He wasn’t taking very good care of her. He should have at least gotten her clean and dressed before kissing her like his life depended on it.
“Duchess? Where are you?”
He moved out into the playroom, checking the sofa. Not there. Crap. He walked back into the bedroom. Where would a scared Little hide?
Well, there was one obvious place and he called himself an idiot for not thinking of it straight away. Crouching down, he stared right into the face of his girl, crouched under the bed.
“Hey, Duchess. What you doing under there?”
She flinched then whimpered. He frowned. She shouldn’t be this upset.
“Duchess, it was just an accident.”
She shook her head. What did that mean? That she didn’t want to come out?
Or that it wasn’t an accident?
Had she hurt him on purpose? But that didn’t make any sense. Why would she do that?
He reached for her, but she backed away from him. Tears welled, spilling down her cheeks.
“Christ, don’t cry. Please.”
A sniffle. A sob.
Enough.
He wasn’t putting up with this bullshit. He wasn’t going to sit here while she suffered alone.
“Juliet. Out of there. Now.” He used his Dom voice. The one that garnered instant obedience from any sub close by.
So, no one was more shocked when she defied him.
Damn. Talk about a blow to the ego. Maybe he was out of practice.
Or perhaps she was scared he would hurt her? Surely, she knew he wouldn’t. The girl that never spoke to anyone she didn’t know for years and trust implicitly, had spoken to him.
That was huge. He wasn’t underestimating how huge.
So why was she under the bed?
Fuck.
“Okay, Duchess. We’ll do it your way,” he said in a soft voice, then he lay down and rolled under the bed. He heard her gasp. He’d expected to find dust and stray hair ties and bits of rubbish under here.
But it was spotless.
He rolled to his side. The cot-bed was far enough off the ground to give him some room, although his shoulders brushed against the slats of the bed when he was on his side. She was pressed up against the wall, watching him with wide eyes.
“This would make a good fort. You like playing in forts?”
She shook her head slowly.
“What?” he gasped theatrically. “You’ve never built a fort?”
Her thumb moved up into her mouth as she shook her head again. Great. They were back to her being silent.
He could deal. Just stay patient, calm.