Tender Billionaire Daddy by Scott Wylder

CHAPTER SIX

Liam

I admit it; getting her here to keep Peppermint company was an excuse and a poor one at that. I needed to stop kidding myself. I was lonely. I’d developed my security software when I was going to school, in Seattle, but the city made me feel even lonelier than a small town in the middle of nowhere. The peace and quiet was nice for a while, but I've never been very social. I only talk to Griffin regularly. However, it was biting me in the butt now. I wanted the company.

I couldn't blame Lacy for being cautious around me. It was a weird situation, but having her around made me happy, even if things were a little awkward. Besides, my Daddy instincts were practically screaming at me to take care of her.

I put that thought out of my mind. I had work to do. Even though I still owned a controlling interest in my company, I had stepped down from being CEO a couple of years ago, leaving a lot of time to myself. Now I was going to put that time to good use. I wanted to make sure what happened to Lacy wouldn't happen to anyone else.

The problem was servers relied on tips. Even if she got more work hours, it wouldn't make much of a difference if there weren't enough customers to go around. Knoxville was a college town and it got empty, suddenly, right in time for the holidays, which was the most expensive time of year. No wonder Lacy was struggling. I bet she wasn't the only one. If I could figure out a way for customers to support seasonal servers during the off-season, then I could help a lot of people.

I sat at my desk and started brainstorming. I thought of several ideas, but none of them seemed plausible. Unfortunately, an online tip jar would only go so far. Most people wouldn't just donate without getting something in return. It would have to be innovative and cool. Not that I had any idea what cool was. I smirked to myself and set the list aside. I would think of something. This might be out of my current knowledge back, but I wouldn't give up. I'd figure something out.

It was close to lunchtime, so I decided to check on Lacy.

Her door was open. She was curled up with Peppermint sleeping at her feet and her teddy bear tucked under her arm. I smiled at the sight of it. She caught sight of me and blushed before pushing the teddy bear aside.

"Hey, don't stop on my account," I said.

"I know it's a little childish, but I've had him since I was little and sometimes hugging him makes him feel better."

I came over and sat at the edge of her bed. "What's his name?"

She blushed. "Cocoa Puff. It was my favorite cereal when I was little."

I smiled. She was so adorable. "I'll keep that in mind," I said.

She shrugged. "I don't eat it much now. Isn't it mostly for kids?"

"If you like it, then you should have it," I said. "It's important to be yourself and do what you want, no matter how old you are."

She bit her lip. "I don't know. I would be annoying pretty quickly if I tried that."

"I don't think so." She was definitely a Little; that much was clear now. It made me sad she didn't feel comfortable enough to be her Little self. "Honestly, I would find it adorable."

She blushed and looked down. "Trust me; you would think it was weird."

"Not any weirder than me."

“What do you mean?”

I mentally kicked myself. I came so close to betraying that I was a Daddy. If she knew that, she would never stop being scared of me. "Don't worry about it," I said.

"Come on," she said. "You can't just claim that and not back it up with anything. Tell me."

I sighed. "It's nothing. It's just you mentioned feeling weird about acting like a kid, but it's no weirder than what I like in a relationship. I like taking care of someone and being called Daddy. I like spanking them when they're naughty and rewarding them when they're good."

I studied her reaction carefully. A hint of desire entered her gaze. "You like taking care of them?" she asked. "Like how?"

She was asking more questions? Did that mean she was interested? No. She wouldn't be interested in pursuing that with me.

"Like feeding them and reading them stories. Playing games with them and tucking them in at night to make sure they get a good night's sleep. Maybe changing their diapers, if they were into adult diapers. Ideally, I would want to support them financially. I'd want to protect my little one from the world and make them feel safe and loved," my voice grew thick with desire at the end.

Lacy was staring at me, transfixed by what I was saying. "You want someone you can take care of and protect?" She said it as if she couldn't believe it.

"Of course I do," I said. I cleared my throat. "But I don't want to worry you. I didn't bring you here to seduce you or trap you. In fact, if you don't want to see me again after this, I wouldn't blame you. I can have Sandy bring in your meals and anything else you would want—"

“No," she said. She blushed. "I—I like spending time with you. Thank you.”