Harboring Hannah by Pepper North

Chapter 15

Deke opened the door and immediately wore a licking dog like a fuzzy coat. Lollipop plastered himself to Deke’s body, wrapping his front legs over the man’s shoulders.

“Whoa, Lollipop. It’s okay. We’re back together,” Deke reassured the dog as he delivered scratches to the pet’s favorite places.

“Hi! You must be Hannah. I’m Kenzie and this is Osiris,” the young woman with green eyes introduced herself.

“Hi, Kenzie. I’ve heard a lot about you. Hi, Osiris.” She eyed the enormous man. Her Daddy was a large man, but standing next to Osiris, he looked smaller.

“Where do they find these guys for SANCTUM?” Kenzie whispered loudly, making both men laugh.

Deke had finally convinced Lollipop he wasn’t going to disappear, and the dog had dropped back to the ground to stay plastered against his owner’s side. “Lollipop, I have someone special to introduce you to.”

He held his hand out to Hannah. When she joined him, Deke held their combined grasp out to the dog to sniff. Lollipop smelled their hands carefully before licking them. As Hannah giggled, the large mastiff ran his nose over her arm.

“Can I pet him?”

“Go for it!” Deke encouraged as he scratched Lollipop’s back.

She squatted down to allow him to continue his path while staying close to Deke. When Lollipop’s cold nose touched her neck, Hannah squealed with delight. The mastiff turned his head to look back at Deke to woof softly before returning his attention to the Little girl in front of him. He lapped over her cheek, signaling his approval.

“I think he likes me,” Hannah exclaimed as she found a good scratching spot behind the gigantic dog’s ear.

Everyone laughed as Lollipop’s right rear leg lifted to shake in the air. When she stopped, Lollipop left his position of leaning against Deke’s side to squeeze in between the couple. Both Deke and Hannah rewarded him with praise and pets.

Hannah looked up to find Kenzie looking at her. Instantly self-conscious, Hannah yanked her skirt down.

“I love your outfit!” Kenzie enthused. “I’d love to have one just like it.” She peeked up at her Daddy.

“You would look very cute in that skirt, Little girl,” Osiris agreed. “Maybe Hannah would like to be the only one who had one in SANCTUM.”

“Oh, I don’t care if others have one, too. It’s super fun to twirl around in!” Hannah shared.

“Can I ask where you got it?” Kenzie asked.

“Yes! Fifty kisses are mine!” Deke celebrated, raising his hands over his head in triumph. Lollipop barked with excitement, wanting to be in on the fun.

“You win, Daddy,” Hannah conceded.

Seeing their visitors’ questioning looks, Hannah explained, “I was worried that my skirt might not be appropriate to wear. Daddy bet me fifty kisses that you’d ask where I got it, Kenzie.”

“I like that bet,” Osiris remarked with a big grin.

“Me, too,” Deke agreed. “I’ll send you the link, Osiris. There are all sorts of colors. We may have a rainbow of skirts here by the time all the Littles see them.”

“Nicky won’t want one,” Kenzie suggested.

“Probably not. I heard that his sister was coming to visit for the holidays. They haven’t spent time together since she moved to Chicago to work after their parents died. Maybe she’ll want one,” Osiris shared.

“That’s fun!” Kenzie added.

“There are so many people for me to meet. I’m glad I’ll know another friendly face when we get together,” Hannah whispered to Kenzie.

“Everyone can’t wait to meet you. Deke’s so awesome. We’re glad he found his Little.”

Unwilling to lose everyone’s attention, Lollipop inserted himself between the two Littles. Immediately, they sank their hands in his soft fur to pet him. The mastiff rewarded them with wet licks.

“Lollipop is a hero,” Kenzie shared. “He helped protect me from my ex-husband.”

“Wow! I’m glad you’re okay. You, too, Lollipop!”

His answering woof made them giggle.

“I’m better than okay. Osiris saved me and we came here. You’re going to love SANCTUM. It’s a wonderful place to live. You’ll see.”

“Thank you, Kenzie.” Hannah looked over at Deke to find him watching her closely as he talked to Osiris. “I can’t believe I’m so lucky to be here. I could have ruined everything, but my Daddy fixed it all.”

“That’s what they do.”

“Okay, baby girl. Let’s get going. Lollipop, you enjoy hanging out with Deke and Hannah,” Osiris said, stepping forward to wrap an arm around Kenzie.

The dog immediately jumped up to put his paws on Osiris’ shoulders. He licked the muscular man’s face before leaning over to kiss Kenzie. Content, he dropped to the ground and squeezed between Deke and Hannah.

“He said goodbye, didn’t he, Daddy?” Kenzie’s voice drifted back to them as they walked down the lane. “I’m going to miss Lollipop. Maybe we could get a dog sometime?”

“Maybe, Baby girl. We’ll see.”

Deke chuckled softly, drawing Hannah’s attention. When she looked at him quizzically, he shared, “A puppy is in her future. Her Daddy’s already got it planned out.”

“Daddies are wonderful!”

“I hope you always think so.”

An idea popped into her head. “We forgot Lollipop’s stuffie. Can we give it to him now?”

“It’s on the counter. Go get it,” Deke suggested.

Dashing inside, Hannah grabbed the teddy bear they had chosen for the dog. She returned quickly with it still wrapped in the bag. “We have a present for you, Lollipop.”

The oversized dog sat patiently in front of her. He watched closely as Hannah slowly pulled the gift from the bag. At the sight of one ear, Lollipop’s tail whacked the ground in an excited wag. A woof greeted the appearance of the entire head. Finally, he rose to his feet to dance in anticipation as she held it out to him. Lollipop pranced around the yard carrying his new toy. Pure happiness showed in every movement.

“I think he likes it!” Hannah giggled.

“He’s not going to let go of that one for a long time,” Deke agreed.

A few minutes later, he suggested, “What do you say we take Lollipop, Mr. Bear, and the boat down to the lake? There’s a berth waiting for her.”

“Can we go for a ride?” she asked, dancing in place as excited as Lollipop had been at the sight of the toy.

“I think we’ll have to test out the engine. We need to make sure it’s survived transport. Let’s make a picnic lunch and go, sweetheart.”

At the sound of food, Lollipop woofed around the stuffie to agree. He followed them into the house and headed for the kitchen. Deke added a handful of food to his waiting bowl and filled the water bowl for the pet.

Thumping the dog’s solid side, Deke said, “Welcome home, Lollipop!”

Woof!

“Is that the lake?” Hannah asked, pointing out the kitchen windows.

“It is. Let’s see what food they left us,” he suggested.

Heading to the pantry, Deke laughed. “Osiris has stocked us up for a month. I didn’t think, but Osiris’ idea of the amount of food necessary for a couple days is different for regular size people.”

Hannah followed him and laughed at the sight of four loaves of bread on the shelf. There was definitely enough for her to eat a whole sandwich—or two.

* * *

“Tired, Little girl?” Deke asked, ushering his Little girl inside.

Hannah rubbed her eyes as they walked into the welcoming house. “I can’t believe I’m exhausted after that nap.”

“All the fresh air and changes. Let’s get you showered and in bed.” Deke set the picnic basket and the backpack diaper bag on the table, before wrapping a supportive arm around her waist.

“Lollipop, let’s go to sleep,” he directed. Immediately, the huge dog loped down the hall to disappear into the master bedroom. By the time they got there, the animal was collapsed on the large, padded, pet bed. His ears twitched at them, but he didn’t move.

Deke steered her into the bathroom and ducked into the walk-in shower to turn on the water to heat. He gently undressed her, laying her cute skirt carefully on the vanity.

“Need to potty?” he asked, compressing her abdomen with a hand on her lower back and tummy.

Instantly, she felt her face heat as she peed into the padding. Deke had taken care of her on the boat, changing her diaper twice. Hannah knew it would get easier, but now it felt so intimate giving him this much control over her. Inside, she loved it. Being the center of Deke’s attention was addictive.

“Good girl,” Deke praised her as he removed her diaper. “Go stand in the warm water. I’ll be there quickly.”

She followed his direction, walking into the streaming water with a heart-felt sigh of delight. Hannah turned to dip her head back into the spray. The warm liquid poured over her scalp and she wiggled in delight.

“Now that’s a picture I could see every day,” his husky voice growled.

Hannah looked up. A thrill zinged through her body as she watched his gaze devour her form. “Hi, Daddy.”

“Hi, Little girl,” he answered, stalking forward. “Turn around. Let me wash your hair,” he directed.

Rotating obediently, she luxuriated in the warm water streaming over her chest. When she heard the click of the shampoo bottle, Hannah tilted her head back. Deke coaxed the suds through her dark hair and scratched her scalp, drawing a moan of delight from her lips.

He didn’t rush. Instead, he lavished attention on every inch of her head as he settled behind her to support her body. His thick erection nestled in the cleft of her buttocks. When she wiggled against him, Deke wrapped a hand around her abdomen to hold her pinned in place.

“No playing, Little girl. You’re exhausted.”

“I might have some energy,” she volunteered, peeking over her shoulder.

“Not tonight. Turn around, Hannah. Let’s get these suds cleared away.”

After rinsing her hair, Deke applied conditioner and focused on washing her body. When he reached her underarms, she shied away.

“What’s wrong, Hannah?”

“I need to shave,” she mumbled.

“Little girls don’t need to worry about their underarms and legs—especially here in SANCTUM. But I’m glad you reminded me of something else.”

Deke turned and walked from the shower. Returning, he held a shaver in his hand. “Time for your adult curls to disappear, Little girl.” He knelt on the tiled floor and drew her closer.

Lathering her pubic area closely, Deke stroked the razor carefully over her mound. When she shivered in reaction to his care, he looked up at her. “You okay, sweetheart?”

“I’m okay, Daddy. It makes me feel Littler,” she confessed.

“That’s a good thing, Hannah.”

“I like being Little with you,” she whispered.

“That’s good. I never want to lose you.”

Hannah rubbed her fingers over her bare mound when he was finished. Her skin was so sensitive without the protective hair. Her Daddy’s hand covered hers and drew a heart on her skin.

“Pretty Little girl,” he whispered into her ear. “I know you’re tired. Let’s get you clean, and I’ll tuck you into bed.”

“Sleepy,” she agreed, nodding her head and leaning slightly against his solid support.

Deke tenderly rubbed soap all over her body before turning her toward the stream of water to rinse. His fingers played between her thighs and buttocks, making sure the suds were rinsed away. He washed her face last and pressed a sweet kiss to her lips after wiping the liquid from her eyes so she could blink up at him.

“All done?” she asked, yawning.

“All done, sweetheart.” He turned off the water and snagged a dry towel from the hook at the back of the shower.

Quickly, he dried her skin and blotted her hair as dry as possible before wrapping her in a second towel. “Let’s get you ready for bed,” he suggested as he wrapped a towel around his waist.

Soon, she had moisturizer on her face and her hair combed out. Amazed that he didn’t tug on her scalp ever as he patiently worked out all the tangles, Hannah stood quietly in front of the mirror while he took care of her completely.

Trying to memorize everything about Deke, Hannah couldn’t believe that this could continue. Something always happened to ruin the best things in her life. When it was time for her to go, she wanted to make sure she remembered everything.

“Sweetheart, why do you look so sad?” he asked, looking in the mirror from behind her.

“This can’t last,” she wailed, bursting into tears. “I screw everything up. I know I’m going to lose you, too.”

“That’s never going to happen. Lean over the vanity,” Deke instructed.

“Why?”

“Do you remember my rule?”

Their conversation bounced into her mind. He promised to spank her if she spoke poorly about herself. “But you want me to talk to you,” she wailed.

“I always want you to talk to me. We just need to change how you talk to yourself. Instead of saying that you screw everything up, you’re going to change that message that’s repeating in your mind.” He pressed her shoulders down to bend her over the countertop as his free hand flipped the bottom of the towel up to reveal her bottom.

“To what?” she wailed over her shoulder.

Whack!His first swat left a pink mark on her skin, bringing a gasp and wiggle from his Little.

“Everyone has challenges, and I can overcome anything.”

“But no one has as many crappy things happen to them as I do!” she protested.

Whack! “That isn’t true, Little girl. Everyone has terrible things that happen in their lives.”

Immediately, Hannah remembered Deke’s story about losing his first Little so many years ago. To be so happy and then have her suddenly yanked from his life had a larger impact than her embarrassment at the sex tape. Suddenly, she felt very ashamed of dwelling on her problems.

“Sorry, Daddy.”

“You have nothing to apologize for, sweetheart. Try one of those sentences to replace the one in your head.”

When she didn’t answer immediately, his hand smacked her bottom three more times with pauses in between to allow her to speak.

When the fifth swat landed, she whispered, “With my Daddy’s help, I can overcome anything.”

“You can do anything by yourself, but I’ll accept that today. I’m happy to support you in any way.” His hand smoothed over her red bottom. “Say that one more time as if you believe it.”

“I can overcome anything.”

“That’s my Little girl.” Deke helped her stand up and wrapped his arms around her.

Hugging her Daddy for all she was worth, Hannah focused on her stinging bottom. Even with emotional tears running down her face, she felt better than she had for a while. The discomfort was a physical reminder of how much he cared for her. “I’ll try to do better.”

“That’s all I can ask.”

Drawn by her tears and sad tone, Lollipop appeared in the bathroom. Immediately, he came over to lean against their bodies. Hannah brushed her fingers over his soft fur. “You’ll help me, too, Lolli. Won’t you?”

Woof!Lollipop vowed his support without reservations.

Deke kissed her shoulder as he hugged her close. “Push all the negative thoughts from your mind, Little girl. Your life is different here at SANCTUM. Here, everything happy can exist and we deal with problems so you can move on to better things. I want you to promise not to run away without talking to me.”

“What if it’s horribly bad?”

“No matter how bad you think it is. Promise me, Little girl.”

Hannah studied his face. She didn’t see any inkling of deceit in his expression. “You really mean it. No matter how bad it is.”

“Promise me,” he repeated.

“I’ll come talk to you. I promise.”

“Thank you, sweetheart. Let’s go snuggle you in bed. Lollipop, you come, too.”

The parade to her side of the bed almost made her laugh. It definitely lightened her thoughts. Deke whisked away the damp towel and pulled a soft nightshirt over her body.

“In bed, sweetheart.”

Plucking Neela from the pillow, Hannah climbed onto the soft mattress and settled on the crisp sheet with a sigh of delight. Her Daddy tucked the covers around her and pressed a kiss against her lips.

“I’ll be right there, Hannah. I’ll go finish my shower. Lollipop is going to stay with you. He’ll be on his bed right over there,” Deke said, pointing to the large pet bed on her side of the room. Lollipop wandered over there and made three circles before collapsing on the padding.

Giggling, Hannah turned three times over in bed and stopped. Lolli was brilliant. She was nestled perfectly in the padding. Closing her eyes, she was asleep in minutes.