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)
Panic flooded Faith for a moment. Even though she knew what was going to happen, all of the yelling and running still filled her with anxiety.
Calm. Chill.
Everything is fine.
Pulling herself together, Faith smiled at Rafael before following Charlie and Cat. Charlie was carrying the bucket of balloons. Reuben quickly plucked the bucket out of Charlie’s hold and set it aside.
“Daddy! You party pooper!” Faith cried. She hadn’t even gotten to throw one.
Then she remembered that she had one in her hoodie pocket.
Reaching in, she drew it out and threw it at him. Shock filled her as it exploded on his face. He stepped toward her.
She stepped back.
They played that game until she hit the wall behind her.
“Faith! Charlie! Run!” Cat cried.
Faith saw a wet and stern-looking Alejandro grab Cat. He put his leg up on the seat of an armchair and drew Cat over his thigh, smacking her butt several times.
“Nooo!” Cat cried. “Unfair and unjust.”
“Do you think that looks unfair and unjust, Little Blossom?” Reuben asked.
Picking her up, he put her on his hip. She snuggled into him. Faith loved when he carried her around.
“Umm.”
“Say goodbye to Charlie. He’s going home now.”
“Goodbye, Charlie.”
“Um, well.” Charlie looked from Faith to Cat, clearly torn.
“Rafael, call a car for Charlie, please,” Reuben said. “Make sure he gets into it okay.”
“Will do.” Rafael steered Charlie out as Reuben carried Faith into the bedroom.
“What about Cat?” she asked.
“Cat is fine. Alejandro is taking her home now. You need to worry about yourself,” he told her as he entered the playroom and sat on the rocking chair with her cradled on his lap.
“Are you gonna spank me, Daddy?” she asked as she undid the buttons on his shirt. She needed some of his skin.
She might have become addicted.
“No.”
“No?” she asked in surprise.
“Not yet,” he said. “You’re still recovering.”
“You saw me panic, huh?” she asked.
“No. What?”
She bit her lip. Oops. She snuggled into his chest, licking his nipple. Yum. “It was just for a moment. It was the yelling and running. I don’t know why I got all . . . anxious. It wasn’t like I didn’t know what was going to happen.”
“Hmm. I want you to think about talking to someone about all of this when we get back.”
“Like a therapist?” she asked, drawing back to look up to him.
“Exactly.”
Could she do that? Perhaps it would help to talk through everything. “Maybe that would be a good idea.”
“Good. I’ve already made you an appointment.”
Of course he had.
“I always knew Cat would be a bad influence,” he muttered.
“I know. Isn’t she the bestest?”
To her surprise, Reuben burst into laughter. “Life won’t be boring with the two of you together, that’s for sure.”
It certainly wouldn’t be.
“There’s something I’ve got to tell you.” She ran her finger over his nipple.
He grasped hold of her hand, stilling her. “What is it, baby?”
“Cammie called me.”
Reuben stiffened. “What?”
“Yeah, while I was in the bedroom with Cat and Charlie.”
“And what did she say?”
“Not much. Basically, she said that Eric has disappeared and then she accused you of having something to do with it. Can you believe her?”
Faith was getting angry all over again.
“Did she just?” Reuben mused. “I don’t like that she contacted you like that.”
“I blocked her number and told her not to contact me again.”
“Good. If she does, I want to know. I might have to send her a message of my own, though.”
“I don’t want her hurt, Reuben.”
He cupped the side of her face, tilting her head back. “I will only talk to her. I promise. As long as she doesn’t take this any further. I won’t have her hurting you. Or telling people I had something to do with Eric disappearing.”
She thought about asking him again if he had . . . but there were some things that she figured she was better off not knowing.
73
“Idon’t know about this, Daddy,” Faith said nervously as they sat in the lounge area of the private airport.
The airport was small, and they had the lounge all to themselves.
“Everything is going to be fine,” Reuben told her, drawing her onto his lap. “I wouldn’t allow anything to happen to you.”
She breathed in deep and let it out slowly. She was wearing a long dress that buttoned up the front and had a belt around the waist. It was lilac with little white flowers on it. But Reuben had also packed her a Little outfit as well as some other things to distract her during the flight.
“Who is in charge?” he asked.
“You are.”
“You are, Daddy,” he said firmly.
“I can’t go Little yet, Daddy.” She couldn’t slip into Little headspace while there were other people around. Cat had assured her that Alfie, the flight attendant, was a Little and would stay out of their way if she wanted. But that he wouldn’t blink twice at anything he saw.