“Yes, Sir.” Am I ready for him to see me naked? I’ve been ready for that for years.
He swallows. “There’s nothing I’d like more in the world than for you to let me take care of you in every way, Simone. I’d gladly give you a bath tonight and every night for the rest of our lives. But I don’t want you to wake up tomorrow and regret sharing yourself with me so intimately while you’re upset. I don’t want you making decisions that are so important when you’re under stress.”
“Seeing me naked isn’t life-altering, Camden.” I try to sound bold and sassy.
Camden stands, sets me on my feet, and sits on the toilet seat. He gently cups my face, meeting my gaze. “How many men have seen you naked, Simone?”
His question is unexpected. I look down.
“Eyes on me, Baby girl.”
I lift my gaze. Why did he have to go and ask me such a loaded question? Shit.
One brow rises above his eye. He’s going to wait.
I sigh. “None.”
He gives a slight nod. “That’s what I suspected. And you want me to remove your clothes after everything you’ve been through tonight?”
“I’m going to develop a complex and start crying harder if you fucking turn me down, Camden.” I’m not joking. He’s tying me in knots.
“Okay, Little one. How about if I turn the lights off so you don’t have to see the bruises?”
“How about if I close my eyes instead? I already saw them. I know what they look like. They’re probably worse now. You might as well see them, Camden. I don’t want to spend the next two weeks pretending they don’t exist. There are some scrapes on my back that likely need Neosporin. I won’t be able to reach them.”
He strokes my cheeks gently with his thumbs. “Okay.”
I have no idea if I’m being fair to him. Who wants to see a woman’s beaten body? No one. If he is as interested in me as he says, he’d probably rather not see me naked until all the evidence of my attack is gone.
Yeah, I should have thought of it from that angle. I turn away from him. “Never mind.”
Before I can step away, he grabs my hand and pulls me between his legs so that my back is against his front. He wraps his arms around me from behind and kisses my neck. “Talk to me, Simone. You’re free to change your mind. You’re always free to change your mind about anything. But tell me what’s going through your head, Baby girl.”
My lips tremble. “I’m asking too much of you.”
“You’re not. There’s never going to be too much. It’s not possible. I know you, Simone. I know your Little better than you probably know her. I have more experience with Littles than you do. Your experience is mostly from reading, in your head, and what you’ve observed at Surrender. It’s not practical. I’ve watched you suppress your Little for four years. So, I know what I’m getting into when I say I want you.”
My breath hitches.
“That’s right. I’ll tell you every day until you believe me. I didn’t dream this up on the spot tonight because Jameson called and asked me to get you. Let me tell you a few more things. You’re mine forever. I don’t have doubts about that. You’re allowed to have doubts. You don’t know me as well as I know you. But, Little girl, I will do everything in my power to make you see that you’re mine.”
I can’t even exhale.
“Some day, you’ll wear my ring on your finger. A ridiculous diamond that makes your hand too heavy to lift,” he teases. Does he? Maybe he’s not joking.
I’m never going to breathe again.
“In sickness and in health, Baby girl. Right now, we’re going through a period of sickness. I’m right here. I’m not squeamish. Will I get pissed when I see what that fucker did to you? Yes. I’ll try to control my reactions. But I will not avoid looking at you while you’re bruised, Simone. Every part of you is mine, even when you’re injured. You can ask me to do anything for you, Baby girl. Always. I will never turn you down. So, if you think asking me to give you a bath so you don’t have to look at yourself or think again tonight is a hardship on my part, you’re badly mistaken. Taking care of you is my life’s work. It starts now. We clear?”
“Yes, Sir.” I slump against him and wince when doing so hurts in about six places.
He rights me and reaches for the hem of my sweater. “Arms up.”
Finally breathing again, I inhale long and slow, letting him pull the sweater over my head. When I lift my arms, I wince because it hurts so much. I don’t look down. I don’t want to start crying again.
He unzips my skirt next and lets it fall to the floor. Bending lower, he unties my pink boots and takes them off one at a time. My tights and panties are next to go, and finally, my bra.
Goosebumps rise all over my skin. I’m cold now that I’m naked, but mostly I’m fucking nervous. The Daddy I’ve been lusting after for years is seeing me naked for the first time and not under ideal circumstances.
