Chapter 8

Mandi waseverything Amelia could have dreamed of.

Soft, cupid bow lips pressed against hers with a gentle eagerness that almost undid her, and then Amelia was sliding her fingers through the thick strands of the redhead's hair, cradling her head between her hands as Amelia kissed her back.

And then Mandi sighed. She sighed, like she was some heroine in a romance novel, and just melted against Amelia; hips and tits molding themselves against her. In that moment she wanted nothing more than every inch of clothing covering Mandi banished, so that she could slide her hands down to hold that bare ass and pull her girl tight in against her.

"Ahem."

Amelia released Mandi's lips and turned to find Sadie at the door to her office, which she'd left open for some unknown reason.

Grinning cheekily, Sadie said, "Miss Grayson, Daddy wanted to know whether Mandi had settled in okay. What should I tell him?"

Mandi blushed bright red, and backed away, almost tripping over a pile of books in her hurry.

Amelia caught her before she could fall and pulled her in close. Full romance novel vibes of her own went into action right then and there. Meeting Mandi's eyes, she smiled and said, "Hey, petal, it's all good. It's only Sadie, being mischievous as ever." Turning her head toward the door once more, she added, "And don't you know you should knock, Sadie Hawkins?"

Sadie's grin spread even wider. "I did. You were just too… um, occupied to hear it."

"Oh." Well, it wasn't Sadie's fault; she'd been kissing her sweet girl into oblivion. "Mandi, would you like to go with Sadie and tell her and Master Derek all about what we've discussed?"

Mandi's eyes were wide even before she began to shake her head from side to side. "Do I have to? Can't you do it?"

Amelia had to hold firm, or she'd find herself giving in to every demand that came from those sweet, sweet lips.

"No, little one, not this time. It's important for you to do it, because it's a change to the form you filled out." She waited for a couple of breaths before clarifying, "If what we discussed is truly what you'd like to explore going forward that is."

"It is," Mandi said without a moment's hesitation.

"It is?" Sadie's eyes were wide.

Mandi nodded, her delight painted across her face.

Amelia smiled and dropped a kiss on top of her girl's head. "Okay then, you hop along and do that, and then maybe head out to play with Sadie afterward for a bit. We can talk about what you're going to be doing in the library when you're working after you get back."

"Okay, Mommy."

Amelia was delighted with the immediate address, as well as noticing Mandi was the one to link arms with Sadie this time, and as the two of them headed off together, Mandi was actually contributing to the conversation. She was so proud of her girl.

Her girl.

Hadn't it only been that morning that she'd told Derek she wasn't looking for a Little of her own?

Instead, this parcel of anxious adorableness had landed in her lap—almost literally—and now she was second guessing every decision she'd ever made.

It wasn't like Amelia hadn't played with people before. She'd even toyed with the idea of having a Little of her own. But her life had been hard, and her family less than supportive when she'd come out, and she just didn't know what being a good Caregiver was.

Well, perhaps she hadn't originally, not with her own horrendous examples of parents at least. But she'd seen Derek look after so many of the Littles and submissives who'd walked through those iron gates, seen him fall in love and look after Sadie in an entirely different way.

She knew now what it took to keep someone you loved safe, and maybe it was those observations and knowledge that now changed the way she was seeing Mandi.

Before, she'd have argued she didn't have the time or the inclination to take one Little under her wing, but Derek asked for very few things, and he'd given her so much. Given her the librarian job, an apartment, and then a house when she'd decided to stay on at Rawhide permanently. She was paid well, fed well, and wanted for very little.

Apart from a Little.

She hadn't Dommed anyone, one on one, in a long time, and hadn't slept with anyone for even longer. It just hadn't held much of an interest for her. Her demisexuality meant that she rarely felt sexual attraction to strangers. She could appreciate beauty—sure—but that didn't mean she wanted to sleep with someone just for the hell of it.

She needed to form a bond, a connection with someone before she'd begin to feel any kind of sexual attraction.

And somehow, that connection was there with Mandi.

Ten years working at Rawhide and zilch.

One morning with Mandi and her entire life had been turned upside down.

Mandi, who was sweet and kind, and loved books and wanted to cook a meal for her new friend, and who was leaving in a week.

Fuck.

The reality of that sunk in and Amelia thought she might be sick. One week? One week was all she got to spend with this woman, this woman with red hair and gray eyes that spoke of a soul a thousand years old?

A week couldn't possibly be enough.

But it would have to be.

She would fill this week with a thousand memories; would make it the perfect week for her perfect girl; and then send her off into the world, whole and loved. Even if she knew her own heart would be broken.