S
itting on the large man’s lap, Rylee felt wrapped in warmth and caring. She hadn’t even seen his face, and somehow that didn’t matter. The feelings of being Little without any support had overwhelmed her. She had always wanted to allow her Little side out but hadn’t realized how scary the world could be for a Little without a Daddy.
Sheltered in his arms, Rylee had begun to recover. Her body seemed to recognize this man. Clinging to him like a life raft in the middle of a treacherous ocean, she wanted to release her hold on his shirt but couldn’t. When the dominant voice spoke from the front of the bus, she shivered against her protector. She couldn’t be separated from him.
Her courage rallied behind this thought, giving her strength to raise her head from his chest to look at the stranger in front of her. Recognizing immediately that he must be a Dominant from the Castle, she quickly answered, “I want to stay with him, please.” She held his gray eyes until he nodded.
“You’ll need to join the others for the orientation now,” the concerned blond Dominant answered.
She felt the mountain of a man lean over to snag the straps of her large purse. Her eyes lifted to his face as he looped the long leather straps over his massive shoulder. Her gaze was captured by his. She could read the concern and caring in the deep brown eyes.
Tentatively, she smiled at this amazing stranger who was so much more. His answering grin took her breath away as it transformed his face into… wow! His stern features morphed to reveal a stunningly handsome face. Instantly, she knew this was not a side of him that he showed the world. To her delight, the man leaned toward her to press his lips to hers briefly. Her lips chased his as he sat back, earning her a low chuckle that vibrated the muscular chest pressed against her.
Tightening his grasp, Dallas stood easily, lifting Rylee in his arms. She gasped in surprise. No man had ever even tried to carry her. Her fingers clung to his body as the large man carefully carried his precious cargo off the bus. He gently set her feet down on the trampled ground, holding her close by his side. He wasn’t even winded from the exertion. Rylee turned to look at the men as he extended his free hand to shake each of the Masters’ hands.
“Dallas Kennedy. Thank you for being concerned about my Little.” His deep voice claimed her without hesitation. Her heart thrilled. Dallas. It was the perfect name.
Reaching out to take Dallas’ hand, the first man said, “Do not use your real name here at the Castle.” Releasing his hold, he stressed, “This is a firm rule. I am Master Eric, and this is Master Brody.” The blond man answered with a slight nod. Those gray eyes turned to capture hers.
Automatically, Rylee ripped her gaze from Eric’s, looking at Dallas’ once again stern face. At his encouraging nod, she glanced back to the two Masters. Her voice stumbled over the words. “I’m sorry. I’ve been trying to be brave. I just got really scared.”
“Do you wish to be here, miss?” the other Master spoke for the first time.
“More than anything in the world,” she whispered.
“Then the orientation will begin soon. Please join the others,” Master Brody instructed.
Dallas’ large hand brushed across her bottom to take her hand. For once, she wasn’t ashamed of her rounded bottom. She allowed him to take her hand and begin pulling her toward the rumble of voices just over the drawbridge. Her small hand in his enormous one tightened as she looked up to see the Castle lurking before her. “Wow!” she gasped. “It’s so beautiful!”
“Beautiful is the perfect word,” he said, drawing her attention. Dallas wasn’t looking at the Castle. His eyes were focused on her.
Rylee shyly smiled at him as he tugged her forward. As they moved away from the two Masters, she clandestinely whispered, “My name is Rylee Edwards.”
“I am very glad we met, Rylee Edwards.” Dallas smiled once again at this grave understatement.
Suddenly, her excitement overwhelmed any fears that she was hiding. She wasn’t alone. Dallas had claimed her. The spring that burst into her step as she tried to keep up with his large strides could almost have been described as a skip. She focused on Dallas and totally missed the conversation behind them.
Eric looked at Brody. “I wasn’t expecting that result,” he said with a laugh. The Daddy Dom was relieved. No one wanted to see a Little in such distress.
“It looks like Master Marshall and Kaylee are going to have to change their partner assignments. Those two need to stay together,” Brody sagely pronounced. Neither man questioned the possibility of an ideal match happening so quickly. They saw it often.
So, obviously, did a couple standing in a window overlooking the entrance. Dallas met the eyes of the distinguished man whose arm was wrapped around an enchanting submissive. Even from that distance, the men were able to communicate as Dallas claimed the woman next to him. Had Rylee looked up, she would have seen the curtain twitch closed as changes were completed quickly.