“Daddy?” Ivy reached a hand out to search for Steele’s warmth. He always slept wrapped around her when she woke up in the dark. His side of the bed was cold.
Ivy pushed herself up on one elbow to look around. The bedroom was completely silent, and she didn’t hear anything from the adjoining sitting room. Heeding her need to use the restroom, she crept into the bathroom, thankful for the nightlight he always turned on for her.
Still no response from the protective man as she emerged from the bathroom. Opening the cracked door separating the bedroom and the family room, Ivy called, “Daddy?” The room was completely empty.
“Where’d you go?” she asked aloud and then felt silly for talking to no one.
She couldn’t go out in the main area dressed in an oversized T-shirt and no panties. Quickly, Ivy turned on a light and pulled some clothes out of one drawer where Steele had stowed some of her clothes. She’d protested that she didn’t need three of the four drawers in his dresser, but he’d just laughed.
“Little girls have lots of pretty clothes. Your Daddy doesn’t.”
It made sense when she looked at it that way. Steele wore the same thing every day. Battered jeans with spark marks burned into the fabric, T-shirts that fit snug across his muscular chest, and leather boots completed his look before he donned the heavy leather welding apron. Ivy did need a variety of things to wear.
She peeked out the door, listening for the men’s voices. Maybe they were having some sort of meeting or playing pool. When she heard nothing, she crept toward the gathering room. Ivy finally heard a whisper of sound at the end of the hallway. Peering around the corner, she felt the corners of her lips quirk upward when she saw a round bottom sticking out of the refrigerator. The all-black clothing clued her in immediately to who it was.
“Remi?”
The young woman whirled around, clutching a can of spray whipped cream to her chest. “Oh! Ivy! You scared me!”
“Got something planned?” Ivy asked, feeling herself grin widely as her eyebrows waggled suggestively almost by themselves. Standing in the bright lighting, Remi looked starkly Goth. A thought popped into Ivy’s head at Remi’s Goth look. I wonder what she’d look like with a clean-scrubbed face wearing something—pink?
“What?” Remi looked down at the item in her hand and laughed. “You’re bad. I got hungry hanging around and decided to make a snack. Want a hot fudge sundae with me?”
Ivy hadn’t been hungry until she heard those magical words together: fudge and sundae. “I’d love one. Extra whipped cream on mine.”
Remi gathered the other ingredients for the treat while Ivy ran to grab bowls and spoons. Chatting happily, Ivy took care of microwaving the glass jar of hot fudge as Remi scooped up a generous ball of vanilla ice cream into each dish.
“I noticed cinnamon ice cream in the freezer, too. Want to experiment with cinnamon and chocolate?” Remi asked, clicking the ice cream scoop on the countertop.
“I bet it’s wonderful,” Ivy agreed with a nod.
“Me, too!”
In a few minutes, they’d crafted gorgeous sundaes. Remi handed the can of whipped cream to Ivy. “This stuff is so good.”
“Even if it’s not used for sexy times?” Ivy teased and laughed at her own silliness in thinking Remi was romantically involved with one of the Shadowridge Guardians instead of just visiting there frequently to see her father.
“You’re bad,” Remi accused with a laugh. “I’m glad you’re here, Ivy. You fit well with the group.”
The two took big bites of their sundaes and groaned with delight. It was so good. Eating the delicious treat consumed their attention for several bites.
Finally, Ivy asked, “Where is everyone? I woke up and Steele was gone.”
“And he didn’t tell you where they went?”
“No. He was just gone. Do you know what’s up?”
Remi took a big bite of ice cream. Ivy suspected it was to keep from answering her question, and then Remi smiled as the sound of motorcycle engines rumbled through the exterior doors. “They’re back. Steele can answer your question.”
“Uh-oh. That’s not good,” Ivy said, feeling doom lurking. She took another bite of her sundae to distract herself.
The men walked in loud and boisterous.
“Did you see that guy’s face? I think he almost peed his pants,” Talon joked.
“I think he did,” Storm confirmed.
“I don’t think she’ll have any more…” Rock’s voice faded away as they saw the women at the counter. “Hi, ladies.”
“We’re having fudge sundaes, Dad,” Remi explained.
“While the cat’s away, the mice will play?” Kade asked. His growly, deep voice made both Littles shiver. “Cold?”
“Ice cream,” Remi sassed.
“Hmmm.”
Steele was the last one through the door. The men parted for him to walk toward Ivy. “Hi, Emerald Eyes. Couldn’t sleep?”
“I woke up and everyone was gone,” Ivy said before shrugging and waving her spoon toward Remi. “Well, almost everyone. Remi suggested sundaes. Where have you all been?”
“Mmm, let me have a bite.” Steele plucked the spoon from her hand and scooped up an enormous portion.
The muffled sound of appreciation that came from Steele’s mouth made Ivy blush. It was almost the same noise he made when eating her. Squeezing her legs together, she struggled not to be distracted.
“It is good, isn’t it? So… What were you doing?”
“Official Guardian business, Ivy,” Steele answered as he scooped her bowl off the counter and took her hand to tug her off the stool.
He looked past Ivy at Remi and said, “Thanks. I owe you one.”
Everything clicked into place for Ivy, and she met Remi’s gaze. “You were babysitting me?”
“Just hanging out, Ivy,” Remi rushed to reassure her before saying to Steele, “Taking care of family.”
He nodded his agreement with that meaningful statement. “Come on, Ivy. Let’s take this treat back to our apartment,” Steele suggested, pulling gently on her hand.
Ivy didn’t resist. She had some questions for her Daddy. Some tough questions. Pacing down the hall, she tried to choose what she should ask first. Once in the apartment, Steele led her to the couch and sat down next to her.
“This is really great, Little girl.” He scooped a spoonful of the delicious mixture out of the bowl and held it to her lips.
Clamping her lips closed, she shook her head. One part of her mind was pleased to find she hadn’t gotten discombobulated by the motion. She must be healing.
Thrusting that out of her thoughts, Ivy asked, “What were you all doing?”
Steele shrugged and ate the bite of the ice cream mixture. She sat there impatiently, waiting for him to finish. “I’m not going to forget what I asked you if you keep your mouth full,” she warned.
“Don’t take that tone with me, Little girl,” Steele said with raised eyebrows.
“Can you just tell me why everyone was gone? And who peed their pants?”
“No one peed—at least in their pants,” Steele assured her and held a bite to her lips.
Annoyed, Ivy ate it. The bowl would have to be empty soon. Ooh! The cinnamon is good with chocolate syrup!
Now peeved at herself, Ivy swallowed hard and choked.
“Careful, Little girl,” Steele warned, patting her gently on her back.
“Will you just tell me?” she asked as soon as she could breathe.
“There are some things that I’ll never tell you, Little girl. Things that are only Shadowridge Guardians’ business. You’ll have to accept that, Ivy.” His unyielding gaze held hers.
“But I think it was about me,” she countered.
“That doesn’t make any difference. This was Shadowridge Guardians’ business.”
Ivy reached out to grab hold of the edge of Steele’s cut as she studied his face. She’d done that so many times since he’d rescued her. The worn leather felt so familiar to her touch. It reassured her more than anything. It was definitely more encouraging than his stern look.
“Steele, I’m a grown woman.” She waved a hand around the room. “I mean, I love being Little here—being your Little. But out here, I have to be a professional and in charge. Did you all do anything because Mr. Harris demoted me?”
“We didn’t do anything, Little girl. We just provided transportation for someone with their head screwed on right. I’m glad to know others see exactly what Mr. Harris is.”
“What he is?” Ivy echoed in concern. “Come on, Steele. You’ve got to tell me what’s going on.”
“Report to your bank on Monday,” he told her before taking another bite of her ice cream.
“My regular bank branch? Not Summerset?”
“Your bank, like normal. Here, help me eat this. You don’t want me to get a pot belly,” he suggested, holding another bite to her lips.
Accepting the treat, Ivy climbed onto his lap and leaned against Steele’s broad chest. “You saved me again, didn’t you?”
“You save me every day, Little girl. You have more power than you realize,” he said, kissing her gently. “Mmm, cinnamon and chocolate may be my favorite flavor. I wonder if there’s any more whipped cream left in that can?”
“You can’t go get it,” she hissed. “They’ll all know.”
“They already know, Ivy,” he said, running his finger around the inside of the bowl to scoop up some deliciousness and place it in her mouth. He growled at the feel of her mouth sucking lightly on his finger.
“You are going to be the end of me.”
Steele supported her as he leaned forward to set the bowl on the coffee table before reaching over his shoulder to tug his T-shirt off in a display of muscles that instantly turned her on. There was no pot belly there. She traced a line down the center of his abdomen and felt him chuckle as he obviously read her thought. He spread the cotton fabric over the empty section of the couch.
“Come here, Little girl.” Steele wrapped his arms around her to hold her steady as he turned to stretch out on the couch.
Propped up on her arms, she looked at him with wide eyes as she tried to understand what he was doing. Ivy watched Steele reach for the leg of the coffee table and pull it closer to the couch. He dipped his finger once again into the melting mixture and drew a line down the side of his throat.
“Taste me, Ivy.”
She leaned forward to lick the liquid from his skin before it could roll too far down his throat and soak into the couch. Ivy hadn’t thought the sundae could taste any better. She was totally wrong. Lapping her tongue over his warm skin, she savored the combination of Steele’s unique flavor and heat.
Ivy could feel his response to her diligence in licking all the stickiness from his skin. She wiggled on top of his body as he hardened under her. His shaft pressed against her mound, demanding attention.
Whack! She lifted her head to look down at him at the sting of his swat.
“What?”
“Lift your bottom, Little girl,” he growled.
Afraid she’d done something wrong, Ivy hesitated. Whack! She raised her pelvis from his in a hurry.
“Good girl.”
His hand swept under her body to unfasten his pants. She tried not to rub herself on his fingers as he brushed her mound. Ivy bit her bottom lip, trying desperately not to reveal how aroused she was. Her breath caught in her throat when he cupped her heat.
“It’s okay, Ivy. Together, we’re combustible. That’s how it’s supposed to be. If you don’t react to the feel of your Daddy’s body or touch, that’s when I worry—not when you need me more than your next breath.”
She nodded, not really knowing what she agreed with, but loving his words. Steele always seemed to be a step ahead of her. He just got her.
“Make love to me?” she asked.
“Eventually, Little girl. Right now, you need some playtime.”
He shifted one hand from her mound to bracket her waist with both. Sweeping under her leggings, Steele drew the stretchy fabric over her hips and down her thighs, leaving her clad only in her skimpy panties. Those he traced underneath the lacy edge along the sensitive curve of her bottom. She shivered and tried to remain above him, but his touch made it tougher every second.
“On me, sweetheart. I need to feel you against me.”
Without a second’s hesitation, she lowered herself to him and froze. She could feel his thick cock pressing against her body. The thin silk fabric of her underwear was the only thing separating her from his heated shaft.
A moan slipped from her lips as he cupped her bottom with open hands and rubbed her against him. “Please, Steele.”
“We’re not rushing this, Little girl. I haven’t had my dessert yet,” he answered as he continued to stroke her over his body.
“Dessert?” she echoed, unable to concentrate on anything else as captivating tingles gathered between her legs. Surely he couldn’t make her come just from rubbing against her panties.
Steele curled up from the couch to nibble at the cord of her throat. The searing heat of his mouth seemed to zing through her body. Ivy knew the delight his lips and tongue could lavish on her pussy. The memory of his skill dwelt in her brain as he continued to move her over him, speeding up the motion to intensify her pleasure.
Suddenly, it was all too much. Ivy combusted into a climax that seemed to shake her whole body. The pressure of her pussy against his rigid shaft was too much and not enough at the same time. She panted with need.
“I’ve got you, Ivy. I’ll make it even better.” Steele shifted her legs to the side as he sat up fully with her cradled against his torso. Capturing her lips, he kissed her deeply.
Ivy clung to his broad shoulders as she kissed him back with all the emotions swirling inside her. His hands stroked down her sides to grip the bottom of Ivy’s shirt. Ripping his mouth from hers, Steele stripped the T-shirt from her body, leaving her clad only in those drenched panties as he tossed it away.
“Damn, Little girl. You’re so beautiful.” Hooking his fingers into the sides of her last remaining garment, he tore the miniscule scrap of fabric away.
With a gasp, she sat up taller, presenting herself to his view as he reached blindly for that bowl. Ivy watched as his hand returned with a fingertip dipped in the melting creaminess. Her heart fluttered in her chest as he drew a line from her collarbone to her nipple, leaving a wet trail to the budded target. She held her breath as he leaned forward to taste the sweetness on her skin. When he took too long to kiss the path away, Ivy cupped her breasts and offered them to him.
“Please?”
“I’m going to get there, Emerald Eyes. I’m in charge.”
“But…”
“No buts, Little girl. Daddy’s in charge.”
She heard herself whimper as he continued his slow pace to his final destination. When his mouth closed over her taut peak, she gasped in reaction as his tongue swirled around her, teasing and tantalizing.
One of his hands drew a line down her stomach to the top of her mound, making her dig her fingertips into the muscles of his shoulders. Willing him to touch her more intimately, Ivy tried to hold still, but she vibrated with desire. That first orgasm had only pushed her need for Steele higher. He traced down her cleft, sliding through the slick juices gathered there. She barely breathed as he stroked through her pink folds to tap lightly on her clit.
This time, her moan interrupted his caresses. She protested when he lifted her to stand on her feet. “Don’t stop!”
“Go get me a condom, sweetheart.”
She turned on a dime and ran for the nightstand where he kept the protection. Fumbling the drawer open, Ivy grabbed a packet and pulled out three. Not waiting to separate one from the strip, Ivy turned to run back to Steele only to skid to a halt at the sight of his muscular bare butt, pointing her way as he leaned over to pull his socks off.
He stood and turned around to find her braced against the door frame with the trio of packets in her hand. “Got big plans?” he teased.
Instead of being embarrassed, Ivy felt so comfortable with him that she twirled the strip in a circle. “I might.”
“Let’s start with one, Little girl,” he suggested, stalking forward to wrap his arms around her waist to lift her feet off the floor before returning to the couch to take a seat.
When he reached for the condoms, she held them away. Answering the silent question his arched eyebrow asked, Ivy said, “Daddy, can I have some more ice cream? I only got to taste you once.”
His hands tightened on her waist before he dropped the packets to the seat next to him and nodded. “Play, Ivy.”
She slid over his thighs, pushing the coffee table to make room, and settled on her knees between his legs. Mirroring his devastating touch, Ivy trailed her fingers from his knees along his inner thighs. When his eyes became hooded, she knew she had his full attention. Ivy leaned forward to blow a thin trail of warm breath from the root of his thick erection to the broad tip, watching it jerk in reaction. Unable to resist, she leaned in and kissed the head.
Steele threaded his fingers through her hair and pulled her closer with a groan.
“Silly me. I forgot the ice cream,” she whispered against his skin.
“You are going to kill me,” he claimed as he loosened his hold long enough for her to turn the opposite way and scoop up a bit of the melted ice cream.
She could feel him watching her like a hawk as she turned back to him. Ivy reached out her right hand to wrap around his shaft and pull it toward her. It pulsed in her palm and she rotated her grip to leave the top bare and drew a quick inhale of breath from Steele, which turned to a low hiss as she drew a line of melted ice cream up his cock to the broad head.
She leaned forward to lick away the small lines of cream before they dropped to the floor. Steele tightened his fingers that cupped her head. Tangling his grip in her hair, he drew her mouth to the end of his erection and growled, “Open your mouth, Ivy.”
She leaned forward, loving the prickle of not quite pain as he held her securely. After pressing a light kiss to his cock, she opened her mouth around him and swooped forward to engulf as much of his thick erection as she could. Taking a shaky breath, Ivy backed away slightly.
“Relax your throat,” he sternly demanded.
Being under his control thrilled her. Eager to please him, she followed his directions. This time, she took more of his length, loving the sounds he made and the pulsing strength of the shaft inside her. As his praise wrapped around her, Ivy felt powerful and loved that she pleased him.
A small ripping sound made Ivy panic as the memory of duct tape being torn from the roll rebounded into her mind. With all her strength, she pushed back violently from Steele. Shoving the coffee table out of the way, she backed to the wall and huddled, wary. Her breath came fast and harsh as her instincts took over and Ivy assessed the room for danger.
She felt awful when she realized what she had done. It was just the two of them. Steele wouldn’t hurt her. He’d saved her.
He rose naked from the couch and stalked forward. She braced herself for reassurances and comfort. That wasn’t what she wanted or needed. He dropped to his knees before her and settled his hands on either side of her body. The fierce look on his face didn’t scare her, but gave her strength.
“Fight, Ivy. Never give in.”
She bolted to her knees and slammed her lips against his, dominating the kiss and taking control. Steele challenged her, not making it easy on her but asking for everything. Ivy pulled back and glared at him.
Steele met that look without flinching. “Whatever you need, Little girl. I’m here.”
She launched herself forward, pushing him back onto the floor. Ivy straddled his body, hovering over him. He gripped her thighs, aiding her balance as he waited to see what she would do next. When he didn’t move, she dropped to her hands and knees over him and leaned forward to bite his shoulder. His hands tightened around her before one released her and swatted her bottom sharply.
The sting drew her head up as desire flooded back into her body like a tidal wave. “I need you inside me.”
His hand searched the floor by his side. “Here.” He handed her a bright pink condom, and she realized when he’d opened it that had been the sound she’d heard.
“You put it on,” he demanded.
She rose to her knees and, with his help, fitted the rubber over his erection. His flesh throbbed in her grasp and her sense of power swelled as she settled over him, placing the broad head to her opening. Slowly, she sank down, feeling him stretch and challenge her to take him inside. His dark eyes held her captive. When her pelvis reached his, those deep brown eyes said everything.
He was proud of her.
“I love you, Little girl.”
“I love you, too, Daddy. I’m sorry.”
“Never apologize, Ivy,” he corrected her gruffly. “We all have our demons. We’ll deal with ours together.”
When she nodded, he continued in a low, tortured groan, “Now move before you kill me, Emerald Eyes.”
Their lovemaking was fierce and demanding. She was in control, but Steele drew everything from her as they crashed together. Their bodies heated the room, bringing a sheen to their skin. Pleasure built inside them, driving their motion.
“Ahhh!” Ivy screamed into the room, and Steele drove upward quickly three times before joining her climax.
He gathered her limp body against him, holding her tight as she processed through her emotions. She felt balanced for the first time since the attack. Ivy could never fight off three large men. She’d tried her best and had never given up. Listening to Steele’s thudding heartbeat, she knew he had saved her not only physically, but mentally. He was there for her.