Chuckling, he leaned back against the doorframe while he waited for his little girl to arrive. The lunch in town had turned out to be the first of many in the last week. It appeared once they had a taste of this new spirit of openness, neither Sophie nor he could get enough. Each day, she was cuter than the last, blushing on cue whenever he pressed an area of her susceptibility, though Jared’s favorite remained the scarlet hue she created when he pursued the concept of humiliation.
Sophie loved to be demeaned, and they both knew it, but evidently, it was still difficult for her to articulate, and he found that trait unbelievably desirable.
Not that he didn’t adore her enough already.
His mind cast back to lunch the prior day when she had agreed to drive and meet him.
“You’re sure?” He stroked the back of her hand. “I mean it, little girl. I won’t have you pushed too fast into this.”
Sophie nodded slowly. “I’m sure, but don’t get me wrong. I am not proposing to come and give myself to you.”
He chuckled at that. “More’s the pity.”
She shook her head. “My friend, Karen, will know precisely where I’m going, and if I don’t check in on time, she’ll be calling the police.”
Jared didn’t know to what extent that was true. He didn’t know who Karen was, if she understood Sophie’s desire, or even if she knew Sophie had been kidnapped, but he understood the concept. Karen was a safety net—one Sophie hadn’t had before.
“My, my, my. You truly have thought of everything.”
“Experience has taught me it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
“Indeed,” he laughed.
“Though I’ll admit, it is nice to finally know where the place is. I had a rough idea from Jason, but it wasn’t something we ever discussed.”
“It was never a secret.” He ignored the reference to her ex-husband. “You never asked.”
Sophie turned her head to shoot him an accusing look. “How can you say that?” Her mouth fell open with what he’d hoped was feigned shock. “I was hardly in a position to ask anything!”
“True.” He smiled in response. “It will be good to officially extend a proper invitation to you, Sophie.”
And it was.
Standing there at the open front door, his eyes were fixed on the long drive, which led away to the main road behind the house. Sophie had never found that drive the night she’d fled into the gardens and the woods, but she’d managed just fine the next day when she’d finally got her own way and left him.
This was to be her first visit since then, and even as he awaited her arrival, apprehensive tension clawed at his insides. Jared had been surprised when Sophie had initially suggested it, though her reasoning was sound. They had nowhere else to meet in private to explore the new boundaries that had been discussed. Her house was hardly suitable with two children in residence—it seemed they spent little time with their father—so that wasn’t an option, and a hotel seemed too seedy.
Jared wanted this to be right—for them both—and while he didn’t necessarily understand her desire to come back to the place he had brought and degraded her, he could accept it. Perhaps it would help create closure in her mind if she could visit here and not end up his captive, though as her car finally came into sight, Jared would have been lying if he’d said the thought of not taking her for himself again hadn’t crossed his mind.
His heart sped up at the premise, his palms sweating as she drove the wandering gravel toward his door. They were past the point of if or when—this was happening—and he needed to get a hold on himself. And his urges.
That isn’t going to happen, Jared. He admonished himself mentally. You haven’t worked this hard to win back her trust by fucking it up at this late juncture.
He watched as she cut the engine and glanced in his direction. He lifted his hand in a wave but resisted the urge to go to her. Sophie had to come to him—that was the point. Nothing would be gained if he had to bundle her into the house. All Jared could do was invite her in and wait to see if she was still willing.
The car door opened, and he held his breath as she walked toward him. Sophie was stunning, as usual, her little black dress accentuating her hips as she approached.
“Hi.”
There was a pause, and Jared imagined the word she’d considered putting there in the void.
Daddy.
His cock roused at only the thought.
Would he ever hear that word from her lips again?
After everything—did he even deserve to?
“Hello, gorgeous.” He flashed her a smile, reaching for her cheek and stroking the skin as it heated under his touch. “You found it okay?”
“It was a lot easier this time—now I was conscious.”
“Ouch.” His brow rose theatrically at her cutting quip. “I guess I earned that one.”
She chuckled, leaning into his palm. “I’m sorry,” she murmured. “I need to let it go. I will let it go.” Her glance wandered passed his shoulder, her eyes widening. “Perhaps being back here again will help.”
Jared turned at the change in her expression. “I hope so. Want to come inside?”
She bit her lip. “I guess.” She sounded nervous. “There’s not much point in coming all this way to stand on your doorstep.”
“Right.” He stepped aside and gestured for her to enter. “But this time, it’s your call.”
Sophie nodded as she brushed passed him, and Jared followed, closing the door, though he didn’t engage any of the locks.
“Wow.” The word echoed around the hall. “It’s strange being back here.”
He leaned against the door, watching her. “I bet.”
“So,” she turned to face him. “Where should I go?”
Jared laughed. “Where would you like to go?”
She pulled in a shaky breath, her glance flitting up the staircase in what seemed like a reflex.
“Of course.” He took a small step forward. “It makes sense to start there.”
“It’s where most of our interaction took place.” She sounded apprehensive—almost afraid—but her expression was determined. “Is my room still the same?” Her brow knitted at the question.
“Pink, you mean?”
She forced a smile. “Yes.”
“Naturally. I didn’t want to change a thing.” He tilted his head as he tried to explain. “I decorated the place for you, little girl, and only you. I couldn’t just change it.”
“I’d like to see it again.”
He nodded. “Want to go on your own?”
Sophie pressed her lips together for a moment. “I think so. Is that okay?”
“Of course. I’ll wait for you in the kitchen. Do you remember where that is?”
Sophie’s focus shifted in the correct direction. “Yes, I remember.”
“Okay, then, go ahead.”
She scurried away to the staircase, glancing back at him only once as she reached the second step. He could hear her tread as she reached the top of the stairs, and recognized the place she paused, right outside her room.
Taking a deep breath, he headed for the kitchen and filled the kettle. Jared hadn’t asked if she wanted a drink, but offering her one was the normal thing to do. There hadn’t been much that was normal about the times she’d sat in this room—often bound, gagged, and clamped—while he prepared her meals, but this was going to be different. This was going to be as plain and vanilla as he could muster. If they were going to move forward, back into the dark, it had to be at her request. It had to be down to Sophie.