Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 45821 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 229(@200wpm)___ 183(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45821 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 229(@200wpm)___ 183(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
“Let’s get some food inside you. How do you feel about grilled cheese sandwiches and soup? It’s not gourmet.”
“I rarely eat fancy stuff. That sounds amazing actually.” Her stomach grumbled again at the thought of it.
“Come on, before you faint from hunger.”
Dirk urged her out of the bedroom and into the cheery kitchen. When she gasped as her bottom landed on the wooden seat, he simply brushed a hand through her hair to reassure her. “Reminders help Little girls remember that everything they’ve done has been forgiven.”
She leaned against him and loved how close she felt to him. With each moment she spent with Dirk, the attraction and bond grew. Cynthia wanted to call him Daddy, but maybe this wasn’t the right time. Maybe he wasn’t ready for that?
Interrupting her thoughts, Dirk scooted a glass of chocolate milk closer to her. “Have a drink while I bring you food.”
“Yum!” she hummed as she tasted it. He’d remembered she loved it and made her chocolate milk. She wasn’t used to people going to extra work to make her happy. The monitor clanked against her when she crossed her ankles. Immediately, she planted both feet on the carpet.
Cynthia watched him move around the beautiful kitchen, ladling a bowl of soup and scooping a sandwich from the griddle in the middle of the gas stove. He brought both to her steaming hot and set them in front of her. As she leaned into sniff the wonderful aroma, Dirk unfolded a cloth napkin and laid it over her lap.
He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and said, “Eat. Don’t wait for me.”
Immediately, she picked up her spoon and dipped into the fragrant chicken noodle soup. The delicious flavor burst over her tastebuds, and she wiggled happily in her seat, despite the renewed sting of her punished bottom.
“This didn’t come from a can,” she pointed out.
“It didn’t. Another of my magical freezer meals,” he said with a smile. “The sandwich was completely my creation.”
Cynthia picked up a sandwich half and took a bite. Groaning, she saluted him with it as she chewed. If anything, it was better than the soup—buttery toasted bread that wasn’t greasy or overdone, with at least two different cheeses melted together inside and a hint of spicy mustard.
She scanned his body as he left the kitchen with his dishes in his hands. Cynthia loved to watch him move. His muscular frame, now clothed in jeans and a T-shirt, shouldn’t have looked so enticing, but she couldn’t keep herself from staring.
“Eat, sweetheart. Fill your tummy,” he directed as he sat next to her.
Feeling the warmth radiate from his body, Cynthia forced herself to take another bite of the sandwich instead of drooling over him as she wanted to. The bread caught in her throat, and she choked. Coughing wildly, she tried to take a breath.
Instantly, Dirk helped her. Hooking a finger between her lips, he pulled the choking hazard from the back of her mouth and disposed of it in his napkin.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she tried to recover from the frightening experience. It had taken only a few seconds for her to realize she was in trouble, and he’d been there immediately to rescue her once again. Without thinking, she rushed to stand and wrapped her hands around his neck to bury her face against him.
“I’m such a mess.”
“Shh! It’s okay, Cindy girl. Daddy’s here to protect you.” He wrapped his arms around her and scooped her onto his lap. Tenderly, he wiped the tears from her face with her napkin and kissed her lightly.
“You scared me,” he whispered.
“I scared myself, too,” Cynthia confessed.
“Take a drink and see how that goes,” he suggested, lifting the chocolate milk to her lips. He allowed her to take a sip before attempting a more extensive swallow.
“I’m okay. I don’t know what happened,” she said self-consciously.
“Let Daddy help you,” he suggested. Lifting his spoon to her lips, Dirk fed her a bit of broth. When she could handle that, he fed her a bit of noodle and chicken. “Chew carefully.”
Obediently, she followed his directions before asking, “Am I supposed to call you Daddy?”
“That is totally your decision. If you feel the same as I do—sure that you’ve found the one you’ve dreamed about—you’ll know when it’s right for you to use that name,” he explained as he cut her sandwich in small sections.
She thought about his words as she opened her mouth to try a tiny bite of her toasted cheese treat. Dirk placed it carefully between her lips and watched her eat. This time it went down without any problems.
Cynthia swallowed and reached for her milk. He lifted the glass to her lips and helped her drink.
“You make the best chocolate milk,” she celebrated.
“Of course. I’ve been practicing as I waited for you.”