Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 53862 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 269(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53862 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 269(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
Shaking thoughts of the future from his head, Phoenix came up behind Lyra, leaned over her shoulder, and set his palms on the table. “That’s the best tarantula I’ve ever seen.”
Lyra giggled. “You mean it’s a two-dimensional one that can’t crawl up your body and send you into a panic, right?”
“Yep. Best kind.” He kissed her neck. “How was your little party?” he asked, glancing around at the rest of the women.
“It was great. I had so much fun. I can’t believe how talented everyone is. I thought my skills on the cello were pretty cool, but not compared to these ladies,” she said in a lighthearted tone.
The other women rolled their eyes. “She’s silly.”
Phoenix pulled her chair back and lifted her into his arms, tucking his hands under her bottom as she wrapped her legs around him. He nuzzled her nose with his. “She sure is silly.”
She squirmed in his embrace and whispered, “Daddy, everyone can see my panties.”
His hands were bracing her under her dress, and he shook his head. “No, they can’t, Little girl.” He patted her panty-clad bottom, still feeling the heat radiating through the cotton. “Your dress is long enough to cover you, and besides, I’m sure everyone in here knows what panties look like,” he teased.
The elevator opened, and all the rest of the Daddies stepped into the basement. Kestrel brought up the rear, pushing a cart. “Dinnertime,” he called out.
“Oh, yikes,” Lyra said, “we gorged on sweets. I’m not sure how much I can eat.”
“I bet you’ll find yourself hungry for more substantial food as soon as you smell what the chef has prepared tonight,” Phoenix said as he carried her toward the large table.
“How do you know?”
“Because the chef at this resort is phenomenal. So far, he has never once sent us a meal that didn’t make all of us groan in pleasure.”
She drew in a deep breath. “It does smell good. What is it?”
Kestrel answered her as Phoenix lowered her onto a chair. “Chinese night. He mentioned beef broccoli, kung pao chicken, fried rice, sweet and sour soup, and crab Rangoon. There might’ve been more. It was hard to keep up with the list.”
Even though Lyra had claimed to be too full, he heard her stomach growl at the mention of all those delicious dishes.
The rest of the team gathered their Littles and brought them to the table.
“Somebody explain the talking spoon to Lyra,” Sadie said.
“You have a talking spoon?” Lyra asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.
Phoenix chuckled. “Not a spoon that talks, no. But we have a tradition of passing the serving spoon around as we fill our plates. Whoever is holding the spoon tells about their day or any concerns they have. For the Daddies, we discuss possible concerns with the resort or safety issues for the Littles, but the women like to tell about their work, too.”
Lyra sat up taller and smiled. “I love it. How fun. I’ve never been part of a large family before. You all are closer than most blood relatives.”
The happiness on her face eased some of Phoenix’s anxiety about their future. If she fell in love with this giant family and the resort, surely, she wouldn’t want to leave in a few weeks. He could hope.
“I’ll start,” Magnus said as he took the spoon. He set the now-symbolic utensil in front of him as he lifted Juniper’s plate and began filling it with various aromatic choices, using the smaller spoons already in the dishes. “I don’t like that someone with bad intentions managed to get so close to Lyra this morning. However, there’s no way to prevent strangers from driving onto the property. Dozens of people come and go every day with honest intentions of scuba diving, rock climbing, or taking a helicopter tour. They don’t have to be guests of the resort.”
Juniper reached under his arm and took the talking spoon from in front of him. “I also worked on this with Daddy today.” She turned to face Lyra with a serious expression. “I know it sucks, but we’ve all been in your shoes at one point, and you really need to stay in the basement or on the fifth floor at all times for a while. It’s the only way the Daddies can keep you safe.”
Phoenix rubbed Lyra’s back, watching her reaction.
She sighed and nodded. “I understand. It’s okay as long as you all don’t mind me practicing somewhere every day. I know it can be annoying, listening to me after a while.”
Everyone at the table shook their heads.
“No way,” Sadie declared. “You’re like an angel. I could listen to you all day, every day. Don’t you worry about that. We’ll make sure you have a place to practice either down here or upstairs every day.”
Lyra’s eyes widened. “Oh no. What about the times I agreed to play in the restaurant or the lobby?” She twisted to look at Phoenix. “Will I need to cancel?”