Page 16 of Jade

She was hyper-aware of Ryan’s presence, her still aching bottom, and their new arrangement. It wasn’t that she wanted to push or act out, she just wanted to know how to do it, and what would happen if she did.

Still, she didn’t want him to report to Baze that she’d spent all of her time jabbering and hadn’t gotten through her schoolwork so she pushed through two astrology lessons, three poetry lectures and a quiz before slamming her computer shut and grabbing her crochet. She was currently working on a navy-blue scarf. She’d initially thought she’d give it to Baze, but now she was thinking about giving it to Pastor Ryan instead. Maybe by the time she finished it, he’d actually be her Daddy.

Bouncing in her seat as she worked the hook through the loop, she couldn’t hold her thoughts in any longer.

“Pastor Ryan?”

He looked up over the tops of his reading glasses. “If we’re dating, Jade, you should probably just call me Ryan.”

“Oh, sorry. Um, Ryan?” The word felt funny. She’d much rather be calling him Daddy.

“Yes?” He frowned and nodded at her crochet. “Does that count as schoolwork?”

“Yes, and I’ve already done all my other lessons. I just have to work on this for at least thirty minutes and record that I did.”

“Oh. Okay. Well, I guess I can take a break. What’s up?”

“I just… I wondered… if there were any rules you’d like me to have?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Well, when Knox and Margo weren’t official yet, he still had his own rules for her that were important to him. It was separate from the rules she followed for Baze. And I was wondering, what it might be like if you did decide to be my Daddy. Would you have different rules than the ones I’m used to?”

Furrowing his brow, Ryan set down his pencil and folded his hands in front of him. She liked that she could tell he was taking her question seriously and giving it his full consideration.

“I suppose I would. Why? Are you looking for ways to get in trouble?”

A blush crept up her cheeks, making them hot. “No, Sir.” She didn’t think that was what she was doing, but the thought had also crossed her mind. She couldn’t get the feeling of him spanking her out of her mind, and she figured if it did happen again, it would put them one step closer to what she saw as the end goal. Him being her Daddy and her being his Little girl. “I just… if there is something important to you, I want to know. And it would be good practice for, you know, one day.”

He nodded. “I suppose that makes sense. I do have three things, I think.”

“Three!” Jade cried, aghast. She’d been hoping for one. She hadn’t been expecting three. She gulped. “What… what are they?”

“Well, I would expect my Little to spend some time each morning in prayer and devotion, reading her Bible. That’s important to me. I’d expect her to be in church every week, unless she had a good reason not to be, and… I wouldn’t want her to wear makeup.” He stared at her pointedly.

She was wearing a full face of makeup. “No makeup? Ever?” She loved getting to play with makeup again. It was the best part of being a Middle.

Ryan shrugged. “Sometimes might be okay, I suppose. But it’s not my favorite. And you don’t need it.” He smiled. “So those are my rules. Having second thoughts about wanting me to be your Daddy?”

She frowned and mulled it over. She wasn’t. Even with the arbitrary makeup rule, she wanted him. “No second thoughts.” She chewed the inside of her cheek and wondered if she was bold enough to ask him to give her those rules now, and if it would be topping from the bottom to do so.

She decided she didn’t care. If her asking for what she wanted bothered him… well, he could just punish her for it. “Do you… would you want me to follow those rules now?”

“It wouldn’t bother you?”

She shook her head. “No. I like church, and I should read the Bible more. I haven’t done much of either since my grandma died. And it would be nice to have some things that were like… practice. Special rules just for you and me?”

“And what about the makeup thing? You didn’t look very happy when I brought it up.”

“Yeah, that sucks. Not gonna lie. But… I could make it work. Would it be okay if I played with it at home in my room sometimes?”

He nodded. “I think that would be okay. As long as you don’t wear it out. I don’t want to see my sweet Little girl with makeup on her face. So that’s it then? We are in agreement. You’ll come to church each week, read your Bible every day, and not wear makeup outside the penthouse? We have our very own rules?”

Jade felt suddenly silly and self-conscious as if she’d forced him into something. “Is that okay?”

“It’s more than okay,” he assured her. “I like it. Makes us feel more official, even if we aren’t officially official. Makes it seem real.”

Jade beamed. It felt more real to her too. “Does that mean I hafta go take my makeup off?”