to dive right into the festivities. Maybe next year it would be different.

He stopped in the doorway and looked back. “Oh? Didn’t I tell you? Master Derek was going to ban you from the party for your shenanigans last night, but I reminded him that you probably wouldn’t consider that a punishment, so we came up with something else.”

Heaven frowned as she sat up. “Like what?”

“Well, aside from the spankings I owe you—”

“Spankings plural?”

He ignored her interruption and continued, “—which we’ll deal with later, you will be expected to fully participate in all of the Halloween festivities.”

“All of—”

“Including the party, the games, the trick-or-treating around the Ranch that’s been arranged… and of course you’ll need a costume.”

“But—”

He shook his head. “No buts, young lady. As soon as we’re showered and dressed, we’ll be heading over. I’ll set up the chocolate display, and you’ll go get ready with the other Littles. I’m sure there are plenty of costumes around, but if you can’t find anything let me know and I’ll help.”

Heaven’s brows drew together as her frown deepened. None of this was what she wanted to hear after the fantastic morning they’d had. “You can’t punish people by making them have fun,” she said in a huffy tone.

Angel just laughed. “Can’t I? Pretty sure as the Daddy, it’s my decision how you’re punished.” He paused and then shrugged. “Besides, I think this is going to be good for you. If you think it will trigger you, then I’m willing to listen. Otherwise… that’s the way it’s going to be.”

She couldn’t honestly say it would be unhealthy or upsetting. She’d as much as admitted to him already that avoiding Halloween was just a habit. She’d even enjoyed working on the chocolate display, but it did make her nervous.

They arrived at the main building just in time for lunch, and he left her at the cafeteria with a lingering kiss that had her floating as she went inside. It hadn’t been a subtle kiss either and there was a chorus of “Oooohhhs” and giggles from the watching Littles.

Everyone was in some kind of costume. Heaven vaguely remembered that they were allowed to wear them to class for the holiday. She hadn’t paid it much attention at the time. Judging by the excitement level there had probably also been some class parties with treats.

She grabbed her lunch and looked for an empty spot near one of her buddies. As luck would have it, there was a seat open next to Sadie and she slid into it gratefully. “So, um… I guess I need a costume for today. Anyone know where to find one?”

It turned out that everyone was excited to help, and that there was a closet full of costumes left over from previous years and Littles who had left. “There’s some in the gift shop too, if you can’t find anything you like, but honestly there should be plenty to choose from,” Sadie said.

The brunette looked pleased, not even trying to keep the grin off her face. “Now, about you and Angel… I heard you didn’t go back to the dorms last night. Does this mean…” She trailed off looking expectant.

Heaven Leigh widened her eyes, fixing Sadie with her most innocent look. “Really? Who told you that?”

Sadie shook off the question. “It doesn’t matter who. Is it true?”

“Maybe…” She refused to say anything else, but everyone around her speculated on what it all meant and she… well, she couldn’t really keep from grinning which was as good as admitting it.

“Okay, but what I want to know is… Heaven how much trouble are you in for the pranks?” someone asked.

“They were epic pranks! Did you see the faces on the Bigs who bit into the raw sprouts? I almost screamed!”

“The fake sprouts were so good though! I didn’t even know it was cake until I cut them.”

“How come you never told us you could make things like that, Heaven Leigh?”

That set off a riot of conversation around her. She barely had a chance to answer one question before there were several more being tossed at her.

Littles were often loud in a group, but today they were even louder than usual, and the way they all crowded around the table made Heaven nervous, but she tried to tune it out. She got why they were excited. She just really didn’t like to be the center of attention, especially when she was already anxious.

She turned her thoughts inward to block it all out. It was going to be her first official Halloween so there was that to think about. But Angel and her new relationship took center stage in her mind. She picked at her lunch while staring off into the distance and thinking about how his hands had felt on her body. He had such a way of knowing exactly what would—

“Heaven? Are you going to eat that… or just keep shredding it?” Sadie asked, both eyebrows up.

Heaven looked down at her plate and laughed. “Whoops. I guess I have a lot on my mind.”

“I just bet you have.” She grinned and leaned in, dropping her voice low. “He’s going to be a good match for you, Heaven. I can feel it.”

Heaven Leigh wasn’t going to argue. She nodded. “I think you’re right. Honestly, I never thought… I didn’t think I was anyone’s idea of a Little, but he seems to like me the way I am.”

“We all feel that way, you know? I mean, most of us do anyway. There’s this ideal that we think we’re supposed to fit into and if we don’t… we feel weird and out of place. But the truth is… everyone is weird in their own way. Any Daddy would be glad to have you, Heaven—but I’m glad it’s Angel.”

Heaven bit her bottom lip. She wanted to believe all of that. “Why Angel?”

Sadie hesitated and then looked around at their excited friends. They were talking about the pranks and what Heaven had done, but not really paying any attention to the soft conversation. “If you’re not going to eat that, let’s get out of here and go find you the perfect costume, okay?”

Heaven nodded and jumped to her feet to dump her tray. The excuse of having to get ready for Halloween was a good enough reason to bale, even though there was some good-natured complaining about it.

Once they left the cafeteria, Sadie hooked her arm through Heaven’s and leaned in so they could talk as they walked to the Littles’ Wing. “Did Angel tell you about um… his time before he came here?” It was clear she was nervous about breaking confidences.

“You mean about his wife dying? Yes, he did.”

Sadie let out a relieved sigh. “Good. It would have been awkward if he hadn’t. Him and my Daddy talk sometimes… you know deep stuff. And it took a long time for Angel to agree to let Daddy look for someone for him.”

“Well yeah, I mean grief is really hard to get past. Every time you turn around something else is reminding you of the person you lost. It hurts so much you feel like you can’t even breathe.” Just talking about it was doing that to her.

“I know, but it’s more than that, I think. You know they were kind of each other’s firsts. First loves but also first dynamics too. I think he was scared there would never be anyone who fit him just right. Before you…”

“Are you sure though? It’s all so new and we really don’t even know each other that well. We agreed last night. I mean he’s going to be my Daddy. I just… I hope it lasts.” If it didn’t, she was going to be crushed, so she’d been trying really hard not to even entertain the idea.

“I’m positive. And Daddy is positive too. He said he’s never seen Angel look at anyone the way he looks at you. He’s got an eye for this kind of thing and he’s almost never wrong.”

It was the “almost” that worried Heaven Leigh, but it was probably the closest thing to a guarantee she was going to get and she chose to accept it. She let out a long breath in a whoosh and grinned. “Well, then we better find the perfect costume, so he doesn’t have second thoughts.”

Sadie snorted. “As if.” She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. “Is this really going to be your first Halloween ever?”

“Yep.”

“Wow. Okay, well, now I really wish I had been able to talk Daddy into all the extra stuff.” She sighed. They both knew the strike would never have worked anyway.

“That’s okay. I mean I’m not going to have anything to compare it to anyway so whatever we do is still going to be a lot,” Heaven said.

Sadie brightened. “That’s true! I hadn’t even thought of that. Well, it will be the best first Halloween, and we’ll just have to top it next year.”

That was somewhat alarming. “Oh, no. Really, it’s fine. You don’t need to—”

Sadie talked right over her. “You know… I think I remember a costume from a few years ago that might just be perfect in a really weird way. Let’s go check the closet and see if it’s still there.”

It took fifteen minutes of digging before she cried out, “Aha! Found it.” She popped up, waving it by the hanger, and Heaven put down a hat she’d been looking at to go and see.

It wasn’t a subtle costume, and she knew almost immediately what it was supposed to be. “Um… is this…”

“Yes! C’mon, you know it will be perfect.” And then Sadie’s smile dropped away, and she looked mortified. “Oh no… wait. Is this insensitive? I’m sorry. I know a little tiny bit about your history, but I didn’t really connect it…”

Heaven had been jolted when she saw the costume. Her stomach had clenched and not in a good way, but now she reached out a hesitant hand to take it from Sadie. “Actually…” She trailed off, thinking about it hard and fast.

Once the initial shock had drained away, new feelings emerged and it kind of did make a weird sort of sense. And aside from that, her parents would have been furious. Not that they wouldn’t already have been just knowing she was celebrating Halloween, but this would have sent them into a rage.

Her mouth slowly stretched into a grin. “Actually, I love it. And you’re right, it’s perfect.”

Sadie let out the breath she’d been holding. “Oh good. Um, there’s a bag of accessories hanging from the back. You’ll want the headband and tail.” She frowned. “There should be one more piece… hold on.” She dove back into the cluttered memories of prior holidays, and after a frantic scramble, emerged again with the final piece. “Got it! You’ll need this!”

Heaven snorted. The plastic was battered but it did top off the whole outfit. “Well, I guess I better go try it on and see if it fits.”

In the privacy of her room, she wiggled into the tight costume. It was a little too small for her generous hips, but once she got it over them, it seemed to settle into place. She’d probably need to be careful about bending over, but otherwise it would work.

She moved in front of the mirror on the back of the door. After a hesitation she gave in and took a good long look at herself. The blue eyes she saw reflected back seemed like they were filled with excitement for the first time in a while.

There was still grief. That didn’t just magically go away because she’d fallen in love and acquired the Daddy of her dreams, but it had moved back to allow for other feelings, happier feelings. Barbara probably would be thrilled to know that Heaven Leigh was finally, finally starting to move on.

She could imagine what her parents would say if they could see her now, and the customary flash of guilt was just absent. So maybe it hadn’t just been the grief she’d been holding onto. Maybe… losing Barbara had just stirred up all the older painful emotions she’d never dealt with, and the combo had been the reason for the overwhelming sadness.

Getting a Daddy wasn’t a magical fix. Having Angel in her life didn’t make everything all better, but doors worked both ways. When she’d opened it to let him in, she’d been able to let some of the suppressed pain out and now there was hope in its place.

Hope, she decided, was a very good thing to be filled with. Definitely better than the alternative.

There was a banging and she jumped.

“How long does it take to put on a costume, Heaven Leigh! We’re going to miss the fun,” Sadie called through the door.

Heaven yanked it open, one hand on her hip. “I wasn’t taking that long and there’s going to be fun all afternoon and night. We can’t possibly miss much.”

Sadie ignored all that. She looked Heaven up and down and grinned. “I knew it would be perfect on you.” She pursed her lips, considering. “We should do your hair in pigtails. It will be adorable for that costume.”

“I thought you were in a hurry?”

“I am, but some things take priority.” Despite her impatience, they took the time to fix Heaven’s hair and then anchored the headband back in place. “There! Now, move your butt because we’re missing everything.”

Heaven rolled her eyes but laughed and followed Sadie down to the first floor. They merged with a group of Littles carrying treat buckets and she got to add trick-or-treating to her list of firsts. Her initial reluctance was left by the wayside as she let go and joined in on the fun.

As hard as it was to believe, before long she was starting to think Halloween might just end up being one of her favorite holidays—or at least one she looked forward to.

She didn’t see her new Daddy until later, when the party officially started, and when she arrived at the event room, she could see he was still fussing with the chocolate display, but it had come together nicely and sprawled across the center of the table.

The mock-up hadn’t done it justice. And seeing the smaller pieces really hadn’t prepared her for seeing the entire thing in its glory. She’d already known he had skills, but this… this was something else.

There were even parts that moved. At one end, a chocolate fountain had been set up to look like a waterfall and fat white marshmallows at the base took the place of foam.

The witch was working exactly as designed and did appear to be flying high overhead. She was pleased to note that you could barely tell the tree was supporting her. It was beautiful and people were clustered around the table complimenting him on his work.

She stayed back, letting him soak up the praise with a half-smile on her face. That man was her Daddy now and his talented hands were all hers too. It was a pleasure just to look at him and the way his dark curls spilled over the back of his shirt collar.

Maybe he felt the weight of her gaze on him because he turned suddenly to see her there. His eyes widened as he looked her up and down and then burst into laughter. “Okay, I wasn’t expecting that,” he admitted.

She grinned and lifted her arms so he could take in the full affect of the red spangles and the plastic pitchfork. “No? It was Sadie’s idea, but you have to admit it’s perfect.” She even turned so he could see the tail dangling from the back. It ended with a heart-shaped tip that was also covered in spangles and didn’t quite touch the ground.

He crooked a finger to call her over and she went willingly. As soon as she was within reach, his arms slid around her, pulling her up tight against his body. “So, I’m an angel and you’re my little demon?”

She grinned. “For tonight anyway. I’m not much of a hellraiser in general, but for tonight I could probably manage some trouble if you like.”

One eyebrow went up. “Someone forgot they are already in trouble.”

“Well, I thought you might change your mind since I’m cooperating with the holiday stuff.” The hopeful note in her voice was exaggerated on purpose.

“You wish. Nope, you get one day of mercy and tomorrow we take care of those pranks. I can’t have Master Derek thinking I’m a soft Daddy, now can I?” He leaned in so his lips brushed her earlobe. “Besides, I’m looking forward to turning your bottom bright red again. Maybe I’ll even add a few lines this time, for decoration.”

A shiver rolled down her back and she made a muffled whimpering sound. “Mean Daddy. You’re supposed to be nice on holidays.” Not that she didn’t love this stricter side of him, because it was scary hot.

He chuckled. “Too bad I’m the one who makes the rules, I guess.” He released his grip and turned to gesture at the table. “So, what do you think?”

“I think it’s freaking amazing and I’m so proud that you’re my Daddy,” Heaven said firmly. “I honestly can’t even believe you did all of this in that tiny space. I mean, I saw you working on it, but seeing it all in one piece is just… incredible.”

She shook her head. The longer she looked the more intricate detail work she saw. She wasn’t the only one who was impressed, but she might have been the only one who fully understood the amount of work that went into planning something so elaborate.

“You were a big help, mi corazón, and I enjoyed working with you. In fact, I’d like to plan some projects with you, using both of our skill sets. I think we could really do some amazing things together.”

“Really?” She threw her arms around his waist and buried her face against his chest to muffle the happy squeal that couldn’t be restrained. It was probably the best suggestion she’d ever heard. Not only did she get to be with this man, in his arms, in his bed, but they got to keep working together? There couldn’t be a happier ending than that, as far as she was concerned.

“Really, chiquita. I’ve already got some ideas,” he assured her.