Chapter 11

Amelia


I try not to think about anyone seeing us. It shouldn’t matter. Leah and Craig wouldn’t say a word. Instead, I focus on how good the water feels against my skin as Foster slowly lowers me into the water, still in his arms.

He has carefully covered my important parts, affording me modesty, which nearly makes me cry again. His thoughtfulness is one of his most attractive traits.

When I’m fully immersed, I tip my head back and let my hair float in the water. I’m so relaxed. Sated. My bottom is going to hurt but in a good way. In a way that will serve as a reminder that I’ve gotten the release I craved.

Foster holds me against his chest, rocking me in the water, swaying back and forth. He uses his hand to clear the tears from my cheeks, never letting me go.

I go completely limp, trusting him to hold me, both emotionally and physically.

As I settle my cheek against his shoulder, I realize I’m falling hard for him. That spanking pushed my feelings to a new level. I want to be his. I want him to do that for me again and again. Not often, but when I need it.

I’m getting ahead of myself though. I agreed to let him Daddy me for the next two days. I can’t be sure how that’ll go. Maybe I’ll become the perfect Little girl he thinks I can be. But it’s also possible I’ll spend every second hating being bossed around and told what to do and when.

I’m nervous about the possibilities. Things could go very well or very badly. One thing that’s for sure—when the two days are over, we’ll be either in or out, and the thought of not being able to be the kind of submissive Foster wants me to be makes my stomach ache. Mostly because I don’t want to lose him.

But this is a trial, and I need to take it seriously. Foster is an all-or-nothing kind of Daddy. He’s not going to settle for a simple part-time submissive who wants to be spanked to tears on occasion and left alone in between. That wouldn’t be fair to him.

Can I be the Little he thinks I can be?

“Ready to get out, sweet girl?”

“Yes, Sir. Thank you. That was perfect.”

He walks out of the zero-entry side where we entered and grabs a towel from the stack on a shelf by the pool. He glances around. “No one is looking. Can I drop the sheet and replace it with a towel?”

“Yes, Sir.”

Foster uses his foot to scoot a chair out from one of the tables and sits before standing me on my feet in front of him.

When he peels the sheet away from me to set it on the table, I shiver. It’s chilly now that we’re not in the heated water. And I’m naked. But not for long. Seconds later, he wraps me up in a giant towel, patting my skin from head to toe to dry me off.

He does all of this before tucking the front of the towel at my chest and grabbing a second one for himself.

He’s so very careful not to expose me unnecessarily, and it occurs to me I don’t probably care much if people see me naked. I care more about how they see me as a Little than a bit of nudity. It’s endearing that Foster cares though.

I feel like a burrito as he sticks his feet into his flip-flops and lifts me into his arms again. “What about the sheet?” I point out as he carries me away.

“I’ll come back for it later.”

He heads back to his cabin and sets me on the sofa. “Don’t move. I’ll be right back.”

My butt hurts, but not as bad as before we went in the water. I’m shivering a bit too, probably from nerves and subdrop more than a chill. It’s not that cold in the house.

When Foster returns, he’s fully dressed. He sweeps me up into his arms again, making me giggle. “Let’s get your hair dried and put some clothes on you.”

He carries me into his bathroom and sets me on my feet before once again patting my skin to absorb any last drops of water.

I shiver as he removes the towel and wrings out my hair next. It’s fine and will dry fairly quickly. I’m beyond aware of my nudity though because he hasn’t brought my clothes into the bathroom.

I cross my arms over my breasts and rub my biceps.

Foster sets the towel aside and reaches for a comb on the vanity. He sits on the toilet seat and angles me so I’m facing away from him. His lips come to my ear. “Don’t cover yourself with me, sweet girl. Lower your arms.”

I shiver as I turn my head to look at him. “Sir…”

He strokes my cheek with one finger. “You’re a beautiful girl. I like looking at your body. Don’t hide from me.”

I’m trembling as I do as I’m told, and I feel awkward with my hands fisted at my sides while Foster carefully works through the tangles in my hair. I’m unnerved by his request, but also wet at the same time. There’s a fluttering in my tummy and my clit is pulsing. All from the gentle demand to stand naked and exposed before him.

It’s not like he hasn’t seen me naked. He ravaged me this morning and then spanked me naked over his lap. But there’s something different about this time. It’s so…domestic, him taking care of me. We’re not currently having sex or participating in a scene, so I’m more aware of my exposure.

I try to ignore the fact that my nipples are stiff points. I want to touch them. Put pressure against them. Does he know that?

“There,” he declares after he’s done combing my hair. He grabs the hairdryer next and holds my hair out with one hand while he dries it.

I’m shivering from the air, partly because it tickles when someone else dries my hair. And I’m naked. I haven’t forgotten that detail.

Foster is meticulous. I would have let it air dry or given it a few minutes of drying and then left it damp. When Foster is done, it’s completely dry.

He gently takes my shoulders and turns me so I’m facing the tub. “Lean over and put your hands on the side of the bathtub, sweet girl.”

I glance at him, my heart racing. Everything he does is new and unexpected, but I know he won’t hurt me, so I do as I’m told.

I flinch when I hear a small pop and look to the side to see him squeezing a line of ointment on his finger.

He sets a hand on my lower back to steady me. “I’m just going to put this cream on your bottom to ease the sting, sweet girl.”

Oh. I hold my breath, not anxious to have him touch my butt, but it turns out it feels good. The lotion soothes my skin as he rubs it in. He squeezes out more ointment and takes his time ensuring every inch of my heated skin is covered from the tops of my buttocks to halfway down my thighs.

“Feel better?”

“Yes, Sir,” I say as I right myself.

“Stay right here. I’ll get your clothes.”

He leaves me physically and emotionally exposed. I glance at the woman in the mirror and don’t recognize her. She’s uncertain and…Little.

Foster is back moments later, sitting on the toilet seat again. He turns me to face him. “Grab my shoulders, sweet girl.” He helps me into my thong and tugs it carefully over my hips. Next, he grabs my bra, but he hesitates and lifts my chin so I meet his gaze. “Since we’re going into town and you’re not used to being in a Little headspace, I’m going to let you wear a bra, but for the next two days I won’t permit it.”

I suck in a breath. “Uh…” I’m still processing this declaration as he helps me into the bra, fastens it, and adjusts it over my breasts perfectly as if he dresses grown women every day. The man seems to be an expert at everything.

I’m still thinking about what he’s said as he lowers my dress over my head and lifts me onto one knee to put my sandals on my feet.

“I’m not sure how I feel about going without a bra, Foster.”

He smiles. “You’ll be fine. It’s for two days. We’ll renegotiate after that. The only people who will be here for the next two days are all in age play relationships. I’m certain no one is going to step out of their roles. I’m equally certain Lucy, Evelyn, and Leah will not be wearing bras.”

“Oh.” He’s right. I’ve seen all three of them at Surrender when they’re playing. When they’re Little, they go all-in. Apparently, that’s what’s expected of me too. “Okay. But I’m worried you see me as much younger than I’m probably capable of.”

Foster lifts my chin again. “We’ll figure that out together, but I wouldn’t let you wear a bra no matter what age we settle on. You aren’t a teenager. Preteen, tops.” He lifts a brow.

I lick my lips and nod. He’s right. “Okay, Sir.”

“Good girl.” He searches my face. “You okay to go into town right now? Or do you need a nap first?”

I shake my head. “No. I’m fine.”

“You’re sure? The spanking was intense. I don’t want you wandering around in a daze, half in subspace.”

“I’m good now.” I’ve almost fully recovered. The pool helped a lot.

“Okay, then.” He sets me on my feet. “Let’s get going.”

Foster holds my hand while we walk to the small parking area at the front of the resort. He heads for the black, extended-cab truck and guides me to the passenger door.

“I could drive,” I mention, nearly laughing at my suggestion. It was my idea to go into town, so it seems only reasonable I would at least offer to drive.

He chuckles as he opens the door, and he’s still smiling as he lifts me off my feet and sets me on the passenger seat. A second later, he’s pulling the seatbelt across me and buckling me in.

“Uh, I didn’t even bring my purse.”

He kisses my forehead. “You won’t need anything. I have a business credit card for Blossom Ridge.”

“Okay.” I take several deep breaths as he rounds to his side and climbs in. This is surreal. I’m slightly out-of-body. Submitting to someone is out of my comfort zone. Doing so in public is more far-fetched. I feel odd without my purse.

After Foster starts the truck and pulls out onto the road, I glance at him. “You’re not going to, uh, dominate me in public, are you?”

He shoots me a grin. “Yes, but no one will notice. I promise.” He winks. “You might want to behave so I don’t have to reprimand you though.”

“Foster…”

He reaches over and grabs my hand. “You’ll be fine, sweet girl. Trust me.”

I chew on my lower lip and stare out the window. I’m nervous. I’ve been nervous all day. This is going to be weird, but I’m glad he spanked me. I’m calmer now than I would have been without the release.

I squirm on the seat at the reminder, wincing.

“Does your bottom hurt, sweet girl?”

“Only a little.”

“A good kind of pain or more than you’d like?”

“A good kind. Just perfect,” I admit, blushing.

He gives my hand a squeeze.

It takes twenty minutes to get to the nearest town, and it’s not a large town. It does have a grocery store though. And from where I’m standing on Main Street I can see a hardware store, a few boutiques, a coffee shop, a deli, and a hairdresser.

“Do you need anything else while we’re here, Amelia?” Foster asks me after he rounds to my side of the truck and opens the door.

“No. I’m good,” I tell him as he lifts me out of the truck and sets me on my feet. I glance around, hoping no one saw him lifting me.

Foster chuckles as he takes my hand.

I stiffen.

He pauses after shutting the door, rounding to face me and cupping my cheek with his other hand. “There’s nothing odd about a man holding his woman’s hand in public, is there?”

“No, Sir,” I murmur.

“And I’d be a dick if I stood back and let all five-foot-two of you hop down from my truck.” He lifts a brow.

I blow out a breath. He’s right.

“How about if I set some boundaries right now so you won’t continue to look shocked as we shop?”

I swallow, my face heating.

“Stay where I can see you at all times. Don’t step into a street without holding my hand. If you need something that’s up high or heavy, let me get it. Speak to me respectfully even if you do so in a soft voice.”

I nod. “Yes, Sir.” Nothing he has demanded will make me stand out. No one will notice any of those things. The fact that he has enumerated them has made my panties wet though, which is hard to process. I slide into a deeper submission when he gets all bossy on me.

“Questions?”

“What if I mess up?”

“If you’re naughty in a public place, you can expect me to spank you when we get home, and then you can get acquainted with the timeout corner in the kitchen.”

I shudder.

“I assume you’ve noticed it.”

“Yes, Sir,” I whisper.

He tips my chin back further and places a soft kiss on my lips. “Ready?”

I nod.

The trip to the grocery store goes perfectly smoothly. I’m nervous the entire time because I don’t want to get in trouble. But he hasn’t given me any rules that are difficult to follow. The one that concerns me most is straying too far away from him. I’m not used to having anyone keep track of me. My mind wanders as I think about all the supplies I’ll need to add four extra people to our group for the next two days.

When we’re done, we head to the checkout. “Sure you have everything?” he asks.

“I think so.”

“You didn’t even bring a list.”

I tap my head. “Since it wasn’t a lot, I could remember. I just needed to picture the meals we’re going to eat and remind myself what we don’t have at the resort.”

As Foster puts the groceries on the conveyer belt, he greets the cashier. “Hey, Dirks. How’s it going?”

The older man smiles and glances at me. “Going good. Who’s the pretty lady?”

Foster sets a hand on my shoulder. “This is Amelia Wescott. She’s the new chef at Blossom Ridge.” He shifts his gaze to me. “Amelia, this is Dirks Kincaid.”

“Nice to meet you, sir,” I say, lifting out a hand to shake his.

“Nice to meet you too, Amelia.”

“Most people call me Amy,” I inform him, wondering if this will infuriate Foster.

“Amy it is then,” Dirks responds, with a glance and a wink at Foster.

I wonder how much the people in town know about the resort. It’s not like it’s open to the public. Most people would probably be horrified if they knew what kind of clientele would be staying at Blossom Ridge.

“I’m so glad to hear Roman is finally going to get good use out of that mansion. It’s been empty for far too long,” Dirks says as he drags the last of the groceries across the scanner.

“I agree,” Foster concedes.

Dirks grins as he takes Foster’s credit card. “Gonna be a big change for you though.” He glances at me, his grin wider. “Perhaps a good change.”

“I think so,” Foster agrees as he takes my hand and gives it a squeeze.

Foster helps Dirks load the bags into the cart before Dirks turns to me again. “Nice to meet you, Amy. If you ever need anything, let me know. I’m nearly always at this cash register.” He grins again. “Though I don’t suspect you’ll be running errands in town without an escort, and Foster knows just about everyone and every store.”

My face heats, and I don’t respond because I can’t imagine what I would say.

It’s not until we’re back in the truck, groceries in the back, that I ask Foster about Dirks. “Does he know what sort of guests will be visiting Blossom Ridge?”

“Yep. He and Roman’s family go way back. He knew Roman’s father and grandfather. I’m pretty sure back in the day, Dirks was a frequent guest of Blossom Ridge. Of course, it wasn’t called that back then. It was simply the Cortell Estate.”

“So, he’s a Daddy?”

“He is. And if you ever need anything in town, he’s discreet. He’ll help you. Even if it’s from another store.” Foster sets a hand on my thigh. I love how he never misses an opportunity to touch me. When we walk, he holds my hand or keeps his on the small of my back. When we stop, he keeps a palm on my shoulder. Even while we were moving through the store, he stroked my skin in some way as often as possible. It’s sweet.

“That’s nice.” I like Dirks. I can tell he’s a good man.

Foster takes me to grab a quick lunch at the deli, and then we head home.

When we arrive back at the Ridge, Foster lifts me out of the truck yet again and gives my bottom a gentle swat. “Head inside. I’ll get the groceries to the island and let you put them away.”

“Yes, Sir.” I’m light on my feet as I practically skip to the side entrance that leads into the kitchen. The moment I step inside, I slide to a halt though, catching my breath.

Leah is standing in the dreaded timeout corner. Craig is leaning against the counter. Leah doesn’t move, which I find impressive. If I were her and the door opened behind me, meaning any person in the world might have entered, I’d have been mortified and broken my position.

Craig shifts his attention to me and smiles. “You’re back. I’ll go help Foster with the groceries.” He says this like it’s not the least bit weird his wife is standing in the corner.

I ease in a bit farther, feeling like I’m imposing on a private exchange. My heart goes out to Leah. I don’t know for sure how she feels about being caught in the naughty corner. I’m not sure how much of her punishments she likes other people to witness.

I’m about to find out.

Craig and Foster return in less than a minute, but it seems like two years from where I’m standing silently waiting. They’re joking with each other because they managed to carry all the groceries in one load. Testosterone is bouncing between them. I half expect them to flex their muscles or perhaps weigh each of their loads to see who carried more.

As soon as everything is deposited on the island, Craig turns toward Leah. “You may join us now, sweetheart.”

Leah turns around, her head lowered as she shuffles toward Craig.

He takes her chin when she reaches him and tips her head back. “What do you say?”

“I’m sorry for being nosy, Sir.”

“Good girl.” He kisses her on the nose. “Would you like to help Amy put the groceries away?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Perhaps after that, you’d like to show her your room upstairs. She hasn’t had much of a chance to explore the property yet.”

“That would be fun, Sir. Could we play for a while?”

Craig turns toward Foster—not me. “If it’s okay with Foster.” Apparently at some point today, Foster has filled Craig in on our arrangement.

Foster nods. “Sounds like a good idea. Amelia could probably use a friend.”

It’s so incredibly strange the way they discuss me as if I’m too young to make up my own mind. It’s going to take some getting used to. It’s not entirely bad exactly. It’s jarring each time Foster treats me like I’m Little, but I’m also beyond aware that when he dominates me, even indirectly, my panties grow damp again.

Craig speaks to Foster again. “Would you mind looking over a few papers in my office while the girls put the groceries away?”

“Of course.” Foster reaches for me and cups my chin in that way that gets my undivided attention and makes me shudder. “Be good.”

“Yes, Sir,” I whisper.

I’m still staring at the spot where the men disappeared when Leah interrupts my musing. “You okay?” she whispers.

“Yes.” I turn to her and smile. “It’s just a lot.”

“It’s overwhelming at first, but I’m impressed by how you already react to Foster. He’s so dominant. I would have guessed that just from knowing him before he met you, but damn.”

“Yeah, it’s…an adjustment. What about you? Are you okay?” She was the one in timeout when I arrived.

She smiles. “I’m fine. You’ll get used to seeing me in timeout.” She sighs. “It happens a lot. Don’t worry about me. I tend to get into trouble often.”

Interesting.

We work side by side putting the groceries away even though the kitchen is what I’m getting paid to manage. Not Leah. But I suppose since we’re both Little right now, everything is upside down.

“It feels awkward having you help me do my job,” I tell her.

She shrugs. “I don’t look at it like that. When I’m Little, I just do as I’m told. It’s second nature now.”

“How much of the time are you Little?” I ask as I reach up to put the eggs on the fridge’s top shelf.

“Depends. When no one’s around, most of the time I’m Little. When I’m writing, I go into my office and as soon as I step inside, I’m whatever I need to be. Daddy doesn’t choose for me or enforce anything while I’m inside my office. If I wander out, all bets are off.” She giggles.

I smile. “Will you be Little like this most of the time when guests are here?”

She shrugs. “Probably, but only because all the guests will be age play participants, so my presence as a Little will help them feel at home and adjust quickly when they arrive.”

“Makes sense.” I put the last item in the fridge and turn to face her again. “Did you think I was Little when you hired me?”

“I didn’t think anything really. I knew you were beyond qualified and non-judgmental. That’s all I needed. But you’re welcome to assume whatever persona feels right for you.”

I glance down and mumble. “If I’m even permitted to make that decision.”

Leah comes closer and sets her hands on my shoulders. She’s several inches taller than me, so I tip my head back to meet her gaze. “You’ve been a member of Surrender for a long time. You know good and well the power is yours. Yours to give and yours to take back. I think this trial run will be good for you. Help you find your bearings and learn what works and what doesn’t when combining your job with your Little side.”

“I’m still not sure I have a Little side.”

Leah giggles. “You definitely have a Little side, Amy. The question is whether or not you choose to exercise it and for what percentage of the time. That’s entirely up to you.”

“What if I can’t agree with Foster on that distribution?”

“Then he’s not the right Daddy for you.” She gives me a hug. “Come on. Let’s go upstairs. Except for a brief tour when you arrived, you haven’t spent any time up there.”