Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Lyra gasped as she awoke with a start. She opened her eyes wide and panicked. Where was she? She was used to waking up in a different room every few nights, but this one was different.

Then it all came back to her in a rush—the car accident, the giant man who'd pulled her from the window, the long talks they'd had getting to know each other so that it seemed like she'd known him for years instead of hours.

She looked around the room, remembering that she was in a Little girl's playroom. She'd slept hard, not moving a single time in the night. Now, judging by the sunlight peeking in around the blinds, it was late morning. She never slept past six…seven at the latest.

"Lyra?"

She turned to find Phoenix easing into the room and giggled before she could stop herself.

His brow furrowed as he smiled. "What's so funny?"

"You're real."

"Last I checked," he teased as he approached. "I hope I didn't wake you. I was trying to be as quiet as possible. You were so tired last night." He sat on the edge of the bed where he'd been last night, his hand coming to her tummy over the covers.

"I slept so well. Thank you for letting me stay here." She glanced around again. The thought of not staying here another night made her sad. But she should probably get out of his hair. He couldn't possibly have meant for her to stay indefinitely. He'd simply been being polite and kind last night.

He chuckled. "Lyra, this is your room. You'll sleep in here as often as you want. Hopefully not at night, but certainly for naps."

She frowned. "Why don't you want me to stay in here at night?" His words confused her.

He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Because eventually, I hope you'll prefer to sleep in Daddy's bed at night. Now that I've met you, my bed felt lonely last night."

"Oh." Maybe he was real.

"We don't do much cooking on this floor. Usually, we order most of our meals from the restaurant on the first floor. I had them bring up a few options for you. I figured you might wake up starving. The chefs are amazing. I've gained ten pounds since I've moved here."

She laughed. "Muscle mass, I assume. I don't see any fat on you anywhere. Have you already worked out for two hours this morning?"

"Guilty." He gave her a fake wince. "I didn't want to leave you to go out and run or hit the weights in the workout room, so I made do with crunches and pushups in my room."

Wow. He really had worked out. "I hope you don't expect me to join you. I'm not much of a morning person, and I only run if someone is chasing me." She sobered at that statement. There was a possibility someone was chasing her. Boyd.

He must have read her mind because he patted her stomach and said, "How about we get you fed and dressed? After that, we'll go downstairs so you can meet some of the other Littles and Daddies. Magnus can get your thumbprint in the system. Then you can tell me more about what Boyd's intentions might be, and I'll share about what my job is."

She wasn't sure she fully understood what he meant by everything he'd said, but her stomach grumbled at that moment.

Phoenix stood, pulled the covers back, and held out a hand. "Food."

Cool air rushed over her skin, and Lyra looked down to see her T-shirt had bunched up around her ribcage, exposing the undercurve of one of her breasts. "Sorry!"

She tugged down her shirt before she took his hand to stand up. "I should put some clothes on first."

He pulled her against his chest. "Little girl, you won't have secrets from Daddy. I will know every inch of your body very soon. There's no need to hide your pretty legs from me. I'm already aware of how sexy and smooth they are. I've seen the way your pretty nipples pebble beneath your shirt, and I'm aware that every time I Daddy you, your legs clamp together to get pressure against your pussy." He lifted a brow.

She was panting. "Okay, Daddy." The word slid out of her mouth so easily, and it made him smile so broadly it was totally worth it.

"Now, breakfast. Does Harry like scrambled eggs or pancakes better?"

"Harry likes to sleep in. I usually just tuck him under my pillow," Lyra said.

"Of course, lurking under pillows like all spiders do. I'm never going to sleep again," Phoenix shared with a wink as he helped her pull up the sheets, covering Harry.

"Are you going to check for creepy crawlers under your pillow tonight?" she teased.

"Tonight and every other night for the rest of my life," he confessed as he led her to the small kitchenette. "It will be better than imagining something under my pillow as I try to fall asleep."

"They're not really going to be there," she assured him, surprised to find herself skipping beside him to keep up with his long legs.

Phoenix raised a hand to cross his fingers. "Take a seat on one of the barstools," he directed. "Since Harry's not here to vote on breakfast, you'll have to tell me what you like."

"I don't ever eat breakfast. A cup of coffee would be amazing."

"You need something in your stomach. I'll get you some cinnamon toast to nibble on," he told her.

"Okay," she said with a shrug. She could nibble on it if it made him happy.

Watching him work around the kitchen, she relaxed.

It had been so long since she'd just done nothing. Lyra loved practicing. She lost herself in the music. But it was fun to just hang out with this intriguing man. She had actively worked to limit her time with Boyd. He was so negative it was draining to be in the same space with him.

A fresh cup of coffee appeared in front of her, interrupting her thoughts. Lyra looked up and smiled. He watched her pick up the cup and take a tentative sip. Creamy and just slightly sweet, he'd somehow known just how she took it with milk and sugar.

"Thank you. This is amazing."

"You're welcome, Little girl."

He turned to grab toast and slathered it with butter and a good supply of cinnamon and sugar. After slicing it into fingers, he placed the plate in front of her. To be nice, she picked up one thin slice and took a bite.

"Oh, my, God," she mumbled as she chewed. "This is the best thing ever."

"Eat, Lyra. You need something in your tummy."

Wiggling happily in her chair, she alternated bites and sips as he crafted another piece and grabbed a cup of black coffee for himself. He slid into the seat next to her and replaced her empty dish with the new one. Without hesitating, Lyra picked up another and munched on it.

"You are the master of cinnamon toast. Do you have this for breakfast every day or something?" she questioned.

"I'm glad you like it. I make toast for my nieces at Christmastime. It's a tradition. My mom used to do it for us as kids."

"That's fun. She's gone now?" Lyra asked.

"She is. Unfortunately, she died in a house fire when I was eighteen. That's why I became a fireman. I wanted to help people," Phoenix explained. "There was only me and my sister left. She was married with her first child on the way. Not wanting to be a burden on her, I joined the Army. They trained me during my military service. When I got out, I randomly chose a place in the U.S. and applied to be a firefighter."

"That was before you moved here?" Lyra asked.

"Yes. I came here because I needed to repay a favor. The man who assembled the team saved me from a bad situation and offered me a way out."

"Did you do something wrong?"

Phoenix shook his head. "I didn't, but I was set up and accused of arson."

"That doesn't make any sense. I've just met you, and I know you wouldn't do that," Lyra said, feeling her ire blaze at the idea.

"Thank you for believing in me. Others didn't," Phoenix admitted.

"So what do you have to do to repay the favor?" Lyra asked.

"Protect you. There are six of us who were matched to work together. Each team member has received the responsibility of guarding someone from harm."

"Am I in danger?" Lyra asked.

"Our boss seems to think so. Who or what do you think is your biggest threat?" Phoenix probed.

"Boyd? He's definitely changed in the last few years. He won't talk to me but expects me to jump when he says go."

"Perhaps there's something bigger happening with him than we think. Or maybe he's just a jerk. Either way, I'm here to make sure you're safe and happy."

As everything came together in her mind, Lyra took another sip of her coffee. It tasted more bitter than it had before. She pushed the last of the delicious toast away from her and forced herself to ask. "So, I'm just a job to you?"

Phoenix swiveled his chair to face her and pulled her seat close to him. He took the coffee cup from her hand and set it aside before running his hands over her shoulders and down her arms. His gaze captured hers.

"Listen to me closely, Lyra. I am assigned to keep you safe from Boyd or whatever the threat against you happens to be. I will do whatever it takes to accomplish that because you are absolutely not a job."

Captured by the power in his voice, she could do nothing but nod as if answering some unspoken question that his statement contained. Would she trust him or not?

"The moment I met you, something clicked inside me. I've searched for my Little girl for as long as I've known I was wired to be a Daddy. When you crashed into my life, repaying that marker became the least important thing in my life. You are."

"Daddy," she whispered.

"Just like Rocco, Hawking, Kestrel, and Magnus. Each of us found something much more than we'd ever expected."

"Their Littles."

"And a commitment to each other that nothing can break. We are a team blessed with the task of keeping our Littles safe. We've worked together to ensure the threats against Sadie, Celeste, Zara, and Juniper were eliminated."

"Wait, what about Caesar? He helped free me last night," Lyra asked.

"He hasn't received his assignment yet. He'll be next."

"To find his Little?" she whispered.

"If the pattern continues, yes. Now, with some food in your stomach, would you rather practice or meet my team?" Phoenix asked.

Overwhelmed by the fact that these strangers would have such intimate insight into her secret desires, Lyra struggled with her choice. She would need to meet them. Was it better to plunge in?

Choosing her safe place, she retreated to music. "Can I play for a while? I need to test out my cello to make sure it's okay."

"You can. I'll come back at noon to get you for lunch with a few people."

He scooped Lyra from her chair and sat her on one of his hard thighs. "They're good people who will be happy and excited to meet you."

"I don't have many friends. It's just my cello and Harry," she confessed.

"Then it's time you had some trusted people in your life," he stated firmly.

"That sounds amazing."

"Want help dressing, Little girl?"

"Oh, I can do it," she rushed to assure him.

"Soon, Crash." He leaned forward to kiss her lips. Heat flared between them, and when he pulled back, she could tell he wanted more.

She loved the feeling of being desired. It was heady. And the nickname he'd given her made her even warmer. Maybe it was silly, but she liked it.

"Go put on some clothes and practice. I'll be back at noon."

"Yes, Daddy. Thank you for taking care of me."

"It's what I live for, Little girl."

Setting her feet on the carpet, he tapped her bottom lightly. "Go before I change my mind."

As she dressed, Lyra heard him cleaning the kitchen, and then there was silence. Pulling her focus together, she pulled out her cello and escaped her tumbling thoughts. To her delight, the sound was as clear and captivating as always. Both she and her cello had escaped harm.