Bambina - secrets revealed

13. First night in our new home

We're having our first night in the house. Our bed finally ours. Not mine. Not styled and furnished by Chiara, but by us, together. It's equally ours. I smile as I throw myself onto the bouncy mattress. 

The springs creak in that familiar way, a sound that says home. He stand at the foot of the bed, hands on his hips, watching me with a mixture of amusement and tenderness. "Happy?" he asks, voice like velvet, wrapping around me, warm and comforting.

"Ecstatic," I reply, stretching my arms wide, feeling the cool sheets beneath my fingertips. "It's perfect."

He chuckles, the sound low and resonant. "You always were easy to please."

I sit up, meeting his gaze. Those eyes, like the lion's, fiery and deep, hold a thousand stories. I want to dive into them, swim in their depths, uncover all of their secrets, but I've got forever to do that. Tonight I'm content to just float on the surface, basking in the glow of us. 

"Can't delay that spanking until tomorrow?" I ask, patting the spot beside me. "I just wanna lie here and cuddle." 

He hesitates for a moment, then climbs onto the bed, lying down next to me. We stare at the ceiling, our shoulders touching, and I feel a sense of completeness, like all the missing pieces have finally clicked into place.

"You're really letting me off the hook?" I whisper, more to myself than to him.

He turns his head to look at me, a soft smile playing on his lips. "Not off the hook. Delayed punishment. And only because it's our first night in our new home. In any other situation, I wouldn't let you have this one. But your brattiness still demand some correction." 

I close my eyes, letting the sensation of being here, with him, wash over me. The scent of fresh linen, the distant sound of birds outside, the gentle rise and fall of his chest next to mine. It's all so new and yet so familiar, like coming home after a million years. 

"Do you remember the first time we met?" he asks suddenly, breaking the silence.

I laugh, a short, sharp sound. "Yeah, I almost got run over by a car. How could I forget."

"That was the first time I held an angel in my arms. And I let you go. What a stupid fuck I was." 

"You weren't stupid... you saved me," I admit. "I wouldn't be alive, if it weren't for you." 

He turns onto his side, propping his head up on his hand. "But I was stupid not to give you my number then... what if you hadn't come to my club. What if Danielle was a decent person... I would never have had the chance to love you," he begins, his free arm forcing those gentle familiar fingers to brush over my cheeks. "Loving you is the greatest gift of my life, baby."

"And loving you is mine. I've never felt a love so strong before. You're healing me, daddy. More than therapy can ever do. It's all you. It's all the love you instill in me, the safety you provide. I don't know what I would've done if I ever were to lose you." 

"Good thing you'll never have to," he reassures, reaching out to brush a strand of hair from my face. "Daddy's yours. Completely." 

I lean into his touch, closing my eyes again. "But you can't promise that. Your life... someone could easily shoot you... and you could easily die if you lose focus for even one second. It really scares me." 

"There's no need for you to be scared," he begins,his gentle fingers tracing patterns on my cheek. "I know Alex might have told you that you're a distraction... but that's not true. If anything, you're sharpening my focus. Because one mistake is a risk to you. I would never put you at risk. You're increasing my chances at staying alive, at not making a mistake. Because you give me purpose."