Theophilus Read online

  If Theo was like most of the men who learned what she wrote, he would either offer to help her research sex scenes with a wink and a grin, be horrified and accuse her of writing smut, or want to know how much of what she wrote about came from real-life experience.

  While Lyssa waited for his reaction, her heart thumped with her nerves. Please let him like it, repeated in her brain like a mantra as he took a sip of his coffee before picking up and eating a bite of the muffin she was shredding.

  Finally, he said, “What happens next?”

  “Huh?”

  “What happens next?” he repeated with a grin. “This can’t be the end of the story.”

  Lyssa took her first easy breath since he began reading. “Since there’s not much in there that’s worth keeping, I’m not sure I’ll keep any of it. I may need to change the way I look at this story and come at it from a different angle. So, what do you do, Theo Santi? When you’re not propositioning women you don’t know, that is.”

  Theo looked thoughtful for a moment as if trying to figure out what he should tell her. Before he could answer, a masculine voice called from the front of the room, “Theo, we’re out.”

  Lyssa glanced at the two men just inside the front door. Like Theo, they were big and built. Their T-shirts had the logo of a local bar across the fronts. They also radiated a dark and dangerous vibe that had her glancing away before they could take offense.

  Theo raised a hand in acknowledgment, but did not seem in a hurry as he slid her notebook back to the center of the table. “Have you ever lived this age-play life you seem to be writing about?”

  Lyssa’s eyes widened as she squirmed in her seat. “Ummm…”

  “I can help, if you want to do some in-depth research,” he said, appearing completely at ease.

  And there it was, the offer to do research.

  She smirked at him. “If you knew how many times men have offered to quote, unquote, help me with research, you wouldn’t offer.”

  “Maybe so, but I’m different. I’m a Daddy Dom looking for his Little girl. I’m just the man you need, and not just for the sake of research,” he said softly.

  Lyssa blushed as she glanced around nervously. No one was eavesdropping, thank God.

  Turning back at Theo, she leaned in. “I’ve worked hard to be strong and independent after being in a marriage where I was repeatedly told I was a stupid, fat cow. Why would I let you take away what I’ve worked so hard for?”

  “You’ve got it all wrong, little bird. Littles are the strongest people I know. It doesn’t take weakness to give the power of choice to another person. It takes a strength and trust like none other. I can see that strength in your eyes. If you agree, I know we can be amazing together, whether you really let your Little side out to play or not. How about meeting me for lunch and we can talk some more once you’ve had a chance to think?” Theo said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his wallet. “Do you have a business card?”

  While Lyssa dug into her purse, he used her pen to write on the back of his card before handing it to her.

  Still not sure what to think of this man, Lyssa dug out her official author card. The one that only listed her website and business email. That lack of information would make tracking her down more difficult, but would also keep him from showing up at her door, unannounced and uninvited.

  She had learned to give this card out to strangers after her first book signing. A woman began stalking her in the hopes of helping her write her next book. The lack of information would also show how determined this man was to find her.

  Theo accepted her card with a sexy grin that had Lyssa’s pussy muscles once again clenching with need. Without looking at it, he tucked the card into the front pocket of his well-fitting jeans. “Thank you. I look forward to seeing you again very soon, Lyssa Decker.”

  Lyssa froze when he stepped around the table and kissed her cheek before walking away. She had to lick her lips to keep from drooling as he prowled across the room.

  Yep, Theo Santi was just as gorgeous from the back as he was from the front. She had to bite her lip to keep from racing after him so she could give him her other business card. The one that contained her address, cellphone number, and website.

  Men liked challenges. At least that’s what Cara kept telling her. But Cara had moved in with her man the day after they’d met, thanks to a fire that had destroyed Cara’s entire life. Her friend now had a new job, a new home, and a new life.

  Once Theo left the coffee shop and walked out of sight, Lyssa took a breath. Opening her notebook, she flipped through the pages of notes. Rereading the words, she tried to force herself back into the world of Luke and Lily.

  But her notes hardly made sense to her. Her ability to mentally leave the real world and drop into the fictional world of her characters was gone. Instead of trying to figure out how to turn them from two-dimensional cardboard cutouts into living, breathing, fully formed characters, she began thinking about Theo. In just a few minutes, he had shoved her world off its axis with an offer to give her a taste of life as a Little girl. As his Little girl.

  He had just offered her a chance to live her dreams.

  Flipping to the back of the notebook, she began to write detailed notes about Theo Santi. She began with his bold approach to meeting women, and devil-may-care, uber-alpha attitude. Once she’d captured the man’s personality, she wrote an equally detailed physical description—from his hair and eyes, broad shoulders, and tight fighting T-shirt, down to the dark, spicy cologne he wore.

  She’d have to give his offer serious consideration. Though she had read dozens of books about age-play relationships, she had learned over the years that real-life experience was a better research technique. The fact that she identified so closely with the Littles in the books she read was not important, or at least that’s what she kept telling herself.

  But, was she brave enough to accept Theo’s offer, no matter how much the man turned her on?

  * * * *

  “This is Theo,” he answered when the phone rang with an unfamiliar number three hours later. “Lyssa, is that you?”

  She hesitated a moment before she answered. “Yes, it’s me. I was wondering if I could take you up on your offer of lunch and talk. I have questions.”

  Theo settled back in his office chair and tried not to do a fist pump of victory. Lyssa had thought about his offer and called. He’d waited until he’d reached his office before looking at her card, then had a good laugh once he’d gotten over the irk that she had not provided him an easy, viable way to reach her.

  He had planned to give her a day before calling one of his computer specialist friends to help him find her address and phone number.

  “How about I pick you up and we go from there?” he asked, curious as to how far she would give in on this, their first official date.

  “How about I meet you somewhere,” she countered.

  Wanting to argue, Theo took a deep breath instead. Lyssa seemed innocent, but she was smart and was no doubt adhering to someone else’s dating advice. “Okay, how about we meet at Wildfire at one? We can have lunch and talk.”

  “One o’clock?”

  “Yes, Little girl. One o’clock. And please wear what you were wearing this morning. I liked that cowboy-gypsy-pirate look.”

  Theo grinned to himself as he waited for her response.

  “All right,” she finally said, “I’ll meet you at Wildfire at one.”

  “Great. I look forward to seeing you there,” he said before good-byes were exchanged and the connection broken.

  This time he couldn’t help himself. Jumping to his feet, he did a double fist pump and then the touchdown dance he’d invented at age twelve while learning the intricacies of football.

  Not only had Lyssa called, she’d agreed to meet for lunch. Opening his computer, Theo checked his schedule, elated to see his afternoon was clear thanks to the upcoming holiday weekend. He had all afternoon to convince Lyssa to move in with him for a weekend of life experience as his Little girl.

  * * * *

  “What the hell have I done?” Lyssa asked the stuffed hippo as she picked it up from her desk and hugged it tight.

  Squish silently stared up at her in response.

  Well, whatever it was, she would see it through. She would count this date as her brave accomplishment for the week. Or maybe the whole month.

  As she changed her mind back and forth about going or canceling, her stomach began to flip with her jangling nerves. She had been in nerve-racking situations before, but something about Theo Santi made more than her just nerves jump to attention.

  The big question now was, could she be brave enough to ask for his help in learning what life as a Little was like?

  After reading the first couple of books several months before, Lyssa realized what was missing in her life. She needed a Daddy of her own to love her and care for her. She wasn’t sure about wearing diapers, sleeping in a crib, or drinking from a bottle, but she could see herself coloring and dancing, and being carefree while someone else made the hard decisions. She had never been a good decisionmaker.

  Picking up her phone, Lyssa called the only woman who might be able to answer her question. Two rings later, a breathless Cara said, “What’s going on, girl? I haven’t heard from you in weeks.”

  “I’m sorry. I was up to my eyeballs, finishing Gregor and Sarah’s story. Good news, I finally submitted it yesterday.”

  “So, you’re calling for a celebratory night out?”

  “Not exactly. I need help. I have a lunch date, but I don’t have a clue what to wear,” Lyssa said. “He said to wear what I have on, but I don’t know.”

  “You have a date? With who? Where are you going? What are you doing? Why didn’t you tell me you’d met someone? Oh my God, this is huge. Why didn’t you lead off with that? When did you meet him?”

  Lyssa bit her lip and hoped she was not building her friend’s hopes up too high. After all, she still had time to talk herself out of meeting the overly bold man for lunch. And she certainly wasn’t going to tell Cara why she had agreed to the date.

  “I met him this morning at the coffee shop. We’re meeting for lunch at one o’clock at Wildfire.”

  “What are you wearing now?”

  “My white silk blouse, the one that looks like a pirate shirt, black leggings, and my gray cowboy boots.”

  “Sounds perfect. But put on that sexy bra and panty set you showed me. The one you bought to celebrate your latest royalty check,” Cara said. “He might not see it, but you’ll feel more confident if you know you’re wearing sexy underwear. And I’ll call you at one thirty so you’ll have an excuse to leave if you want to escape. But honey, you need to give him a chance. You’ve filled your quota of jackass men screwing up your life.”

  Lyssa could only laugh at her friend’s optimism. While she had felt an instant attraction to Theo that morning, she was hesitant about what an afternoon in his company might lead to.

  “From your lips to God’s ear. Thanks for the clothing advice, and the emergency phone call. I’ll talk to you later,” Lyssa said before clicking her phone off.

  Chapter Three

  At ten till one, Theo stood just inside Wildfire’s front door, wondering if he looked as pussy-whipped as he felt. To be standing here, watching for a woman to arrive like a little kid looking for Santa Claus was just plain weak. Especially after spending the rest of the morning not updating the client files he was supposed to, but reading Lyssa’s published works. He had finished the first one, was halfway through the second, and was looking forward to reading more later.

  He straightened when an SUV pulled in across the street. When he recognized the driver, he pushed through the door and stepped out onto the sidewalk. He forced himself to stay where he was instead of charging across the street to her side when Lyssa stepped out of her vehicle.

  His cock twitched in his jeans just from the sight of her. His body wanted to take her straight to bed and claim her instead of spending the next hour or so in public. He pushed the sexual hunger back until he could think rationally. Theo had a feeling that even though she wrote hot, hot, hot tales of erotic love, Lyssa Decker was an innocent. He could not visualize her hanging out at the family’s biker bar and grill, hoping to be chosen for an evening of sexy fun and games.

  Theo cocked an eyebrow in confusion when she stopped and dropped her head back on her neck. She looked to the cloudy skies above and took a slow, deep breath. He continued watching and counted to ten before she released it, shook out her arms, and shrugged her shoulders several times. The woman was obviously nervous about their meeting. Finally, she dropped her head forward again.

  When her gaze found him, Theo could not help but smirk as her entire face pinked up. She walked across the street, an embarrassed smile in place by the time she stopped in front of him.

  “You weren’t supposed to see that,” Lyssa said softly.

  “Rough morning?”

  She shrugged as she looked around, her smile fading and eyes growing shuttered. “No more than any other these days,” she said without elaborating. “I’ve never been here before. They won’t make me pass some sort of quiz on Texas history before they serve us, will they?”

  * * * *

  Just being in the presence of the big, sexy man flustered her, so Lyssa took another breath to calm her jittery nerves so she could focus on the here and now. Theo Santi was just as gorgeous and sexy as she remembered. Walking past him toward the restaurant’s front door, she sniffed, and the scent of man, spice, and something else filled her lungs. Her entire body shivered in response.

  She raised an eyebrow when he opened the door for her. Though dressed as he had been this morning, in jeans, a T-shirt, and biker boots, he displayed the manners of a gentleman. She only hoped that impression did not change as she learned more about him.

  Once inside, Theo placed a hand to the middle of her back and guided her toward an empty booth at the back of the room. Overwhelmed, Lyssa remained silent as she slid into one side of the booth. She shifted over when he moved to sit next to her after waving to someone across the room.

  He was so broad-shouldered that she was pressed solidly against the wall. She considered complaining but thought twice about it because he felt and smelled really, really good. It had been a long time since she had been this close to a man. Jack always sat across the table from her.

  She understood Theo’s action a moment later when two men joined them. Both were nearly as big and good-looking as Theo. One of them had been with him at the coffee shop that morning.

  “Lazarus, Maximus, this is Lyssa Decker.” Theo made introductions in such a way that Lyssa felt he was staking a claim over her. “They are two of my cousins, Laz and Max Santi.”

  Lyssa nodded, then asked, “Which is which?”

  The three chuckled, the sound sending another shiver through Lyssa.

  Then the taller, more muscular of the two strangers held a hand the size of a small plate over the table. “I’m Max,” he said in a voice that was surprisingly soft though deep as a well.

  Lyssa shook it, surprised at how gently the man clasped her hand.

  Once he released her, the other extended his hand. “Laz,” he muttered as he quickly shook her hand up and down once before releasing it as fast as possible.

  Lyssa was not sure if it was because he did not like women, or that Theo was glaring at him.

  “Great,” Theo said, “You’ve met her, and can see she isn’t a stalker or ax murderer. Now, go away.”

  The two men shared a laugh as they slid out of the booth and headed back to wherever they had come from. But Theo didn’t move around to the other side of the table. Instead, he turned his upper body her way, blocking her view of everything in the room beyond his broad shoulders and gorgeous face. “Now, tell me more about Lyssa Decker.”

  Before she could think of a response, a woman who looked to be barely of legal age, and wearing a shirt two sizes too small for her anorexic body and obviously artificially overblown tits, stepped up to the table. She stroked her hand over Theo’s shoulder before squeezing it as she glared across him at Lyssa “Want your usual, Doc?”

  “Yes, thanks, Ashley,” Theo said.

  “What’s your usual?” Lyssa asked, expecting it to be an exotic beer or masculine cocktail.

  “Sweet tea with extra lemon,” Theo answered with a grin.

  Turning to the waitress who watched her with a slightly narrowed gaze, Lyssa smiled as she said, “I’d like the same, please.”

  The young woman frowned as she wrote on her order pad. “Want to order now, or should I come back?”

  “Come back,” Theo answered before she finished speaking. He then turned his back on the woman and returned his full attention to Lyssa. “Now, where were we?”

  “You were about to tell me about Theo Santi and why that woman called you Doc,” Lyssa said with a smirk.

  He chuckled and shook his head. “I don’t think I was, but good try. How did you decide to be a writer?”

  By the time Ashley returned with their drinks and a plate of lemon slices, they were trading questions back and forth while perusing the menu, though Theo’s answers left a lot to be explored later.

  When her phone rang at exactly one thirty, Lyssa looked at Theo. “I’m sorry, I have to answer this.”

  He nodded.

  After confirming the caller’s identity, she swiped her phone’s screen. Without giving Cara a chance to speak, she said, “I’m fine. There’s no emergency. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

  She swiped the phone off again and slid it into her purse.

  “So, that was the emergency call in case the company sucked?” he asked with a lift of an eyebrow.

  “Yes,” Lyssa said. “My best friend and dating advisor.”

  The next time Ashley arrived at their table, she stopped so close that her crotch brushed Theo’s arm. She looked disappointed when he shifted it away.

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