Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 155903 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 780(@200wpm)___ 624(@250wpm)___ 520(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 155903 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 780(@200wpm)___ 624(@250wpm)___ 520(@300wpm)
“Little Blossom? Wake up now.”
She let out a grumble as he removed her pacifier. “No! Go away!”
It amused him how cranky she was when she first woke up. It was so unlike her normally sweet and sunny personality.
“Time to wake up. You need some food and water.”
She thumped her legs against the bed. “No!”
Oh, someone was in a mood.
“Little Blossom, Daddy doesn’t like this attitude much.”
“Daddy can go spank himself.”
“It’s not Daddy that needs the spanking,” he said firmly. “But you’re very close to getting one.” He tapped her ass firmly.
She sat up with a gasp, staring at him in shock. Then she smiled. “Daddy! You’re home!”
“It’s like Jekyll and Hyde,” he muttered as he picked her up.
“Huh? Daddy, what are you talking about?”
“Nothing. Give Daddy a cuddle. I’ve missed you.”
“Aww. I missed you too.”
He sat in the rocking chair with her curled around him. “Did you want Daddy? Is that why you’re in here?”
She nodded and shyly buried her face in his chest.
“Hey, no hiding. Talk to Daddy.” He drew her head back, tilting her face up. “If you need me, you only have to ask. You should have called me.”
“But you were busy.”
“Baby, I am never too busy for you.”
She practically melted in his arms. But it was the truth. Fuck. Why did he leave her today? Sure, he’d only been gone a few hours. But she’d needed him.
“I already messed up your day enough. Heck, your week. And I was fine.”
“New rule.”
She groaned.
He slapped her ass. “Stop that. If you didn’t have rules, I hate to think of the trouble you’d get into. Rule ten is that if you need me, then you call me. Say, yes, Daddy.”
“Yes, Daddy.”
“Good girl. Now, we need to talk about the fact that not only didn’t you call me. But you haven’t eaten your lunch or drunk all your water.”
“I was going to eat after I had a sleep,” she told him.
“Well, now that Daddy is home, he can make sure you eat. And drink. And I think it’s also time for a bath.”
“Are you saying that I stink, Daddy?”
“Daddy would never say that.”
With a gasp, she pointed to the camellias he’d put on the nightstand. “Daddy, are those for me?”
“Well, I’d heard they were your love language. And I wanted to cheer you up.”
“Daddy, you are the bestest.”
58
“Right, let’s get you into the bath,” Reuben said after he’d fed her.
“Okay, Daddy.” She patted his cheek. “You’re so good to me.”
“I’m glad you think so.” He laid her down on the bed. “Stay right there while I fill the bath.”
“Sure thing.”
Yeah, she wasn’t doing that. She really wanted to play with her clay. Now that she had some food in her belly, she was feeling a lot better.
Well, a bit better.
Sitting up, she got off the bed and grabbed Colin. She walked over to where her clay was and pulled it out of the drawer. Then she sat at her desk to play.
“And just what do you think you are doing, Little Blossom?” Reuben asked a few minutes later.
She startled and looked over at him. “Daddy! You scared me.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, baby. Were you not expecting me to come back in so quickly? Is that why you decided to get out of bed and start playing when I specifically told you to stay.”
She bit her lip. “Um. Yes?”
“I think that someone needs some time in the corner.”
Faith gasped. “Oh, Daddy. I think you’re being a bit hard on yourself.”
“I’m not the one going into the corner, brat.” Walking over, he held out his hand.
She took it and he helped her up. “Daddy, I think you’re being rather mean to me.”
“Do you? Were you naughty and disobeyed me?”
“Well, I wouldn’t put it quite like that. I just . . . I got bored. I felt abandoned. You took sooo long.”
“It was a whole four minutes,” he said dryly.
Picking up the chair that she’d been sitting on, he carried it to the corner and pointed at it.
She stomped over with a pout.
“Watch the attitude, Little Blossom. Or you’ll be getting your bottom warmed.”
Uh-oh.
She gave him a bright smile. “Sorry, Daddy.”
“Sit. And I want you to think about how you should’ve obeyed Daddy.”
Sitting, she sighed. This was so boring.
Reuben stood and watched her. Damn, she was cute.
Although being hungover seemed to make her a bit brattier. Not that he cared. Just gave him an excuse to put her in the corner. Or over his knee.
Moving into the bathroom, he turned the taps off and checked the water temperature. Perfect. He’d added bubblebath and some purple bath color. The bubblebath even had butterflies in it that would dissolve.
“Come here, baby,” he called out as he walked back into the playroom.
She stood, and he opened his arms. She flung herself at him. “I’m sorry, Daddy. I didn’t mean to be naughty.”