Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 146666 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 733(@200wpm)___ 587(@250wpm)___ 489(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 146666 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 733(@200wpm)___ 587(@250wpm)___ 489(@300wpm)
She sure was.
“All right, baby. Four more.”
Smack! Smack!
A wail erupted from her. Maybe not so brave.
The final two spanks landed and she slumped over his lap, exhausted. Tears dripped down her cheeks as he held her there, rubbing her bottom lightly.
“You need to learn to lean on Daddy, baby. You are to call me whenever anything happens. Anything. It’s not up to you to decide whether it’s worth mentioning. You tell me everything. Understand me?”
“Y-yes, Daddy.”
“That’s my good girl. Come here now.” He drew up her pajama pants before lifting her and setting her on this lap.
His hand ran up and down her back as she snuggled into him.
“I want you to remember that your health and safety are very important to me,” he told her. “You have got to stop hurting yourself, understand?” he growled. “If everything is becoming too much, what do you do?”
“Say my emotional safeword and talk to you.”
“That’s right.”
“I just felt so bad about everything. Sometimes, it feels like I can’t do anything right.”
“Hey, that’s not true.”
“I wanted to cook a nice dinner for you and instead, I nearly burned the house down.”
“Baby,” he said soothingly. “You didn’t nearly burn the house down. That wasn’t your fault. You don’t need to take the blame for everything. And just because you break a rule, it doesn’t mean you’re not a good girl, understand me?”
“I suppose so.”
“I know so.” He brushed her hair back off her face. “It’s sweet you wanted to cook dinner. But from now on, you’re only to cook when Daddy is here.”
She relaxed against him. “Yes, Daddy.”
He smelled so good and his touch was soothing.
“There is one other thing we need to talk about.”
“What is it, Daddy?”
“You were cleaning?”
“I was trying to get the smell of smoke out of the kitchen.”
“No, I didn’t mean just now. While the lasagna was cooking, you said you were cleaning.”
“Oh, yeah. I just . . . I wanted to clean the house.”
“It was messy?”
“No. I just thought . . . you bought me all these nice things and you’re letting me stay here, and I’m not doing anything for you. So I thought that I would clean the house and your boots. I only got part way through doing your boots.”
“Okay, Ladybug, we need to get a few things clear. You do not need to cook or clean for me, understand?”
“But what if I want to do things to look after you?”
“Well, I appreciate that, Ladybug. But the best thing you can do for me is make sure that you’re taken care of. Because I am never going to be happy if I think you have exhausted yourself trying to look after me. You get what I’m saying?”
“Yeah, I think so.” She yawned.
“Right. I’m going to order us some dinner. Why don’t you lie on the bed and just rest?”
“Okay, but I think I’ll lie on my tummy. Someone spanked my bottom.”
“Hmm, someone deserved to get her bottom spanked. And I bet she feels better for it.”
“Nobody likes that guy, Daddy.”
An hour later, she set down a half-eaten piece of pizza.
“Full, baby?”
“Yep. I had enough to eat. Unless there’s dessert. I’ve always got room for dessert.”
He snorted as he cleared up the pizza box. She was lying on her side on the bed. Normally, she didn’t like eating in bed, but the bedroom was about the only room that didn’t smell like smoke.
“No dessert.”
“That’s disappointing.”
“Didn’t you say you had ice cream today?” he asked.
“Yeah, but that wasn’t dessert. That was feeling-shaky-because-some-jerk-was-mean-to-me-ice-cream.”
“What a fucking asshole. Are you sure you didn’t get his details? A name? His number plate?”
“No, sorry,” she said. “Maybe Titus or Bonnie did.”
“I might need to pay Titus a visit.” He stood, then gathered up the pizza box. “And then I could ask him how he knows Cash.”
She bit her lip. “I don’t know. What if Cash doesn’t want Titus knowing that we know him?”
Hack nodded. “Yeah. Maybe we should talk to Cash.”
Shoot. She’d been hoping he’d tell her she was being silly. That there was no reason for Cash not to want Titus to know that she was his sister.
“Or maybe I should talk to Aidan first. I hate being so unsure. Not knowing what Cash is doing. We were so close growing up. It feels weird now.”
“Oh, baby. I’m so sorry.” He put the empty pizza boxes on the dresser and sat, pulling her close for a hug. “I know it has to hurt. But he’s here now. He’s alive. And, hopefully, when he’s ready, he’ll tell us everything.”
She guessed so. It still hurt.
“Go finish getting ready for bed. Go potty. Brush your teeth. I’m going to make you a bottle then it’s time for sleep.”
A blush worked its way over her cheeks. He was going to make her a bottle?
“Now?” She glanced at the time, shocked to see it was nearly ten.