Page 4 of Sophia’s Daddy (Littleworld #23)

Chapter Four

After dinner—after Tate and Theo clean the kitchen—we all play a game around the kitchen table.

It’s a hilarious memory game, and I find out I’m better at it than Tate.

Either that or he let me beat him. That’s possible.

I don’t know him well enough to be sure if he would let me win, but I get to know him better throughout the evening.

He seems genuinely interested and attentive. He smiles a lot, and every time I look at him, he’s looking at me. It makes me blush and squirm. I keep thinking about how it felt to have his hand on my thigh and wishing I were sitting close enough to him for him to do it again.

When the game is over, I glance at the time on the microwave.

“I should get home. I have to work in the morning.” Really I just don’t want to stay so long that I’m keeping Theo and Layla from whatever their nighttime routine is.

If I had a Daddy like Theo, I’d be bouncing in my seat, wondering when my guests were finally going to leave.

I look at Tate. If I had a Daddy like Tate…

Tate nods. “Did you drive here, Sophia?”

I shake my head. “No. I don’t have a car. I took an Uber.”

“I’d be happy to drive you home, if you don’t mind me knowing where you live. I’ll totally understand if you’d rather I don’t.”

Relief floods me. I have been hoping he would take me home. “I’d like that. Thank you.”

We all stand, and I help Layla put the game pieces back in the box while Theo and Tate wander toward the living room.

“So?” Layla whispers.

I giggle. “Tate is nice,” I respond noncommittally with a shrug.

Layla rolls her eyes. “You already knew he was nice. Do you like him , like him?”

I glance toward the door to make sure the men aren’t returning. “Yeah. Maybe.” I do, but I’m still nervous and skeptical.

She claps her hands and bounces on her feet. “Yay. Are you going to invite him in when he takes you home?”

“I don’t know yet. Maybe.” I’ll have to see how I feel when that moment is upon me.

Layla and I lock arms as we join the men at the front door. That’s when I realize I’m still wearing my Little dress. I have a bag of clothes because I’d changed after I arrived. I’d intended to change back into regular, vanilla street clothes before leaving.

My bag is by the front door, and I point at it. “I should change really quick before we leave.”

Tate turns and picks up my bag. “You don’t need to change on my account, Little one. No one but me will see you.”

I chew on my bottom lip for a moment. It’s true that no one will likely see me. Maybe if I lived in an apartment building. But I don’t. I rent a small house near where I work.

Drawing in a deep breath, I say, “Okay.”

Tate’s brow furrows in that way that tells me he’s skeptical about my response. He tips my chin back. “If it makes you uncomfortable, you may go change first. I don’t mind.”

I shake my head. “I’ll be fine. Thank you.”

After a round of hugs and goodbyes, I let Tate lead me out to his black SUV.

He sets my bag in the back seat before opening the front passenger door.

As I step closer, he circles my waist with his hands and lifts me off my feet to set me in the seat.

He even pulls the seatbelt across me and fastens it.

I’m dizzy from his dominance as he rounds the car and climbs in. He hands me his phone. “Can you put your address in the GPS for me, Little one?”

I enter it with shaky fingers and hand it back.

“Good girl.” He attaches his phone to a holder on the dashboard and takes my hand in his. “Don’t panic. I’m just driving you home. If you’ll let me, I’ll come in and tuck you into bed, but that’s it. Nothing else is going to happen between us tonight.”

I tip my head back. “Because you don’t like me that way?” I blurt out before I can manage to filter my words. I cringe. I sound so ridiculous.

Tate frowns. “That’s not it at all, Sophia. I feel all kinds of ways about you. Tonight has only served to solidify what I already suspected.”

I inhale sharply. “What did you suspect?” I ask breathlessly.

He leans in closer and lifts my chin. “That you’re mine, Little one.”

I gasp, my jaw dropping. His? How can I be his?

He smiles. “Don’t you worry. I’m a patient man. We’ll take things at your pace. Nothing will ever happen between us that you’re not ready for.”

“Okay.” I breathe out. What am I ready for? “Will you at least kiss me goodnight?”

His smile is back. “Definitely, Little one.”

As he starts the engine and pulls away from the house, I take deep cleansing breaths. This date is going better than I ever imagined. It’s scaring the crap out of me, but I’m excited at the same time.

“Now, tell me more about Sophia. Do you have a space in your home where you can relax and be Little?”

I shake my head. “No.”

He glances at me, brows furrowed. “No? You’re only Little when you’re at the club?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“That’s only a few hours a week.”

“Yeah.”

“Why, Little one? Why don’t you indulge at home sometimes?”

I shrug. “I’ve always just thought of my Little side as a kink I fulfill for fun at the club, not a lifestyle. Not for me at least. I’ve never dreamed of having an actual Daddy.”

He reaches over and sets his hand on my thigh. God, I love it when he does that. It’s so possessive. At least it is in my head. “I bet there are millions of Littles who practice age play of some sort alone in their homes.”

I shrug. “I just haven’t.” I can’t explain it. I guess I’ve mostly been worried that someone would catch me playing and discover my secret. I’d be mortified if a delivery guy or salesman saw me playing through the window.

“Is it something you’d like to do, Sophia?” he asks gently.

I turn my face toward him. “I don’t know, Sir. I’m learning. Maybe.” That’s the truth. Until Layla called to set me up with Tate, I had never considered the idea of exploring beyond fake scenes at the club. It seemed farfetched.

By the time we get to my house, I’m a ball of lusty nerves from Tate stroking my inner thigh again. Apparently I have a sweet spot, and he’s found it. If he knows, he doesn’t say anything.

He parks in my driveway and jogs around the car to lift me out. After grabbing my bag from the back seat, he guides me to my front door with a palm at the small of my back. His gestures don’t go unnoticed. I love it when he touches me.

I fumble for my key in the outside pocket of my bag that’s still slung over Tate’s shoulder. When I pull out the key, he takes it from me and unlocks my door.

As soon as he opens it, he reaches in and turns on the lights. “You should leave lights on inside when you’re out at night, Sophia. It’s not safe to walk into a dark house.”

I stare at him, biting my lips. The adult in me wants to tell him to mind his own business. The Little in me is still in control, though, and she loves how bossy he is. Of course she does.

“Let me take a look around, Little one. Wait here.” He leaves me right inside the entrance and takes off toward my small hallway. There are only two rooms and a bathroom. It’s not really a hall at all.

He’s back in five seconds. “What a cute place, Sophia.” He’s smiling again. “I feel like I know you better already.” He locks the front door behind me. He must have set my bag in the bedroom because it’s gone now.

“What do you know about me from ten seconds in my house?” I challenge. I’m curious what my home says about me.

“I know that you love books, both paperbacks and ebooks.”

I gasp. “How can you tell I read ebooks?”

“There’s an e-reader by your bed, silly Little girl.”

I giggle. “What else?”

“Blue isn’t just a hair color. It’s really your only color.”

I giggle again. He’s right. “What else?” I challenge.

He faces me, takes both my hands in his, and lifts my knuckles to his cheeks. “Your Little isn’t nearly as hidden as you think she is.”

I gasp. She’s not? I look around, trying to imagine what I own that would make someone suspect I’m Little.

“Don’t worry, Little one. Only a seasoned Daddy would see the signs.”

“What signs?”

“There’s a much-loved small blankie on your bed. There’s a cartoon toothbrush in a matching holder in the bathroom.”

“Lots of people have blankies and silly toothbrushes,” I argue.

“Mmm. Do they have colored bath beads and bath crayons?” His smile reaches his eyes.

I’m surprised by how observant he is. “Sure they do. How else would they take notes when things pop into their head while they’re in the shower?”

He laughs hard, his head tipping back and his palm coming to his stomach.

I want to be mad that he’s laughing at me, but I can’t seem to do anything but giggle with him. I’ve never thought about how others would see my belongings.

Tate turns around, taking one of my hands in his larger one. “You have cartoon DVDs, Sophia. What will I find if I look in your pantry?”

He moves toward my kitchen, but I tug on his hand, stopping him. “Fine. You win. I guess I have some small Little tendencies, but I don’t own anything that would make it obvious to a regular guest.” Hell, apparently it wasn’t obvious to me either.

He turns to face me again and lifts a brow. “Let me see your gummy bear stash.”

I shake my head, laughing. “No way.”

“Fine. I won’t insist on it tonight, but the next time I come over, I expect you to show me.”

“Deal.”

Tate twists around behind me before I have any idea what he’s doing. He grabs my hand—the one I’m using to cross my fingers while I lie to him. I’ve been plotting where I might hide my gummy bears so he won’t know how many I have.

“You naughty, naughty, naughty girl,” he declares.

I blush. He’s right. I guess my behavior was naughty. “What are you going to do, spank me?” I challenge before I can fully think through what I’m suggesting. Does it matter, though? Tate has spanked me before. Lots of times. What makes tonight any different?