Chapter 17

In the wee hours of the morning, Juniper woke up wrapped in her Daddy’s arms with Beaky snuggled against her cheek. She froze, not wishing to disturb either one as she memorized this moment. Surely, she wouldn’t be lucky enough to live this blissfully for long.

Her secret popped into her head. She needed to tell her Daddy that she knew a lot about computers. Maybe even as much as he knew. Maybe different things. She had no doubt that he always worked for the good guys while she preferred to focus on her financial goals. Juniper never sought out a gig that would have negative results for someone—but that little voice in the back of her mind had warned her several times, and she’d ignored it.

Lalalalalalalalalala!She sang the syllables silently, trying to push away her regrets.

“You’re thinking very hard, Little girl.” Her Daddy’s growly voice startled her, and she jumped.

“Daddy! I didn’t know you were awake.”

“I wasn’t until your thoughts ricocheted around the room. Do you need to talk about something?”

“Oh! No! Everything is good. I was just thinking how much I’m treasuring our time together,” she said, revealing part of her thoughts, trying to be as honest as possible so he couldn’t tell she wasn’t telling him everything.

“Hmm. We are pretty lucky,” he mumbled.

“Go back to sleep, Daddy,” she urged. “I won’t think hard anymore.”

Juniper closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind. Now that she wasn’t supposed to ponder anything, all sorts of things popped into her brain. How was she supposed to go back to sleep with all these ideas ping-ponging through her mind?

The touch of her Daddy’s warm lips on her neck made her shiver. “Sorry,” she whispered. “I’m trying.”

“Let Daddy help calm your mind,” he suggested before kissing down the cord of her throat.

It felt so good. Immediately, those errant thoughts disappeared as she wiggled closer to his hard body.

“That’s my Little girl.”

His hands tugged the bottoms of her favorite sleeping clothes. The elastic waist of her baby-blue shorts stretched easily to allow him to stroke down her abdomen and cup her mound. He squeezed the soft skin slightly, and she could feel her juices gathering as her body skyrocketed with need. Sneaking Beaky out from between them, Juniper twisted slightly to set him on her nightstand, facing the wall. He did not need to see what her Daddy had in mind to help clear her mind.

* * *

The next time Juniper opened her eyes, she yawned big and stretched her hands over her head. “Daddy?”

She turned over from her side and found the space next to her was empty. Smoothing her hand over the crisp sheets, she discovered that they were cool to the touch. He’d been gone for a while.

Immediately, she knew where he had to be. The team relied on him to keep an eye on so many things. His job was never-ending and happened at all hours. She crossed her fingers, hoping that nothing dangerous had happened.

Scooting out from under the covers, she headed for the bathroom. When she emerged a few minutes later, Juniper discovered a pair of multicolored leggings, pink-ruffled panties, and an oversized T-shirt in her favorite shade of blue. There was a note.

Virtual hugs from Daddy. Come get a real one when you wake up.

She wrapped her arms around herself and squeezed before quickly donning the clothes he’d laid out while she’d slept. There wasn’t a bra. Juniper hesitated. Had he forgotten it? She’d noticed that the other Littles didn’t seem to wear them. Maybe Daddies didn’t think they needed to wear uncomfortable big girl clothes. Making her decision, she pulled the shirt over her head and smoothed it into place.

Checking the mirror on the dresser, she knew there was no way any of the guys wouldn’t notice her free status. Juniper thought back on all the time she’d spent with the team. They were always nice and friendly. She had no doubts they would protect her with their lives. However, she wasn’t their Little.

Juniper smiled at her reflection and stepped into the comfortable slippers he’d left for her. She made the bed and tucked Beaky into the space he loved most. After pausing to kiss her stuffie, she headed out of the apartment to see if anyone was up.

A faint sound came from the door with the black cat. Without considering what she did, Juniper walked a bit closer. She could hear Celeste crying. She gripped the handle to open the door to check on her and jumped almost out of her skin when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

“Celeste needed her Daddy’s attention this morning. She doesn’t need ours,” Zara said softly.

It took a couple of seconds for Juniper to process what was going on. “Oh! I’m sorry.”

“You’ll get used to how Daddies and Littles function as you settle in. It’s okay. No one expects you to know everything. Want to go get some breakfast with me?” Zara asked.

Juniper’s stomach growled at the suggestion. “I’m starving.”

“Let’s go.”

Zara linked her arm around Juniper’s, and they dashed to the elevator. Almost instantly, the door opened, and the two stepped inside.

“Thank you, Magnus,” Zara called into the air.

“Daddy knows we’re on our way?”

“Your Daddy knows everything. He’s kind of scary that way. He’s kept all of us safe over and over again. We all appreciate him.”

“He’s amazing to me as well,” Juniper shared, feeling her face heat with embarrassment.

Zara bumped her shoulder against Juniper’s. “That’s the way it’s supposed to be with your Daddy.”

Juniper nodded. It all made so much sense to the other Littles. She realized they didn’t question their lives. They just enjoyed the private attention. “Thanks for keeping me from making a mistake.”

“Of course,” Zara said, squeezing Juniper’s arm in a partial hug as the doors opened.

Magnus stood just outside the opening, and she ran to him for a real hug as Zara headed for the big table to see what treats awaited for breakfast.

Magnus lifted her and twirled her around as he hugged her tight. “Morning, Juni. I’m glad you slept in a bit,” he said as he set her feet back on the floor a few seconds later.

“You were so quiet when you got up. I didn’t hear you at all. Thank you for laying clothes out for me.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there to help you into them,” Magnus said, his lips twitching. “Let me see this outfit now.”

He stepped back to scan her body and smiled. “You look adorable. Is everything comfortable?” His hand smoothed over her bottom.

“I love it. The color is so pretty.” Juniper leaned forward to whisper, “I’m not wearing a bra.”

Magnus followed her motion and placed his lips next to her ear. “Good girl.” He cupped one full breast and rubbed his thumb lightly over her nipple before stepping out of her way.

“Go get breakfast. Porridge or cold cereal,” he said, giving her a light swat to her bottom to get her moving.

“Daddy,” she whispered furiously.

“There’s more where that one came from,” he teased. “Get your bowl and sit with Zara so she doesn’t eat alone.”

“Yes, Daddy.”

To her delight, she discovered that porridge looked like what she would call oatmeal. Maybe there were different grains in there…? There were also yummy things to add: pieces of kiwi fruit, dark honey, some jam, and walnuts. She loaded her bowl, feeling hungrier than normal and smirking at that thought.

That’s all Daddy’s fault.

When she sat down with Zara, the beautiful Little complimented her choices. “Ooh, you have some Manuka honey. It’s so yummy. You’ll have to try the feijoa compote someday.”

“Is there something special about the honey? And what’s feijoa compote?” Juniper asked as she scooped up her first bite. “That’s yummy.”

“It is. Manuka honey is made by the bees here in New Zealand. It’s very healthy for you. The feijoa is a fruit. I could slather all the jam they make here at the resort all over Daddy and lick it off.”

Laughter-turned-coughing emanated from Magnus’s workspace.

“Daddy! This is a private conversation,” Juniper told him pertly.

“Daddies take care of their Littles,” Magnus reminded her with a stern look that made her forget her thought of correcting him. “We’re always listening to prevent poor choices that might warrant correction.”

“Oops!”

Turning back to her food, Juniper hurriedly took a bite. “Mmmm. This is good.”

“Porridge Day is one of my favorites,” Zara shared.

The two Littles chatted easily. Juniper loved finding out new things about the resort and the other Daddies. It all seemed like a modern-day fairy tale that the six men had come together to form a team. Their relationship felt much closer than just a random group. Maybe it was because they were all Daddies…?