Charming Colton Read online

  We reach the office first, and I glance inside to find Julius and Davis have arrived before me. I reach for Eve’s chin and tip her head back. It seems necessary to ensure she knows who’s in charge here and assert my dominance firmly. “You’ll be on your best behavior, right?”

  “Yes, Daddy.”

  “Don’t cause Evelyn any trouble. I know you don’t want my palm on your already sore bottom again today.”

  She flushes and ducks her head, but I see the shudder at the same time. In addition, she squeezes her thighs together and her dress is thin enough for me to see her nipples have beaded. “I’ll be good, Daddy.”

  I pat her bottom and turn to enter the office. When I make eye contact with the rest of the men in the room, I find them all smiling at me. “What?” I glance over my shoulder, but I know what they’re thinking.

  “Impressive,” Davis states. “That’s all.”

  I shrug. “Just giving her what she needs.”

  I shake hands with everyone, realizing I don’t know much about Julius. “Do you have a little too? I didn’t meet her yet.”

  Julius shakes his head and waves a hand through the air. “Nah. I’m not that kind of Dom. I do have a submissive though. Abby. And she might as well be little for as naughty as she is and as often as she gets into trouble.”

  “Did she come with you?” I definitely didn’t meet her last night.

  “Nope. I have a polyamorous relationship. I share Abby with two other men. We all live together. In fact, the three of us lived together before we found Abby. She is a breath of fresh air, but it takes three of us to corral her,” he jokes. “She’s with Levi and Beck this morning.”

  After everything I’ve learned in the past week, nothing shocks me. The man seems very happy, so lucky him.

  I turn my gaze toward the doorway when Weston returns and clears his throat. “Your last guest has arrived, sir.”

  Craig Darwin steps inside. Good. I should have thought of inviting him. Luckily, Roman was on top of it.

  We all shake hands with Craig before Roman points toward a seating area. “Talk to us,” Roman says as we take our seats.

  I run a hand over my hair. “My boss got another tip this morning about Eve.”

  Everyone’s face scrunches up.

  I glance at the door.

  Roman stands immediately and strides over to close it. “Sorry about that. I guess you didn’t share everything with Eve yet.”

  “No. I gave her the option, but advised she let me handle this for now. Nothing has changed really. She might as well play blissfully with the other girls.”

  Davis nods. “Agreed.”

  “What did the tipster say?” Julius asks.

  “Basically that he saw her last night with me and knew I was a cop. He wanted the police to know that someone is still planning to grab her and to make sure I didn’t slack off.”

  “Christ,” Roman mutters.

  Davis groans.

  Craig frowns deeply.

  Julius looks like he’s going to punch something. Can’t blame him.

  “So, someone inside the club had to call in the tip,” Julius points out.

  I nod. “That’s my assumption. That or he’s following us. Also possible. But something leads me to believe he got closer than just stalking from across the street. Close enough to assess me and determine I’m a cop.”

  “Are you still keeping an eye on Owen as a possible suspect?” Davis asks.

  I shrug. “He’s unlikely. He doesn’t fit the profile. In addition, if he’s in the process of grooming her, he’s doing a piss poor job of it. He wasn’t in contact with her this past week.”

  Roman rubs his eyes. “So, chances are that Owen has nothing to do with anything. He just happened to join the club a few months ago and start playing with Eve.”

  “I agree,” Davis says. “Plus, he’s just so…”

  “Nice?” Julius suggests with a chuckle. “He’s a great Daddy—caring, kind, nurturing. The littles love doing scenes with him. Also, I vetted him. He’s been in the fetish community for many years. No one at any of his previous clubs had a single complaint. It’s super unlikely that he’s selling women into human trafficking on the side.”

  I nod slowly. “I should probably get a list of his previous clubs and make sure no one has gone missing from any of them, just in case.”

  “Of course. I’ll get you that.” Julius pulls out his phone and taps the screen, probably making himself a note. “In fact. I’ll check with all of them myself. The owners are more likely to respond to someone they know inside the community.”

  Roman turns toward Craig. “Did you see anything unusual last night?”

  Craig shakes his head. “Nothing. Granted, I don’t know the members like you do, but no one loitered around the daycare or seemed to pay extra attention to Eve. No one who watched her scene with Owen looked suspicious. And no one paid any attention to the fact that she went into a private room for a while with Colt, Davis, and Britney.”

  I tip my head back and stare at the ceiling. “It just doesn’t make sense. I’m inclined to think Surrender has nothing to do with it at all. Why would a member call in a tip three weeks ago and again last night? And if it’s a member who suspects Eve is in trouble, it would stand to reason that another member is the seller. That would mean two people at Surrender are involved, and no one has seen any evidence that even one person has her on their radar.”

  “If it’s not someone at Surrender,” Davis interjects, “who’s calling in the tips?”

  I shake my head slowly. “We know someone’s following her. And none of you have ever seen him at Surrender. It makes no sense.”

  Davis nods. “Perhaps the stalker followed you to Surrender but never came inside.”

  “It’s unlikely he followed me because I would have shaken him off, but it’s quite possible he’s been following Eve everywhere she goes for longer than I’ve been assigned to the case. He may easily know she’s a member of Surrender.” I flinch as an idea comes to me.

  “What is it?” Davis asks.

  “Perhaps the stalker is actually the one calling in the tips. What if he’s the good guy instead?”

  Everyone nods. “It’s possible,” Craig states. “Forward me a picture of the stalker when you have a chance. I’ll do some digging.”

  “Any chance he followed you here?” Roman asks, his brow furrowed.

  “Not a chance in hell. He was on foot outside her apartment building when we left. I do know that he has realized I’m with her by now. He knows my SUV and takes action when he sees it. But he couldn’t get to his car fast enough to follow me, and I drove all over the place just to be sure.”

  Davis rises from his seat at the same time as Craig. They look at each other and chuckle.

  I groan. “You can sit back down. I’ve checked the SUV every day for tracking devices. It’s clean.”

  They sit again, still smirking.

  I roll my eyes. “I don’t think the stalker much cares where I go or that Eve is with me. He’s biding his time. I’m sure he’s waiting to grab her as close to the day of the exchange as possible. That was the MO when Britney’s boss was working his deal to sell her.” I look at Davis. “You were there. You know the drill. That asshole kept close tabs on her, intending to wait until the date of the rendezvous so she would be easy to snag. These people aren’t in the business of keeping a bunch of women hostage for days or weeks.”

  “Why not?” Roman asks.

  Davis sighs. “Because they want the women to be in top physical condition at the exchange. If they take them too early, they run the risk of them not eating or drinking or having to struggle which leaves marks on them.”

  “Jesus,” Julius mutters.

  The thought of anyone snagging Eve and possibly torturing her brings bile to my stomach. “On that note, I’d like to set eyes on Eve now, if you all don’t mind.”

  Everyone stands in agreement, and Roman leads us down the hallway. We enter i
nto a huge kitchen where Eve, Lucy, and Britney are sitting at a table. They all look up with bright eyes as we enter.

  “Daddy!” Britney shouts. “Look what we’re doing.”

  The woman I presume to be Evelyn is also in the kitchen. She comes over to the table from the island, a bowl of what looks like pink frosting in her hands. Judging by the sugar cookies I see scattered all over the table, I’d say my guess is accurate.

  Craig sets a hand on my shoulder. “I’m going to run.” He hands me a card. “Please call me if anything changes. I’ll be at the club every night it’s open until I’m certain it’s safe for everyone.”

  “Thank you.” I take his card and reach into my pocket to grab one of my own before handing it to him in exchange.

  “I’m leaving too,” Julius says as he turns from talking to Roman. “Judging from the incoming texts I’ve been getting, my submissive is currently restrained in an uncomfortable position awaiting punishment. Apparently, she wasn’t pleased with me leaving this morning and let that be known to Levi and Beck.”

  I chuckle. “Good luck with that.”

  As both men leave, I follow Roman and Davis deeper into the kitchen to join the girls. I’m surprised to notice Eve is no longer wearing the dress she came in.

  Evelyn obviously notices my glance at Eve’s attire and explains. “I hope you don’t mind I lent Evelyn one of Lucy’s shirts. I didn’t want her to get frosting on her white dress.”

  I smile and lean over the top of Eve to kiss her forehead as she tips her face back. She’s wearing nothing but a tight yellow T-shirt and her panties. My cock is hard the moment I see how happy she is and how stiff her nipples are. I resist the urge to reach around and pinch one of them.

  She’s on her knees on the chair, a pillow under her so she can reach the cookies easier. She has a plastic knife in one hand and a cookie in the other. Sprinkles and pink frosting are all over her fingers and forearms.

  “Did you get any on the cookies, baby?” I tease.

  She giggles. “Yes, Daddy. Don’t be silly. See?” She holds one up. It is indeed frosted and has shiny silver sprinkles on it. “Evelyn says we can’t eat them until after lunch, and only if we eat all of our lunch, and only if you say it’s okay to eat them.”

  “I notice Evelyn also gets to call you by your given name, hmm?”

  She grins as she shrugs. “We have the same name.”

  I can’t stop smiling. What a delightful life Roman has here. He seems to have everything imaginable for a little in his home. In fact, the table where the girls are sitting is not a standard size. It’s smaller. Just right for adult littles who are on the petite side.

  Evelyn addresses Davis next. “You’ll be delighted to know that your sweet girl let me know she isn’t permitted to use knives. Not even plastic ones. I gave her a soft spatula.”

  Britney holds up the spatula to show Davis. She’s beaming.

  “Good girl, sweetie.” Davis kisses the top of her head. “I can’t wait to taste these cookies.”

  Lucy shifts her weight back and forth from one knee to the other. “Daddy, can we go in the hot tub after lunch? Please?”

  He tugs one of her braids. “We’ll see. I’m not sure how long everyone can stay, blossom. Plus, it’s chilly outside. Davis and Colt might not want to stand out in the cold while you girls splash in the water.”

  Lucy pouts. “You could stay in here in the kitchen where it’s warm, Daddy.”

  Roman’s eyebrows reach clear to the ceiling. “How many years have you been my little girl, blossom?”

  “A lot. Almost seven,” she murmurs.

  “And how many times have I permitted you to go outside unsupervised in that time?”

  “None, Sir.” Her voice is meek now.

  “Why is that?”

  She sighs, her shoulders slumping. “Because it’s not safe for little girls to be near the hot tub without an adult present.”

  “Would you like me to spank you now in front of your friends or later after they leave?”

  “Later, Sir.”

  “I thought so. Now, finish frosting your cookies and then you can have some lunch.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  I watch this exchange in total awe, my gaze shifting from Lucy to Eve several times. Eve is flushed and biting her bottom lip. She’s also shifting her weight back and forth like Lucy. Only in her case, it’s because she’s aroused. I can sense it. I can’t speak for Lucy. She may be aroused too for all I know. Doesn’t matter. Eve is the one who has my attention.

  The girls finish frosting the cookies a few minutes later, and Evelyn hands each of us a warm washcloth to clean them up.

  I wipe Eve’s fingers and try to get most of the frosting off her forearms, but I’m going to need more than this cloth. “Can you direct us to the restroom, Roman? I think we’re going to need some soap and water.” I lift Eve to her feet.

  She holds her arms out to keep from touching herself.

  “I’ll show them, Daddy,” Lucy declares as she jumps down from her chair and skips toward the door.

  Evelyn calls out to her. “Child, you are going to be the death of me. Stop running in the house.” The older woman shakes her head, but she’s smiling at the same time. I wonder how many times in the past seven years she’s said that.

  “Sorry, Ma’am.” Lucy slows down.

  I chuckle as Eve follows her with me bringing up the rear. We don’t have to go far before Lucy points out a bathroom. She pushes the door open and skips back toward the kitchen, not one bit slower even though she just got admonished for running.

  I usher Eve into the bathroom and shut the door behind us before turning her toward the sink and running the water. I get a squirt of soap and thoroughly wash her hands and forearms before rinsing. Her skin is still pink from the food coloring, but I can’t fix that. After I dry her with a towel, I surprise her by lifting her onto the counter and setting her on her bottom.

  She giggles and squirms as I push her legs wide, situate myself between them, and slide my hands up her waist. “Daddy…”

  When I thumb her nipples, she shudders, her hands coming to my shoulders. Her expression changes instantly from mischievous to aroused. I pinch her hard little nubs next, making her arch and moan.

  “I bet your panties are soaking wet, aren’t they, baby?”

  She purses her lips, not answering me.

  I cup one breast and slip my other hand down to palm her pussy. Hot. Soaked. “Mmm. Tell me about this, baby. What made you horny?”

  She lowers her face and plants her forehead against my chest. Embarrassed?

  I stroke through her folds and flick her clit over the cotton barrier, making her moan again. “Tell me, Evelyn,” I say sternly. “Tell Daddy why your panties are wet and your little nipples are so hard.” I tease her again, knowing I’m making it difficult for her to talk.

  When she still doesn’t respond, I release her breast to slide my hand up under her shirt, pushing the material over her breasts before resuming my torment. The moment my fingers are directly on her nipple, she nearly shoots off the counter.

  I have to hold her down with my elbow on her thigh. At the same time, I reach a finger under the edge of her wet panties and thrust it into her.

  She cries out.

  I stifle her noises by kissing her, swallowing her passionate sounds as I devour her mouth. I know she’s bombarded with sensation because she’s struggling to return my kiss. I’m not helping out. I’m still thumbing her nipple and thrusting a finger in and out of her. In addition, I’ve managed to flick her clit several times too.

  It’s not hard to sense when she gets close to the edge of orgasm. Her body stiffens and she sucks in a breath. I’m feeling ornery though, so I immediately remove my fingers from her panties and her nipple.

  She whimpers. “Daddy…”

  “Look at me, Eve.”

  She slowly lifts her gaze. Her face is flushed and she’s trembling with need.

  “Tell Dad
dy what made you horny in the kitchen and then I’ll let you come.” It’s not like I don’t know. It’s that I want her to recognize and acknowledge what’s happening here.

  “It was everything,” she whispers.

  “Examples, please.” I’m not going to back down. She wouldn’t want me to anyway.

  “It’s just…different now. Now that you’re here. I got aroused when Evelyn took my dress off and put Lucy’s T-shirt on me.”

  “Why was that, baby?” I’m genuinely curious about this part. I hadn’t expected her arousal to go back quite that far.

  She glances down.

  “Evelyn,” I warn. I love the way she flinches when I call her by her full name. It makes my dick hard just to say it. “Eyes on mine.”

  She lifts her gaze slowly and licks her lips. “Because I knew you would eventually find me like that in the kitchen. Find me in my panties. I wanted you to see my bottom like that. It made me horny.”

  My heart is racing. Fuck. Me. I can’t stop myself from closing the gap and kissing her gently. “That makes me horny too, baby.” My voice is gravelly. “It’s so sexy. You liked listening to Lucy get reprimanded too, didn’t you?”

  She nods. “It’s different. She’s not acting exactly. It’s a way of life. Not like when I submit to a Daddy at the club and pretend to be naughty. Lucy is genuine. It’s just how their dynamic works.”

  “I can see that.” I grip her waist again, teasing her nipples with my thumbs. “You want that don’t you, baby?” An actual ache forms in my chest. She obviously wants that, and I can only give it to her until I solve this crime.

  Part of me hopes she’s learned some things about herself in the past week and can find a Daddy who can fulfill her new needs. Part of me imagines myself punching him in the face for daring to touch her or talk to her.

  I’m fucked.

  I shake the maudlin from my head and focus on giving my girl what she needs, which right now is an orgasm. With one hand cupping her breast, I once again slide the other down between her legs and ease my fingers under the edge of her panties. I reach in from the top this time, tapping her clit first and circling it until she whimpers.