After a run to her house to get clothes, shoes, and supplies, Ivy looked up at the motorcycle repair shop sign as Steele parked his truck in front of it. Instantly, she felt relieved to be back where she was safe.
Ivy had worried about getting into her home but thank goodness she had an electronic lock on the front door and had automatically remembered the pattern to punch in the code. Her house keys should still be in her purse with her phone. Ivy crossed her fingers, hoping the police would return them soon.
As they exited the car next to the clubhouse, a mechanic from the shop yelled, “Steele! I need that set of pipes. Can you get that done soon?”
“I’ll get on it tomorrow,” Steele promised.
“I could really use it today.”
Terrified by the thought of being separated from him, Ivy rushed to say, “I could go with you.”
“Doc can work on another project, Ivy. They don’t need me today,” Steele assured her before sending a meaningful look at the man who’d approached.
She saw him open his mouth and snap it shut when Steele shook his head slightly. “Is there somewhere I can hang out while you work? I don’t mind sitting against the wall. I’ll stay out of the way,” she promised.
“There are plenty of chairs, Little girl.”
“Then let’s go there and you can get something done,” she suggested, feeling like she was a total bother. The last thing she wanted to do was disrupt his life any more than she had already.
Reluctantly, Steele took her to the shop where work had piled up for him during his temporary absence. He worried about the noise, but she agreed to wear a pair of headphones to muffle the sound. Seated in the best office chair in the work area, Ivy pretended to admire the motorcycles pictured inside the magazine as she flipped through the pages.
The play of muscles under the protective gear Steele wore fascinated her. He’d shown her all the equipment he used while welding as he prepared to work. Ivy watched him flip the protective helmet into place as he arced the torch to create a molten bead of metal that joined the pieces together as if they were one. The glowing metal scared her, but Steele worked confidently and efficiently. Her fingers remembered the feel of scars on his skin. Had that deadly torch caused those?
As if he felt her eyes on him, Steele looked up when he finished a seam. Extinguishing the flame, he flipped the visor up and asked, “You okay, Little girl?”
Lifting one earpiece away from her ear, she answered, “I’m good.”
“Ready to nap?” he asked.
“I couldn’t lie there, could I?” she asked, pointing at the crash bed the Guardians had stashed in the corner for whoever needed it.
“Let me get a fresh blanket.” Steele nodded at Storm working nearby and received an acknowledgement. Ivy knew immediately Steele had asked him to keep an eye on her.
When he returned with a big fluffy comforter and a pillow, she curled up on the bed and dropped immediately into sleep. She only woke when Steele picked her up.
“I can walk,” she protested before, “Ew! You smell,” popped out of her mouth. Ivy clapped a hand over her lips in embarrassment.
Steele laughed as he set Ivy on her feet and took her hand, leading her into the Guardians’ living space. “Sorry, Little girl. Let me go take a shower before dinner.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“It’s the truth. You should always tell your Daddy the truth.”
“Amen!” a large gruff man commented from the side of the room, looking deliberately at a pretty Goth girl who Ivy had met at the large breakfast gathering.
“Dad! He’s talking about her Daddy, not a dad,” Remi said in exasperation, causing the older man to chuckle.
Ivy rushed to follow Steele. As soon as they were alone in the hallway, she hissed, “They all know?”
When Steele nodded, she asked, “About us or about Daddies in general?”
“Both.”
Shell-shocked, Ivy followed Steele into the apartment. As she tried to process that information through her jumbled brain, she stepped out of her sneakers while he toed off his heavy boots, leaving them next to the door. Trailing him through the rooms, Ivy watched Steele turn on the water to warm.
The sight of him stripping off his shirt totally distracted her. When his fingers unbuttoned his jeans, she whirled around, making herself dizzy. She should not be watching him undress.
“Whoa!” She steadied herself against the door frame.
“Shower time, Little girl.”
His hands lifted the borrowed T-shirt she’d slept in and still wore. Automatically, she lifted her arms to let him tug it off. “Are we going to shower together?” she squeaked as he turned her gently around to face him.
“You are too dizzy to shower by yourself,” he answered simply before pushing her sweatpants over her hips.
When his fingers hooked into the sides of her panties, she slapped her hands over his. “I’m not really anything to look at,” she said self-consciously, not wishing to disappoint him.
Steele turned his hand to capture hers. Pulling it gently forward, he placed her hand against his pelvis. His hard shaft jutted through the opening in the material under her hand. Without thinking, her fingers moved automatically to attempt to wrap around his erection. She squeezed, feeling the thickness of the rigid shaft.
“Little girl,” he growled, and she let go of him as if his flesh were on fire.
Quickly, Steele removed the last of her clothing and helped her step free. He slid the jeans down his muscular thighs and kicked them away. After dealing with his socks and tossing the pile of their clothing into the hamper, Steele urged her into the walk-in shower.
It was huge with two showerheads. Groaning in delight, Ivy stepped under one and stuck her face into the cascade of water. She felt Steele’s skin brush against hers and she looked over her shoulder to see him so close.
The expanse of his body mesmerized her. Ivy scanned his physique, honed by work and an obvious workout routine. She’d seen the large fitness room where the Guardians worked out. Steele must live in there.
“Oh, what big eyes you have, Little girl.”
“Sorry!” Ivy slammed her eyes shut and wobbled unbalanced in the shower stall. Reaching out for something to steady her, she grabbed his thick biceps.
“Let me see those beautiful green eyes, Ivy,” he gently reprimanded her.
“I keep staring at you.”
“I’m a big boy. I can handle a bit of staring.”
“Big?” She seized on that word and giggled.
Opening her eyes, she peeked at his face and tried to keep her gaze focused there.
His lips twisted into an amused smirk. “Let’s get you clean.”
Grabbing an old-fashioned bar of white soap, Steele rubbed it over her skin with one hand and spread the lather with the other. When she tilted off balance, he steadied her against his hard frame. Ivy could feel his cock pressing into her side.
“Eep!” she squeaked as he whisked the bar between her buttocks before his hand followed to clean her. Steele wrapped his arm holding the soap around her waist to hold her steady.
“Nothing is off limits to your Daddy.”
Ivy nodded without thinking. She started to protest, but realized that this had always been her fantasy. To have someone who cared so much about her that he took care of her completely. His fingers brushed over that small entrance hidden between her buttocks, and Ivy gritted her teeth to avoid moaning.
His fingertip poked slightly inside, making the ring of muscles burn from the touch of the soap. She rose onto her toes, freezing at the feel of his beard as he leaned forward to remind her, “Daddy is in charge.” Before she could agree or disagree, he guided her to turn around, and the water pelted over her sensitized skin.
She watched with anticipation as Steele rotated the soap in his powerful hands. Ivy could almost feel his gaze brush over her skin as he scanned her body while building up a lather. Locking her gaze on his face, she watched his expression as he washed the front of her body. The desire burning in his eyes blazed hotter as he touched her. His hands glided over her collarbones and shoulders before sliding down her arms. Spreading her fingers, he massaged her hands, making her whole body relax.
Gripping her waist lightly, Steele pulled her closer. She watched, holding her breath as he lowered his lips to capture hers. Ivy opened her mouth, inviting him to deepen the sweet kiss he gave her. Immediately, Steele swept his tongue over her inner lips to taste her before sliding inside. Ivy loved his flavor and rose onto her tiptoes to wrap her arms around his neck.
She moaned when his tongue tangled with hers seductively. His kiss was perfect—not too aggressive, not too saliva-drenched, not too timid. The scratch of his surprisingly soft beard added more sensations to the exchange. Steele knew how to kiss, and he did it well.
When he lifted his head, Ivy protested, clutching his shoulders to stay close. “Daddy?” She was shocked how easily that title came to her lips.
“We’ll play more, Little girl. Let’s get both of us clean.”
Steele stroked the soap over her torso before handing it to her. “You help Daddy, Little girl. Would you like to wash my chest?” he asked.
Jumping at the offer to touch him, Ivy rubbed the bar over his chest hair and along that trailing line down his chiseled abdomen before handing it back to him. She smoothed the slick lather over his skin, enjoying the feel of his muscles under her fingertips. When her hands drifted toward his pelvis, Steele’s hand trapped hers gently against his hard stomach.
“That’s not my chest,” he pointed out.
“I know, but…” She let her voice trail away suggestively.
“Ask for permission, Little girl,” he answered, lifting his hand from hers.
“Permission?” she echoed.
He nodded in answer as his hands spread suds over her small, sensitive breasts. Distracted by his touch, Ivy hesitated for a few seconds before pulling her thoughts back together. “I need to ask permission to touch your…?” Somehow saying it sounded so dirty.
“Cock? Yes.”
Ivy stared at him. Steele wasn’t perturbed at all by using that word. So, she could use it too.
“Daddy, can I touch your cock?” she asked saucily, making a joke of it.
“Not with that tone, you can’t.” His face was solemn. He wasn’t joking.
“I can’t?”
“Nope.” Steele rubbed the bar over the mound at the V of her legs and spread it over her lower lips. “Spread your legs.”
Automatically, she shifted her legs apart and closed her eyes at the sensations he aroused in her as he spread the cleanser through her pink folds. The difference in the rules between him touching her and Ivy not being allowed to touch him made her try to resist the sensations he caused. “That’s not fair.”
“Daddies make the rules. Try again but ask nicely,” he suggested.
“Daddy, can I touch your cock?” she sassed.
“Nope.” His fingers stroking her made her eyes cross.
“Daddy, can I touch your cock?” she asked in mock anger. Who could be angry with a man who had a magic touch?
“No.”
Lifting onto her tiptoes as the sensations built between her legs, Ivy gasped in need. “Daddy, can I touch your cock?”
“Yes, Little girl.”
Her hand closed around his thickness. He groaned as she squeezed him experimentally. Stroking her hand toward the tip, Ivy struggled to divide her attention between giving and receiving pleasure. Her brain rebelled, and she froze. As if he could read her distress, Steele shifted her hand away, turned her around before pulling her back tightly against his chest.
His fingers returned to their skilled play between her legs as he supported her body. Focusing completely on the sensations of the warm shower spray striking her skin, the feel of his hard body pressed against her, and the tingling that built between her legs, Ivy dropped her head back against his chest and closed her eyes. In a flash, those growing zings of pleasure exploded inside her and she shuddered in his arms. His touch gentled as he prolonged her enjoyment.
When his lips pressed against her temple, Ivy pulled herself together. She could feel his thick erection pressing into her bottom and felt remorse that she hadn’t showered him with as much pleasure as Steele had lavished on her.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“For being injured? Never apologize for that, Little girl.”
His callused hands whisked over her body, removing all the suds from her skin before wrapping her in a towel. “Lean against the wall. I’ll be quick.”
Given permission to remain in the shower with him, Ivy followed his directions and lounged in the dry area of the shower. Watching his powerful hands finish cleaning his body, she tried to memorize his unbelievable physique. How could anyone who looked like that naked want someone like her?
“Stop it.”
She lifted her gaze to his face. “What?”
“Stop judging yourself as lacking.”
Staring at him in disbelief, Ivy watched him tilt his head back into the spray, as if he hadn’t just read her mind. He couldn’t really know what she was thinking, could he?
When he emerged from the spray, Steele stalked forward to grab the other towel and scrub his body and hair dry. Turning to her, he tilted her chin up with one hand before pressing an intense kiss to her lips. Instantly, desire rekindled inside her.
“You are everything I desire. I won’t allow anyone to be mean to you—not even you, Little girl. Understand?”
“Y-Yes!” She stumbled over the word as he unwrapped her like the most precious present a man could ever receive. She closed her eyes to focus on the sensations as he rubbed the soft fabric over her skin.
“Bedtime, Little girl.”
Her eyelids opened, and she stared at him. “I don’t want to go to bed. I just woke up from a nap,” she protested.
“I didn’t say you were going to sleep.”
Steele scooped her up gently in his arms and carried Ivy to the large bed. Sweeping the covers away, he placed her resting on her back with her bottom at the edge of the mattress. She propped up her torso on her elbows as he made a space for himself, kneeling on the floor between her legs.
“Isn’t it time for dinner?” she asked nervously.
“Yes.”
Steele lowered his lips to press a kiss on her mound. Instinctively, she tried to pull her legs together, but he controlled them firmly how he wanted them. She held her breath, waiting to see what he intended to do.
“My Little girl needs pleasure. It’s too much for your brain to give and receive at the same time.”
He traced the cleft of her pussy with the tip of his tongue. “Mmm,” he hummed. “Delicious.”
Spreading her thighs wider, he pressed his mouth against her and explored. Searching for those touches and spots that brought her the most pleasure, Steele rebuilt the desire and passion that had filled her in the shower. Overwhelmed, she lowered herself off her elbows to lie flat on the mattress.
“Close your eyes,” he directed before returning to tantalizing Ivy.
Focused completely on the pleasure he offered her, small cries of need escaped from her throat as she grabbed a handful of the sheet below her to ground herself. A thick finger pressed into her, making Ivy arch her hips upward toward the invader. Instantly, he restricted her movement, clamping a hand over one of her thighs to pin her to the mattress.
She loved the feel of being restrained. It freed her from having to think about what she should do—how she should react. Ivy could do nothing but feel as he focused on her clit, lashing it with the tip of his tongue until all those sizzles of pleasure coalesced. Her orgasm hovered just out of her reach.
Protesting with soft sounds, she tried to move slightly to find what she needed to push her into the climax that eluded her. That finger stroking inside her became two, stretching her body to allow both to enter. The rough calluses on his fingers rubbed over the most sensitive spots inside her. When his lips sealed around her clit and sucked, she exploded into a million pieces.
Her torso jerked up from the surface of the bed. Steele moved quickly to wrap a hand around her skull, cushioning her head from crashing back down to the mattress. Stretched over her, he pinned her under his body weight. He didn’t distract her from the pleasure—just insured that she would be safe from injuring herself more.
When her body calmed, he stood to lift her into his arms before settling back against the headboard. Sitting on his lap, Ivy absorbed all the kisses and hugs as she lay against his chest. When his phone buzzed, she pulled herself from the afterglow.
“Sorry, Little girl,” he apologized as he glanced at the name that appeared on his watch. He accepted the call, and she listened carefully to his side of the conversation, trying to fill in the gaps.
“Storm? What’s up?”
“No, no need to bring us food. We’ll be down in five to join everyone.”