Page 10 of Sophia’s Daddy (Littleworld #23)

Chapter Eight

I’m giddy when Tate shows up precisely at six o’clock. I open the door with a pep in my step and hold it wide to let him in.

He smirks. “You’re awfully chipper, Little girl. Did you eat a lot of gummy bears today?”

I roll my eyes. “No. I only ate a few after lunch. And I brushed my teeth really well when I got home.” I open my mouth wide and tip my head all around so he can inspect my teeth. “My new boyfriend is a dentist.”

He grabs me around the waist and hauls me against him, kissing me senseless without hesitation. “Sassy girl,” he mutters when he releases my lips. “Where is the gummy bear stash?”

I giggle. “I’m not telling.”

He chuckles. “Did you pack any to bring to my house?”

I shake my head. “Nope. I packed Now and Laters.”

He gasps, his eyes widening in horror. “Please tell me you’re kidding. I might be able to tolerate a few gummy bears in your mouth from time to time, but Now and Laters are banned from your existence starting now.”

I figured he would say that. I put on a fake pout. “But, Daddy…”

“I mean it. I’m putting my foot down. Those things are evil. Do you know how much money parents pay every year for fillings and then the fillings that get pulled out from those evil squares of sugar?”

I giggle. “I’m kidding. I don’t eat them. They take too long to chew. I’m too impatient.”

He blows out a relieved breath. “How about lollipops? Those are safer, especially if they’re made out of natural ingredients. How about if you switch to lollipops?”

I curl up my nose. “Where can you buy lollipops with natural ingredients? That sounds icky.”

He laughs. “Well, they have them at Littleworld.”

My eyes go wide. “Have you been there?”

“Yep. A few times. They don’t have a permanent dentist on the island. I go over for a few weeks every year to help out.”

My jaw drops. I’ve never imagined a scenario in which I might get to go to Littleworld. Could I maybe go with Tate someday? If we stay together. I mean we’ve only been dating for like one day. It seems intense and fast-paced, but that doesn’t mean we’ll really make it together.

He steps closer, pulling me in tight against him. “Did you want to go to Littleworld, Baby girl?”

I shrug as if it isn’t that big of a deal, but I’m sure I’ve already given away my feelings with my expressions. “I heard only really regressed Littles go there.” Layla went, and I know she was deeply regressed, but Amelia moved there recently. She’s deeply regressed, too.

Tate kisses my nose. “Yes, but I bet you could try it. We could practice at home and see how it makes you feel first. If you hate it, we won’t go.”

“But…you would still go without me…” That part makes me sad.

He thinks for a second. “I’m not going anywhere without you, Sophia. Not ever again.”

I lean into him, practically swooning.

“Did you pack for a few days?”

“Yes, Daddy.”

“Do you need to do anything else around the house first? Plants need watering? A pet chameleon needs feeding?”

I giggle and shake my head. “Neither.”

“Then I guess we’re off.” He releases me to turn and pick up my bag by the front door. He heaves it up, grunting as though it weighs a thousand pounds.

I swat at his arm. “Daddy…”

He chuckles. “You do realize you won’t need anything in this bag while you’re at my house, right?”

I frown. “Why not?”

“Because I already bought you the few clothes you’ll need, and besides, I like you naked.” He winks.

My cheeks heat. “I can’t stay naked all the time.”

“Why not?” he teases as he leads me out the front door. He takes my key and locks it before tucking it in my bag.

Soon, I’m safely buckled into his SUV just like last night, and Tate is pulling away from my house. It’s surreal. I’m going to his home. I suspect it will be nicer than mine. Much nicer.

I fidget while he drives, looking around, watching where we’re going. When he pulls into a gated neighborhood, I gasp. This is way, way, way nicer than any place I’ve ever lived or even visited. I suddenly feel out of his league.

“You okay, Little one?” he asks as he takes my hand.

I nod, gripping his fingers. My eyes are wide as I take in the homes up and down the streets of his neighborhood. They’re all different. Unique. Custom-built.

When Daddy pulls into the driveway of an extremely modern home, I can’t believe my eyes. There are so many windows. I think the living room and whatever is above it are just wall to wall windows.

I’m still staring, mesmerized, as Daddy pulls into the garage and parks. He rounds the SUV to help me out, grabs my bag, and guides me toward the door. “Are you nervous?”

I nod. “Very.”

“Why?” When he opens the door and motions for me to enter before him, I suck in a breath.

We step into the kitchen. It’s all stainless steel and white.

Sleek. Modern. Luxurious. I’d be too scared to even use the microwave in here for fear I might leave smudges on the door or the handle. What if my food splattered inside?

Daddy sets my bag down and presses his front against my back, his hands coming to my shoulders. “It’s just a house, Baby girl.”

I twist my neck to look at him. “Are you serious? This is way more than just a house. It’s a mansion. I would never be able to afford something like this in my entire life.”

He bends to kiss my shoulder. “You don’t have to, Little one. I already bought it.”

I start shaking. I’m way out of place here. I feel like I should kick off my shoes so I don’t leave prints or dust on his tile floor. “It’s so…clean.”

“I have a cleaning service that comes in once a week.”

I guess that makes sense. How could he ever clean this entire place otherwise?

“Come. Let me show you around. Then I’ll feed you. I bet you’re hungry.”

I turn to look up at him. “Feed me? Like Theo does for Layla?” I shudder.

“If you want. But I didn’t mean that literally. We’ll experiment, Baby girl, and figure out what suits us.”

“Okay.”

When he holds out a hand, I take it and let him lead me through the house.

He shows me every room on the first floor, all of which are large, bright, and luxurious.

Except the media room. That room shocks me.

It’s totally dark with a giant television.

Daddy says we can watch a movie in there after dinner if there’s still time.

Next, he leads me upstairs. The guest rooms are just as opulent as everything else, and then Daddy leads me into the master bedroom. I giggle when I see his huge bed that’s not only long and wide but high off the floor.

I look around. “How many closets do you need?” I ask, shocked to see four doors leading off the room, and that’s not counting the double-door entrance.

Daddy wraps an arm around me from behind and points to the first door on the left. “That’s the bathroom.” He switches his finger to the other side of the room next. “Those are his-and-hers closets. I’ve already ordered some things to put in yours.”

“Mine?” My voice squeaks. Is he serious?

“Yes. Eventually, you’ll believe me that you’re mine in every way. You’ll need a closet, Little one. One side can be for your adult clothes, the other side can be for your Little dresses and things.”

I look back toward the door he didn’t mention next to the bathroom. “What’s in there?”

He releases me. “Go look.”

I glance over my shoulder at him as I shuffle across the room.

I’m intrigued. When I open it, I find a totally empty room.

It’s not huge, but it’s bigger than the bedroom I have at my house.

It has two windows that overlook the back yard.

The floor is hardwood. But that’s all I see.

Not one piece of furniture is inside. “What’s it for? ”

“It’s a nursery. A place for one very special girl to escape to when she’s feeling Little.”

I gasp. My heart races as I spin around.

He comes closer. “What do you think? What color should we paint it? Pink? Purple? Orange? Red? Green?”

I chuckle, because he’s being silly. He knows I like blue better than any color in the world, but he can’t seriously be thinking about painting this room for me. We just started dating last night.

He lurches forward, grabs me around the waist, and lifts me off the floor.

I wrap my legs around his waist on instinct and cling to his neck.

“It’s yours, Sophia. I know it in my heart. I’ve never been so certain of anything in my life. The painters are coming tomorrow morning to paint it a soft blue. I’ll start filling it with furniture tomorrow afternoon.”

I stare into his eyes. He’s serious. “What if you get tired of me?”

“That will never happen. Do you think you’ll get tired of me?”

I shake my head so hard my ponytail flies around. “That’s not a possibility.” It’s him I worry about.

“Why the serious expression, Sophia?”

I lower my hands to his collar and play with it absently while I think. “How can you be sure?” I murmur.

“I don’t know, Baby girl. I can’t explain it.

I just know. I’ve known for a while. I’ve watched you play with the other Littles at the Dungeon for months.

All that time, I was gradually falling harder for you.

As soon as you came down the stairs in Theo’s house last night, dressed like a princess, any doubt I had fled. I knew you were mine.”

“Layla has a nursery,” I mumble, looking around. “She even has a crib and a changing table.”

“I’ve ordered those things for you, too, Little one.”

“But what if I don’t like to play that young?”

He shrugs. “You’ll always have options.”

“You’re not going to force me, are you?” I stiffen, worrying that deep inside, Tate really wants a Little who can be really regressed. I’m not sure I can be that Little.

He shakes his head. “No, Baby girl. Never. I told you I don’t care what age range you enjoy most. The only thing that matters is figuring it out and then doing whatever you need to make it perfect for you.

Some Littles like to switch around at different times.

You might like to hover at an older age on work nights and play younger on your days off when you don’t have to worry about facing people and pulling out of your regression abruptly. ”

I lean my chest against his, wrap my arms around his neck, and hold on tight while he sways in the middle of the room. Everything about Tate feels so right. I hope it’s real.

Eventually, he turns us, and we exit the empty room before heading back downstairs. “I do have quite a few things for Little girls in my house, even though I have never furnished that room.”

I pick up my head and look at him. “Like what?”

“I have a booster seat in the kitchen like the one Layla has. I have cups and bottles and plates and silverware. I have pacifiers and formula, diapers and wipes.”

I stiffen. “Did you used to have another Little girl?” For some reason this idea makes me feel icky. I don’t know why. It shouldn’t. Of course my Daddy would have had Little girls before me. I’m being ridiculous.

“I’ve never had a Little girl of my own, Sophia. No Little girl has spent the night in my home before tonight. But I have lots of friends who are Daddies. Sometimes they come over for the evening, so I keep several things on hand they might need when visiting.”

“Oh.” I blow out a breath. That’s a relief.

Tate carries me across the room, and lowers me onto a booster seat that’s identical to the one Layla sat in last night. “When Layla and Theo first got together, Theo was completely unprepared. I took several things to his house for him to borrow until he could order his own things.”

“That was nice of you.”

He squats in front of me and pulls a strap up between my legs before pulling two more restraints around my waist and securing all three points together at my tummy. “I might have had an ulterior motive for all the times I went over to visit Theo and Layla.”

He tickles under my ribs, making me giggle. “Me? You went over there to keep asking them to set us up?”

“Yep.” He stands and attaches the tray to my seat.

“Why didn’t you just ask me out at the club one night?”

“Because I never wanted to put you on the spot. I wanted you to be able to think about it and say no if it didn’t feel right to you. This way was better.” He bends down, tips my chin back, and kisses me. “Now you’re mine.”

Now I’m his…